JCLM Software LLC Apps and more

The Camera Vault 1.5 Update

In the last post, we mentioned what kinds of fixes and features would be in the next release, but we didn't give an estimate of when that update would be available.  Well, as of late Friday evening, we can happily say that Apple has, in their hands, the next update to Camera Vault!

Now, this unfortunately doesn't mean it will be available today or tomorrow, but it will likely be available by the end of this week, if not sooner.  Once Apple reviews our new version of the application, they will release it to our users as an upgrade, so if you've been having any issues, please watch the App Store for the pending release.

Thanks to all of our users who have sent us suggestions or issues.  This is the show of support we small developers feed off of, and it helps us determine how best to proceed with the development of Camera Vault.  Do you have a suggestion or issue?  Feel free to send us an email at jclmsoftware.llc AT gmail.com.

Camera Vault: Bugs and Features

Fixes:

The next version of Camera Vault will address a number of issues, including general fixes, the inability to import certain types of images, and the allowance of symbols in the passcode.

As a note, if an unsupported image is imported into Camera Vault, it will appear like a blank image and you will not be able to view it.  These images will never render correctly, even after we fix the issue, so you will need to delete them.

Regarding the symbols being allowed in the passcode, be aware that doing this will lock you out of Camera Vault without being able to get back in.  We recommend that all users setting a passcode also choose at least one security question so that they have a means with which to reset the passcode.

We apologize for these issues and the inconveniences they have caused, but understand that we are working hard to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Features:

This next version of Camera Vault will include a new, better looking icon.  At least we think it looks better, and we hope you do too.

There will also be support for viewing geotagging information.  While taking images with the built-in camera has been saving the location of images, the new feature will allow you to view the location of these taken images via Google maps.  Access this new feature from the full-image view's toolbar.

Also added to the full-image view's toolbar is the ability to access export options for a single image.  Now you do not have to exit the full-image view to send an image via email, twitter, or facebook!

Other improvements are more obscure, but trust us when we say they chisel away at making the entire app better bit by bit.

As always, thanks for everyone's support, and please report any issues whenever you can!

Camera Vault v1.1!

The next version of Camera Vault has started the process of winding its way through the app store.  We hope that it will be available for upgrade within a few days.

In this update are a few major changes.  There are a few bug fixes aimed at fixing the Paste image problem, and there are a few interface tweaks to adjust how quickly processed images appear in the gallery.  Aside from that, there has been a ton of work done on improving image taking performance.  Now, the 3-image burst really is fast!  Users will immediately notice the difference when using the camera thanks to the various notifications that appear on screen.

It is important to note that Camera Vault can not be closed until all images have saved! There is a notification on the camera that indicates how many images are left to be saved, and the thumbnail gallery shows a red exclamation in the activity indicator when images are still being saved.  Do not close until these go away and all images are securely stored.  (Further note: after images are saved, there may still be activity as the application continues to further process these images, but it will be safe to close the application so long as the red exclamation is not showing.)

If the application is closed before saving completes, some images may be lost!  This is the trade-off for increased performance, as our original design guaranteed that each image was saved before letting users take another picture at the cost of several seconds between shots.  Almost all camera applications have this particular trouble; part of boosting the speed of taking pictures requires this trade-off.

If you preferred the old way, let us know!  We are happy to make adjustments to the design.

Look to see the application available soon, and as always, thanks everyone for the support and suggestions so far.

A Bit on Releasing Updates and Enhancements

As we work to develop Camera Vault to it's full potential, and as users report issues to us that we seek to fix, it's worth us mentioning a bit about how applications are released to users.  When we provide improvements and fixes to the application, we first package it up and ship it on over to Apple for review.  Once we do that, it's out of our hands and into Apple's machine, being considered "Waiting for Review."  There are then some more steps, and if all goes well, Apple will choose to release it to the masses.

What does this mean?  Largely, it means that fixes and updates will be delayed.  We might fix an issue on day one and send the new version to Apple, but it could be anywhere between one and three weeks before the fix is available to our users.  We find that lengthy delay unfortunate, but it's the nature of the beast, as they say.

Now that I've said all of this, we doubly encourage users who find issues to report them to us as soon as possible so that fixes can be released as soon as possible (which may be three weeks after they are fixed).  As always, thanks for reading, and thanks for the support everyone has shown so far!

Coming Soon: Fast Features!

Actually, the features might not be fast, per se, but they will be faster!

What does that mean?  Well, we know the camera seems slow, and there are reasons for that, but we don't want to hold people back when the moment is right for that perfect candid picture.  We're actively working on boosting the speed of the camera while revising its features.  We hope to see a whole new camera soon!  (Ideas anyone?  We're all ears.)

We're also looking into exporting to other media sites beyond Twitter and Facebook.  Some ideas we've been tossing around are MySpace, WordPress, or Flickr.  Anyone have a preference?

What's another good feature beyond faster camera speeds, new camera features, and more exporting destinations?  I don't know, maybe a better import system?  Yeah, one image at a time is kind of annoying.  That's why we want to build a better way to import your images from the standard Photo Library.  Well, we're still brainstorming this one, but expect it to be on the way soon!