EC Boards iPhone App!

[Webmonkey]

Want to check the boards from an easy new iPhone App?

I have gotten a couple of requests for this, and now it is available as a free or paid version with various different features for each. Naturally you can still go to the boards on any browser capable phone, but they can take a while to load. This aggregates the content to you in a more streamlined manner.

Click the image below for more info and feel free to post reviews or comments in this thread.

[Decimus]

Out of curiosity, do you know if ProBoards has any plans for a similar Android application?
Answered my own first question...It appears they're 'keeping an eye on it'

any plans to make an app for android devices?

I'd love to have this..any idea if this App will be available on Google Android?

That depends on how well received this app is (which so far has been quite good), and how many android users we have accessing ProBoards on their phones.

When we decided to focus on the iPhone, almost 90% of our mobile traffic came from the iPhone or iPod touch. We are definitely keeping an eye out.

I'm sure this applies for other app-using smart phone as well, not just the android, depending on how much traffic from each ProBoards receives. =]

Also in curiosity, I don't see any indication if the accesses through the app effect the post-count for the ad-free business, is it safe to assume that it doesn't (Especially since there's a paid version of the app)?

[Webmonkey]

Good question. I looked at the app support site and saw no mention of Ad-Free being affected by this. Presumably since Ad-Free works by counting page views from a browser, not individual data being aggregated on a per-post basis (which is what the app calls) AND there is a paid App, they won't count that as views...

...on the other hand, I am loath to remind them that they could count those views by asking them a more specific question, yanno? ;P

[Webmonkey]

Hrm.. no it does count pages... but the question is... does it 'bill' the pages. Ok, I will find out.

[Decimus]

It'd be interesting if they did charge the ad-free stuff for the page-views on the paid version, especially given some of the... curious things you get for the paying version of the app. Namely the ability to actually reply to things.

I suppose that's the push to pay for the app... be able to actually reply to the things you're seeing, PMs and Threads alike. Even creating PMs and forum threads is restricted to the paying version..

[Webmonkey]

Straight from the horse's mouth per one of the proboards developers:

Pageviews made from the iPhone application do not count against your pageviews for the forum's ad-free.

So I guess they figure if you pay for the app they shouldn't 'double bill' for it, which is awesome.

[Decimus]

Huh, that is good news. Now, back to waiting for an Android version.

And if you hadn't noticed already, you get a little icon next to your name on the "Who's Online" listing when you're using the mobile app. Iiiiinteresting.

[Barnaby Cuthbert]

Jul 13, 2010 12:46:06 GMT -8 Decimus said:

Huh, that is good news. Now, back to waiting for an Android version.

And if you hadn't noticed already, you get a little icon next to your name on the "Who's Online" listing when you're using the mobile app. Iiiiinteresting.

The little mobile icon is cool! Test posting from the app...

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

Quote function worked well. reply with italics?

[Webmonkey]

Normal UBBC board code seems to work fine.

[Marcus Walton]

Do you get access to all the cool add on features like the chat box?

[Webmonkey]

Jul 13, 2010 13:28:40 GMT -8 Marcus Walton said:

Do you get access to all the cool add on features like the chat box?

Alas no. Access to sooper sekrit PA and CA boards are also missing from the app, on account of they are hidden from the app.

[Decimus]

They're really all up in for plugging their app left and right... each post has the same little 'AMIGAD, ITSA FONE' icon, on top of stating it's from the app next to the post date/time stamp.

[Webmonkey]

The app integration that is coming in V.5 will likely use this type of thing to integrate with other things like social networking sites. Stuff like Del's old MC Up Rock tweets can show date/via twitter, Ross's Nine Circle's facebook page, etc, so you'll be able to manage and view what content shows up here from a variety of sources, leaving some creative things that will be eventually able to be done.

I imagine harpy updates being tweeted to the Daily Stab from the game site might be fun, for example.

[Decimus]

Huh, curious. I know that there's actually a free "do it yourself" PC application for Android App Development that current/potential users can request access to, since it's technically still in Beta testing.

It'd be interesting to see how that approach might be able to be used, since it's able to access every square inch of an Android phone's capabilities, if it's given access to it through that program... And, of course, tells a user what accesses it'll have when it's installed to a phone.

Using something like that to bring each avenue together would be an interesting project.

[Webmonkey]

Just a note, I was trolling the proboard support forums looking at the phone compatibility issue, and someone mentioned that for Android: Opera Mini works really well for PB sites. Hope that helps a little for now.