Sean Kovacs

Apple, Please Ignore Me

sean — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:44:18 +0000

Oh, you already are. So last week I got an email from Apple. This was a unexpected email - not the ones that say “We would still like to hear how we’re doing!” As if they really want me to fill out another survey. This one had some verbage that made me do a double take before swiping to delete. It had something like “status” or “update” in the subject…I got excited for a bit. I opened it and indeed it said the state of my application has changed. Unfortunely, it was the dreaded “…review process will require additional time.” So like I always do, I replied with something like “Can I please get some specific details…yada yada yada.” To my surprise, Michele Owens from Apple responded a day later - actually 17.5 hours later. Her email simply stated, “Thank you for contacting the iPhone Developer Program. Unfortunately, without the application name and ID, we will be unable to provide assistance at this time.” Ah! After looking back, I thought my reply included the previous email which stated all that. Oops, that’s totally my bad Apple. In 38 short minutes later, I said in my smart ass way, “Glad my $99 is going to great research tools” and also provided the app name and App ID. Oddly enough, 9 days later and no response. Hmm. Since last July when my app was pulled and the fall-out there after, I’ve never ever received a response from Apple that wasn’t automated. I’ve sent countless emails to the App Review team and others at Apple over the past 8 months and I’ve never heard back from them - at all. Surely I have my differences with Apple and have said things they might not like, but to be blatantly ignored by the company I pay to provide services and support is beyond amazing. I think a response is warranted.

“Size mismatch” error

sean — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:34:57 +0000

Those of you trying to download GV Mobile + from Cydia may be getting this error. I’m working with Kyle @ ModMyI and Jay @ Cydia to get this issue resolved. Sorry for the troubles!

I’m in love…

sean — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:58:03 +0000

So with the introduction of the HTML5 based Google Voice website comes some other good stuff that you won’t see. JSON based data feeds. With these data feeds, no longer will I or other developers need to sift through mounds of HTML code to get to the core of the data - Google provides it all in one nice chunk.

Without testing them, here goes:

Voicemail list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=voicemail&o=0&lm=10 - Looks like o is the start position and lm is the number of results? Or start and end? Requires POST pair of “gvx” and the value is unknown…
SMS list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=sms&o=0&lm=10 - see above
Inbox list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=inbox&o=0&lm=10 - see above
All History list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=all&o=0&lm=10 - see above
Placed Call list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=placed&o=0&lm=10 - see above
Received Call list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=received&o=0&lm=10 - see above
Missed Call list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=missed&o=0&lm=10 - see above
Recorded Call list: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=list&l=recorded&o=0&lm=10 - see above
Make a Call: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=call&n=&f= - requires that “gvx” post pair as well.
Send SMS: https://www.google.com/voice/m/x?m=sms&n=&txt= - requires that “gvx” post pair as well.

So that’s the core of the calls. I don’t have the time to figure out the “gvx” pair, although I suspect it’s a cookie value or something similar to the “_rnse” value we all use now.

Oh, and that new “make call” API is bad to the ass! Screw the web based call back…

Enjoy.

Google Voice HTML5 Based Website

sean — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:30:16 +0000

Good bye Black Swan? Looks like Google beat Riverturn to the punch by creating their own HTML5 enabled website for Google Voice. According to the Tech Crunch article, Google’s new website for Voice should appear sometime today and of course will be free. As of now, it’s still the old version…stay tuned!

UPDATE: It appears to be live now.

Current Push solutions for Google Voice

sean — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:34:11 +0000

Hey gang, Michael West (T3h Ub3r K1tten) has written a nice article detailing the current Push solutions available for Google Voice. This is more of a round-up rather than a “how-to” article, but non-the-less, this should give you some idea of what you can do in the interim for Google Voice Push. Jump here for more…http://bit.ly/8EB5ri

GV Mobile + v1.0.1 out…errr v2.0.2

sean — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:28:04 +0000

Yeah, I know the first version of GV Mobile + was v2.0.10 or something, but it really should have been v1.

So this update fixes a couple of things:
+Potential issue with Favorites and Contacts (if you only had a Company filled in as a contact)
+SMS messages getting cut off in the Reply view (if super long)
+Editing the “Phone to ring” caused a crash
+Added a refresh of the Google Settings after switching accounts
+Rounded the icon
+Clicking on the History tab would cause a crash

I’ll try to get another update in before I move - yes, I’m moving.

Update:

Let me give you the low down… GV Mobile + should have been v1.0, but I left it v2.0.10 in the app, and Kyle set it as v1.0 on Cydia. So when the update came, I made it v1.0.1 in the app, and Kyle set is as v1.0.1 on Cydia as well. So it turns out Cydia’s upgrade breaks (obviously) if the update has a version number less than the previous version. Anyway, it’s being fixed now.

Apple, where’s my invite??

sean — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:45:27 +0000

Man I’d love to go to that event next week! Apple, where’s my invite?!
How can I procure one of these? - I’ll bum rush the stage if guys want.

How bout’ some Push

sean — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:45:12 +0000

So I’m going to invest in adding Push to the app. My sole reason is, everybody wants it, including the pirates (Arggg), and I can use it as leverage to lock down the app. So if you want Push, it will have some additional steps required after the fact (registration with me perhaps).
Yay!

How about a cool $500 for ya?

sean — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:11:03 +0000

So, I knew my app would eventually end up on pirate sites, which there isn’t too much I can do. What I don’t like is that I actually spent some time helping a guy that eventually pirated my app (and host it on his repo). So, I’m asking for your help. Anyone that can contribute a valid name, address, or anything needed to prosecute, you’ll get $500. He goes by @KraKsX, his email is kraksx@gmail.com, and his domain is i4iphones.info. So according to Twitter, his geo-coordinates are in north New York. Of course, I’ll get with my local police department (TPD) which I’m sure can get the info via warrants or whatnot, but I’d like to see what you uber elite people can find out. Information on the whois is private, so any information there will be for whoever the proxy registrar is.

Please EMAIL me the information at sean AT mydomain

Update: Mystery solved. Thanks net detectives!

Update 2: I’m giving this guy a break. Not that I didn’t have anything on him, but I figured that since I’ve had many breaks and second chances in life, I’d give him one.

GV Mobile + on Cydia

sean — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:19:20 +0000

It’s out folks. Go consume it and enjoy. It’s on the ModMyI repo.
Thanks to Kyle and Jay for getting this all set up.

What are the changes you ask:

Well, first, it cost money. Yeah, I know, I hear ya - but everything in life isn’t free.

Changes/Updates:
+Favorites
+New tab system for Contacts, Favorites, Keypad
+Landscape SMS
+Call & Add Contact from SMS main view
+International support for SMS (until Google blocks it)
+Call, Text, & Add Contact from History
+Voicemail transcriptions, new voicemail screen layout
+Call, Text, & Add Contact from Voicemail
+Local archiving of voicemail (doesn’t download every time)
+Offline dialing (via dialing GV #)
+Default Area code (for those that don’t need to dial the area code in you area)
+More data sync options (Interval, Startup, Startup on demand, manual)
+Multiple Accounts
+User selectable tab to open to
+More Google Settings : Do Not Disturb, Call Screening, Call Presentation
+The core of the updates reside in the back end programming of the app - completely rebuilt from ground up.

Update:

Two quick things:

1) The icon is squared, but OS does round it. I can assure you something 3rd party is turning this off. However, I will update it.
2)The icon shifted up, down, left, right. See 1. I can’t fix this because if I manually shift the graphic up in the PNG, it will be shifted up for all those that don’t have this issue. I’ve had beta testers install via a legal ways (Adhoc) and I’ve installed it via Cydia and another method and the icon is simply fine.

If someone can educate me on #2, that would be great.