Friday, June 17, 2011
PhoneMarks 11.6.16 Released! (Android)
Minor update to stop ForceClose issuses on SGS2. I haven't solved the problem, just stopped the ForceClose and stopped using the new folder code.
Friday, June 10, 2011
PhoneMarks 11.6.9 Released! (Android)
Samsung devices now supported! Well almost.
I have had reports that Galaxy S and Captivate devices now work. The Galaxy S2 doesn't, it reports a ForceClose. Will investigate and try to add this to the supported list.
Please note: On these devices, only a single folder level is supported so the folder name is a combination of all the folder names combined.
I have had reports that Galaxy S and Captivate devices now work. The Galaxy S2 doesn't, it reports a ForceClose. Will investigate and try to add this to the supported list.
Please note: On these devices, only a single folder level is supported so the folder name is a combination of all the folder names combined.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Samsung Device Issue (Update/05/2011)
Finally I have had access to a Samsung handset to check why PhoneMarks doesn't work!
Bad news, for the moment. The Samsung device uses a customised version of the stock browser (as I thought). This customised version allows creation of 'folders' within the bookmarking list. When PhoneMarks updates your bookmarks, it correctly adds/removes them from the standard Android bookmark database on the device.
Now to the problem. The Samsung browser looks like it has another internal bookmark database which maps the standard bookmarks to these folders - and this is what the browser uses. Bookmarks are stored by default in a HOME folder.
Now when PhoneMarks adds/removes bookmarks it doesn't update the Samsung bookmark (folder) database and hence it thinks that these bookmarks are not stored in a folder and hence doesn't display them. On the other hand they do appear in the 'last viewed' (and stared) as this list uses the standard Android bookmark database.
I will try and contact Samsung directly and ask the question of how to access this internal system and add bookmarks to a folder. Will keep you posted on my progress.
A way this problem could be solve would be to use the standard 'add bookmark' prompt dialog system during synchronising. This would mean that on first synchronisation you would be prompted to add every bookmark, but once done would only be prompted for new bookmarks. (This will probably only work in the Pro Version as it contains analysis code on which bookmarks have changed since last synchronisation).
So please bare with me on this issue and I'll keep you posted.
Bad news, for the moment. The Samsung device uses a customised version of the stock browser (as I thought). This customised version allows creation of 'folders' within the bookmarking list. When PhoneMarks updates your bookmarks, it correctly adds/removes them from the standard Android bookmark database on the device.
Now to the problem. The Samsung browser looks like it has another internal bookmark database which maps the standard bookmarks to these folders - and this is what the browser uses. Bookmarks are stored by default in a HOME folder.
Now when PhoneMarks adds/removes bookmarks it doesn't update the Samsung bookmark (folder) database and hence it thinks that these bookmarks are not stored in a folder and hence doesn't display them. On the other hand they do appear in the 'last viewed' (and stared) as this list uses the standard Android bookmark database.
I will try and contact Samsung directly and ask the question of how to access this internal system and add bookmarks to a folder. Will keep you posted on my progress.
A way this problem could be solve would be to use the standard 'add bookmark' prompt dialog system during synchronising. This would mean that on first synchronisation you would be prompted to add every bookmark, but once done would only be prompted for new bookmarks. (This will probably only work in the Pro Version as it contains analysis code on which bookmarks have changed since last synchronisation).
So please bare with me on this issue and I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
PhoneMarks Development Notes 11/05
Sorry about the delay in the latest development notes, my wife gave birth to my second child at the start of the month and I have been trying to sleep/catch up since then.
Anyway, just released a minor update that includes a new settings page for setting your account. This is for an ongoing support issue - this page gives access to a simple log - and for future setting control - auto-sync time and folder character. I will also try and develop a testing page which will allow new users to check that the PhoneMarks system works on their phone before the full install/setup. This testing page will simply try and add/remove bookmarks - confirming it works.
As far as my development, I have almost got the background synchronisation working in the Chrome Extension - the current development version is working well. Hopefully I'll be able to release this part in the next couple of weeks and then get on to adding it to the Android Pro version.
The Samsung issue is still a hot topic and I do want to solve it, but what with the birth and sleepless nights I haven't had time to check. Will also try and look in to this over the coming weeks.
Thanks to all again - an issues with PhoneMarks, please let me know.
Anyway, just released a minor update that includes a new settings page for setting your account. This is for an ongoing support issue - this page gives access to a simple log - and for future setting control - auto-sync time and folder character. I will also try and develop a testing page which will allow new users to check that the PhoneMarks system works on their phone before the full install/setup. This testing page will simply try and add/remove bookmarks - confirming it works.
As far as my development, I have almost got the background synchronisation working in the Chrome Extension - the current development version is working well. Hopefully I'll be able to release this part in the next couple of weeks and then get on to adding it to the Android Pro version.
The Samsung issue is still a hot topic and I do want to solve it, but what with the birth and sleepless nights I haven't had time to check. Will also try and look in to this over the coming weeks.
Thanks to all again - an issues with PhoneMarks, please let me know.
PhoneMarks 11.5.19 Released! (Android)
# New Settings Page #
Created a new settings page for account setup, debug and reset functionality. (This page will be used for additional configuration settings, including auto-sync and folder separator character)
This new page also include access to the debug log and reset functions.
Created a new settings page for account setup, debug and reset functionality. (This page will be used for additional configuration settings, including auto-sync and folder separator character)
This new page also include access to the debug log and reset functions.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
PhoneMarks Development Notes 11/04
First of all, thank you for everyone who is supporting my little application. After a couple of glitches with the latest update, the new versions are working well and with the Pro version you can now synchronise back to Chrome.
I have started on the background synchronisation and have a working version of the Chrome extension running on my computer. I may release this before I update the Android component to include background synchronisation (Pro Version only) or wait a release both.
While background synchronisation is easy to implement in both components, the problem occurs when both Chrome and Android synchronise at the same time - I need to check/develop/test this as the last thing you want is for PhoneMarks to wipe your bookmarks as it is in the middle of a synchronisation and thinks there are no bookmarks! This is probably why I will wait to release both at once so I have the complete solution figured out.
As well as the background synchronisation, I will try and work on the Samsung issue. I have made changes to the bookmark addition/deletion methods in Android and they look like they work better. I had a colleague with a Sony X10 that did not synchronise (and looks like the standard Samsung issue), which after the latest update now works! My brother has a Samsung Galaxy, which when I get a chance I'll test and check.
If you experience problems synchronising or the Samsung issue, please contact me and let me know the make, model and Android OS version. Hopefully then I can work out why it works for some users and doesn't for others.
While using PhoneMarks Pro myself, I have noticed that if you create a new bookmark within a new folder (i.e. create a bookmark with a '-' separator) within your Android browser, the extension doesn't create the new folder when synchronised and hence the bookmark! I'll try and figure out why the extension doesn't add the folder. In the meantime, add the bookmark to the root and create the folder once synchronised in Chrome.
And Finally! I am thinking of allowing the separator to be customised in the Android application. While this is sort of a simple fix, I'll need to test and handle the 'upgrade' from old style to new style. This will not be an issue for Free users as I remove ALL bookmarks before a synchronise. Pro users will probably have an option to 'reload' their bookmarks with the new separator style. I'll try and add this, but each additional feature adds more time before I can release.
I'll keep you posted on these developments and hope you all like the improvements when they are released.
I have started on the background synchronisation and have a working version of the Chrome extension running on my computer. I may release this before I update the Android component to include background synchronisation (Pro Version only) or wait a release both.
While background synchronisation is easy to implement in both components, the problem occurs when both Chrome and Android synchronise at the same time - I need to check/develop/test this as the last thing you want is for PhoneMarks to wipe your bookmarks as it is in the middle of a synchronisation and thinks there are no bookmarks! This is probably why I will wait to release both at once so I have the complete solution figured out.
As well as the background synchronisation, I will try and work on the Samsung issue. I have made changes to the bookmark addition/deletion methods in Android and they look like they work better. I had a colleague with a Sony X10 that did not synchronise (and looks like the standard Samsung issue), which after the latest update now works! My brother has a Samsung Galaxy, which when I get a chance I'll test and check.
If you experience problems synchronising or the Samsung issue, please contact me and let me know the make, model and Android OS version. Hopefully then I can work out why it works for some users and doesn't for others.
While using PhoneMarks Pro myself, I have noticed that if you create a new bookmark within a new folder (i.e. create a bookmark with a '-' separator) within your Android browser, the extension doesn't create the new folder when synchronised and hence the bookmark! I'll try and figure out why the extension doesn't add the folder. In the meantime, add the bookmark to the root and create the folder once synchronised in Chrome.
And Finally! I am thinking of allowing the separator to be customised in the Android application. While this is sort of a simple fix, I'll need to test and handle the 'upgrade' from old style to new style. This will not be an issue for Free users as I remove ALL bookmarks before a synchronise. Pro users will probably have an option to 'reload' their bookmarks with the new separator style. I'll try and add this, but each additional feature adds more time before I can release.
I'll keep you posted on these developments and hope you all like the improvements when they are released.
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