SheffCam now a native iOS app

Not updated my blog for almost a year so I thought I may as well let people know that SheffCam has migrated from a web app to a native iOS app and is available from the app store (since march actually… yes I’m a little slow at updating the blog).

I took the decision to use NimbleKit as the development platform (its an Xcode template so you still need a Mac and an iPhone Developer license) for creating the app as it allowed me to leverage my existing web based skills to produce a fully native and app store friendly app. I urge anyone who is thinking of developing an app for the Apple app store but are put off by learning Objective C to give NimbleKit a try.

SheffCam Released

I’m pleased to announce the availability of a new iPhone/iPod touch WebApp for the Sheffield area.

Produced in conjunction with Sheffield City Council, SheffCam gives you access to the 30+ traffic cameras in around around the Sheffield area all within an easy to use interface.

Please visit sheffcam.com on your iPhone/iPod touch to start (as a bonus you can also FULLY access it on the desktop using Safari for Mac or PC, even better you can make it into a dashboard widget on a Mac using the web-clip feature from within Safari).

I plan on making a native version for the Apple app store in the future with lots more features so if you have any feature requests please let me know.

Thanks to all those who beta tested the WebApp…Enjoy.

SheffCam: My first venture into iPhone development

I said a while ago that this year would be the year to do some serious programming in the form of iPhone development and while this is still the case I’ve not got very far (Yeah Yeah I know).  What I have managed to do is dip my toe in the iPhone development pond ocean in the form of Dashcode, and while not technically coding (it uses existing web technologies to produce dynamic web apps), it has allowed me to start with an idea for an application which I hope to development into a full blown native iPhone app.

The idea for SheffCam came to me whilst viewing the Sheffield City Council traffic cams which cover 34 sites in and around the city.  Although really useful they arent much good if you are out and about and want to see what the traffic is like for your journey home. Viewing the councils website on the iPhone is possible but a pain as it requires lots of zooming in and out and downloading of superfluous data.  Hence the need for a streamlined iPhone compatible version of the site.

After approaching Sheffield City Council they were interested in an iPhone version of the site and I was given the go ahead to use the camera images in my development.

SheffCam is in early development (beta) and doesnt have all the features I’d like included but I’ve decided to release it to get feedback from potential users.  Please leave suggestions, bugs and feature requests in the comments below.  In the meantime please feel free to take a look at SheffCam on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Enjoy

iPhone OS 3.0 to could include MMS, tethering and copy and paste.

MacRumors have just posted some good news (read rumor) in the form a partial feature set of the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0.  Earlier in the week Engadget reported that Apple will be holding a press even on Tuesday, 17th March to demonstrate iPhone OS 3.0.  MacRumors now states that the new OS will include some of the most user requested features including MMS support, tethering and possible copy and paste.

I for one cant wait to see what Apple has in store for the next major iPhone OS update.

Time to get with the program…but which one?

I’m about to embark on a new chapter in my life and do something I should have done a long time ago… that’s right I’m going to attempt to learn to program… I mean REAL programming.  But before I do I thought I’d share with you some of programming experiences to date.

I’ve been ‘in’ IT for a number of years now after being introduced to ‘real’ computers way back in 1989 with a DTP course using a network of Mac Plus’s.  I say ‘real’ computers because everything up until then required that I connected my ‘computer’ to a TV and load up a cassette and wait an age for it to load…Yes I was an Atari 8-bit 800xl user and I loved it.  I would sit for hours typing in basic code from magazines just to get a scrolling ticker tape demo (Come on I’m sure we’ve all done it!).

With the Mac Plus it all changed (albeit in B&W) I was introduced to my first ‘visual’ programming language HyperCard. I won’t go into great detail but HyperCard for me was revolutionary,  It worked using a ‘stack’ based metaphor using ‘cards’ within the ‘stack’ that you could navigate by going forwards and backwards showing each card in turn.  Each card could contain graphics (1 bit), fields,  buttons which allowed you to ‘script’ actions using a language called ‘HyperTalk’. Baring in mind the obvious limitations of the tools on offer you could create quite sophisticated ’stacks’ from games through to basic databases.  I myself created a whole GUI for a youth centre so that users could login and access applications and documents without giving them full control over the computer, and in turn the power to DELETE stuff!

Unfortunately HyperCard as a tool was killed off by Apple in 2004 having not been updated for some time although SuperCard , a direct rival to HyperCard, still exists to the day but again has not been updated for a number of years.  Since then I have tried RealBasic and Revolution but always felt that I was ‘playing’ at programming (sorry to all those RealBasic and Revolution users out there) and longed to get under the bonnet and produce some proper code but as with most things in life commitments and events mean you can’t always do what you want to do.  Now after hearing a talk by Peter Cooper at the recent Think Visibility conference, I have been inspired to do something about it.

So what may you ask am I planning to do… Well in a nut shell I’m going to jump in at the deep end and develop for the iPhone (Hey if a 9 year old can do it so can I!).  Based on the fact that I have no knowledge of C++, Objective C or the iPhone SDK I know I’m setting myself quite a large task,  but with passion, ‘Learn C on the Mac by Dave Mark‘ (the first of many books) and a lot of help from the iPhone community I’m sure I’ll get there… eventually.