earlybird software, llc

I released a minor update to the Milk Maid app this week. It fixes a few bugs, the biggest of which is that editing a feeding could occasionally set its time back to the distant past. (If you've ever edited a feeding to add notes or adjust the volume and then had the feeding seem to dissappear, this might be why.)

Find the free update in the App Store. Thanks!

I've been meaning to do some more Android work recently, and I had some time in October and November to update the Android Contraction Timer. It now has a similar look to the new iOS version, and some additional features as well.

In particular, it now allows you to copy the data off to an sdcard, and it counts up from the start of the last contraction even when you're not in a contraction. (So you can have an idea of when the next one is coming.)

Go get it in the Android Market! And let me know what you think of the app and what else you'd like to see.

I'm pleased to announce my first Windows Phone App. The Contraction Timer is available for download now in the App Hub.

This is a fairly simple app as I'm still getting used to the platform. It requires Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango). Let me know what you like and don't like and I'll be releasing updates for it over the coming months. This is a free app for now, but I will be working on a pro version as well.

I'm pleased to introduce my newest app, the Retirement Savings Calculator. This app lets you plan for retirement by simulating US stock and bond performance based on historical data.

See more information on the app page, and get it in the app store.

I'm a little late posting this here, but the Contraction Timer is now two separate apps. I added some new features to it and split it into a lite/pro version. The pro version will now cost 99 cents (or your local equivalent), though everyone who had downloaded the app when it was free gets upgraded to the pro version for free. Both versions are universal apps which run on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and as a native iPad app. New features include charts, emailing your list of contractions, and recording intensity/notes with each contraction.

The new lite version is very similar to the old Contraction Timer app, though it has the same new look as the pro version. It still lets you record an unlimited number of contractions over an unlimited amount of time, so it's a free, fully functional labor tracking app. It does have advertisements, as the old free one used to have.

Thanks for using either app, and let me know what you'd like to see in future versions.

I've gotten a few comments and requests for a sync feature in the Baby Timer app. It's definitely something I would like to do, and I have been exploring various strategies for adding the feature. There are a few ways I could add synchronization:

Direct sync between devices

This would likely involve using bluetooth to have the devices communicate directly with each other. (Similar to how some multiplayer games work.) The advantage is that there are no cloud accounts to set up, manage, back up, secure, etc. The downside is that the devices have to be in physical proximity to each other to sync.

Devices sync with a web site

I could set up a web site myself and have the devices sync with it. The advantage here is that you could also (maybe) view or enter data from a computer. The downside is that you'd have to create an account on my server, trust your data to my server, and I'd have to run and backup the server. This (might) also allow me to have iOS and Android devices sync with each other. (And possibly any future platforms I create the app for: Windows Phone, Web OS, etc.)

Devices sync with a cloud storage provider

The app could store some or all of its data in a third-party service (Dropbox, or maybe Apple's new iCloud). This would allow the devices to stay in sync while they're not in physical proximity, and would not require me to run a server myself. For that reason, this looks like an appealing option to me right now.

What next?

I'm currently leaning toward using something like iCloud (or possibly Dropbox) to sync data betweeen the devices. But it would be very useful to hear from users of the app: how would you use a syncronization feature? How many devices would you like to sync between, and how frequently would you like to sync them up? Would you find a web interface useful, and would you mind having to create an account to use it and store your data on my server? Would you prefer direct (bluetooth) synchronization between devices so there are no cloud/network parts involved? Please leave a comment below or send me an email, I would love to hear people's opinions as I plan this feature.

What to do in the meantime?

I'll be studying iCloud over the coming weeks to see if it will meet Baby Timer's needs or if something else would be better, and planning when to add this feature. In the meantime, you can use the Wi-Fi export and import feature to move a database from one device to another, or to merge two databases together. (That linked post below is about the Milk Maid app, but the same procedure works with Baby Timer as well. The export button is on the stats tab in Baby Timer.) So if you're just syncing up infrequently or want to migrate from one device to another, this should work nicely.

The new version of Baby Timer is out! This adds charts and graphs, and a new color scheme.

As a special promotion, both Baby Timer and Milk Maid are free for Mother's Day! If you download and like them, please spread the word.

I've gotten a couple questions about moving a milkmaid database from one device to another, so I thought I'd write some instructions here. To move a database, you'll need the two devices, a computer (desktop or laptop, Windows or Mac, it doesn't matter), and a WiFi hotspot that all three are on.

On the "from" device, tap Export and then WiFi. You'll see an address on the screen. On the computer, enter that address into your web browser. Download the "milkmaid.db" file near the bottom of the web page.

Then, repeat the steps on the "to" device: tap Export, then Wifi. Browse to the address you see on the screen. At the bottom of the page, you'll see a place to upload the milkmaid.db file.

Upload the file you downloaded previously and push submit.

Then, on the screen of the to device, you'll see options to replace the to-device DB or merge the two together.

Choose whichever you want!

The Amazon Appstore is live, and Baby Timer and Contraction Timer are available for download in it. Amazon is a great company and it will be fun to have another way to distribute my Android apps. Let me know if anyone has a good or bad experience finding/installing Baby Timer or Contraction timer on the Amazon store!

The latest version of Baby Timer is available for download in iTunes. This version adds support for restoring a previously-backed up DB to your device. Which is useful if you want to move your data from one device to another, or if something happens to your phone and you need to restore a backup. To restore a backup, go to the Stats tap and tap "backup/export" on the upper right. Then tap the "Wifi" button and you'll be able to either download or upload a backup from a web browser. Let me know if anyone has questions about it.

When you upload a database, you can choose to replace the device's data or to merge the new data with your device's data. Merging is useful if you have entered data in your new device that you don't want to lose, or if you have two devices that you want to keep in sync with each other.