How to format your RSS feeds for PointAbout

Want it to look snazzier? See how we can customize the look & feel.

Setting multiple RSS feeds up in a PointAbout iPhone/Android application:

Each feed corresponds to the icon at the bottom of the application.  For example, this example is for the “Business” feed.  Each icon in the app corresponds to its own feed.  The more feeds you want to include in the app, the more icons we’ll have.  Here’s how to format a feed:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”iso-8859-1″?>
<?xml-stylesheet href=”/css/rss20.xsl” type=”text/xsl”?>
<rss xmlns:pheedo=”http://www.pheedo.com/namespace/pheedo” version=”2.0″ xmlns:dc=”http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/”>
<channel>
<title><![CDATA[Business]]></title> This corresponds to “Business” in the left image title bar, above
<!– title><![CDATA[Business News & Economic Policy]]></title –> (This is not used by PointAbout, but must be in the feed)
<link><![CDATA[http://www.samplesite.com/business/index.html]]></link> (This is also not used by PointAbout, but must be in feed)
<item> This tag is just duplicated for as many items as you have.
<title><![CDATA[ In the Chevy Malibu, GM's Pride and Its Challenge ]]></title> This is the first item in the list (just duplicate the item tag for other items)
<link>http://feeds.samplesite.com/click.phdo?i=53695</link>  This maps to the “Web Link” button on the 2nd image to the right, in the header bar.
<guid isPermaLink=”false”>company_name_12345</guid> Globally unique identifier for item (Must be globally unique among all RSS feeds worldwide.  Can also be an HTML link, since that would be unique)
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:19:55 EDT</pubDate> Publish date, displayed to right of Title on the image at left
<geo:lat>37.86885</geo:lat> If your item has a physical location, include the latitude here. Click here for more info on GeoRSS.
<geo:long>-122.27293</geo:long> If your item has a physical location, include the longitude here.
<description><![CDATA[
Consumer prices rose at a surprisingly steep rate in June and the nation's factories continued to pull back production, according to new data released today that affirm that the economy remains weak but is not entering a dangerous cycle of falling prices.
<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/>
<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/>
<a href="http://ads.samplesite.com/click.phdo?s=53695dc3777fd5113da50d3c72ca99a5&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.samplesite.com/img.phdo?s=53695dc3777fd5113da50d3c72ca99a5&p=1"/></a>
]]></description>  This tag is the “meat” of the RSS feed.  The CDATA tag allows for this to be HTML and it can be as short or as long as you’d like.  Also, if you include an HTML link in this description tag, it will activate the web slide-in.  So you could, for example, include a link to a Google Map, as follows:  <a href =”http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1600+Pennsylvania+Ave+NW,+Washington,+DC%E2%80%8E&sll=38.900251,-77.036562&sspn=0.035135,0.103254&ie=UTF8&ll=38.89935,-77.036626&spn=0.008784,0.025814&z=16&iwloc=A”>The White House</a> and it would display in the description area (right image above) as a link.  When clicked, it would open up a web slider with the Google Map, which could then be closed, and the user would be back in the description area.
</item>
</channel>
</rss>

Fixed HTML

We’ve found a way to fix the HTML so it doesn’t scroll (just like a native app) based on these two excellent blogs, which pioneered the concept:

1. http://doctyper.com/archives/200808/fixed-positioning-on-mobile-safari/
2. http://cubiq.org/scrolling-div-on-iphone-ipod-touch/5

You can download this zip file which has the javascript and CSS to do this, which is based on the links above.

Python Exception Logging

This took me a little while to figure out so I thought I’d post it incase somebody else has the same issue.  Python has try/except blocks which allow you to catch and handle exceptions.  This is great however, what happens when you’re unsure the exception that is going to be throw?  And once its thrown and you have an idea as to what it is, how do you get more details? Here is the code to get it done:

try:

.
... your exception here
.
.
except Exception, ex:
logger.error("error:" + str(ex) )

Thats it.   The object ‘ex’ is of the super-type “Exception” but has a built-in type of something more concrete.  Python’s has a built-in Exception types documentation on their website here: http://www.wingware.com/psupport/python-manual/2.4/lib/module-exceptions.html

Pick up where iPhone and flash left off

Great methods used in webkit (available in iPhone safari browser) that allows users to achieve flash like animations. See more and some code in action @

http://www.maclife.com/article/news/css_animation_kick_flashes_butt_iphone

http://webkit.org/blog/324/css-animation-2/

Specifying animations is easy. You first describe the animation effect using the @-webkit-keyframes rule.

@-webkit-keyframes bounce {
 from {
   left: 0px;
 }
 to {
   left: 200px;
 }
}

A @-webkit-keyframes block contains rule sets called keyframes. A keyframe defines the style that will be applied for that moment within the animation. The animation engine will smoothly interpolate style between the keyframes. In the above example we define an animation called “bounce” to have two keyframes: one for the start of the animation (the “from” block) and one for the end (the “to” block).

Once we have defined an animation, we apply it using -webkit-animation-name and related properties.

div {
 -webkit-animation-name: bounce;
 -webkit-animation-duration: 4s;
 -webkit-animation-iteration-count: 10;
 -webkit-animation-direction: alternate;
}

The above rule attaches the “bounce” animation, sets the duration to 4 seconds, makes it execute a total of 10 times, and has every other iteration play in reverse.

Now, suppose you want to party like it is 1995 and make your own super-blink style. In this case we specify an animation with multiple keyframes, each with different values for opacity, background color and transform.

@-webkit-keyframes pulse {
 0% {
   background-color: red;
   opacity: 1.0;
   -webkit-transform: scale(1.0) rotate(0deg);
 }
 33% {
   background-color: blue;
   opacity: 0.75;
   -webkit-transform: scale(1.1) rotate(-5deg);
 }
 67% {
   background-color: green;
   opacity: 0.5;
   -webkit-transform: scale(1.1) rotate(5deg);
 }
 100% {
   background-color: red;
   opacity: 1.0;
   -webkit-transform: scale(1.0) rotate(0deg);
 }
}

.pulsedbox {
 -webkit-animation-name: pulse;
 -webkit-animation-duration: 4s;
 -webkit-animation-direction: alternate;
 -webkit-animation-timing-function: ease-in-out;
}

Requirements for Submitting your application to the iTunes App Store

In order for us to submit your application to iTunes, we’ll need the following information.  Please email the information below to info@PointAbout.com:

Below are the media assets we’ll need when submitting your application to the iTunes App Store:

Icon, 57 pixels square  

72 DPI .jpg, .jpeg, or .tiff format.  The icon should be square, not be rounded, or have any type of glare on it (Apple will add the rounding and glare).

Here is a sample (click here to download the Photoshop PSD template):  

Icon for iTunes page, 512 pixels square

72 DPI .jpg, .jpeg, or .tiff format.  This is usually just a larger version of the 57 pixel icon above.  This will be used to feature your application on the App Storefront. To be featured prominently on the App Store we recommend you provide an attractive, original icon.

Screenshots of the application

To be shown on the iTunes page.  (at least 1, up to 5)

Loading (splash) screen – 320 pixels wide by 480 pixels tall.

72 DPI .jpg, .jpeg, or .tiff format.  Note: You must leave space on the lower 1/3 of the loading screen for a dynamically generated “Finding Location” notice to show.  Please don’t put any text below pixels 300 – 480 (counting from 0 pixels at top-left). 

Here is a sample (click here to download the Photoshop PSD template):