paul's blog

There is a new update to KnitMinder which fixes an issue with the purchase date picker not displaying correctly on iOS 5. If you've upgraded to the latest version of iOS, please grab the update from iTunes!

The latest update to KnitMinder, version 1.5.4, has been approved by Apple and should show up in the App Store over the next day or so. This update fixes a problem with importing that wasn't addressed in 1.5.3, and also adds better logging so I can more easily diagnose any future import problems.

Apple just approved the 1.5.3 update which fixes the issue with the app not starting as well as several other problems with importing. It should be rolling out to the App Store over the next few hours.

I've finally tracked down and fixed a devious bug in the import process that was causing some imports to fail with an unhelpful "Error" popup. I need a bit more time to test, but should have a new release submitted to Apple very soon.

StitchMinder was released in August of 2008. Wow!

The past few weeks have been extremely busy at my day job, so I haven't had any time to work on KnitMinder or other iPhone projects for quite some time. It seems like work is calming down now, so I thought I'd check in with a couple of things that I'll be focusing on in the coming months:

KnitMinder on the iPad

I used to boot up my laptop to check email and surf the web, but now that I have an iPad, the laptop stays in its bag and I carry the iPad around the house. It's a great device, and I think that Apple has hit another home run in the consumer electronics market. One of my primary goals for the next version of KnitMinder is to update it so it looks beautiful and runs well on the iPad. You may have noticed other developers and companies releasing versions of their apps specific to the iPad with a new and improved purchase price. This will not be the case for the next version of KnitMinder. I feel very strongly that nobody should ever have to pay for KnitMinder twice, so if you already have the iPhone version, you will not have to pay anything for the iPad version.

KnitMinder rewrite

I've mentioned before that I'm working on a major revision of KnitMinder (called, rather unimaginatively, "KnitMinder 2") to clean up and improve the way that the application runs internally. The changes are so pervasive, especially now that I'm adding iPad support, that I have decided to create an entirely new application rather than an update to the existing KnitMinder app. "But wait," I hear you saying, "does that mean we have to buy KnitMinder again? You just wrote that we would never have to pay for KnitMinder twice!" This is still true. My plan right now is to provide KnitMinder 2 as a free download. The app will have limited storage just like KnitMinder Lite, but if you need unlimited storage, you can unlock that feature with a purchase from inside the application for $2.99. Knitters who have already purchased the full version of KnitMinder would get that feature unlocked automatically. The Lite version of the app would no longer be necessary. If you already have KnitMinder or KnitMinder Lite, you will be able to use the import/export feature introduced in version 1.5 to transfer your data to KnitMinder 2.

The overall plan is to provide a better app that runs on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, doesn't cost anything for existing users to upgrade, and makes it easier for new users to "try before you buy". I really want to hear your feedback about this plan, especially if you have any concerns about the direction I'm taking, so please leave comments on this site or email me using the contact form!

I just submitted version 1.5.1 for approval. This bug-fix release fixes the following issues:

• 0000096: [bug] no feedback if an image source is unavailable
• 0000141: [bug] changing pattern on project does not change project photo
• 0000145: [feature request] add acrylic needle material
• 0000142: [bug] sometimes unable to import

There is a minor change in how the program functions in this fix. Previously, when you added a pattern to a project, the pattern's photo was used as the project photo if the project didn't already have a photo. Now, the pattern photo will always overwrite any existing project photo.

Debra Roby has written an informative article on crafting apps on the BlogHer site which mentions KnitMinder and StitchMinder.

I was just notified that KnitMinder and KnitMinder Lite 1.5 are both ready for sale, so they should show up in the App Store within 24 hours. This has got to be a new speed record for approval!

I just submitted the latest update of KnitMinder and KnitMinder Lite to Apple for approval. According to the developer support web site, 96% of updates are being approved within a week, so I'm hopeful that the new version speeds right through the approval process. New features in version 1.5 include:

• Import/Export: see the previous blog entry for details
• Added a count field for needles
• You can switch to UK needle sizes in the Settings app
• The "double-tap to frog" action in the counters has been replaced by a "frog" button
• Miscellaneous bug fixes

I'll post a detailed tutorial on how to use import and export to transfer data between the lite and full versions soon. This also means that it's full speed ahead on version 2.0!