TAM7 Unofficial iPhone App and iCal/Google Calendar

[GeekyAtheist]

In an attempt for world domination giving people with tech the coolest and best ways to stay up to date, I wrote an iPhone app that as of today is live in the iTunes App Store. This is a platform I'm developing to aide people attending tradeshows and conferences, and I'm giving this one away for free to hopefully get a little bit of feedback.

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can check out the app here: http://bit.ly/TheAmazingMeeting7

Additionally, I have a calendar that you can subscribe to in iCal/Google Calendar/Outlook/Anything that supports vCalendar format calendars. You can subscribe with this URL:

http://m.core-apps.com/tam7/events/ical

These are unofficial technologies, and are subject to me getting updates on what is happening and where.

Getting your event on the calendars

I've seen the thread for unofficial events, but I can't make heads or tails of it. If you want an event listed on the calendar, please PM me or reply to this thread with a short summary, a description (directions, etc), a location, and a date/time and expected duration.

You can also reach me on twitter at my user id, or by emailing jon @ my user id . com

I look forward to hearing how you guys like it! An update is already pending to show a few more details about the events, like the speakers. I don't know how I missed that


To Subscribe in iCal
- Copy the URL above
- Open iCal
- From the "Calendar" menu, choose Subscribe...
- Paste in the URL from above
- Click Subscribe
- Set Auto-refresh to either 5 or 15 minutes
- Click OK.

Note, iCal by default shows all times in your current timezone. When you get to Las Vegas, if you update your time zone to PDT, the calendar will show you the proper local times. Otherwise, you can enable time zone support in iCal by checking out this tutorial: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Understanding_iCal_Time_Zones/

To subscribe in Google Calendar
- Copy the URL from above
- Open your Google Calendar
- In the bar on the left, there's an "Other Calendars" section Click Add at the bottom right of that section.
- Choose "Add by URL"
- Paste in the URL from above
- Click Add
- The calendar has now been added.

I don't have any smartphones other than the iPhone, so your best bet if you need help is to hit up Google on how to subscribe to a calendar.

 

[krelnik]

Yay cool! I was going to key one into Google Calendar, thanks for doing this so I don't have to.

 

[Jeff Wagg]

This is great! Keep in mind that the times are displayed in your current timezone, and that the schedule WILL change between now and TAM.

Thanks for making that!

 

[TsarBomba]

App installed! Seems to work great. Even if it did not have the capability of adding unofficial events, just having the list of the entire schedule automatically on my Iphone will be very handy. No more will I have the need to lug around a paper schedule to check what is going on. Also, it seems to have ability to add your own personal items to the schedule on your Iphone, so in one app we have the agenda for TAM, unofficial events (none on yet, apparently), and a TAM only calender app.

 

[Sc00ter]

For me, when I load it into google it shows it as GMT so it's all out of whack.

 

[TsarBomba]

At least in the native Iphone app (I have not tried to do it through Google calender), the times are Pacific Standard times, as far as I can see.

 

[GeekyAtheist]

Yes, the iPhone app always shows the native time in Las Vegas. I have control over that

As for Google calendar, I might be able to make an adjustment for that. However, Google Calendar also has its own settings for time zone display. Make sure that you've set your time zone in the Settings.

Continuing JeffWagg, because this is unofficial, keep in mind that the organizers are the ones with the most up to date schedule. I'm going to be keeping it as up to date as possible.

 

[GeekyAtheist]

So I've added it to my own Google Calendar and it shows in my local timezone, just like iCal. If I go to Settings and change my time zone to PDT, it shows at the proper local times for PDT.

 

[TsarBomba]

For those of you using the Iphone app, here are a couple of hints:

1. The Schedule is your personal schedule for use at TAM.

2. The scheduled events are found by pressing the "events" button.

3. You can move scheduled events from the "events" area to your personal schedule by opening the event and pressing the star in the upper right hand corner. After this, the event will appear on your personal schedule, as well as the "events" area.

Really, this app is the BOMB. I wish I had it for TAMS past.

 

[GeekyAtheist]

Actually guys, I fixed the calendar subscription. You shouldn't have any time zone issues anymore. I found a caveat in the RFC that appears to work wonderfully

 

[Horatius]

Okay, I've been thinking about getting an IPod Touch after seeing my buddies use them in Japan. This might push me over the edge....


A couple of questions: can these apps communicate between different devices without paying for the hotel wifi access? Can we share updates between users?

 

[GeekyAtheist]

No, unfortunately not. Even with the 3.0 SDK, the communication is peer to peer, and the types of updates we would want to push should go to everyone. It's an interesting idea though -- it may make sense in the future for me to supply an access point that can be used by those devices solely for updating their schedules.

 

[Ziggy66]

A couple of questions: can these apps communicate between different devices without paying for the hotel wifi access? Can we share updates between users?

You would need to pay for wi-fi with an Ipod Touch, they don't connect to each other. If you have an Iphone you can connect to the 3G network.

Does anyone know if we can get good 3G connectivity in the meeting area at the South Point?

 

[Ziggy66]

I imported the calendar into my Google calendar and I'm not sure what time zone it is displaying. I am in the Eastern time zone, but the times shown start at for example, 4 AM for the Continental Breakfast (Friday). If it was GMT it should say 4 PM right? Maybe its 12 hours off?

If it were giving me the actual time converted to Eastern Time it should say 11 AM.

The Iphone app works fine.

 

[GeekyAtheist]

Actually, my fix for iCal didn't quite work in Google Calendar. Whenever Google Calendar refreshes for you, it should be fixed.

 

[TsarBomba]

The ATT coverage map for Vegas shows 3G coverage for the SouthPointe, however that doesn't say what coverage will be like at various rooms within the structure.

I have inserted the coverage map below. Blue represents ATT 3g coverage.

 

[Cleon]

Neat idea! Really digging it.

One small suggestion: A way to "quick-add" multiple events to my schedule from the "Events" tab. I plan on going to most of the sessions; right now I have to click on each one (like "Introduction"), click the star, and go back to get to the next one. What I'd like to do, optimally, is kind of like how you can delete multiple messages in mail; quick slide across an event, see an "Add" button, then tap it.

 

[arthwollipot]

Awesome. This is the reason I got an iPhone.

Do you have an app that lets me view my Google calendar on my iPhone? Organizer is failing to import like it says it should.

 

[GeekyAtheist]

Not sure what Organizer is. However you can subscribe to the calendar if you have iPhone 3.0:

- Open the settings app
- Choose Mail, Contacts, Calendars
- Choose Add Account...
- Choose Other
- Choose Add Subscribed Calendar
- Type in the URL from above.
- Click Next
- Click Save

And Viola, it's on your iPhone

 

[ottle]

The Iphone App is very cool - I've downloaded it to my touch. One suggestion/request - any way you can include Wednesday and Monday on the schedule, even though it'll be empty? For those of us getting in and doing stuff on those days, it will be very helpful!!