VoxMemo FREE 2.3

for iOS 8

This is the current version!

Note 1: I strongly recommend that you backup all existing VoxMemo files if you upgrade from a previous version!

Note 2: If you used user categories and upgrade from version 1, you will need to rename those from numbers to some text, see categories.

First I want to make you aware that the development of VoxMemo is not part of my regular job. I do this purely as a hobby for recreation and fun. While this shall be no excuse for any bugs or issues (which I will try to fix as soon as possible), I ask your understanding that VoxMemo is not the top priority in my life :-)

Now for the bits & pieces.

Tab Bar

The tab bar is the main navigation element in VoxMemo. You can toggle between Memo Map, Memo List, and Settings.

Memo Details

VoxMemo allows you to store so-called memos on your device. A memo is a kind of note that has several fields.

• A headline [1] provides a short description of the memo. If you store a memo without providing an explicit headline, a headline will be created automatically from the memo text. As a fall back for empty texts, [Auto] will be used.
• A text [2] allows you to provide a longer description; texts can be dictated ("Vox-a-Memo") when the device is connected to the internet, using the microphone button. Since iOS 7 you need to allow VoxMemo to access your microphone to do this. In the case of an internet connection you can also listen to the memo text, using the callout button. Please note that the number of dications and audio playbacks per day are limited to keep the low (zero) price of the app. Text and headline can be copied to the iOS clipboard, for copying the contents to e-Mails etc. later (Thanks Uli Schluze-Eyssing for the suggestion!).
  
• A flag [3] inidicates whether the memo is "open" or not. Depending on how you want to use this flag, open menos may be tasks that need to be completed, articles to buy, people to contact and so on. If the action has been completed, you can "close" the memo. Memo list and map allow you to filter for open memos only.
• The category [4] of a memo can be selected from a list that contains some predefined values, as well as (optional) your own categories. Memo list and map allow you to filter for categories. Additionally, you can group the memo list by categories instead of memo ages.
• Whenever you create a memo, the creation date and time [5] are stored.
• If you allow your device to retrieve the GPS position [6] when you create a memo, this information is stored. The location can be viewed for every memo in the memo details, or for a group of memos in the memo map. If your device is connected to the internet, VoxMemo retrieves the address of that location as well. If not, the address information can be determined later through the app settings, when the device is connected at that time.
  
• The toolbar [7] allows a couple of functions:
  
• A memo can be highligted. Hilghlighted memos are displayed with a red headline in the memo list, and a special pin in the memo map.
• An action button allows you to send the memo using e-Mail or SMS. In the case of an e-mail, the photo and the map are sent as attachments. This is great to update your friends while you travel.
  
• A camera button allows you to view, take, or change the picture associated with the memo. This is great for taking travel pictures. Each new photo will be copied to VoxMemo, while additionally being added to your camera roll. Before copying, you are asked which size the photo shall have. Larger formats consume more disk space on your device and slow down the copying step. You will find that smaller photos in VoxMemo will do in many cases. After all, you do still have the large picture in your camera roll. The camera view can be viewed in landscape orientation. A long tap on a photo initiates a configurable Web Action (Google searching for a Wikipedia entry by default).
  
• A trash button can be used to archive a memo. To atually delete it, use the purge function under settings. If an archived memo is displayed, the thrash button is replaced by a restore button to retrieve a previously archived memo.
• Functions for the Map View only:
• Besides centering the map to memo location (which does not change the memo), a target button can be used to either set the location to the current center of the map (where you panned to), delete the GPS location, or set it to the current GPS location. Please note that changes to the GPS location cannot be undone, unless you cancel all memo changes!
• A compass button activates a finder function. This will subsequently indicate distance and direction to the memo location. This is useful to (for example) find your car again :-) You may need to gove the compass a little while to adjust.
• With a map switch button you can switch between different map views using [8]: map, satellite, and hybrid.
  
• A picture button allows you to toggle from the map to a photo. This is possible only if you took a photo of course.
• Functions for the Photo View only:
• A map button allows you to toggle from the photo to a map.

Web Action

Long-Tapping a photo starts a web action that can be configured on a dedicated settings page:

Memo List

The memo list is the default view when you start the app. It can also be reached by clicking the respective icon in the tab bar. The memo list has a couple of elements.

• First and foremost (quelle surprise :-)), it is used to list your memos [1]. Memos are always sorted according to their age. The youngest memo will be shown first. Initially, memos are also grouped by their age. You can modify this and group the memos by their category. Archived memos can be displayed (see general settings) with a gray background. If you select one memo, the details page will be opened.
• You can open/close a memo directly in the list by tapping the open/close flag in the respective memo cell.

• A symbol below the flag shows whether a photo and / or geo position are stored with the memo.
• A red memo title indicates a highlighted memo.
• The first cell in the memo list is reserved for a microphone button [2]. If your device is connected to the internet, you can press the microphone button and speak a memo text. The current language is shown at the right hand side of the microphone image. You will be forwarded to the memo details view to enter more details or correct the text.
  
• Above the list and the optional microphone button there is a text search field [3]. If the list of memos is long, it will be displayed if you scroll the list up to the top. In the search field you can enter text to find certain memos. Each letter that you type immediately updates the remaining memo list. The search looks for text, headline, and other memo attributes.
• The Add Button [4] allows you to create a new memo. An empty detail view is opened.
• An Open/Closed Button [5] can be used to switch between only open memos (the default) or all memos.
• Finally, you can restrict the list to memos of a certain Category [6] only. Default is to show [All] categories.
  

The number of currently visible versus all memos is displayed in the center of the navigatoin bar on top.

Memo Map

• The memo map provides a geographical overview of your memos. The view shows only memos that have an associated geo location. A couple of gestures are supported:
  
• Double tap to zoom in on the tap point.
• Single tap with two fingers to zoom out.
• Move the map center by swiping.
• You can get the faded toolbar back with a single tap.
• An Open/Closed Button [1] can be used to switch between only open memos (the default) or all memos.
• The Add Button [2] allows you to create a new memo. An empty detail view is opened.
• You can tap a pin to display the memo headline [3] and open the memo detail view from there.
• The (fading) toolbar [4] allows a couple of functions:
  
• A microphone button opens a speech recognition window if the device is connected to the internet. If you speak a memo, it will be created with the spoken text.
  
• The action button can be used to share the current map via e-mail.
  
• The target button adjusts the view to display all memos that you currently filter for.
• You can switch between different views: map, satellite, and hybrid.
• A search button can be used to show or hide the search field [5]. By entering text or selecting a category, you can display all memos that match your criteria.

Categories

• Culture
• Food/Drink
• Hobby
• Home
  
• Shopping
• Social
• Sports
• Travel
• Work
  

Settings

On the initial page you can choose which settings to change. There are two detail pages:

• General Settings let you change the general behaviour of the app, the list and the map views, and
• Speech Settings let you choose recognition language and text-to-speech voice.

Besides these settings, you can start the process of looking for missing addresses (the device needs internet access for this), delete archived memos (caution: thiose cannot be recovered anymore!), and rename categories (see categories).

General Settings

Speech Settings

Backup And Restore

• Backup: Using iTunes, copy the files to your computer to make a backup. It is important to copy all subdirectories. I recommend regular backups!

• Restore: Copy the files back using iTunes. Since iTunes does not allow you to copy directories back to a device, you can copy all picture files and thumbnails simply into the top level directory of VoxMemo. When VoxMemo is started from scratch the next time, it "consolidates" the picture files by moving them in the respective subdirectory. This means that the start of the app can be significantly delayed! If you have several hundred memos, it may even be necessary to start the app a couple of times before the consolidation is complete. You can check the iTunes directory of VoxMemo to check progress.

Previous Versions