LoneStarCon 3 now offers fans two mobile apps to track Worldcon program information. Both are available for iOS and Android devices and should work on all current and recent operating system versions.
The official in-house application developed by David Brummel has a user interface following the classic iOS app style appearance. In addition to program information, it will communicate real-time party information and a newsletter feed. Get it at www.LoneStarCon3.org/mobile/.
There also is an interactive program guide developed by Eemeli Aro designed to run on full size screens as well as handheld devices. The program guide is integrated into LSC3’s website for regular user browsing. Find it at www.LoneStarCon3.org/guide/.
Both applications allow marking of individual program items as favorites, so the user can create a personal convention schedule.
The first Worldcon app was produced by Renovation two years ago and Chicon 7 followed suit. Congratulations to LoneStarCon 3 for providing this convenience again.
Discover more from File 770
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
Well, technically they’re not mobile apps, they’re mobile-friendly web apps. It looks like the Brummel app is using HTML5 manifest caching, so it still works when you’re not connected to a network.
We used Eemeli’s app for Westercon 66. It looks like Lonestarcon 3 disabled the HTML5 manifest caching there, so it only works when connected.
I look forward to hearing more about how they’re working. The descriptions indicate capabilities have been added that people were asking for after the past two Worldcons.
Well, I’m probably the worst person to judge how well KonOpas worked at Westercon 66. Scratch that, John Hertz probably is the worst person to judge how well KonOpas worked at Westercon, but I interacted it with it probably only slightly more than John.
I know we got positive comments on it, and I know the original version at ChiCon 7 was a popular alternative to the Viafo app (which was a real app for iPhone and Android) for people who had devices with insufficient memory and processing power to use it.
I think that Eemeli’s LSC3 app originally didn’t have caching turned on because it was still in testing mode, actually. It seems to be caching just fine now.
Eemeli is also investigating additional features that have been suggested, but it’s kinda the week before the con, and there’s this bid for Helsinki in 2015 happening … So no promises on an interactive map or anything.