A Break From Active Development

After almost 4 years of developing my Android applications, I am now taking a break from active development of WiFi File Explorer, SECuRET & BabyCam. I'll still be making critical bug fixes as they arise as well as any other necessary maintenance with new Android releases and techniques, but I will not be implementing any new features or requests from users.

I still welcome ideas being sent to me and I keep a to-do list for when/if I do return to actively developing my applications. As more and more people request the same thing, features change in priority on that to-do list until it becomes immediately apparent what I should do next. So thanks for all your ideas that I still frequently receive and they all get duly noted, but as I alluded to, there is no guarantee as to when/if that feature will get implemented.

After spending all that free time developing my applications over the last 4 years, it is now the right time to take a step back, reflect on what I have achieved and enjoy the fruits of my labour. Hopefully I will return to those applications in due time, but for now I am happy concentrating on other projects and spending more time with family and friends!

What’s Coming Soon? Let Me Tell You ...

With the imminent arrival of mine and my partner’s first child (it could literally happen any minute now – already 2 days overdue), I have been very busy coding away like a man possessed to try and cram as many new features into my Android applications as possible. You should have already by now seen the latest new feature in SECuRET LiveStream (real-time audio streaming to go along with the video; pretty freaking sweet!), but there is so much more in the works...

First of all, the next update you will see to the SECuRET apps and GroovyCam LiveStream is that I have fully updated all the settings screens to use the standard Android convention; that is to say that all the settings will now appear using the same layout and style as you see in the actual Android OS settings menus and other applications that also follow the convention. This not only makes my applications feel more familiar and in-line with Android, but hopefully makes the whole experience of configuring my applications more professional, pleasant and straightforward (even I was finding it confusing to configure SECuRET SpyCam in particular!!)

I have also jigged a few settings around and set dependencies to disable things that can’t be set based on other settings, to make everything more obvious. There are also some helpful hints scattered throughout and I really think the whole thing is much easier to use and understand ... hopefully it will result in less emails from people asking me how to do things ;) Also the menus, dialogs, text and popups have also been reviewed and standardised in many places to make the whole experience feel more professional and uniform with other top applications on Android.

The next thing of note is that I have been busy refactoring all my code and just giving it a general tidy up (it’s amazing how out of control it can get when you take your eyes of it :P). I am also making use of my own custom libraries to manage common code between my different applications; this is making some real savings already and I wish I had done it sooner – it means my applications can easily be updated across the board when making little tweaks to the code they share and new features suitable for all the applications can be added with ease. It’s particularly useful for SECuRET/GroovyCam LiveStream and WiFi File Explorer as they share oodles of similar code and now I can manage it all in one location. At the same time as all this is I am finding areas where I can speed up code and make it more efficient, so for example, the frame-rate in SECuRET LiveStream is now absolutely flying – even in hi-res mode! So this may warrant an update, and even though you may only notice slight improvements, it’s important for ease of future development.

And finally, the next big thing I am going to start work on is a major overhaul of the UI for all my applications. The screen shot above is how I have WiFi File Explorer looking right now in development – shiny isn’t it? :P The logo and title will probably change as well as some more tweaks I would think, but it will pretty much look like this to all you guys soon enough. I intend to make similar style changes to all my other applications as well – it feels like a good time to put some real effort into the UI as the feature sets of all my applications have settled down now and I can justify spending time on applying some makeup to them.

But it’s not just the UI of the actual applications themselves that will see a fresh lick of paint ... also the web UI of WiFi File Explorer is due a massive makeover as well! About time too, after a couple of months of you guys having to sit through boring localization updates of WiFi File Explorer – sorry about that ;) I have an old school friend of mine currently beavering away on a fresh new interface (web UIs aren’t my forte and he has several years commercial experience knocking out tasty looking websites) and I am hoping to integrate his work into my code very soon. I haven’t seen what he has done yet, but his sketches were perfect and include a lot of the features you guys have been asking for.

I’m sure there’s more I have planned, but I can’t remember it now (something about Honeycomb and a new application I am working on, maybe ;) ) ... but there’s certainly enough to look forward to there! Now, I just have to find the time to do it all in between nappy changes and being puked on!!

Right, back to staring at my phone and waiting for the phone call ...

No More Support For Android 1.5 (Cupcake) In All Dooblou Applications

From this moment on, all the SECuRET applications, WiFi File Explorer and GroovyCam LiveStream will no longer continue to support Android 1.5 (Cupcake) with new features. The lowest version of Android they support from now on is 1.6 (Donut).

As Android develops at its rapid pace, cool new features are made available to developers with each new version. I have done my best to support older versions of Android for as long as possible, but it got to a stage that features I wanted to implement in my applications could only be possible using Android 1.6 and above. As Android 1.5 is now almost 2 years old and represents less that 4% of the active install base on Android handsets, now seemed as good a time as any to discontinue support for those devices and to concentrate on developing features that can be appreciated by the wider audience.

So what does this mean if you have bought a license for one of my paid applications and you are still using Android 1.5? Well, it means that you must remain on that last version of the application that supported Android 1.5 and you must not update the application, else it will cause an installation error.

I cannot refund you as changing the minimum supported version of Android is allowed in the developers’ terms and conditions, and it is inevitable that all applications will have to do the same in the future (if they haven’t done already). The Market should prevent you from seeing such updates and stop you from updating to a version that isn’t supported, but it is clear from a couple of emails I have already received that the Market has failed to do it's job on a couple of occasions.

If you have problems and cannot roll back to a good version of one of my applications for your version of Android, then please email me and I will send you a link to a direct download.

So goodbye to Cupcake users – sorry to see you go. I’d recommend that if you can, updating to a newer version of Android is a very worthwhile thing to do; you’ll be impressed! And if you do get a new device that supports Android 1.6 or above, you will still have the license for the application you bought from me, so you can re-install that great dooblou application that you loved so much from your old phone at no additional cost ;)

Time For A Break

It’s almost time for me to hang up my mouse and keyboard and set my ‘out of office’ reply on, but before I do, I will let you know of a few updates to expect over the holidays.

For WiFi File Explorer, expect to see the following updates:

• Swedish version;
• French version;
• Improved use of Proguard to obfuscate the code and trim down the app size.

And for SECuRET applications and GroovyCam, you should see updates that include:

• A couple of bug fixes to the camera preview validation;
• Improved use of Proguard to obfuscate the code and trim down the app size;
• A bit of a polish to the UI;
• Full resolution still photos;
• Lots of little bug fixes.

In fact, the SECuRET applications are feeling more stable than ever ... famous last words!!

So I won’t be doing any development over the holidays, just testing these releases and then making the updates at some point, in between gorging on chocolate and recovering from hangovers ;)

I’d also like to think that I will take a much deserved break from answering emails at all hours of the day, but knowing me I will still find time to answer them at some point (much to the annoyance of my girlfriend).

Enjoy your break (if you get one) and I hope you enjoy celebrating in whichever way you choose. I’ll be back adding new features to my applications in the new year – I have huge ‘to-do’ lists, so keep an eye out for update notifications on your Android device.

... And if you want to give me a gift, 5 star ratings and good comments are always welcome :)

Motorola Droid X Not Playing Nicely With Camera Applications

It has come to my attention in the past few weeks that the Droid X isn’t exactly reliable when it comes to using its camera; hence it affects my camera applications – the SECuRET applications and GroovyCam Livestream. Various commenters on the Market have left the obligatory negative comment as they tend to do, but also I have had some helpful users contact me via email to try and nail the problem down. Not having a Droid X myself (I only have a Nexus One and an HTC Magic ... with a Nexus S on the way – very excited!) it is difficult for me to debug and test my camera applications on the device, but I have found some interesting information nonetheless...

The main point to make to any Motorola Droid X users reading this is ... it isn’t my fault! You can find plenty of stuff on the web regarding “Droid X camera problems” – it even seems to effect the native Camera and Camcorder applications. The main symptom seems to be the phone randomly resetting itself when using the camera hardware. As I said previously, it seems to affect all ‘camera-type’ applications, even the native ones, and so it is believed that there is actually a deep-rooted issue with the actual camera hardware/software/drivers in the Droid X itself.

Now one of the reported ‘fixes’ for this is to not run any ‘media-type’ applications in the background whilst you try to run a ‘camera-type’ application. The 2 ‘media-type’ applications that are commonly mentioned are Pandora and Music. Again, I can’t verify this myself, but some of my helpful testers have confirmed this indeed stops (or at least reduces) the random resets. The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed I have recently added a warning message to the SECuRET and GroovyCam applications that appears when you press ‘Start’ that says exactly what I have said in this paragraph ... so you have been adequately warned – so no more 1 star ratings and comments of “Doesn’t work on Droid X – Uninstalling!” – deal? Good, thanks!

It does work on the Droid X, it’s just the Droid X’s camera doesn’t work properly! :P

I have also added some new code and tweaked some old code that handles errors from the camera in a more efficient way, as well as interrogating the camera before it’s used to make sure everything is valid. Yet again, I can’t verify this myself, but some of my helpful testers have actually said that they no longer see the random resets at all. Personally, I think that is just a happy coincidence because some users are still getting the problem ... but it’s nice to think I may now be handling any errors from the camera well enough to prevent random resets.

So hopefully this post explains what is going on with the Droid X and I can point any emailers here from now on to answer their questions. Also, it may help you to appreciate just how difficult it is to write camera applications for Android – every new device seems to have some little quirk or strange behaviours that means my code needs to change regularly to ensure compatibility with as many devices as possible.

I think I have done quite well to make my camera applications as widely compatible as they are, considering I only have a pair of HTC devices to my name! ;)

SECuRET Updates Coming Soon

Seems like a while since I posted anything exciting about the SECuRET range of applications (installing to SD and 'torch mode' don't really count ;) ).

So what have I been working on that you will see in the forthcoming updates?

First of all, in the next set of updates I have made a few 'security' tweaks, as described below:

1)  The BACK button is now disabled when the touch screen is locked on the main camera screen, making it harder for people to get into your phone;
2)  There are some new 'Show Password' check-boxes to allow you to see what you are typing when inputting passwords into the Settings menus. 
3)  The application no longer appears in the 'recent apps' list that you get when long-pressing the home button - so no-one knows you were ever recording them ;)

Following on from that, I am currently developing and testing higher resolution modes for both still photos and video.  I have had both working on my Nexus One without too many issues, so it is looking promising that you'll see these very soon.  I am particularly happy with the higher resolution video recording as this is something people have been asking for since I started these applications ... (it will only be available on Android 2.2 devices and above though).  In a world where no-one is satisfied unless it is 'HD', hopefully this will shift a few more copies ;)

I think as a by-product of using different resolution settings for video recording, it may well of fixed the issue on some Droid X handsets whereby the phone will reset when video recording starts.  I can't confirm this yet as I don't have a Droid X, but if anyone is interested in testing it for me, then let me know (pauldyble82@gmail.com).

And finally, another problem that has plagued a handful of users is that when video recording starts, you hear the shutter sound regardless of the 'Shutter Volume' setting.  This can be got around on most phones by putting your phone into 'Silent Mode' in the system settings, but I have now added a 'Put Device in Silent Mode' setting in the SECuRET applications.  Again, I can't confirm this is fixed yet as my phone never had this issue, but anyone who does have the issue, let me know and we'll get you to test the new setting.  Also, by putting the phone in silent mode whenever the SECuRET applications are running, it means the phone stays more discreet whilst it is hidden away, just in case any alarms or ringtones decide to go off!

So a nice set of updates and features coming your way very soon indeed.  And please remember to show some love in the comments section on the Android Market ... the SECuRET SpyCam DEMO could definitely do with a few decent ratings going its way, so take the time to bless it with a 5 star rating - thanks :)

Install WiFi File Explorer, SECuRET And GroovyCam To SD Card

UPDATE 28/09/2010:  Sorry for the 2 releases in quick succession but my first attempt at allowing "Install to SD" was causing installation problems on a handful of devices (mainly rooted ones).  Please download the latest updates of WiFi File Explorer and SECuRET SpyCam if this was affecting you.

Due to popular demand, the next update to be released for WiFi File Explorer, all the SECuRET applications and GroovyCam LiveStream, is to allow them to be installed to the SD card on devices running Froyo (Android 2.2).

This will allow for more room on your phone memory and mean you can install more applications on your phone.

Admittedly not the most exciting update I have ever made, but still a mighty useful one and one that is in high demand judging by some recent user comments.

And don't worry, there are more exciting updates coming soon!  The next planned update for WiFi File Explorer is the 'Create Directory' button which a lot of you are looking forward to, and the next planned update for the SECuRET applications is to show thumbnails of the video captures in the Mini Gallery on the start page.

Torch Button Coming To SECuRET

You may be excused for thinking that this blog had become exclusively about WiFi File Explorer in recent weeks, but hey, don't worry SECuRET users ... I am still adding new features for all the SECuRET (and GroovyCam) applications as well!

I have just looked through my road map of feature updates for the range of SECuRET applications and there's enough new features on there to keep the updates coming for at least the next 12 months, but to start off with I'd like to introduce the Torch Button...

Now, the Torch Button is a button (enabled via 'Display Settings' in SECuRET on Android 2.0 and above) on the main camera screen that will switch the camera flash LED on or off (if you have an LED of course, duh!).  You may be wondering why on earth you want a great beaming stream of light coming from your phone when the whole idea behind the SECuRET applications is that they should be as discreet and subtle as possible in doing what they are doing ... namely, spying on people!  Admittedly, I wondered the same thing until a few users pointed out that they needed this feature to be able to spy on things other than people ... an animal isn't going to think, "Hey, that LED on that smartphone is a bit suspicious?!"

So, it may not be useful to you (at the very least, you are getting a FREE 'flashlight' application out of it, which will save you spending $0.99 on the Market), but it could be for other users ... remember, no-one is forcing you to use it, so don't do anything stupid like give it a 1 star review and a comment of "Stupid torch mode makes it easily detectable. Uninstalled." ;)

SECuRET SpyCam will be updated this weekend, and the other versions (including GroovyCam) will follow shortly there after.  In a future update, SECuRET LiveStream and GroovyCam LiveStream will also get a remote control button on the webpage to switch the LED on and off as well, which could be fun for winding people up ;)

Lots And Lots Of Updates To WiFi File Explorer, Tonight

After my recent post (Upcoming Updates To WiFi File Explorer), I set about trying to cram as many in as possible for this latest update ... plus a few extras I thought of.

So tonight (UK time), I will be releasing the latest and greatest versions of WiFi File Explorer which will include all the following goodies:

• Password support;
• The ability to configure the port number;
• 'Type' column to allow sorting by file extension;
• Better sorting of the items in a directory, i.e. grouping directories and files;
• Some 'nicer' CSS to make it more visually appealing, but still maintaining the simple-to-use interface;
• And, finally ... [drum roll, please] ... a REAL progress bar for uploading!!!!

... and it's still only £0.69 and I am determined that it should never cost anymore than that!!

I've been testing all these features for a few days now - hopefully there's no bugs, but if you do find any please let me know via email pauldyble82@gmail.com.  I still have plenty of new features to add and ideas I am toying with, so this is one of many regular updates you'll see in the near future.  The more popular WiFi File Explorer gets, the more time I can afford to spend on it, so hopefully it will keep getting better and better and better and better and ... you get the picture ;)

Speaking of which, there is a new link on the top right corner of the WiFi File Explorer web interface that gives you details and links on how to stay connected and updated with it, and how you can help to drive it forward.  I am also asking that users kindly click the Facebook 'Share' and Twitter 'Tweet' buttons to help raise awareness of this application ... I am really starting to believe this application has all the ingredients to be a success (simple, cheap, easy, functional, useful, etc.) and I just think that if people knew that it even existed that we could all drive WiFi File Explorer to the top of the charts.

So who's with me?  There's already 8 people 'Liking' the Facebook page ;)

WiFi File Explorer On Facebook!

Those of you that know my personally are aware that I am not the biggest fan of Facebook.  I won't go into all the reasons here, but let's just say that I find using it like being in a noisy pub where everyone is shouting at the top of their voice about their own private business.

Anyway, I am not here to rant, but rather to try and promote a new Facebook page I have just created for WiFi File Explorer (link here and also a box underneath the Pages box on the right hand side of this blog).  The idea is to spread the word about WiFi File Explorer and to keep users (and potential users) up-to-date on the latest developments and updates.  It's VERY sparse at the moment as I have literally just set it up, but I intend to keep it well lubricated with content.  So please help to get it going and pulsating with your involvement by writing on the wall and starting discussions about how much you all love WiFi File Explorer and what fantastic new ideas you guys have for me to implement ;)

So please take a look at it and click the Like button.  And if you know anyone else that has an Android phone that would benefit from having this application (and let's face it, everyone can benefit from WiFi File Explorer ;) ), then don't forget to share it with them and help me to get every Facebook user with an Android phone to download at least the free copy of WiFi File Explorer.

Oh, and by the way ... password protection is nearly finished and should be updated this weekend :)

Twitter ... Automatic Uploads Via SECuRET SpyCam

I'll be publishing an update in the next few hours that allows SECuRET SpyCam to automatically upload the motion captured still photos (but not videos) it takes directly to Twitter!

Just go to Settings and then Twitter Settings, check the box, enter your Twitter credentials and select your gateway of choice to make the uploads to.  Easy as that!  Then every time SECuRET SpyCam captures a motion it will upload the picture to Twitter immediately.

I know that some users may think this is pretty daft and that they'd rather keep all their pictures private and hidden, but for people using SECuRET SpyCam to play pranks or just to muck around and want to immediately see what is being captured, this provides a good option... So go on, start using it and let's see what everyone is taking snaps of ;)

Oh, and it's quite possible some bugs may arise out of this as I have only manged to test it on a Nexus One and an HTC Magic, so if you spot any then please let me know via email.

Photo Resolution Settings & Password Protection Coming Soon

I am now back from my holiday and ready to start giving you some more updates ... and these should prove popular to most of you!

Since SECuRET SpyCam was first released in beta, a lot of users have been asking for an increase in resolution and password protection ... and finally I have got round to implementing both.  It's not the native resolution and it's not the standard locking mechanism (see here and here), but it's certainly an improvement over what is currently available.

Photo resolution settings will be available in SECuRET SpyCam and SECuRET RemoteControl, password protection will be available in all SECuRET applications.  The updates will be available during the course of the next few weeks so keep an eye out.

Oh, and there will also be fixes for the bug in SECuRET RemoteControl and SECuRET LiveStream that prevents video recording from working ... and because the 'user is always right' I have lifted some of the more pointless restrictions in the demo versions, although the time limit obviously remains.

As always, let me know of any bugs before you resort to leaving a bad rating; I will fix them :)

Update: I am aware of the bug on the Motorola Droid when using the 'screen size' photo resolution.  I have made a fix and have had it confirmed working and am just in the process of tidying it up (along with some other updates to try and make it perform better when using a higher resolution).