Blogging My Life...I wanted to illustrate the changes we have posted to the Apple Store, as of yesterday, for version 1.5 of the iPhone Siddur. Note, we already started working on the next version. Adding some features, fixing bugs and fixing texts in the Sefardic Edut Mizrach, where I messed up big time (I am sorry!). I am documenting a list of changes at the version history page also, but a picture is always helpful.
(1) We added a starter screen, since it takes a sec or two to open, why not look at something pretty:
(2) We added a lot more text to the Siddur. Including adding Edut Mizrach (with mistakes, sorry), and a bunch of brachos and other prayers. Note, version 1.5 will have mistakes in Edut Mizrach and will have mistakes in the brachos for Edut Mizrach. Besides for fixing many (not all, yet) of those mistakes in the version after 1.5, we have added a few more brachos.
Here is a favorite, one of the hardest blessings to say. Bedtime Shema. Now it is easy, just pull out your iPhone and do it in bed. No light required cause we are backlit.
(3) Zmanim looks the same, but it has a few more features. You can override your location by zip code or long/lat. Also, you can easily change the date. In the version after 1.5, we added an "elevation" setting, just in case you do not have the GPS model. Elevation can make the times off by over 5 minutes, so this is important.
(4) We have the minyain database in version 1.5. But I am excited to announced that GoDaven.com has agreed to work with us to provide us with structured data. So version 1.5 has a lot of data, but once we plug into the source data, the database will be expanded from 2,000+ minyainim to over 3,000. In addition, we might be able to say, "I am looking for a minyain, within X feet, that starts within X minutes." This is coming, but right now, in version 1.5, you do get local minyanim (just not all the extra flare).
(5) Here is the Jewish Calendar, Luach. The next version will have the date as a Hebrew character and not a number. Plus, this version (1.5) will have a rotating bug. The next version, after 1.5, will fix that bug.
(6) In version 1.5, you can now control the overall "settings" of the application. To do so, click on the "settings" icon on the iPhone's home screen and then select "Siddur" from the list:
You can set the default Nusach, if you are in Israel, font size (with a slider), turn on/off auto-discover location:
When you change auto-location off, you can enter in the zip code, latitude, longitude, GMT offset and give it a name. We forgot to include "Elevation" or altitude, and that can make a huge difference. That will be included in the version after 1.5, it is already coded in, we just need to submit it to Apple.
Also, I did email the Shmash.org kosher database team to see if they want to work something out. So who knows, maybe a kosher database will be added soon, as well.
So that is a recap of the features in 1.5 and some of the features and bug fixes coming in version 1.6 and beyond.
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Comments
Looking forward!!!!
I would not use the blue Siddur background for the calendar (dose not match the rest of the app, even if it does match the logo/splash screen), but I have no idea what would look nicer. The zip is not a zip in the rest of the world, so maybe a different label would be more appropriate. Also a nicer goDaven.com interface would be nice. The image http://www.flickr.com/photos/rustybrick/2744336326/ above shows the godaven page, and it is not a pretty one. Will this be replaced with a native iphone thing?
Posted by: Lou | August 8, 2008 11:47 AM
Lou, that is us embedding the godaven page as a web page, when internet access is available. Since GoDaven will give us the data, when we get it, we will make it native to the app. We will also include a link to GoDaven.
Posted by: Barry Schwartz | August 8, 2008 12:06 PM
hello,
i purchased the lateset version of the "Sidur" App by Apple Store, on the sidur menu
the hebrew text is reversed (the tfilot are fine)
because i am using the hebrew logical app so all the hebrew text will be showed the right dircetion,
so please make another version where the hebrew text in the original direction .
i think this conceren all the useres in isreal
thanks a lot,
ofir
Posted by: ofir | August 17, 2008 1:11 AM
That is taken care of in the next version.
Posted by: Barry Schwartz | August 17, 2008 8:48 AM