iPhone Todo+Cal Feature Requests

[dzanq]

I started this thread to open a discussion about new features I would like to see in future releases.

With the build-in calendar Todo+Cal started a new era for the application.
I must say Synthesis does a great job here. Playing with the new functionality I had some ideas for improvements:

1. Since the application does also handle the contacts I would like to see birthdays from my Contacts as kind of non-blocking all-day events within the calendar views. I'm not asking for an import or synchronization of birthdays as events because this has the chance to mess up the dates -- just integration in the views.

2. SaiSuke has a nice feature to jump to a specific date. If you tap on the date in the header of the calendar views, it opens a date picker dialogue and lets you select the date you want to go to. Good idea, don't you think?

3. The different calendar views deserve a little tuning. I would appreciate, if all views would use the month layout: One header which displays the current period.
For the day view is would e.g. say "Thursday 01.01.09" instead of "Calendar Day".
Only the list view may stay with the generic title.

4. A week view comes handy sometimes, too

5. Shouldn't it be possible to also pick event Attendees and Locations from the iPhone's Contacts. BTW: The "Location" entries have ABPerson.Kind = 1.

[atlauren]

I would like the list view to automatically scroll to "now". Also, the scrolling at present doesn't seem to have the 'flow' usually present in iPhone apps. I assume this element of user experience will improve with time.

I concur that a week view would be welcome.

All told, I (and the users I represent) am VERY pleased to have this new option. Hurrah!

[atlauren]

Also, I notice that attendee data doesn't seem to display in the phone. Bug?

(This is with version 1.5, newly available in the AppStore.)

[luz]

Originally Posted by atlauren

Also, I notice that attendee data doesn't seem to display in the phone. Bug?

No, a limitation of the Apple SDK - it does not allow timed alerts or reminders for 3rd party apps. Very unfortunate, but we can't but wait for Apple to open the SDK a bit more in the future.
As soon as reminders get possible, we'll of course implement them

[atlauren]

Originally Posted by luz

No, a limitation of the Apple SDK - it does not allow timed alerts or reminders for 3rd party apps. Very unfortunate, but we can't but wait for Apple to open the SDK a bit more in the future.
As soon as reminders get possible, we'll of course implement them

Pardon me, but I don't quite get how the limitation on alerts/reminders is related to display of event attendees?

Thanks,
Andrew

[luz]

Originally Posted by atlauren

Pardon me, but I don't quite get how the limitation on alerts/reminders is related to display of event attendees?

You're right, it is not related at all. I was too reading too quick...

In the current 1.6, attendees are only accepted when they have an email address. For the next release (probably 1.6.1) all, even those without email address, will be sent and received. There will also be integration with the contacts app (such that you can choose attendees from contacts list or show the details page for attendes, and phone/SMS/email them directly).

[coggy]

A feature I would like to see is an autosync when the app is launched. Maybe it could store a timestamp to see when it was last sync'd and if it was more than some set amount of time it would sync on launch.

[toddy]

Originally Posted by luz

You're right, it is not related at all. I was too reading too quick...

In the current 1.6, attendees are only accepted when they have an email address. For the next release (probably 1.6.1) all, even those without email address, will be sent and received. There will also be integration with the contacts app (such that you can choose attendees from contacts list or show the details page for attendes, and phone/SMS/email them directly).

Hi Luz...we are now up to version 2.5.0 and I still don't get attendees from Oracle Cal to my iPhone..but it did work with my old Windows mobile. Any update thoughts? Great app though...I use it many times a day!

[atlauren]

Originally Posted by toddy

Hi Luz...we are now up to version 2.5.0 and I still don't get attendees from Oracle Cal to my iPhone..but it did work with my old Windows mobile. Any update thoughts? Great app though...I use it many times a day!

Since Oracle hasn't yet certified Todo+Cal+Sync, it's probably getting the default profile from OCAS.

-Andrew

[luz]

Originally Posted by atlauren

Since Oracle hasn't yet certified Todo+Cal+Sync, it's probably getting the default profile from OCAS.

Definitely it's the server deciding not to send the attendees. However I'd be surprised if Todo+Cal wasn't certified - we were working with Oracle's SyncML development for OCS and Beehive from day one of Todo+Cal, and they have created profiles specifically for Todo+Cal a long time ago. I'm not 100% sure these profiles are installed by default, but certainly should be available for any OCS/Beehive installation. I'll ask back at Oracle and let you know.