Distant Suns/iPad issues
Posted by proxima | Filed under Uncategorized
[UPDATE] If you are getting random crashes with the iPad version of Distant Suns see if your iPad case has magnetic latches. Some clever designer forgot that magnets+things-with-a-compass=really dumb.
Distant Sun’s didn’t know how to process those kind of extreme heading errors and would just check out. That has been fixed and should be in the chute shortly.
iPhone Programming 101, part Three: Languages
Posted by proxima | Filed under Essay
Another in a very occasional series of columns covering the craft of programming and what it takes to create one of those app things.
Even though this article is about computer languages it is not meant at all to teach one how to “speak” in any of these languages, for that is light-years beyond the scope of this article.
A computer program is likened to a recipe. A recipe with potentially millions of steps that could come crashing down in a smoldering heap of code if as much as one of those steps is in the wrong order. The recipe might tell the system that if the user does something, then load in an image, draw it to the screen in green, rotate three times, do the hokey-pokey and fade it out. And that might be just one little task of thousands in a complex web of tasks, actions and behaviors.
Good Spacestation sightings this weekend over the US
Posted by proxima | Filed under Uncategorized
With the crescent moon and Venus, it should make for a spectacular scene.
Details and times at your location: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/index.html
Universal-iPad/iPhone version of Distant Suns released
Posted by proxima | Filed under Uncategorized
About 30 minutes ago the first maintenance release of DS for the iPad was released: 2.1.5.
This fixes the missing lat/long wheels bug, and addresses some issues that makes it truly universal.
NOTE: The link on this page is for the iPhone version only. If you want the universal one, go to:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/distant-suns-for-ipad-astronomy/id363418936?mt=8
Special Distant Suns Sale
Posted by proxima | Filed under Uncategorized
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, Distant Suns for both the iPhone and iPad will be on sale thru April 24. The Universe has never been so cool looking.
(If you don’t see the sale price of $3.99 US, wait a little while as it takes time for changes to the store to ripple around the world).
iPhone Programming 101, part Deux
Posted by proxima | Filed under Essay
Sorry for the long delay since the previous column. Something called an ‘iPad’ I think, came out last week and I was in a rush to have something in the store on day 1.
This column is to either help software neophytes get going on their own great app ideas, or to at least illustrate the process for the curious.
iPad Launch: View from the Palo Alto store
Posted by proxima | Filed under Essay
When I reserved my iPad, I selected Apple’s flagship store in Palo Alto for pickup. I had never quite understood the Apple line mentality. After all, most people could just save a lot of time and either order one online or wait a day or two.
Now I see the light.
Plus I absolutely needed to get a unit ASAP to test my software, Distant Suns. It was already live in the App Store and had over 80 downloads, so I needed to see what others were to make any fixes for things the simulator didn’t show.
I got there at about 7. Already one news van was parked across the street and about 150 people were in line. The reserved line was the shorter of the two, with maybe 50 or so.
Everyone seemed to recognize the silliness of it all, but also just how fun it was to hang out with fellow Apple fans. The store employees were top notch, handing Krispy Kreme doughnuts and coffee.
First DS/iPad “issue”:
Posted by proxima | Filed under Uncategorized
The lat/long spinners that you are supposed to use to set your location if location services fail, are missing from the setting preference popover. I know they were there once, but either I broke them with the last build of the final release of OS 3.2 broke something. I’ll have a fix in the next few days.
In the meantime, I hope the cities lists work well enough to get you folks by.
If you’re interested in getting Distant Suns…
Posted by proxima | Filed under Announcement
Make sure to get the right version. There is the iPhone only, and the iPad/Universal variants. The link in the display to the right is the iPhone only version. For the iPad/Universal version go to:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/distant-suns-for-ipad-astronomy/id363418936?mt=8
Why to separate products? Due to many factors, Distant Suns for the iPad is currently a separate product from Distant Suns/iPhone, meaning no free upgrade for the time being. There was a lot of discussion on the boards about the benefits or problems of making apps “universal” (one app that runs on iPhone and iPad) or specific to the device.
Distant Suns now for the iPad
Posted by proxima | Filed under Announcement
If all goes well, Distant Suns will be available for the iPad the day of launch, this coming Saturday. I received the official blessing from Apple yesterday. There is one last hurdle to go through, but I don’t expect any problems.
This will be the sixth platform Distant Suns has been on. Click on each picture to get a better view.
Distant Suns is primarily produced by a group of one, Mike Smithwick, the original author and designer,under the informal name of "First Light Software".
Mike is available for contract work in C/C++/Java, focussing primarily in the 3D arena but can also handle server side jobs, SDK and tool development,
and much much more!