This is a major upgrade, recommended for all users with the new iPhone 3.0 software. (It will work with any iPhone or iPod touch that has the new 3.0 OS).
Major new features include:
- Trip Planning! Using a new feature made available by TriMet, PDX Bus can now use the same trip planning feature that is available on their web site.
- Faster fully integrated Google maps for many screens, including trip maps, and maps of all stops for a route.
Bug fixes and minor features include:
- Increased stability and robustness.
- The large number-pad keyboard is used where possible.
- Correctly displays multiple detours per route.
- Selecting a detour will display route information for the impacted route.
- Many minor user interface improvements and fixes.
- Updated email features to work without quitting the application; allows emailing of large numbers of bookmarks.
14 comments:
Hello.
I was wondering if you thought about making an app for the palm pre? I have been thinking about it but am not sure where to start.
My understanding is that the pre currently only support web-apps, like the iPhone used to. The pre is a nice phone, but I'm not so interested - this app takes up all the spare hobby time that I want to spend writing free apps!
i think the pre does full apps now. there sdk is here
http://developer.palm.com/index.php
TRIP PLANNING?!?!?!?!? That is so effing awesome, I don't even know how to express my joy.
Thank you!
Don't get too excited! :-) This is my first go at trip planning, and I feel I can add more features in this area. I will be interested in feedback from users to find out how they want it to work!
I installed this app couple of days ago, and I must say, it is one of the best transit app I have ever used...
However, I want to add one request, which is auto-refresh. Instead of manually refreshing every min, the app should automatically the arrival countdown.
I'll look into the auto refresh. I have been reluctant to add it because
(1) I didn't want to put too much strain on TriMet's servers
(2) I was worried about battery life (e.g. what if it refreshes for ages and drains the battery).
I will look into both issues.
I miss being able to bring up a stop in Maps, because it can search for a business without having to look up the address first.
The walking distance selection really needs to go at the top of its window, I keep forgetting it's down there at the bottom. OR if you want to be even more widely loved and raved about, incorporate the "Show me the..." and "Travel by..." options and put all of them on their own window.
I still use the Transit Times feature CONSTANTLY. Every iPhone in Portland should have PDX Bus on it because someday you might use Trimet. It's THAT good. (you can use that quote.)
jwdoom - I will add an button to so that PDX Bus can launch the real google maps again - thanks for that input - it didn't occur to me that this would be useful.
I need to think more about the best way to do those options for the tip planner! I put the walking distance at the bottom as I thought it would not be used much. There is a option in Settings so that the default distance can be set. The "Show me the Quickest/Shortest Walk/Fewest Transfers" option has not been made available as an option for applications so I can't easily add it. :-( The "Travel by" option is available, so I can add that.
http://developer.trimet.org/ws_docs/tripplanner_ws.shtml
I will ask TriMet about the "Show me the..." option.
jwdoom - TriMet got back to me - the documentation for the ""Show me the Quickest/Shortest Walk/Fewest Transfers" option was missing, now I have it it will be in the next version.
The trip planning feature never works on my iPhone. I'm running PDX Bus 3.0 on an iPhone G3 S with the latest iPhone software. On TriMet's website, I get a trip plan every time. Nearly every time I use PDX Bus, it claims the trip I am trying to plan is impossible. This happens for such conventional trips as NE 42nd and Killingsworth to Pioneer Square at 9 am on a weekday! I like PDX Bus but I don't understand why trip planning is broken. Please let me know you're going to fix it. Thanks.
Bear - thanks for the feedback. As you may know, PDX Bus simply takes the information you enter and passes it to TriMet. I have not seen a failure like this - so I will need more information to reproduce. *Exactly* what text do you enter for the start and stop, and what time is the request for? Do you set any options? In the results screen, are the starting and stop places exactly right, if you tap them, do they look like they are at the right places?
There is a new version of PDX Bus submitted to Apple that does make some changes to this trip planner, so maybe this will fix it.
Thanks for writing back so quickly. Unfortunately, the problem is now manifesting every single time I try to plan a trip, whatever the start or stop or time or options. It says the trip is impossible. I guess I'll just wait for the new version.
Wow - that is not so good. I just tried with version 3.0 and this is not happening for everyone, as I can get a route from 4nd & Killingsworth to Pioneer Square.
One suggestion: email your bookmarks to yourself (to save them) and then delete the app and reinstall it. If you click on the bookmarks in the email it will add them back one at a time. This might help. Sorry about this!
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