GeyserTimes for Android 4.1.0
Some of you might have already noticed a new version of the GeyserTimes for Android app has been released. A new screen has been introduced to summarize the latest information on your favorite geysers. Subtle changes to the add screen intend to make submissions even easier and faster. However, the most exciting addition probably is that eruptions can now be entered up to the second. In fact this had been one of the most requested features by gazers in the past. With many photographers sharing their photos during last year’s photo contest the geyser icons of the app received a slight overhaul. Moreover, the design of the Android and iOS apps have been matched, so navigating the app will feel natural independently of the operating system used.
Unfortunately, the increased burden of work with the introduction of an additional app for iOS made rethinking the core features of our services essential. After all, it is not only intended to match the design of the two apps, but also the functionality in the future. Hence, the deprecated bluetooth sync has been removed after a previous analysis showed it was one of the lesser used features. Updating the bluetooth sync would have required a tremendous amount of time while supporting it across the platforms would probably have been close to impossible. Furthermore, the option to filter geysers has been dropped with that step to reduce the complexity of the database and its query. Additionally, as we intend to focus on geyser-related features, displaying the sunrise and sunset times will require a different app like Ephemeris in the future.
Report eruptions up to the second
Exciting news for all users that found adding the seconds in the comment field annoying: viewing and entering eruptions up to the second if desired is finally possible. To report seconds, merely long-click on the field for time input and select the correct seconds in the appearing dropdown.
A customizable for you screen
The latest prediction, eruptions, and notes on your favorite geysers can now be viewed on a new screen. How about adjusting the for you screen based on your interests? Simply choose your favorite geysers in the settings and rearrange their order on the for you screen using the handle on the top right of the information cards.
The for you screen is not finished yet, however, as adding notifications on other users’ reactions on your entries is planned for the future.
Easier and better submissions
Have you ever wondered how cool it would be if the app correctly predicted the geyser you want to enter? The submission screen now suggests nearby geysers so you can more easily enter eruptions of the geysers you stand in front of. If you don’t trust our app well enough for knowing your location, suggestions will be based on your last entered eruption. Not exactly artificial intelligence — but we’re getting close…
Furthermore, input is now also validated as it is entered. This will allow you to see what fields require your attention prior to submitting.
Reporting geyser eruptions can be confusing if done the first time. Hence, for many of the fields on the submission screen where its intention is not clear at first sight, a glossary with information on the required input is now available only a click away.
New geyser icons
With the amazing photos that have been shared with GeyserTimes for usage in its services during last year’s photo contest, the geyser images used in our app have been updated accordingly. Furthermore, geyser icons without a photo available will now be colored based on the geyser basin. Hopefully, this will allow faster skimming of the day summary.
Picture-in-picture support for webcam
Don’t want to miss a single Beehive or Old Faithful on the webcam eruption anymore? With the picture-in-picture support, you can now always keep an eye on the webcam while working on your device. Additionally, you can now share webcam screenshots with the share action button in the toolbar on devices with Android N or higher.
Updated design
Not only has the design been updated to match the iOS app and the new Material Design 2 guidelines, but some other enhancements have been implemented as well. To make flagged entries more distinguishable, flag icons are now shown for flagged entries similarly to the website. The statistics screen of a geyser now allows the selection of a minimum and maximum interval for the displayed interval distribution and duration-interval relationship charts. Furthermore, the user experience for devices without a touchscreen like Chrome OS tablets and notebooks has been improved.
Unfortunately, a critical bug in the sync code of our apps resulted in a corrupt database in rare cases. A fix is included in this app version among many other stability improvements and bug fixes. In case you experience sync issues due to a corrupt database, it now is also possible to clean the database via the app’s settings.
Improving the app requires your feedback. In fact, some of the enhancements of this version including the bug fix for the sync issue mentioned above would not have been possible without the valuable information we received from our users. Hence, we would love to hear from you to know how we can make GeyserTimes better together.
