TfL Kill Two of My Apps

UPDATE: Access to the Journey Planner has now been re-enabled, more details here.

On Monday 18th Oct TfL turned off their journey planner XML API. I have been using this successfully for more than 6 months for both London Bus (now called London Travel Deluxe) and London Tube Deluxe Pro for iPad. TfL are well aware of the success & reach my applications have achieved; sometimes I’ll even get a friendly heads up as to status changes coming up to ensure things keep running smoothly (99.98% uptime). Continue reading

Posted in apple, ipad, iPhone, iPod Touch | 14 Comments

London Bus becomes ‘London Travel Deluxe’

Version 3.1 of London Bus, or should I say ‘London Travel Deluxe’ has been released & is in the app store. It has been mentioned a few times the app should be renamed to reflect the fact that you can journey plan using the Tube, Bus, Rail, Coach, DLR, Tram & River services. In fact you can journey plan from & to more than 2,400 rail stations in England, Scotland & Wales.

The key feature in version 3.1 is the ability to in-app purchase 16 official maps I have licensed from TfL. Rail maps included are:

  • Official London Underground map
  • Oyster rail services in London (zones map)
  • All in carriage maps (10 maps)
  • Overground
  • Tramlink
  • DLR
  • DLR Rail connections

After download, all maps are stored locally and can be viewed offline (no internet connection is required). Using the maps you can:

  • Easily find stations
  • Journey plan from & to (just tap the station name)
  • Look up timetables

Posted in apple, iPhone, iPod Touch, London Bus, London Travel Deluxe | 4 Comments

Nearly there…Tube Deluxe ‘Pro’

Tube Deluxe Pro IconI am in the final stages of testing for an iPad version of Tube Deluxe, many people have been asking after this. In the end I felt the iPad was better served by separate application with a lot of work poured into it. I have also done something I said I’d never do, and that’s merge Tube Deluxe & London Bus. The iPad app essentially combines the best of both into one.

Features:

  • 16 High-Resolution Official Maps
  • Real-Time Journey Planning
  • Plan History
  • Status Updates
  • Push Notifications
  • 700+ Bus Routes
  • 2,400+ Stations
  • 12,000 + Bus Stops
  • Timetables
  • Departures
  • Locate Stops

Coming to an iPad near you soon :-} In the meantime here’s some screenshots…

Posted in apple, ipad, Tube Deluxe | Leave a comment

Cycle Deluxe 1.1 on the way…

The next version of Cycle Deluxe has been submitted to Apple for approval. A key feature in this release is the ability to quickly tell the app you are either ‘taking’ or ‘returning’ a bicycle. This switches the RED & GREEN pin colours. So, provided you tell the app what you want, simply look for GREEN or PURPLE pins close to where you are.

The screen shot here, currently shows the selection for ‘taking’ a bicycle.

For users on iOS4, you have the option to tell the app you are ‘About to ride, time me!’. This presents a screen of all the tariff levels, just tick the levels you want to be notified at, quit the app & start riding (even if you restart your iPhone or iPod Touch these are remembered). Cycle Deluxe will warn you 5 minutes (more for longer hire times) before your reach the end of each tariff boundary & tell you what the next one will will cost. You also have the option of choosing from a range of alert sounds.

Posted in apple, Cycle Deluxe, ipad, iPhone, iPod Touch | Leave a comment

London Cycle Deluxe

A new app is on the way :] Many people have been asking me if I would write an app for the newly launched Barclay’s Cycle Hire scheme. At first I didn’t think I’d be able to offer or add much more to what was already out there. But the ideas came and since I signed up for the scheme, well, I wanted to write something that I’d use myself. Continue reading

Posted in apple, ipad, iPhone, iPod Touch | Leave a comment

Presselite: Cease & Desist

I have instructed my lawyers to send a cease & desist letter to Presselite regarding their blatant copying of my London Tube Deluxe icon. They now have this, as do Apple.

UPDATE 11 Aug 2010: Presselite have now changed their icons for London Tube & London Bus. I am guessing their London Tube for iPad icon will change soon too.

UPDATE 16 Aug 2010: The ‘London Tube for iPad’ icon has now also been changed by Presselite. Let’s hope this is the final run in I ever have with this company.

Posted in apple, ipad, iPhone, iPod Touch | 20 Comments

Presselite 102: Claim ‘Original’

Presselite reached new levels of desperation over the weekend. Now that have stolen my icon and applied it across 3 of their applications (London Tube, London Bus & London Tube for iPad). They are now telling everyone in the app descriptions that together with the copied icon their apps are the ‘Original’ versions. For example: Continue reading

Posted in apple, ipad, iPhone, iPod Touch | Leave a comment

Presselite 101: How To Fool The Market

Now that Presselite have decided to rip off my icon & ride off the goodwill I have worked hard for over the last 2 years. It’s time I highlighted, their behaviour when they release updates. Continue reading

Posted in apple, ipad, iPhone | 2 Comments

Presselite Copy My App Icon

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, if this is the case then I am very flattered by Presselite. For years they ripped off the Official TfL logo when they had no rights to do so. Now they have decided to rip off mine instead. My application, London Tube Deluxe has used the same logo & icon since being released on 1st Jan 2009. On the 26th of July 2010 Presselite released an update to their application with a remarkably similar one don’t you think?

Perhaps TfL finally caught up with Presselite and got them to remove the logo? Or maybe instead of putting in the effort to make their product better it’s just easier to copy my logo in a feeble attempt to gain more sales and cause market confusion.

The old 'London Tube' icon

I have chronicled the behaviour of Presselite over the years. They have done everything from making false legal claims, fake reviews against my apps, fake reviews against compeditors and now this. They even lie in their press releases, as Fast Company found out when they reviewed one of Presselites Apps.

UPDATE: Now Presselite steal my icon for another one of their apps! London Bus.

This application too used to use the official TfL bus roundel. All developers are now prohibited from using any official TfL logo’s in their apps. Because Presselite had to change theirs, they’ve just decided to steal mine instead.

UPDATE: As expected, Presselite now use a copy of my icon for their iPad App too. This is a total of 3 Apps they have copied my icon for.

Posted in apple, ipad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Tube Deluxe | 2 Comments

BBC ask… “How do you make money?”

In time for Apples stellar quarterly earnings announcements, Adam Shaw from BBC Radio 4 joins me in the kitchen to ask how I make money as a full time iPhone developer, download the full Today show interview.

Breakfast TV also paid a visit, view Cashing in on Apple’s success.

Posted in apple, ipad, iPhone, iPod Touch | Leave a comment