Option to hide data updates

[jongpie]

I also wanted to just say thanks for making this change!! I'll really like the solution you used - it's nice balance of design and functionality.

[EricJay]

I agree that the change is an improvement, but the new "pop-down" update banner presents its own problem: When I load Black Swan, I have it go to the keypad right away so I can start dialing. I usually get a couple of digits pressed when the pop-down appears, and my next digit is incorrect, because the buttons moved!

I'm not sure what the best solution is to this, but I was wondering if anyone else had the same problem and/or had more ideas on how to get that banner to be helpful and informative without being in the way.

I actually like the idea that started this thread: the option to turn it off entirely. Most of my apps do some sort of data transfer in the background, and more often than not, I don't really need to know what's happening.

[joey]

I agree with the movement of the page but this is a work in progress. I guess the black bar didnt bother me too much just maybe if it was smaller then it wouldnt get in the way. I guess there could be an icon in the page that shows data loading. Kinda like the small one in the status bar that shows the data being downloaded on the iphone. It could be an option.

I do have to admit I would prefer the page not to move when the status bar updates. The iphone 3g was slow and the iPhone 3gs was much better experience with app. Not saying you need iPhone 4 but im sure the experience will get better with more ram and the A4 chip

[recycle]

I have to admit I actually preferred the old black bar approach, except for the blocking of the favorites button under Contacts. I thought it also looked cooler. The current version is okay, but I too find the keypad shifting up and down to be a small problem.

[Chris]

Let me toss the direction we had in mind out there and see what you guys think. First, some more details: In the current version, the "last updated" timestamp is only shown on the Keypad since it's the same for every screen. The upcoming release (v1.2.0) separates the refresh buttons so they only update the current screen, so it makes sense for each screen to show when its data was last updated.

The problem EricJay describes (movement of the screen elements) is caused by the disappearing of the prompt/status message at the top of the screen, which happens when there is no status message to display. The solution we had in mind was to display the last updated timestamp for the current screen in the status message area whenever there is no status message, so the bar would never go away and the screen elements would not move.

Thoughts?

[jongpie]

Chris, that sounds like a good idea, but I'd still like the option to turn off the update info completely (maybe "settings" has an option to choose either your idea, or hide completely?). I'd much rather have the extra space to see contacts, messages, etc. instead of having either the shifting of the elements problem that exists today, or less space permanently removed (that your idea of "the bar never going away" would create).

For the most part, I'm only concerned with knowing when the data was last updated when I notice an issue (like a new contact or text message not showing up that I know should be there). If I notice an issue like this, THEN I might go to "settings" and turn on the "show update info" (or whatever it might be called) so I can try to troubleshoot. Otherwise, I just assume everything's working correctly.

[Chris]

I added a feature request for a setting to hide the status messages. Expect to see that in v1.2.0 early next week.

[joey]

I think the black bar was just easier. I much prefer the page to not move so much.

[Chris]

I liked the look of the black bar, too. The problem is that it gets in the way of functionality, which is not noticeable until it matters and then it's quite frustrating. Our goal was to make sure the app is usable while fetching fresh data during startup, but that's not the case if status messages obstruct buttons, etc.

Of course, having the screen move while you're trying to interact with it can also be frustrating. I think you'll find having the "last updated" time in the status bar area when there are no other status messages is a good solution for the "moving screen" problem since it prevents the screen from moving at all.

Anyone that misses the screen real estate (we also made the status bar smaller) can disable status messages completely. This approach seems like a good win for everyone.

[recycle]

That solution sounds good to me. I do like to see the updates as they happen. Using the status bar seems a good way to avoid the up-down sliding.