TAG has gotten a few questions and heard a few concerns about the new Scranton iPhone and Android App. Just thought we’d post some extra information about it:
- There are two different mobile tools available – one is the mobile app, which is available for iPhones through the App Store and for Android devices through the Android Market. The other is the mobile website, which you can view from any internet browser at http://m.scranton.edu.
- Both the app and the mobile website are optional – you can use them if you find them convenient, but no faculty member (or anyone else) is obligated to use them.
- The app does access some data from your phone in order to make the features work. For the Android version of the app, these are spelled out in the Android Market page under Permissions. The Permissions page mentions that “malicious applications” can use those permissions to do bad things – this is boilerplate language from the Android Market, essentially warning you not to download and install apps from developers that you don’t trust. In this case, the app is coming from the University via Straxis Technology and is not malicious.
- The app can use your GPS location in order to place you on a map for the Campus Tour feature. However, at least on the iPhone version, you are asked whether or not you will allow the app to use your location before it pulls this data. I believe the Android version asks user permission as well – can any Android users confirm?
- There was some faculty input in the app development – I sat in on meetings with the Mobile Applications Team as a representative of the Library. I was asked by IR and PR not to post details during the vendor selection process, but I’m happy to share my feedback report and thoughts with any interested faculty.
As usual, if anyone has questions, clarifications, or concerns, please post below or to the TAG-Discussion list.
The Droid app does ask permission before turning on gps for the campus map. The Christ the Teacher indicator is pretty off target. So is Jacob and the Angel! DeNaples not being there is going to confuse campus tour takers! Yipes the Library indicator is in the alley between residence halls and the parking structure. I vote this thing should go away until it can be made accurate. It’s nice to see my car in its old parking spot from outer space, however.
Hm, on my iPhone the Library shows up in the right place for the campus tour. My biggest problem with the Campus Map and Campus Tour features is that they take forever to load – sometimes so long that the app freezes up.
Re: Satellite view – the app uses Google Maps’ satellite view of Scranton, which is pretty outdated. Tim, you’d better tell Google to get their act together and shoot some new aerial footage! Bing is way ahead of them on this one!
[…] Mobile app […]
Hi guys,
Just noticed that there was a comment on the Google maps being outdated and believe me, we know! Last November when we knew we would be working on a mobile app we contacted Google and requested that they map our campus and additionally indicated we had an urgent need due to the functionality of the campus tour and map being adversely affected by outdated satellite imagery.
Unfortunately we have still not heard anything back.
I will see if there is any other way to push this issue but I think Google moves at it’s own pace.
Lori
[…] minutes are available (PDF). The meeting was mostly dedicated to getting everyone caught up on the existing mobile app and mobile website. The minutes indicate that any new mobile development will occur within the […]