New update to mobile app has bugs
podster
November 18, 2012 at 01:06 PM posted in ChinesePod Mobile AppsIf you haven't updated to the new version of the mobile app (released yesterday) you might want to wait. I am finding it full of bugs. My previously downloaded lessons cannot be played and cannot be downloaded again. When I press "breakdown" in the vocabulary section it either generates an error message or shows a blank screen. I am using iOS 6 on an iPhone 4.
podster
December 01, 2012 at 03:33 PM
I took the risk and installed the new mobile app. So far no crashes and the bugs seem to have been fixed. A new feature: record your own voice so you can listen and repeat the sentences and play back your voice to compare to the native speaker. Very good idea.
podster
November 30, 2012 at 11:38 AM
A bug-fix version of the Chinese Pod mobile app is out today. I cleared my cache to be safe, per CPod's suggestion, and it did indeed nuke all of my content. (I never heard back on this question.) I have not yet installed the latest version. Has anybody else tried it yet?
podster
November 29, 2012 at 05:58 AM
still no bug fixes. I just got an iPad mini and seeing the same bugs. On vocabulary breakdown getting "Expected status code . . ." error. I wonder if anyone is working on bug fixes. Maybe if someone writes a negative review in iTunes someone at CPod will notice.
podster
November 22, 2012 at 04:34 AM
I did receive a reply from CPod. It was suggested that I try clearing the cache from within the app's settings, and if that does not solve the problem then delete and re-install the app. I am afraid either one of those will cause me to lose all the previously downloaded content, which is inconvenient to say the least. Caveat emptor!
pretzellogic
November 21, 2012 at 01:03 AM
I'm glad you guys have been posting your experiences here. For whatever reason, I tried updating the app as part of the updates to all the apps on my iPhone. It turns out that cpod app v1.2 wouldn't download for some reason. Now I know to just ignore the app update until Tom/Jenny/Vera or somebody gets back to you/us about this.
podtove
November 20, 2012 at 09:02 PM
Yes, the educational content of ChinesePod is superb, but they badly need some new thinking regarding especially the website, but also the app (not thinking about bugs now, but usability).
podster
November 20, 2012 at 12:35 PM
I also notified Chinese Pod about the bugs in the new mobile app, and also have not received a reply. Don't download is still my advice. Also, I was quite disappointed that one of the "enhancements" was "larger fonts" but they did not get anywhere close to the size of the ones used for item-by-item browsing of the old vocabulary list in the previous mobile app. The current app still feels like I am running an iPad app on an iPhone. It seem like Chinese Pod's technology development over the years has struggled to match the high standard of the educational content. In fact, I use the word "development" advisedly, as each "improvement" or new launch seems to bring fresh problems.
podtove
November 19, 2012 at 09:12 PM
I have the same problems. I mailed ChinesePod support and asked about this, but they did not answer (yet).
I think that users should be informed about the bugs when they log in, together with information about what is done to solve these problems!
jecarey81
November 19, 2012 at 02:41 AM
I am having similar issues. It also rebookmarked a ton of lessons i had previously marked as "studied". I would definitely not update if you haven't. iPhone 5/ iOS 6
podster
November 24, 2012 at 02:12 AMAnother reason not to "upgrade" to the newest version of the app: Found another bug that I had previously reported for the previous version of the app, made worse in the "upgrade". When I turn my iPhone 4 to horizontal view the player buttons are all mashed together. Its worse now than before! I also have not heard from them as to whether clearing the cache and/or deleting and re-installing the app will wipe out acess to my previously downloaded content, but I am fairly sure that is the case. It still feels like the iPhone app is just an afterthought / shrunken version of an iPad app. Has anybody gotten hold of an iPad mini yet?