iPhone App?

[Eric Poulin]

#3382

Anyone interested in an iPhone app for CalendarBudget?
You could:

• • Check your budget while you’re out to help make a purchase decision

• • Update/add new entries while shopping

• • Other things?

What kind of things are interesting to you?

[squash]

#3768

Hi Eric

An iphone application is a great idea. You should also look into developing one for android phones as well (not as popular as the iphone but will soon will be).

[Eric Poulin]

#3769

Yes – potential targets apps will be iPhone, Android, Blackberry and just regular mobile web app.
What I need before beginning anything are requirements – or in other words – what kind of things would you like to do on a mobile version of CalendarBudget?

[rinahatcher]

#3770

I personally have a Blackberry Storm. An app would be nice….

But, in case I downgrade my phone at some point, it would be even better, personally, to be able to text an entry or go to a simple form. So, I have a couple of ideas that might help dev:

1) my bank allows me to text keywords like BAL and INFO to their 5-digit number and get up to date info on my account. Would it be possible to develop a similar functionality for Calendar Budget where certain keyword text messages would post to the calendar? Example text message: (for a debit) “DEB 5.18 food 10/12/09” or (for a deposit) “DEP 245.98 income 10/16/09”.

2) The Calendar Budget looks very similar to Google’s Calendar interface. If it is built on that api foundation, maybe some other Google features could be adapted to the Calendar Budget. For instance, I recently created a Google Documents > Form, which automatically creates a Google Spreadsheet to hold the information entered in the form. The form I created was a simple three field form for date, description, and amount. As I spend, I can go to my form via my Blackberry (a shortened URL that forwards to the Google URL helped) and fill in the form and populate the spreadsheet. Later, I can go over my spreadsheet of transactions (much like a normal checkbook register) and enter them into the Calendar Budget. As of the moment, my Calendar Budget is only about $1.00 off, but it closely matches both my official bank info and my google spreadsheet. Having something similar to this would be very helpful for me, personally.

Maybe a combination of both ideas would work? Transaction entry form if that’s all you need to do, and text message based retrieval of info, ie balance for the current day, list of budgeted items for the current day, etc.

Hope that is good feedback!

Rina Hatcher

I love the Calendar Budget by the way. I’m a visual and relational person, so this is the ideal solution for my family and I. It’s very easy to use; not too many features, but plenty of the features that we need.

[Eric Poulin]

#3771

CalendarBudget is, unfortunately, not built on the Google API. Its designed to have a similar look and feel so you don’t need to learn a new interface. In fact, we think our mouseover interface is an improvement over Google’s calendar, but that’s another story. :)

We have investigating integrating with a text messaging gateway, however we decided against it for the moment, with plans to revisit this in the near future.

We do have, near the top of my priority list, a mobile app planned. We’ll probably start with Blackberry (rather than iPhone), simply because the Java platform is more familiar. We have a number of small house-keeping items to clean up before we get there, but we hope to have at least a start on it by the end of the year.

[Scottb117x]

#3772

YES!!! Please make an iPhone/iPod touch app.

[Robin]

#3773

This would help me alot and most of all when grocery shopping.
I’d like to know how much extra funds I have available above my regular budgeted amount for groceries to go towards bulk buying on major sales.  So it seems that I need to know what I budgeted for groceries now and what the account balance low points are over the next week or month at least.

[Thumper]

#3774

I’d be interested in an app for the iPhone/iPod Touch.

It’d be nice to be able to update transactions right after making them, however, as an iPod Touch user, I don’t have the luxury of wireless internet everywhere I go.  Would it be possible to have a single month (or two) downloaded onto the mobile that can by synced  (with all the new changes) with the “central version” on your server (once I get back online)?

And, the inevitable question — included in our service, or an additional service plan fee?
;D

[Eric Poulin]

#3775

We actually have plans to do both an iPhone app – completely online based first, and then an offline version that, as you say, will sync with the server when you get back online. The iPhone app is planned to be available by summer time… offline will be a while after that.
At the moment, we have no plans to increase our prices for any service, except perhaps when we introduce automatic bank downloads later this year, which would be another membership plan – super-premium or something like that.

[venita]

#3776

Please also consider us non-apple people! Or at least accommodating calendar budget for mobile browsers. It used to work on an older version of Skyfire, but it doesn’t anymore.

[Eric Poulin]

#3777

Will do. When I create the mobile version, I’ll first create a generic one that should work on any mobile browser – then a “specialize” iphone version.
At the moment – I’m planning to start working on that around beginning to mid May. I’m excited to work on it – cause its going to be AWESOME!

[Anonymous]

#3778

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A universal mobile webapp would be phenomenal (and be set outside of Apple’s “walled garden”).

Even more phenomenal would be a special webapp for made especially for mobile Safari (i.e., iPhone & iPod Touch). This version could then take advantage of the iPhone’s native UI elements, use HTML5, and (fingers crossed) use HTML5’s the ability to store data locally (ala VoiceCentral’s BlackSwan for Google Voice)—the app could then (possibly) be both downloaded to the phone for some offline access and have user’s personal data kept completely in the cloud.

Essentials (for either the universal or iPhone versions) (for me) would include the ability to:

• • Lock the app with a passcode

• Update, add to, and edit my transactions on-the-fly (not merely

view them like Quicken Mobile). This would include being able to

• adjust an existing transaction (e.g., set the category, change the name, adjust the amount, etc.),

• plan for/add new future transactions (so as to see their effect on the overall budget while I’m staring at something new and shiny on a shelf), and

• (hopefully at somepoint in the future) update my accounts and auto-add new transaction data (ala Mint.com). (Yes, I know I shouldn’t hold my breath right now for this one.)

• View my transactions according to:

• Time (views listed in order of importance/preference):

• Weeks (showing high and low balances): View 7 days at a time (as eitherschedule or list) with individual daily balances, probably best implemented in a landscape layout (I’d like to see if I buy this item on Monday, will that put my weekend plans in jeopardy)

• Days: view all transactions (both name and amount) for one day.

• Months (showing high and low balances): View 30(ish) days at a time (as a list/spreadsheet with running daily balances (like a you’d see in checkbook register). Also helpful: transactions color-coded by category

• Groups (viewed as lists or the “Week”/schedule view):

• • Individual transaction: show account name, date, transaction name, amount, category, type

• • Individual category: show transactions (date, name, amount; account, type)

• • Individual accounts: show categories, transactions (date, name, amount; type), budgets

• • Planned transactions: show categories, transactions (date, name, amount; account, type)

• Budgets: I’d like to be able to plan out next summer’s vacation, next month’s birthday presents, next week’s date night, and tomorrow’s incedentals all from my phone. (Note: I don’t remember right now if the desktop webapp has the ability to set budget amounts both globally and by account, but either way, this would be nice)

• • Per Category: show transactions (date, name, amount; account, type; planned and past), months, weeks, paychecks (2-week spans), year

• • Per Month: show categories, transactions (date, name, amount; account, type; planned and past)

• • Per Paycheck: show categories, transactions (date, name, amount; account, type; planned and past)

• • Per Year: show categories, transactions (date, name, amount; account, type; planned and past)

• • Per Week: show categories, transactions (date, name, amount; account, type; planned and past)

• …Also, be downright sexy in its UI/UX design, of course.  ;)

Yes, sorry, I probably got a little carried away, but I just want to help.  ;D

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[Eric Poulin]

#3779

Whoa, you’ve really been thinking about this :)
Looks like I have reference documentation right here. I’m hoping to get started on this in June/July. I’ll develop it as a mobile web app and then possible convert it to a native iPhone app (so it should work everywhere…. even on my WII!)
If anyone is really anxious and wants to create a visual mockup of what the app will look like – I’d be much obliged. Otherwise I’ll get working on that as a 1st step once my development schedule gets to this.

[Lucas]

#3780

If I may, I would personally really like the app to look like the default Calendar App. Why? Because it’s clean, easy to use, and intuitive. Keeping the same type of interface would let people concentrate on the budget and not the interface.

By the way, my strong personal suggestion: keep this free. We already have to pay for the service and, even though I realize that there are costs involved in developing and maintaining the app in the app store, I wouldn’t like to pay a lot for a new interface to a service I’m paying. Then again, paying $0.99 wouldn’t be a big deal, so if you feel you have to, keep it at that :)

Also, when you thought of this originally the iPad was just a dream – now it’s a reality that you may want to deal with. The iPad offers much more screen real estate, so it’s a definite plus. If you charge for the app, make it “universal” (for both) and you’ll make everyone happy!

[Eric Poulin]

#3781

Thanks for the comment. Our intention is to make the iPhone/iPad app available for free. On the iPad, we may be able to keep the calendar interface. In fact, on the iPad – people can just use Safari to go to the main home page and use the regular web site.
The iPhone however, is too small to use our regular interface. Unfortunately we’ll need to consider a different interface to make it work, but it will still be calendar-based somehow. I envision something similar to the built-in calendar app, with the individual entry data showing the amounts.
We are really anxious to get to the development of this piece – its just a matter of time. :)

[Anonymous]

#3782

I’d love to see this app come to light!

[Eric Poulin]

#3783

It will – hopefully soon!
I had originally planned it for October – but it may get pushed to November.
Initially, I’ll release a web app that will work on any mobile device – then look at an iPhone specific app.

[Anonymous]

#3784

I love the ipad idea since I have one & usually have it close by.  I’m assuming that the app would sync the data with my pc as well.

Have you given any thought to adding a ‘daily’ and ‘weekly’ view option to the calendar?  This may be a valuable option when viewing on the iphone & ipad.  There are days when I would even prefer to work on a ‘weekly’ calendar view on the pc.

[Eric Poulin]

#3785

Yes, we’re still working out the details for the iPhone app. The data will sync to the server so no matter where you are, or which device (iPhone/PC) you’ll always have the latest info.

[theunited]

#3786

YESSS!!!!!! And please for Android phones. I have T-mobile 3G Mytouch Slide.

By the way, this application has.. it is one of the most important tools i have.

thank  you!

[Eric Poulin]

#3787

I am starting design and development of CalendarBudget mobile next week.
Even I’m excited!

[kerrbear]

#3788

Really looking forward to having an android app. I finally got a smart phone and really want to be able to update my budget via mobile.

[Eric Poulin]

#3789

At this point we have partial mobile access to your CalendarBudget data through the calendar on your mobile device. Go to CalendarBudget and then use the toolbar to select Setup -> Account Setup. There’s a new button beside each account called iCal Feed. Click this button to get your private iCal feed URL. You can use this address to add a subscribed calendar on your iPhone/Android device. For now, this pulls all of your account data as All Day events, including your account balance. Its really handy while on the go to see your balances – no new application required – just use your built in calendar app.

We have plans to make the calendar editable – so you can modify entries and add new entries. We’re not there quite yet, but its in the works.

[Author]

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