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The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map : Index >>
Portal Talking Shop >> Thoughts on possible Megalithic Portal mobile app
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Thoughts on possible Megalithic Portal mobile app |
Andy B
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|  Posted 23-09-2012 at 22:27
Thanks Peter, these are good suggestions for mobile browsing that I will work on. As mentioned above I also have a half-written 'search for sites near me' that I'll get finished.
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Andy B
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| Posted 04-10-2012 at 17:33
Just to say I've started a thread in our Members Only Forum to discuss specifics of
Allowing use of our data on other websites and for mobile phone applications.
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Andy B
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| Posted 04-10-2012 at 17:37
One site wanting to share our data is igobubble which is a free app from the Iphone App Store, or check out http://www.igobubble.com iPhone users might like to install and try this out.
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VapourTrail
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| Posted 15-10-2012 at 09:43
Hello Andy,
Rune invited me to get involved in this discussion, and as a TechnoPagan I have got some experience of using technology to locate, record and measure ancient sites.
So, iGoBubble. I've taken a look at the concept, but I'm really not into social networking, so perhaps you could explain to us "sociophobes" what it is about the Bubble concept that makes it a "shoe in" as they say for megalithic data? How did you envisage that this app ion particular would make use of the Meg.Portal data? And what would we, as users, get from the experience?
Thanks,
-----------------
Vapour Trail.
[ This message was edited by: VapourTrail on 2012-10-15 09:44 ]
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Andy B
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| Posted 15-10-2012 at 22:11
Hello VapourTrail, all I know is that igobubble were after a dump of our data so they could integrate our locations into their app in some way. I'm guessing it highlights when you have particular things nearby you, and they would want to add our sites into that mix.
From the discussions we had at our site meeting we deferred any decisions on giving out data until our next meeting in January for more of a chance to look at what data we might share and what the feasability is.
On our own mobile web site I've streamlined the pages on http://m.megalithic.co.uk as suggested by PAB and others, and made it the default when the Portal detects you're using a mobile device. There's also a link at the bottom of the page to take you back to the 'standard' portal.
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Andy B
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| Posted 16-10-2012 at 16:46
I've just added a function to get your location from your web browser and jump to the closest site to you. Obviously this works better on a smartphone with GPS than a desktop PC.
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/getlocation.php
or
http://m.megalithic.co.uk/getlocation.php
Also added to our Search page and the navigation links at the bottom of the page.
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Andy B
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 18:19
I have added some << Previous and Next >> links to the site pages which should help with mobile (and normal) browsing.
So you think I should I make the mobile pages any shorter and/or simpler by reducing the number of photos and nearby sites shown, or are they OK as they are?
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PAB
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 19:10
Thanks for having a go at this Andy..
trying each bit out separately for clarity....
firstly, using my laptop through the home wi-fi, I used the link in the forum post before last (the non-mobile one), and the site given as my nearest is actually in Gloucester:
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?lat=51.866742&long=-2.248669
This was after a message telling me that Portal wanted to know my location (I said fine), then there was message giving the Lat/Long for the nearest site - this site then came up.
Not sure what there is in Gloucester to make this happen - our broadband is via BT, if that gives a clue?
Peter
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PAB
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 19:50
I have tried calling up a site on my (Android) mobile, using just the phone network instead of wi-fi, and picking one from the latest photos page on Home page.
Loading was vastly faster than normal - I usually have to wait for ages for the 2 maps to load up before the list of nearby sites can be shown. This time, it loaded straight away.
As to your questions - personal view here:
I don't think I'd want more than a few images actually appearing by default - perhaps just 6, with an easy link for more under the last image - in a similar way to the normal portal being limited to 25, but easy link to more.
This would suit the way I use the portal through the mobile - wanting a quick look to see what a site looks like - this helps me decide whether to aim for it or another location when I'm out & about.
The list of nearby sites is just right though - as it gives both distance and direction, I can easily flick through others I may want to look at. So, the way you have set this up would certainly make me more likely to use the facility, and less likely to give up because of waiting for the maps to load..
I also thought I'd really like the arrows at the bottom to move to previous or next - but I can't work out the logic? From the site I started on (Brenig 8 - http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=a312&file=index&do=showpic&pid=96544&orderby=dateD), I noticed that the ,next, site was claimed to be Brenig 46 (previous being 'Merrivale'). The next ones on the proximity list were actually Brenig 51 and 14, so not sure what makes Brenig 46 the 'next'?
I will now go and sit in the car and see what happens when I ask the mobile to use its GPS to see what sites are nearby...nuffin on't telly anyway!
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Andy B
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 20:21
PAB, the Next / Previous links are really designed for News and Feature Article pages, they take you to the next and previously submitted pages by date. With site pages it works in the same way (date submitted) which isn't that obvious, although it does let you look at the newest sites submitted, which is of interest to some people.
I've cut down the number of images on the Mobile version to (lucky) 7. The other thing I should do is limit the number of comments that come up as there can be quite a few of these!
Thanks
[ This message was edited by: Andy B on 2012-10-18 20:30 ]
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Andy B
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 20:30
Other unrelated updates - I've adjusted our latest images RSS feed to make it work with an internet connected digital photo frame I've just acquired.
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/images.php
I had a look at Flickr to see how to do this and realised that we now have over 500 images that Flickr users have contributed to our Megalithic Portal image pool. More very welcome if you have images on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/megalithic/pool/
I will have to work out a way to integrate these images into the main site. You can view the Flickr photo feed here
http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/groups_pool.gne?id=1391769@N20&lang=en-us&format=rss_200
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PAB
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 20:30
Andy, can confirm that the 7 photos works great!
I tried with the 1st image - which just had to be Stonehenge of course! That meant the suggestion to scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the page in full format took some time...
When I did follow that, full format came up fine - then I wondered whether i would remain on that format. I clicked on one of the 'nearby sites' list, and that took me to a full format page (of Avebury as it happens). Fortunately, my phone has the equivalent of a 'back' button, so I could go back to the Mobile version of Stonehenge - otherwise I guess I would have had to change the setting in personal page?
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Andy B
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 20:51
If you choose to go to the main page you should stay there for the remainder of your browsing session - I'm not sure quite how long that will be - it uses a 'session variable'.
To go back to the mobile version, change the www.megalithic... in the link to m.megalithic and that should do it.
I'm enjoying the view of all the latest photos on my new photo frame. If anyone else wants one, it's this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kodak-Easy-Share-W-820-8-Inch-Wireless-Digital-Frame-Easyshare-/271071889113?pt=UK_Photography_DigitalCamAccess_RL&hash=item3f1d24c6d9
I got mine for £15 in a charity shop
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PAB
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| Posted 18-10-2012 at 21:09
Update from using geolocation...
using this from mobile did come up with site just over 1km from home, as opposed to the laptop which placed me in Gloucester.
The site it came up with was Eithin Fach Mound - 1.6km from me. Oddly, there was no invitation to scroll down to the bottom of the page to go to full format as there had been for the Stonehenge page - perhaps because there were no images to limit to 7?
I wonder therefore if both the information about being able to move to full format, and the link to enable you to do so, might be better placed together just under the site information - but I realise there may be reasons for not doing so.
As I didn't know the site (even though it is the nearest portal one to me!), I did rather want to look at a map, and that made me realise another quirk of using the Portal on a mobile - I had no way of knowing what each of the internal or external links were to. As my phone does not have the ability for me to 'hover' over an icon for the destination to appear, I had to try each one, wait a significant time to see what each one was, then try another.
For me, the main link I might want in such circumstances would be the OS map - so, if possible, can there be a named (as opposed to icon) link to that. For anything else, I'd expect to have to go to the full format page...or wait until I had wi-fi or got home!
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r10n
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| Posted 19-10-2012 at 08:08
The initial version of a Windows Mobile app can be accessed here; http://www.windowsphone.com/en-gb/store/app/megalithic-live/f6bf84b4-17be-45cc-baf2-999c41c74b0e
Its isnt currently visible via the Microsoft Sotre but can be installed by anyone with this link.
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PAB
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| Posted 19-10-2012 at 10:32
r10n - this is probably daft question....but rather than mess up my settings trying: can an Android mobile (HTC Desire) run Windows apps like this? I am used to fact that i-phone stuff isn't designed for Android, but not sure about Windows, & guess I may not be the only one!
Thanks
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r10n
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| Posted 19-10-2012 at 11:36
Quote:
| On 2012-10-19 10:32, PAB wrote:
can an Android mobile (HTC Desire) run Windows apps like this? |
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Nope, sorry, it's just for Windows devices I'm afraid.
I'll install 'Mono for Android' and try that out just in case there is a way for to build the app to run under droid, but from previous encounters Mono is more for back end libraries than the main UI application, so I wont be holding my breath.
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Andy B
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| Posted 26-10-2012 at 13:16
Just a 'bump' that Richard's beta version of his Megalithic Portal app for Windows Mobile devices can be accessed here:
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-gb/store/app/megalithic-live/f6bf84b4-17be-45cc-baf2-999c41c74b0e
Its isnt currently visible via the Microsoft Sotre but can be installed by anyone with this link.
Thanks again for this Richard, we are looking at how to do something similar for Android phones. There's a link to a preview of how it works higher up in this thread as well.
[ This message was edited by: Andy B on 2012-10-26 15:21 ]
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jhice
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|  Posted 16-04-2013 at 19:57
Hi there,
First of all, great job has been done here ! (I'm new).
Richard, your Windows app is great Bravo.
@PAB : your location is wrong at home because you're IP address refer to a point that can be at hundred kilometers from your home. On a mobile device located with GPS or cell phone triangulation, your location is very precise.
My thoughts on this topic, as I work in webdesign and dev, after reading all the topic :
- a mobile app should start light, like Richard's app,
- it is a good idea to define the needs and the purposes of a mobile app, must be an adaptation and not a copy of the website,
- native apps are great but need multiple developers/developments, one par device, and leads to multiple "versions" of the app (what is perhaps not important if you can find ressources),
- 1 other possibility is the native "webapp", that is an app coded in HTML(5)/JavaScript and wrapped into a native app (a webview in a native app), with tools like Phonegap, already posted in this topic, the gain here is that there is ONE code, compiled to seven platforms,
=> as for native apps you need to go on registering on each market (Apple, Google play etc.) and manage signature keys. It can be done but it's a bit... raging and boring. There are some costs, not so heavy : Phonegap is about 10$/month, Play 25$ for life, Apple 99$/year and so on.
- the last possibility for a smartphone app is the classic webapp, ie the actual mobile site m.megalithic.co.uk. The advantages are : all the developers involved at MP can still work on the mobile version, perhaps changing their habits a little, and had a "mobile vision" as started in this topic, technology is the same as the main website, compatibility is handled by the device's browsers (but Blackberry dont use JavaScript).
My personal preference and advice would go to the latter, wich could be easier for everyone to manage (I mean the devs).
Doesnt change that the work done by Richard is great and the usability of his app is what we expect from an app ! But if you want unity betweens apps, you need one developer for each platform, following the same guidelines as Richard to create the same app (for coherence).
My suggestion to end this long post :
- Transform the website in a responsive way to handle Desktop computers and tablets at least for landscape formats,
- Make a mobile, mean "smartphone" version totally different (native app or browser app) in the way Richard did this app (there are jQuery libs that simulates native behaviors, wich could do the trick)
Dont know how much I could have time but of course I could be involved in this.
This is my first and long post here, I give my opinion (not fixed !) because as many here I found this portal great, amazing, and I feel the passion out there
Sorry for my "on-the-fly" english 
jhice
[ This message was edited by: jhice on 2013-04-16 19:58 ]
[ This message was edited by: jhice on 2013-04-16 19:59 ]
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Andy B
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| Posted 16-04-2013 at 23:06
Hello Jhice, thanks for your post. I have been researching mobile apps for some months (make that years!) and I have come to the same conclusion, that HTML5 is the way to go, and then package up for the various app stores.
I have had a good look at PhoneGap (and some alternatives) and am finding it rather difficult to get started with as a mobile programming beginner.
For the moment I have settled on Appshed which is pretty easy to set up and use. I am just getting to the stage of having something basic that is working and testable.
Have a look at this (load in a mobile browser)
http://appshed.com/appbuilder/24702
This is based on the same GeoRSS and RSS feeds as Richard's app.
Help and ideas very welcome!
Thanks again,
Andy
[ This message was edited by: Andy B on 2013-04-16 23:08 ]
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