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iPhone app (Read 99,932 times)
derekblankmccoy
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iPhone app
Jul 15th, 2008 at 11:15pm
 
hello
Is anybody out there in the works of making a saynoto0870 iPhone app? It would absolutely kill!

it would be really cool to either search for the number or company name and get a list of numbers then call it straight away!

Of course it would have to look all nice and iphoney.

Cheers!
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« Last Edit: Jul 16th, 2008 at 2:00pm by DaveM »  
 
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binarybee
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #1 - Jul 15th, 2008 at 11:28pm
 
Yes!

I'm looking into this! However I need the support of the sites owners. I have emailed them through their contact us page, however had no replies. I've also posted a few messages on the forum regarding access to the database, so hopefully I will get a response.

I've already got a few ideas about the layout and features of the app and have started to create something in the iPhone development tools. If the site owners give me the go ahead I will be able to start putting everything together.

It's good to see there is interest in an idea like this. Would you be willing to pay for such an app? Do you have any suggestions for features?

If the site admins read this please get in touch with me, either here or PM! I'd love to discuss this with you and see how we could move this idea forward.
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BudVar
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #2 - Jul 16th, 2008 at 5:02pm
 
What a great idea! I have an iPhone and would love to see this working!

But how would it work? Would it automatically swap the 0870 number for another when dialing?
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binarybee
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Reply #3 - Jul 16th, 2008 at 5:09pm
 
Thanks, its great there's an interest in this idea!

The iPhone software development tools have some limitations and it would not be possible to detect when someone is dialing an 0870 number - you'd be unable to suggest an alternate number at that point.

The app would be available on Apples new AppStore (via iTunes). You'd load the app and have the option to search for alternative numbers by company name or phone number. You'd then be able to store the alternate numbers in your Contact list.
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BudVar
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #4 - Jul 16th, 2008 at 5:11pm
 
Ah; OK.

So, how would it work?
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binarybee
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #5 - Jul 16th, 2008 at 7:11pm
 
Sorry, missed a bit out of my previous reply.

Once the search results come up as well as being able to add them to your contacts you'd be able to simply tap on the number on the results screen and the number would be called.
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unknowndomain
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #6 - Aug 2nd, 2008 at 3:50pm
 
I have been emailing the site staff about this for months, as I also wanted to have a go, I have been looking at the possibility of screen scraping the site, but I don't want to reproduce their content with out permission, but I would like some kind of app at least a web app for personal use. however until they open up an API nothing is going to happen with their permission.

It needs to dump out their database into xml format when queiried, I would be happy to work on a php script to do this and assist in iPhone development were possible.
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DaveM
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #7 - Aug 2nd, 2008 at 7:47pm
 
I'm trying to put together a statement that encorporates "Two Hopes" and "Chancer" into one phrase, but it seems to elude me at the moment  Undecided
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unknowndomain
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #8 - Aug 2nd, 2008 at 8:11pm
 
What does that mean Dave?

--------

Also here is a mock up of what I was thinking of for everyone as I already sent this to you dave....

............
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« Last Edit: Aug 2nd, 2008 at 8:24pm by unknowndomain »  
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L_S
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Reply #9 - Aug 13th, 2008 at 7:03pm
 
I was just thinking about this... I see I am not alone. I don't have an iPhone yet, but plan to get one in the next few months.

The point is this: a lot of the time when one needs a geographic alternative number, one is out and about. For instance, you might see a number in an advert, or public information notice.

Sure, one can go onto the website and type it in manually - but a native iPhone app would be a lot, lot better - allowing you to save/update numbers on the iPhone's contact list, for instance.

In order to encourage adoption, I would definitely recommend it being free. I think it would be a huge hit in the UK, but if you charge for it, it would immediately put people off (and you can't do try-before-you-buy in the app store at present). Also, I think a lot of people would object to paying - even 59p - when they could go to the website and do it for free. Sure, it's less convenient, but it's free!

A less obtrustive, and possibly more effective way of raising funds, would be to have a Donation link on the website of the application. A number of other iPhone apps have this, and I believe a lot of people would then voluntarily donate, after having used it and thought "wow, this is awesome".

So - I hope the discussions with the site owners are productive!

L_S
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« Last Edit: Aug 13th, 2008 at 7:04pm by L_S »  
 
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unknowndomain
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #10 - Aug 14th, 2008 at 9:18pm
 
I would be apposed to charging, however a donation link would be an idea.

I still have not heard back from the site owner, I do wonder if he is concerned / not interested, which is a shame.
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kurtis5561
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #11 - Aug 15th, 2008 at 7:23am
 
Why? What makes iPhone users think they are a cut above the rest where they need their special own program? I don't see the Windows Mobile users asking for one. So what makes the iPhone so special?

I for one disagree with this idea, and good on the site owner making his database private.
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L_S
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Reply #12 - Aug 15th, 2008 at 9:17am
 
Apologies for the length of this, but I feel it important to respond:

I don't think it is a case of "iPhone users thinking they're a cut above the rest". As I said previously, I don't actually own one - and in case you think I'm an Apple fanboy, apart from my iPod I don't own a single Apple product - all my computers are WinXP PCs.

In fact - my current mobile phone is a T-mobile Vario II running - yup, Windows Mobile!


However, the iPhone is an exceedingly capable device, and a couple of factors make it a good platform to develop applications for:

1) The SDK - although it could certainly be improved, many things are very "easy" for developers to accomplish using the SDK.

2) The App store. I've installed WinMob applications on my phone, and it's simply a pain.

You have to find a version which will run (and fit your screen resolution, etc.) on the internet - which is often hard enough - then sync it using ActiveSync, then install it. It simply isn't easy or seamless enough for 95% of people to want to do.

The App store, despite its flaws, makes the process of downloading and installing iPhone apps very, very simple. Simply put, despite the relatively low number of iPhones in existence, if you build a good quality, useful application you will garner a large userbase very, very quickly - something which doesn't happen for 95% of Windows Mobile applications.

3) In the UK at least, the O2 data plan is very good value. A lot of people who aren't on iPhones - myself included - don't have cheap/unlimited data. I try to minimise data browsing! A Windows Mobile application for the site would unlikely be as popular given the variety and costs of various data tariffs!

All of these factors combine to make the iPhone perhaps the most compelling platform to develop mobile applications for at the present time. It's to do with maximum return for a developer's investment of time: there's only one screen resolution/device specification, there's an easy way to get apps onto the device (and market them to the world), and it is easy to develop for.


A couple of other points:

1) You seem to be opposed to iPhone users getting an application because Windows Mobile users won't get one... why?

After all, people are not asking the site owners to develop the application (and favour one device over another) - this is a suggestion by independent users of the site who would like to develop an iPhone application.

I am sure that if someone was similarly willing to develop a Windows Mobile application which did the same basic thing, they could do so and the presence of an iPhone application would not somehow discriminate against them - because it isn't the site owners who would be doing the coding work, but end users who want the application.

Look at it another way: for example, if I wanted to build an extension for MS Outlook which would look up numbers from this site, that might be because I use Outlook. It would not stop, or discriminate against, someone doing the same for Thunderbird (or any other application). It would not imply an endorsement of one platform over another by the site owners!

2) "Good on the site owner for making his database private"... based on the rest of your argument, you seem to be saying this simply because it would spite those who wish to develop iPhone applications. But what if someone wanted to build a Windows Mobile (or indeed Symbian) application? A "private database" would be no help for them!

Secondly, the database isn't really "private". After all, you can type in a number and get a result! What it does not have is an API which makes retrieving such data programmatically simple.

It would not be impossible, or even exceedingly difficult, for an iPhone developer (or any developer for any platform) to simply "screen-scrape" the output of this site. It may be morally and legally questionable, but it isn't difficult. I think that those who wish to make applications have done exactly the right thing by contacting the site owners in order to come to a proper formal arrangement, rather than simply screen-scrape and not tell them!

So given all of the above, I fail to understand why you would have such a problem with an independent developer creating an iPhone application for the site. I certainly wouldn't have a problem with someone creating a Symbian application, even though I'm a WinMob user at present!


Back to the topic itself:

I believe that an application would actually drive traffic to the site. Not, perhaps, from mobile devices, but the more people who know about the site through the publicity generated by a good quality application, the more people would visit it from a PC - more advertising revenue on a per-view/per-click basis.

In addition, if a "donation" link was included, perhaps the moneys raised could be split between the developer and the site? I don't see it as a way to make money, but it would probably help cover the data costs generated by the iPhone app's traffic (which would not
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« Last Edit: Aug 15th, 2008 at 10:55am by DaveM »  
 
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unknowndomain
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #13 - Aug 15th, 2008 at 10:30am
 
kurtis5561 wrote on Aug 15th, 2008 at 7:23am:
Why? What makes iPhone users think they are a cut above the rest where they need their special own program? I don't see the Windows Mobile users asking for one. So what makes the iPhone so special?

I am sorry you don't want this application however the API will open up the information to specified developers so plugins to skype, outlook, firefox and applications for iPhone, windows mobile, symbian,and java, widgets for dashboard, gadgets for sidebar, and web mashups can be developed all enhancing the sites community, and use meaning that they will make more by donations and have more visitors to the site eventually clicking links.

Quote:
I for one disagree with this idea, and good on the site owner making his database private.

I think your comment is short sighted and spiteful, designed only to provoke and I don't see why you feel this way as no one is proposing any thing which affects the site negatively.
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« Last Edit: Aug 15th, 2008 at 11:12am by DaveM »  
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DaveM
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Re: iPhone app
Reply #14 - Aug 15th, 2008 at 11:39am
 
kurtis5561 wrote on Aug 15th, 2008 at 7:23am:
Why? What makes iPhone users think they are a cut above the rest where they need their special own program? I don't see the Windows Mobile users asking for one. So what makes the iPhone so special?

I disagree as we get numerous requests for Windows app's access, most of them for individuals own ends & not for legitimate development.

See previous requests & the replies in the How Can We Improve SayNoTo0870 - Part2 thread at the top of this forum.

Reasons for restrictions are fairly obvious but if you require further amplification on this or anything associated, all enquiries should please be made direct to the site administrator, Forum Admin.

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