We may be hard at work on the major overhaul that will come with versions 1.0 for Android and 2.0 for iOS (as glimpsed in this recent screenshot), but that doesn’t mean we can’t make some changes here and there for the existing iOS users.

The most important update is for anyone out there who is connecting to a compatible Pioneer system.  Some of you out there have reported repeated pause issues when playing Aha content on Pioneer, and as it turns out it stems from a Pioneer bug with iOS5.

We were able to work with Pioneer to find a workaround and incorporate a tweak to our code that prevented them from having to release a full fledged head unit update … and that tweak went out with today’s update.  That won’t fix the Pioneer bug for all interaction with Apple apps, but it should fix it for Aha.

The other changes won’t be as noticeable, as they involve optimization for a variety of iOS5 things.  So for big whizbang excitement you will need to wait for the massive overhaul that is “coming soon”.

So get that phone out and make sure you check for updates!  And of course enjoy the holiday weekend!

-Ryan

You are probably wondering why your App Store app is rocking the updates badge.  You may be one of those people who likes to ignore it.  Or maybe you wait until it hits double digits.  Or maybe you are like my wife, and after 3 years of using an iPhone you still don’t think that updates matter.

Well the culprit of your latest badge update is most likely us.  Our newest version (1.5.5) was released into the wild today.  There aren’t any super obvious changes, but included are some bug fixes that should help overall performance.  Also, if you are a head-unit customer there should be some bug fixes for you as well.

So get on over to the App Store and get your update on!

-Ryan

A handful of users have been experiencing unexpected crashes with our latest version of Aha Radio for iPhone (1.5.4).  The reports have been very rare, but we’ve been working frantically to nail down the cause of the crash (which happens during launch, when the location message appears).

Lo and behold, it turns out that it had nothing to do with any changes in our current release.  It seems that a change Apple made in iOS 4.3.1 (which coincidentally launched at about the same time) is causing some apps to abruptly crash.

I’m somewhat reluctant to so quickly introduce Apple to the underside of the bus, given their prompt responses and that they readily owned up to the bug, but it’s a relief to know that this wasn’t a problem with our code.

We missed getting this bug submitted in time for iOS 4.3.2, which most people have been updating to in the last week, but we are hopeful that it will be addressed in time for the next update.

In the meantime, there is an iPhone Settings change that has resolved the problem for people experiencing the crash:

SETTINGS > GENERAL > INTERNATIONAL > REGION FORMAT > switch to something other than US (perhaps Australia).

Then try running Aha Radio. It should work, and if so you can then go back to change your Region back to US.

Thanks to those who reported the issue!

Ryan

In case you didn’t catch the tweets, press release, news coverage or analysis in the past couple of weeks, Aha Mobile has been acquired by Harman International Industries.

You can find complete details here, but a few of the key highlights are:

• We will continue development and support for our iOS app, Aha Radio.
• We are continuing to develop a version of Aha Radio for the Android OS.
• We are continuing to work on platform integration support for a variety of audio systems, not only from Harman systems but third party manufacturers as well.
• We are hiring!

We’d also like to thank everyone who has supported us since the beginning.  We are extremely psyched to push on the accelerator and take Aha to its true potential.

Robert

As I mentioned yesterday, an iOS4 specific update for Aha Radio was submitted to the App Store for approval, and I’m pleased to report that the updated version is NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD!

Just a quick reminder on what’s new.

• Background audio playback: keep listening to your favorite podcasts even after exiting the app (iOS 4.0 only). This release includes the fix for audio playback with iOS 4.0.
• For users without unlimited data plans, added a data usage tracker and the ability to reduce bandwidth consumption for podcast content within SETTINGS.
• App icon replaced with hi-res version.
• Other bug fixes and minor enhancements.

What all that means is that you can keep listening to your podcast stations, even after you exit the app.  Also, if you have opted for the lowest data plan (200MBs) and are worried about your data usage, you can now keep track of it from within the SETTINGS area.  There is also an optional setting to reduce consumption, but if you aren’t on the tiny plan we don’t recommend changing it.  You’ll find that some of the rewind/resume options won’t work.

And of course, for those of you enjoying the new Retina Display, we’ve updated the app icon with a hi-res version.

Hope you all enjoy!

-Ryan

Aha Mobile

As just about all iPhone owners are aware, Apple released a major iOS update to coincide with the release of the new iPhone4.  We tested against it with the SDK, but a playback issue snuck by us and some users have probably noticed that non-podcast content is getting cut off early.  If you are still on iOS 3, or only listen to podcast stations, you have not been impacted.

I’m excited to report that we’ve submitted an update to the App Store for review, and not only does it resolve the playback issue, but it makes Aha Radio fully compatible with iOS4.  Hello fast app switching and background audio!!!  Once the update hits you’ll be able to continue listening to your podcast stations even after you exit the app.  And don’t worry, we’ve made sure to streamline the background processes so that you don’t have to worry about it sapping your battery.

Stay tuned and be on the lookout for the little update badge on your App Store app.

-Ryan

Aha Mobile

If you haven’t been keeping an eye on your App Store updates, you may not have noticed that our latest version of Aha Radio (v1.4) went live to the App Store this morning.

The first thing you’ll probably notice is the different look.  Over the last year we have been incrementally tweaking different aspects of the design and found that it was time to take a step back and maybe re-evaluate some of the visuals.

You should find that the important aspects of the interface are still similar, but it’s got a slightly different “skin.”  Something a little easier to see at night, and a little more contemporary.

We’ve also made some much needed tweaks to the features.  Along with some general performance upgrades, we added a 30-second rewind feature to the podcast stations.

If you need to back up it’s easy to do without even looking at the phone.  Just tap anywhere on the bottom of your iPhone screen.

Another fun change is an update to the existing auto-resume feature.  You may have already noticed that if you leave a podcast station and come back later, the app remembers where you were in the episode.

Now, if you are listening to a podcast station at the time you exit the app, the next time you launch the app you will go right back to the same station and episode…right where you left off.  This also works for the Facebook station and the Stand-Up Comedy station.

This makes it even easier (and it was pretty easy in the first place) to get back to your Aha Radio content without looking at your phone.  Just launch the app and it does the rest.

So be sure to head over to the App Store and download the updated version of Aha Radio. And if you have any feedback, or requests, you can find us on Twitter (@ahamobile), Facebook (facebook.com/AhaMobile), or GetSatisfaction/AhaMobile.

Ryan

Aha Community Czar

Hi everyone. Quick heads up that we noticed some connection issues early this morning. Apparently AT&T was unable to resolve the connection with us when users were booting the app.

Everything appears to be back in order now, so if you are still having problems please let us know (support@ahamobile.com) or twitter (twitter.com/ahamobile).

Thanks for your patience!

-Ryan

Some of you may have noticed over the weekend that the Bathroom search within Nearby had stop yielding results.  We have some good and bad news regarding that.

First with the bad news.  We are no longer leveraging SitOrSquat for bathroom results.  We are currently evaluating the possibility of leveraging other bathroom data providers.

However, there is some good news you can fall back on.  While you may not be able to obtain the same level of detail that was provided before, you can still locate a large number of bathrooms quickly and easily by accessing either the Coffee or Food options.  It’s easy to create a broad search option within either of those two categories, and just toggle that search on if you are interested in finding a place to take care of your “business.”

Ryan

Aha Community Czar

Hi everyone. Quick heads up that we noticed some connection issues this afternoon. Apparently AT&T was unable to resolve the connection with us when users were booting the app.

Everything appears to be back in order now, so if you are still having problems please let us know (support@ahamobile.com) or twitter (twitter.com/ahamobile).

Thanks for your patience!

-Ryan