Category Archives: Android

[Android] All Apps have been upgraded to be Android 15 compatible

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In the previous post, we mentioned that Android 15 (SDK Level 35) includes some changes.

One of these changes is that the Edge-to-Edge layout is now enforced by default.

Because of this change, some parts of the original layout, especially the areas displaying numbers, are shifted upwards, making them invisible on the main screen.

The solution has already been applied to all released apps, including the Travel Calculator, and they have all been updated on Google Play.

For those using Android 15, you can update to the latest version to avoid this issue.

Enlarged Calculator Button Fonts

Another part of this update includes increasing the font size of the number buttons in the calculator series, along with adjustments to button fonts on tablets so they scale accordingly.

On phones with higher resolutions, the enlarged number buttons appear clearer after the update.

However, after the release, we received feedback that the increased font size might actually hinder usability.

We are already working on addressing this issue.

Currently, the plan is to add a setting in the general settings screen, allowing users to adjust the size of the number buttons.

Users will be able to drag to select their preferred font size, and once confirmed, the system will remember the chosen size for both the current session and future app launches.

This way, more users can find a size that suits them, and it will also be more accessible for older users.

This update is expected to be released next month. We’ve completed about half of the work, and once we wrap up the remaining part, testing will begin.

Summary

This update primarily addresses the layout issues in Android 15 and adjusts the button font sizes.

We hope that the Travel Calculator and related apps can continue to accompany you on your journeys and currency conversion needs.

Android 15 Alert: Calculator App Layout Issues to be Resolved Shortly

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As of Android version 15 (SDK 35), Google has made it mandatory for all apps to adopt what is called an “Edge to Edge” display style.

To put it simply, from now on, all Android apps will be designed to occupy the full screen, including the status bar and navigation bar at the bottom. This feature was previously optional, allowing developers to choose whether or not to implement it in their app. However, with the release of Android 15, this has become a requirement, resulting in some layouts becoming distorted, making certain elements inaccessible.

Fortunately, we have identified a solution to this issue and are currently conducting final tests to ensure that all versions are compatible. We anticipate completing these updates within the next couple of days.

If you’re one of our users who recently upgraded to an Android 15 device, please be patient as you may notice issues with our calculator app’s layout. Rest assured that we will have a fix in place shortly.

In retrospect, I should have kept pace better with the latest developments, and for that, I apologize. Unfortunately, with too many technologies to keep up with and not enough time on my hands, some compromises had to be made.

To summarize: the issues with display irregularities on Android 15 and above will be resolved within the next couple of days.

Thank you all for your understanding and continued support.

[Android] Android Calculator Series – Division by Zero Crash Issue Resolved

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Android Calculator Series – Division by Zero Crash Issue Resolved

Affected Versions

The following versions were affected by the division by zero crash issue:

Travel Calculator – V1.8.5
CyCalc – V1.3.11
TW Exchange Calc – V1.0.8
To check your current version, open the app’s menu and go to the “About” dialog, where the version number is displayed.

Solution

The issue has been fixed by blocking any division by zero operation. The value will now remain as 0.

After considering various options, we opted for the simplest solution to avoid introducing any new complications.

Updated Versions

The updated versions with the fix are:

Travel Calculator – V1.8.6
CyCalc – V1.3.12
TW Exchange Calc – V1.0.9
Once you update to these versions, the division by zero crash will no longer occur.

Currently, Travel Calculator has been rolled out in 100% progress. All users can update to V1.8.6 by now.

The other apps have already been fully released, so if you have automatic updates enabled, you should already have the latest version.

Future Updates

Moving forward, Android updates will be scheduled twice a year, around January and July, coinciding with winter and summer breaks.

There won’t be any major changes—just minor bug fixes and updates to the latest Google SDKs before releasing them.

If similar issues arise due to updates from Google, we’ll handle them in a similar manner—quickly identifying the problem and releasing a fix.

Thank you for your continued support. As long as I’m around, these apps will stay up-to-date with Google’s SDK, making currency conversion during travel less of a hassle.

Wishing you safe and enjoyable travels!

[Android] Calculator type app will encounter divide by 0 error

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Incident

In this update, we introduced a new solution to resolve the decimal point issue.

This solution allows all calculations to be handled in decimal, ensuring precise representation of decimal points.

However, the previous safeguard that prevented the app from crashing when dividing by zero no longer works.

So, for the Android calculator series, if you press any number, then the division sign, and then 0—bingo! The app will immediately shut down.

Planned Fix

We have identified the problematic code and have already fixed it.

Even if someone tries to intentionally cause a crash by dividing by zero, the app will no longer crash. However, we are still deciding how to handle the display part.

In mathematics, dividing by zero results in infinity, or it’s considered undefined.

The usual approach is to display “NaN,” meaning “Not a Number,” but that might be confusing for users. Currently, we are considering keeping the value as 0, though this would not align with the mathematical principle.

One possible approach is to display a short message informing the user that division by zero does not produce a valid result. However, this would require modifying more code, which could affect other parts of the app. Therefore, we might hold off on this update for now.

Expected Update Schedule

The code has been fixed, but before releasing the new version, we’ll collect error reports for a day or two to ensure there are no other issues. Once resolved, we’ll push out an update.

Tentatively, we plan to release the new version on August 18, 2024. Until then, please be careful not to use division by zero in the Travel Calculator, as it will cause the app to immediately crash—vanish without a trace.

This Is My Fault

So, if you want to blame someone, blame me.

I won’t hide from this responsibility.

Just please be gentle with the criticism.

[Android] The Travel Calculator V1.8.5 Crash Issue on Android 14 Has Been Fixed

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Cause

Due to the latest policy requirements from Google, we needed to release an updated version.

The app itself didn’t undergo significant changes; we simply recompiled it using the latest version of Google’s Android libraries and updated the version number.

But, as we all know, the most important part of life is that “But.” This time, Google’s own library caused the issue.

In a place where our code shouldn’t have been blocked, an unexpected event was triggered that terminated the normal code execution.

This issue only occurs on Android 14 (Tiramisu) and above. Versions below Android 13 are not affected.

Solution

After identifying the issue, we simply removed the problematic code.

If we were to follow the proper solution, we would need to raise the minimum supported version to SDK Level 33, which is Android 13. However, that would render many users’ phones, including mine, incompatible.

So, between two undesirable options, we chose the lesser evil and removed the problematic code. This won’t impact the overall functionality.

New Version

The new version, which has been fixed, is already available. The version name remains V1.8.5, but it’s now based on a version that doesn’t have this issue.

So, if you’ve encountered a crash right after opening the app, please update again, and the issue should be resolved.

Although we’ve been “once again” let down by Google, it’s still our app’s issue, and we sincerely apologize to everyone. (Why did I say “again”?)

A Few Thoughts

In my opinion, there’s no need to make significant changes to a stable app, especially one that needs to be consistently reliable, like this one that’s often used while traveling. Any bugs introduced by changes can lead to disaster.

I’ve always believed in the philosophy of the Tatung rice cooker: as long as it can cook rice, it’s a good rice cooker.

But our great Google seems to feel uneasy unless they give developers something to do. Every now and then, they introduce policy changes, and we have to upgrade our API Level accordingly, or else we’ll be blocked from future updates.

This forces us to update every so often. If Google’s own software hasn’t been rigorously tested, issues like this can arise.

Users don’t know whose fault it is, so they just blame the app developers.

And we can only accept that.

That’s why I can never sleep well the night after releasing an update, fearing a flood of crash reports, only to find out that, once again, it’s Google’s fault.

Thank you for your understanding. The new version is up, and we wish you a pleasant trip!

[Android] Currency Calc V1.3.7 Crash Problem

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Currency Calc has just been updated to version 1.3.7. However, after this update, some users encountered fatal problem when launching the app. The app will crash immediately.

After studying the logs from crash, this problem was led by an update of third party library to parse json data. This latest version library will fail to load when running on Android version lower than 8.0 (API level 26). Android version larger than 8.0 will not have this crashing problem.

Now that root cause of this problem has been identified, I just built another version of V1.3.7 and publish it to Google Play Store. After the publishing work by Google Play, you may download and upgrade to stable version of Currency Calc.

I feel deep sorry about this update and apologize for any inconvenience that may cause.

Next time the third party library update will be further considered more carefully to prevent such case happened again.

Thanks for your support and patience. Any other problems/questions, please drop me a mail: ericlin@tomosware.com .

[Android] TravelCalc apk download for versions

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Travel Calculator is a great tool to do currency checking/calculating jobs.  From the server logs, we believe that it has become important tool for some people’s daily work.

As a result, trying to maintain stability of Travel Calculator is our first priority. However, we’re simply human beings, not immortals with great power to make the App flawless. When a new version being pushed to Play Store, we always keep our eyes on the bug report and install status. But still failed to have all versions working well on all devices.

Then, some of our users has sent us messages. They want to get older versions back to their devices since newer one simple doesn’t work on phone/tablet.

To fulfill these requests, we’ve made a page with download links to older versions of TravelCalc. From version V1.3.3 to current developing one. Here is the link to this page:

https://www.tomosware.com/apk/en_apk.html

If you just need older versions which worked well on your device, you may try to find them from the above page.

Wish you have all the best journeys!