Some users have reported bugs when running PhotoTrader under iOS 4.3. Most commonly reported are issues relating to avatars turning black and camera controls.
I’m aware of the problem and am working on a release shortly to fix these problems. Thank you for your patience!
This is the first in a series of posts detailing what’s new in PhotoTrader v2.0, the newest – and most ambitious – update to Tapestry’s flagship photo-sharing app for iPhone and iPod touch.
Probably the worst kept secret amongst PhotoTrader users is that a major follow-up to the app is in the works, and is nearly complete. Over the next few posts, I will be detailing some of the major new features slated for inclusion in PhotoTrader 2.0.
One of the main goals of this update is to improve both the quality and quantity of photo trades, making the trading experience more enjoyable for users. Taking a page from popular video game consoles, one of the ways we are encouraging improved participation in the PhotoTrader community is with Trophies.
A new section added to the Social tab, Trophies are awarded to PhotoTrader users upon reaching certain quality and quantity-related milestones. Some are awarded for regular usage (ie. “Meet and Greet”, awarded for trading with at least 250 users), while others are given for earning large numbers of stars, ending the day within the top 5 in a given list, etc.
Trophies are split into three varieties. Silver trophies are relatively easy to earn, whereas Gold and Platinum are reserved for more difficult achievements. A checkmark indicates whether or not you’ve earned a given Trophy, and tapping on its name will tell you what is required in order to earn it.
Some Trophies are offered for actively helping to promote PhotoTrader in certain ways (thus helping to bring in new users), or contributing to the community in various other ways:
While viewing another user’s profile, you can see which trophies they have earned, comparing their progress to your own.
After having some difficulty procuring an iPhone 4 (the launch day line at the Rancho Cucamonga Apple Store was, shall we say, long), I was able this morning to get ahold of mine.
Tapestry Apps on the iPhone 4
Of most interest to readers of this weblog: In my limited testing, both PhotoTrader and Beautiful World work fine on the new hardware. I will admit, I was a bit concerned that the high resolution display might pose a problem, but I have to give Apple serious credit for making the transition seamless for developers. It’s nice to focus on adding new features instead of fixing old ones.
That’s not to say that updates are completely unnecessary, though. While it’s true that it looks just as good as it did on older iPhones, lower resolution artwork (icons, etc) really does stand out like a sore thumb on the new display. I foresee much time spent in Photoshop in my near future.
Now, for a quick review of the iPhone 4 itself. Note that this is by no means exhaustive, and reflects only a few hours with the phone. For something more in-depth, check out Engadget’s review or wait for Ars Technica to post theirs (they tend to be pretty thorough).
iPhone 4 Impressions
The first thing you notice using the new iPhone is the incredible display. Simply put, content designed for the new display looks absolutely amazing. Text is automatically rendered in high resolution, making even existing apps look much nicer than before. This makes accessing the web or any other sort of text-oriented content much nicer. Graphically oriented apps (including our own) don’t benefit quite as much right off the bat, but this should change as they are updated with higher resolution graphics – something developers are doing anyhow for the iPad.
When the new iPhone was announced, Steve Jobs noted that the 326 ppi display exceeds the capability of human vision to distinguish individual pixels at about a foot away. I have excellent vision and can confirm this to be the case. If you demo the phone, a good way to see this is to compare the Clock app icon on the iPhone 4 versus the same icon on an older iPhone. It’s quite striking how much better the higher resolution version looks (as a point of comparison, professional photographers generally make prints at 300 dpi – meaning that the iPhone is of greater clarity that your average gallery photo or glossy magazine).
As a developer, one of my main concerns with this change is increased memory usage – higher quality artwork requires larger amounts of memory. Thankfully, the new model has bumped this up to 512 MB, more than even the recently-released iPad (to be honest, I really wish Apple had kept these models at parity by giving the iPad more memory to work with).
On the hardware front, I am very happy with the new iPhone’s form factor and build quality. Then again, I thought that original iPhone hardware was superior in this regard to the 3G and 3GS, both of which felt cheap in comparison. The new phone’s angular edges feel a little odd if you’re familiar with older models, but on the flip side it simply “feels” like a higher quality device. That’s important.
I’ve not yet had a chance to use FaceTime for video chat, though I suspect that this is a feature that I would rarely use. I don’t particularly want to be seen all the time, and the current Wi-Fi-only restriction – no doubt imposed by the always-disappointing AT&T – makes it of even more limited utility. I can see it garnering occasional use, though, and a front-facing camera offers some nice benefits for application developers. PhotoTrader already supports the 2nd camera right off the bat, something that I’m sure users will get a kick out of.
Speaking of which, the iPhone 4 has improved upon the phone’s primary camera, which – for someone whose apps are photography related – is quite a perk. The increased resolution (from 3MP in the 3GS to 5MP) is nice, but the dynamic range appears to have improved. While this is harder to quantify from a marketing perspective, anyone wishing to replace a point-and-shoot camera in their pocket will find something of value. I’m not a huge fan of flash photography, but its inclusion as an option is nice. Again, this feature is supported in PhotoTrader.
Overall, I’m very happy with the direction Apple is moving with regard to the iPhone, iOS and other “iDevices” such as the iPad and iPod touch. Quality over quantity, usability over poorly implemented bullet list features. I still have concerns about certain Apple/App Store policies and the way they are enforced – and then there’s the matter of the iPhone’s achilles heel, as personified by AT&T – but on the whole I don’t see the competition matching the iPhone’s fit and finish any time soon.
Update: One issue in PhotoTrader that a few users have written in about is the inability to toggle the flash and front-facing camera when ‘mature’ content is turned on, when using the iPhone 4. I have fixed this internally and once testing is done an update will be released.
Just an update regarding Apple’s latest releases (both iOS 4.0 and iPhone 4) and how they impact current Tapestry apps.
In my limited testing thus far, both PhotoTrader and Beautiful World work just fine in iOS 4.0, so you should feel safe upgrading. It is, of course, possible that a minor bug or two will pop up upon extended usage by regular users. If this happens, please use the in-app option to contact Tapestry and let me know ASAP.
Regarding iPhone 4 support, while a reading of developer resources and information out of WWDC 2010 leads me to believe that everything should “just work”, the higher resolution display could introduce some compatibility issues. As I do not have access to iPhone 4 hardware for testing purposes, it’s possible that unforeseen problems may crop up. Like many of you, I will be lining up at the local Temple of Jobs on Thursday morning to pick up a shiny new iPhone 4. Assuming I’m able to make my way through the crowds and unscrupulous Gizmodo editors, I will begin compatibility testing with the new ASAP.
Even if there are no problems with either iOS 4.0 or the new iPhone 4, there are a handful of things that can be done to take advantage of both (ie. support for the new iPhone’s front-facing camera and higher resolution display, iOS-related backgrounding, etc).
Rest assured, Tapestry will be evaluating changes that can be made in future versions of our apps.
The Wall Street Journal posted a story the other day regarding iPhone-using Microsoft employees and the almost underground nature of that usage. Even though the company doesn’t have an official policy against employee iPhone use, one can’t help but assume that there is some sort of stigma attached given that Apple has eaten Windows Mobile’s lunch.
I found this particularly funny, as – well – of course those employees (at least 10,000 strong, according to the WSJ) are going to be using the iPhone. What else would they use? Windows Mobile? Just because you work at Microsoft doesn’t mean that you’ve had your ability to see an inspiring product for what it is – merely your ability to create one.
So, with that in mind, I decided to create a fun little ad on Facebook, as it allows you to target viewers by employer:
The mental picture I get is pretty humorous: Microsoft employees happily using their iPhones throughout the day, only to hide them in their pocket when CEO Steve Ballmer walks by.
The idea of one being gutsy enough to use PhotoTrader to snap a photo of the big boss and share it with the rest of the world – at risk of having a chair thrown at them – is almost too much to bear.
It went up a few days ago:
Unfortunately, from an advertising perspective it wasn’t a big hit. The odds of a Microsoft-led surge in PhotoTrader downloads is unlikely:
Still… who knows? There may very well be one or two Microsoft employees snapping photos as we speak, moving up the rankings and just waiting for the Theme of the Day to switch to “CEO Tantrums” so they can make their move!
