https://tacho.app/Tacho BlogA Blog about app development and cycling.2021-08-06T17:29:00+02:00Friedemann Bartelshello@tacho.apphttps://tacho.app/logo-180.pnghttps://tacho.app/fitness-tracking-for-the-apple-watch/Fitness tracking for the Apple Watch2021-08-06T17:29:00+02:002021-08-06T17:29:00+02:00<p>With version 1.3, <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> comes to the Apple Watch. The new <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> for Apple Watch app allows you to track your bike rides and save them in the Apple Health app on your iPhone. While tracking, the <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> for iPhone app now shows your heart rate.You can also use the watch app entirely without an iPhone. However, the battery of the Apple Watch lasts longer when your iPhone is in range. In this case the GPS sensor of the iPhone is used.</p><p><img src="https://tacho.app/images/16x9/tacho-apple-watch.jpg" alt="iPhone XS with Tacho App"></p><h2 id="sophisticated-autopause">Sophisticated autopause</h2><p>The autopause function is optimized for cycling. If, for example, at a traffic light stop the GPS signal jumps back and forth a bit, although you are not moving, these artifacts are discarded. Only when you are really moving again and have covered a certain distance, the time and distance are counted retroactively. The app indicates this pending state by a blinking time. This way, no second is counted too much or too little.</p><h2 id="weather-powered-by-dark-sky">Weather powered by Dark Sky</h2><p>In the previous versions of the app, the weather data came from <a href="https://openweathermap.org">OpenWeather</a>. With the current version, the weather data is now powered by <a href="https://darksky.net">Dark Sky</a>. The weather info from Dark Sky is more accurate. Especially the air pressure, which is used for the initial calibration of the barometric altimeter, has a much higher resolution and accuracy.</p><h2 id="improved-barometric-altimeter">Improved barometric altimeter</h2><p>Another highlight is the improved barometric altimeter. In the previous version, the altitude was calculated based on the readings of the integrated barometer and the air pressure and temperature from the weather provider. On the one hand, this type of calculation required an internet connection to load the weather data. On the other hand, the accuracy of the altitude was dependent on the accuracy of this weather data.</p><p>With the new <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> version, the barometric altimeter is additionally calibrated using the altitude data from the GPS signal. It automatically calibrates itself as you move. The combination of GPS, integrated barometer and external weather data allows highly accurate altitude tracking.</p><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tacho/id1458913257">Download <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> on the <span style="white-space:nowrap">App Store</span></a> and <a href="mailto:hello@tacho.app">let me know</a> how you like the update.</p>https://tacho.app/tacho-1.1/<span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho 1.1</span>2019-12-24T13:50:00+01:002019-12-24T13:50:00+01:00<p><span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho 1.1</span> is now <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tacho/id1458913257">available on the <span style="white-space:nowrap">App Store</span></a>.</p><h2 id="release-notes">Release notes</h2><ul><li>add barometric alti- and inclinometer</li><li>add split view support for iPad</li><li>improve compass accuracy while driving</li><li>improve weather loading for more accuracy and better energy efficiency</li><li>adapt to new location permission handling in iOS 13</li><li>fix compass showing wrong heading when iPad hold upside-down</li></ul><p><a href="mailto:hello@tacho.app">Let me know</a> how you like it and merry christmas!</p>https://tacho.app/public-beta/Public Beta2019-12-11T20:30:00+01:002019-12-11T20:30:00+01:00<p>I am working on the next <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> release with these new feature:</p><ul><li>Barometric altimeter and decline<sup>1</sup></li><li>Split view support for iPad</li><li>Improved compass accuracy while moving</li><li>Improved weather loading for higher accuracy and better energy efficency</li></ul><p><a href="https://testflight.apple.com/join/MQuCZ77l">Join <span style="white-space:nowrap">TestFlight</span></a> and try out the upcoming features now.</p><p><small><sup>1</sup>Requires <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone 6</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone 6s</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone 7</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone 8</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone X</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone XS</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone XR</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone 11</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPhone 11 Pro</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPad Air 2</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPad mini 3</span>, <span style="white-space:nowrap">iPad Pro</span> or iPad (5. Generation).</small></p>https://tacho.app/hello/Hello <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span>2019-11-26T17:27:00+01:002019-11-26T17:27:00+01:00<p>Hello, I am Friedemann. I ❤️ 📷, 🚲 & <code><code/></code>. And I am the developer of <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span>.</p><h2 id="the-prototyp">The Prototyp</h2><p>In the summer of 2013 I bought a new bike, a <span style="white-space:nowrap">Brompton</span> in Raw Laquer with 2-speed gear and <span style="white-space:nowrap">Schwalbe</span> <span style="white-space:nowrap">Kojak</span> slicks.</p><p><img src="https://tacho.app/images/16x9/brompton-tempelhofer-feld.jpg" alt="My new Brompton at the Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin"></p><p>Of course, I needed a speedometer for my new racing <span style="white-space:nowrap">Brompton</span>. Since nothing could convince me in the <span style="white-space:nowrap">App Store</span>, I made my own bicycle computer. <strong>Speed</strong>, <strong>total distance</strong> and <strong>time</strong> my first iPhone app displayed. I had the app in use for more than five years and more than 7000 kilometers and was quite satisfied. Only a temperature gauge I have occasionally missed.</p><h2 id="tacho-10"><span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> 1.0</h2><p>At the beginning of this year, during the spring cleaning of my bike, it has seized me again. I finally wanted to implement the <strong>temperature gauge</strong> and had an idea how to visualize <strong>wind information</strong>.</p><p>I was tired of the old Objective-C code. So I developed a completely new app with React Native. But I was not really happy with the result. The compass animation ran with 60 fps, but did not feel buttery soft and the power consumption was too high.</p><p>I could not help getting into Swift and porting the app. But the effort was worth it. The animations run buttery soft, need little energy and the bundle size has shrunk from more than 40 MB to 1.5 MB. 🚀</p><p>With the new app, I have now gone the last mile and finalized it for the <span style="white-space:nowrap">App Store</span>. Since May you can <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tacho/id1458913257">🎉 download <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> for free on the <span style="white-space:nowrap">App Store</span> 🎉</a>. It is translated to <strong>English</strong>, <strong>German</strong>, <strong>French</strong>, <strong>Spanish</strong>, <strong>Korean</strong> and <strong>Arabic</strong> and available for <strong>iPhone</strong> and <strong>iPad</strong>.</p><p><img src="https://tacho.app/images/16x9/tacho-iphone.jpg" alt="iPhone XS with Tacho App"></p><p>I have many ideas for the future, both for the app and for the blog. <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho 1.1</span> is already in the works, a beta version is coming soon.</p><p>So <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tacho/id1458913257">download <span style="white-space:nowrap">Tacho</span> on the <span style="white-space:nowrap">App Store</span></a>, <a href="https://tacho.app/feed.atom">subscribe to the blog</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TachoApp">follow me on Twitter</a>, <a href="mailto:news@tacho.app?subject=Subscribe%20to%20Newsletter&body=I%20want%20to%20subscribe%20to%20the%20newsletter.">signup for the newsletter</a> and <a href="mailto:hello@tacho.app">send me your feedback</a>!</p>