Init

Noti Updates

mike — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:00:40 +0000

An update to the Noti desktop application has been submitted to Apple and should be available via the App Store within the next few days.

New features and improvements in Noti 1.2 include:

better handling of pasting text into cards
automatic selection of cards when editing
support for printing cards
horizontal scrolling option
search iCloud documents
‘option+arrow keys’ for navigating selected card
export to csv

Also, Noti 1.1.1 for iOS has been submitted and includes a shuffle feature along with a few minor bug fixes.

Retiring Winc, Introducting Noti

mike — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:00:30 +0000

We’re trying something different this time.

Winc was designed to be a complete management tool for large libraries of note cards. We used the tools and technologies at our disposal at the time to the best of our ability and tried to build a somewhat useful application.

The original concept focused on organizing and sharing card sets, but fell short on usability in some respects.

So we started over.

What we came up with is Noti. Noti focuses on writing things on note cards and viewing the things you wrote on those cards.

That’s it, it’s bare bones and it’s intentionally simple. You can write things down, save the things you wrote, and view the things you wrote. Oh, and it uses iCloud, so no matter where you write your things down (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac) the things you write are automatically available on your other iPhones, iPod touches, iPads, or Macs.

In addition to iCloud, Noti makes use of all the new fun buzzword technologies in Mac OS 10.7 including Autosave, Versions, and Full Screen support. QuickLook provides full previews of your Noti documents directly from the Finder.

We’ll be adding additional features such as printing (Mac OS and iOS, searching (iOS), and sorting (iOS) over the next few months. As always feedback is appreciated.

Writer’s Block

mike — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:50:21 +0000

Yes, the blog has been neglected for a while. Not a phenomenon that is entirely unique.

Here are a few updates.

Firstly, VAI 1.2.1 has been released. While there are no new features, the new version does provide an important message during updates regarding the future availability of charts. The FAA is in the process of changing their digital distribution model and licensing. The bottom line is that our subscription to their digital approach plates has been extended until October 2012. Until the FAA releases information about their new digital distribution rules we have no idea whether or not we will be able to continue supporting VAI after October 2012.

Also, we’ve submitted a new application to the App stores called Noti. It’s a different approach than Winc when it comes to the note cards concept. More information will be available soon.

VAI 1.2

mike — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:02:38 +0000

VAI 1.2 has been submitted to Apple and should be available soon. This update provides support for downloading all charts in a state with a single tap.

VAI 1.1 Sneak Peak

mike — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:09:23 +0000

Today is indeed an exiting day. Mac OS 10.7 was officially released and tonight space shuttle Atlantis returns to earth for the final time (OK so technically the landing is scheduled for early tomorrow morning). Last and certainly least, development on VAI 1.1 is moving along nicely.

The most noticeable new feature in 1.1 is a completely revamped download interface. Previously, downloading one or more charts would present a modal progress indicator and prevent further browsing or searching of charts until all downloads finished. In 1.1 the modal progress indicator is gone. You will be able to continue searching, queue up more downloads, or go back to viewing your local charts while downloads happily chug along in the background.

Here are a few screenshots of the new download interface.

ReSharper. Get it. Now.

chris — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:22:24 +0000

I can’t tell you how useful this tool is, and I imagine I can say that most .NET developers working in Visual Studio who have used it would tell you pretty much the same thing I’m about to. If you work in .NET and don’t have ReSharper you’re making a very, very bad mistake. You are wasting your time, and likely writing code much less efficiently that you could be otherwise. Seriously, it’s that good. It’s worth the cost. There is even a free trial. If you haven’t tried it yet, do so. Now. Go! Get ReSharper here.I couldn’t do my job without it. I mean I could, but why the heck would I want to?

Ah old Macs

chris — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:57:32 +0000

I remember learning how to program in BASIC on one of the old cube style first generation Macintosh computers. When the Apple Cube came out, i really wanted one as it reminded so much of them. I never got the chance, I was too dirt poor to pay the Apple markup, hell I still am. This article makes me feel like I didn’t really miss out much, enjoy some turn of the millenium nostalgia.The Register

VAI 1.0.2

mike — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:27:10 +0000

A small update to VAI (1.0.2) has been submitted to Apple. This update allows searching for airports by full ICAO identifier and improved instructions for new users. Stay tuned for new features coming in the next few months.…

So does this mean JC Penny is going to become a cult too?

chris — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:01:20 +0000

Here you go. Just kidding fanboy lovers of all things Apple, but only ever so slightly. All I know of JC Penny is that they seem to have no concept of what the word sale means. To them it’s more of a status quo. I don’t think I’ve ever walked into one of their stores – drab mass market apparel dangling haphazardly from hook and hangar while patrons scurry to and fro rather sad looking dressing rooms – that didn’t appear to have 90% of it’s stock on sale. It will be interesting to see what Johnson can do with the chain, considering how succesful he’s been with the Apple Stores themselves. The fact that he’s investing his own money speaks quite a bit as to his motivations. It’ll be interesting to say the least.

VAI Press Release

chris — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:46:29 +0000

If there is one thing that we – like so many other independent developers – have struggled with, it’s figuring out just how to market our products. The market is saturated, and visibility is hard to come by. The little luck we’ve had has been far outweighed by what seems to be simply a lack of awareness on the part of our potential users coupled with our own extreme ignorance and naivety when it comes to that most evil of domains, sales. Unfortunately we’ve seen how inefficient some of the normal routes can be first hand. We have had 100 dollars of AdMob advertising dollars sucked into oblivion within minutes without seeing a single successful conversion. We have run AdSense ads in the past to no avail. In fact, it seems the only success we’ve had has been via word of mouth and pure dumb luck, with maybe the small exception of a fun if likely ineffectual mini Reddit ad campaign I tried to pull of a few days ago. -sigh-. Things have picked up for Winc since it’s being moved to the Apple App Store at least, now that we don’t have to depend on unfortunate souls stumbling across the old sale page by some miracle of the tubes. In any case, I’ve been familiar with a service called prMac for a while. They always seem to come highly recommended by others much in the same conundrum as we. So, we decided to take a shot. You can see the newest press release for VAI here. Read it. You’ll quickly see that I still have yet to master the art of proofreading.