Switchback Software

TimeSync 1.3

Paul — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:48:34 +0000

TimeSync has been updated to version 1.3 and has been submitted to the App Store today. It will be available for download shortly.

In this free update, when the lap timers are disabled and only the TOD clock is displayed, you can tap the screen to freeze the TOD clock. Tap the screen again to resume displaying the current Time Of Day.

TimeSync 1.2

Paul — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:11:18 +0000

TimeSync has just been updated to version 1.2 and is now available on the App Store. There are some major code changes that allow the app to run more efficiently and allow the clocks to appear more accurate. I use the word “appear” because although the clocks are not technically more accurate than previous versions, the displayed time on screen is being refreshed 4x more often. To the human eye it actually makes a difference, especially when trying to sync spot-on.

The app now allows you to sync your clock in landscape mode. Some car setups obviously don’t have the iPhone/iPod Touch on some sort of swivel mount, and as most (if not all) of you use the app in landscape mode, it makes it less awkward if you sync while leaving your device mounted on the dash.

Another important update is due to the efficiency improvements which allows TimeSync to run comfortably on an 1st generation iPod Touch. I have not actually been able to test TimeSync on a 1st gen Touch, however, there should be no issue with the improvements in 1.2 now. It is important to note that at the time of this writing, due to a technical issue with iTunes Connect and the app submission process, 1.2 is still not yet download-able from the App Store to an iPod Touch 1st gen. I am working on getting this issue resolved and will reply with a comment to this post when it is fixed.

Enjoy.

iPhone and iPad apps

Paul — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:31:42 +0000

Although much of our time recently is devoted to designing our Checkpoint app for the iPad, we’re not forgetting about the iPhone and how there are many more apps that are best suited for it’s smaller screen size and mobility. In fact, we have plans for TimeSync 2, and 2-3 more utilities that will compliment your existing arsenal of rally tools.

As much of our development discussion and ideas are not publicly displayed on our forum, we do however appreciate any comments, or “wishlists”, or similar on our forum or via email. It is motivating to know that what we are doing will fill a need for many of the rally teams out there, and since there are several different rally types there can be some specific needs that we need to take into account. Although we don’t want to develop apps so specific that they will only be convenient for a small number of rallyists out there, we do want to examine all the options in order to provide something that will be best for as many teams and rally types as it is feasible to do so in one app, or a small library of apps.

Checkpoint

Paul — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:18:01 +0000

Our next project, named “Checkpoint”, is in development. It will involve the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch, and possibly a third party device, to provide you with a new set of tools for your rally races. If you are interested in hearing more or would like to volunteer for beta testing, don’t hesitate to contact us.

TimeSync 1.1.1 bugfix release

Paul — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:37:35 +0000

We’ve submitted a minor update for TimeSync to the iTunes App Store, version 1.1.1. This minor update enables the lap timer feature included in 1.1 by default, saves clock information more often in case of low battery or crash, and finally includes some code optimizations and a bug fix. It addresses an issue where the lap timer will become inaccurate after taking a long time to swipe the screen, or holding the swipe with your finger.

The update should be available on the App Store by early January 2010 at the latest, we just wanted to give you a heads up that it’s coming. As always, comments are welcome.

Happy Holidays!

TimeSync 1.1

Paul — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:00:47 +0000

Switchback Software has released a free update for TimeSync. The new features are enabled via a new option in the System Settings for TimeSync (in your device’s Settings app). This optional setting is called “Lap Timer”. Enjoy this free update and don’t hesitate to provide us with feedback.

Included Features since 1.1:

TimeSync’s system settings now has an option to include a “lap timer” which adds a timer to your screen that counts up from zero when the Start button is pressed.
Pressing the Stop button will pause the timer from counting upwards.
The timer will continue counting upwards when TimeSync is relaunched after having been quit, similar to the timer in the default Clock app that comes with your iPhone/iPod Touch.
Pressing the Lap button will display the clock of the timer at the moment the Lap button was last pressed, to keep track of arrival times at checkpoints, in order to write this information down, for example.
Pressing the Reset button will reset the timer and lap clock back to zero.
As always, all clocks/timers can also be viewed in decimal time by swiping the screen. Closing the app will not cause you to lose the times of the clocks.

Switchback Software releases TimeSync 1.0

Paul — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:00:18 +0000

Available on the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch, TimeSync is the first app in a series of apps we are planning to release that are focused on rallies or rally car races. However, TimeSync can be used for other purposes as well!

TimeSync is a small iPhone / iPod Touch app that allows the user to manually synchronize the app’s clock to some external clock. For example, a Rally Racing team can synchronize the app to the race’s master time piece before they start to race. Additionally, TimeSync’s clock can be viewed in ‘decimal time’, with the seconds represented as hundredths of a minute rather than sixtieths of a minute.

Features include:

Ability to sync the app’s clock(s) to an external time, so that they match. Example: Use TimeSync to match a rally race clock before the race starts.
Display the time in decimal seconds, which comes in handy for co-drivers, also known as rally navigators.
Synchronized time is saved across iPhone/iPod restarts, or when you quit and reopen the app. If the application should crash or the battery becomes critically low (device shuts down), the synchronized time is also saved. Just reopen the app.
Synchronization is pressed as soon as the ‘Sync’ button is touched, when you confirm the sync the clock has been running since you’ve touched the ‘Sync’ button. Canceling the sync at any time will revert the clock to your current sync. This avoids overwriting your current sync with an unwanted sync operation.
Reset the app’s clock to the iPhone/iPod’s time when convenient.