Adding a configuration screen
As a new start in 2010, I wanted to keep track on my every progress I make on this blog. But first, I want to get real honest with you all, because I think you deserve it after months of waiting.
I did promise an update and I did say that a lot of really cool features were going to be added. I really wanted that, too. So, what happened? Let’s just say that life has me gasping for air sometimes, and I have to juggle that airtime with work and honest-to-god free leisure time, as well. I will try to finally channel some of that air to iKITT as well over the coming weeks.
One of the first things I wanted to implement in iKITT was more control and content for the user. That immediately meant a configuration section where you could adjust and select the things that you want the app to do. Configuration screens are present in almost every app, and they almost always use a TableView. Even so, I have never actually implemented one, although they are fairly simple. The next few days, I will be concentrating on this when I can find the free time.
I already have a good idea of what items I want to be configurable from all the feedback and my own ideas. There are even a few features that I cut from version 1.0 that I want to make a configurable come-back, such as the start-up sound and whether changing speed in Dashboad mode makes a sound.
I will back this post up with some screenshots soon. Even if that does not mean that much to you now, it does to me in the sense that I’m actually moving forward again. This time I will do my best to document the process as best as I can. I know the pain of abandoned projects and radio silence, but I can also understand the reasons that behind it. Radio silence will not be the problem from now on. The next milestone for this thing we have here is the next submission to the App Store and I will be posting all along the way.
Welcome to the new…
…not so much the same as the old. As you can see, I’ve put up a proper blog for Thanatist Software. Following up on my promise of keeping you more informed about iKITT, this step should make it a lot easier to write about where I’m standing. Furthermore, you can comment and let your voice be heard. I will listen. Now, I will tell you where things are at.
I’ve kept the last post from the old site online to illustrate how long it has been. It’s also there so that I can update you on the current situation. What development I had done on iKITT had to come to a halt, because the iMac I was using then broke down. I have since replaced it with an even older Mac Mini, but it works. It means that I can work on iKITT again–at least, as far as time will permit.
iKITT was free for a day on February 4th as part of a fun event, inspired by the recently finished Appvent Calendar event. It tries to promote Dutch and Belgian apps and offers a different app for free each day of January. Check it out at http://www.appevent.com (Dutch).
If anything, the results of that again showed me how many people really like having KITT on their iPhone. It is also crystal clear that you want to see an update. What features did I have listed on the big old TODO-list? Here they are again:
- A configuration screen
- More sample sets (KARR, translations)
- More voiceboxes (first season, KARR)
- Shuffle mode (random samples at timed intervals)
- KITT scanner (with the woosh sound!)
I will not promise you all of these features for the next update, because I may cut some to be able to get it out faster. There are many little tweaks and features that I think you will like, and more delays because a time-consuming feature hogs everything up is unacceptable.
So, after a long absence, this was a pretty long post. I hope I have not disappointed anyone too much by the radio silence, but I do have a job and something resembling a life, too. In any case, here’s to iKITT 1.2, to be released… somewhere in 2010? Narf!
Hardware problems
Development has sadly but temporarily come to an unwanted halt as my development Mac is suffereing through some bad times. Applications are freezing for seconds at a time at random intervals, sometimes to the point of being unable to complete one line of code. We’re looking into the matter right now, but I thought I’d just drop you a line so I can hide behind this lame excuse. 
In the worst case, I’ll be forced to buy a new Mac, just so development on iKITT can continue.