SmartAss™ for iPhone

The SmartAss™ for iPhone application is a proof of concept implementation for using SmartAss™ on mobile devices.

Overview
The SmartAss™ iPhone app makes it possible to search, view and create guides using an iPhone. It consists of the Video Add-ons to the SmartAss™ and a piece of client software to be installed on the phone. The client software is currently in testing, so you need to get it from InfoCaption rather than from the AppStore.

All guides on the SmartAss™ server connected with the iPhone app is available to the user, however in text format if not published from the iPhone. The position of the user can be used to suggest guides of relevance as guides may be geo-tagged when created on the device. Guides can also be downloaded onto the phone for access without network coverage.

Components

Search
The search is performed on the SmartAss™ server and locally in downloaded guides. Searches can be refined based on text, topic and location.

Playback
Guides are shown in different ways depending on guide type and how the guide was originally produced. Standard guides are shown in an iPhone-adjusted condensed text mode with still images, suitable to the device. Guides produced on the iPhone are shown in an integrated player.

Offline Support
Guides can be selected for download using the search interface and stored locally for later offline use.

Geo-tagging
The position of the user (using the built-in GPS of the Device) may help suggest guides relevant to current context. As an example installation or configuration procedures of a specific piece of equipment or information related to a specific site.

Creating Guides
A new guide type is introduced to support quick and efficient creation of guides using the iPhone – Quick Guides. This type of guide consists one or more steps each made up by a text, a still image with potential illustrations on and an optional audio track. This makes it possible to create guides on site, describing processes not necessarily linked to application usage. The position of creation is automatically saved.

LiveCam
LiveCam is the iPhone equivalent of DeskCam making it possible for the user to send images to the recipient in real time. The viewer follows displays the image from the remote phone camera using a simple web interface. This may be used to save time when for example supporting users of various types of equipment in much the same way as DeskCam helps supporting users of applications.