I've got a list of stores (with addresses) along the west coast. I'd like the map (using GPS current location) to drop pins for each store within say 10 mile radius (or selectable distance?) of the user. From there, each pin would have sub menus for store' phone number, website, pictures, etc., From what I see here, I'm limited to 10 specific address entries, but my list would be 2,000+ Has anyone built something like this with buzztouch? Seems pretty common - gas stations apps, etc., Any advice to get me started would be MUCH appreciated!

Hi In Portland. If you have some techie-skills, or at least some enthusiasm, this is very doable with buzztouch v1.5 and very very popular. You'll need to get on the Early Adopter list to use v1.5 (see your control panel). The idea is that you provide the locations from a file on your webiste. Normally these are held in a database, spreadsheet, whatever. Next, you set a special URL as the 'data provider' for the map screen (this will make more sense when you see the flexibility of v1.5). Next, the device sends it's location in the request to your site for the locations. Your site does some math and outputs a file containing only those 'near' the device. Of course all of this is configurable. Do this: a) Get on the Early Adopter list b) See this post: http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=65181E4ADF97874B08E6D2B for a long discussion. c) Re-post if this doens't make any sense Cool avatar!

Thanks for the quick reply David! I will follow along that other post and see what I can do with it. I've got a long techie background, but this is my first foray into app development, and I'm about nas green as you can get at this point. (I chose that avatar, because as I dive into this, I find I share the same facial expression as ol' Beeker there.) Before I go any further though, I want to express how impressed I am with your operation here. Ive searched around quite a bit & see nothingn that comes close to what you offer ( not free or without losing our intellectual rightsmanyway) You are truly providing a Service to us common folk. Even if nothing becomes of it for me personally, thank you for being here for us.

Super-duper steep learning curve ahead. Based on your post, I'm thinking you'll have no trouble, especially with iOS. Android + Eclipse is a bit confusing for most but also doable. iOS + Xcode of for sure the place to start if you have a Mac. Dig around a bit in the forum, build a few 1.4 apps and be sure you can get them running in the sim...then have a look at 1.5 - crazy flexible. Thanks tons for the kind words - their always meaningful and we genuinely appreciate the support. Cheers. d.

Yep, I've got xcode & sdk, (and more macs & iDevices than is probably healthy) so the tools are in place anyway. One more related question... I've got similar needs for reading PDFs: I'd like give the the user an option to view a unique PDF depending Which location (pin) they elected on the map. I.e., The select Bob's Store which brings up the usual address & phone number, as well as a button or link to view a PDF of an advertisement specific to that store. - Would that be handled in a similar fashion?

Yup. The idea behind v1.5 is a bit different than the intentionally over-simplified v1.4. In v1.5 it's a matter of managing a long list of screens and features. Some apps have a few dozens screens, some have a few thousand. Some have even more if you consider the dynamic nature of the content. Lots of v1.5 apps are powered by the app owners backend. We've tried to make this easy but continue to improve on it. So...a bunch of screens in a list. Each screen has a type. Screens type are like menus lists, button menus, web-content, PDF, video, audo, etc. Next, one screen is set at the home screen, or a tabbed layout is used and each tab has a home screen. Home screens are normally menus. Next, each menu item is connected to another screen for tons and tons of flexibility. Your map setup may end up something like this: a) You create a map and enter a dataURL that points to your site. This URL is a .php page that handles the processing and output of JSON text data to drive the map pins. b) Each pin has some 'rules' applied to what happens when you tap the icon. Normally tapping the icon leads to another menu or screen or zoomed in map or whatever. This next 'details' screen c) The details screen that loads with a location-tap may have other options like 'show my cool pdf' or 'call this location' or 'neat pics for this location' or whatever. The best maps load a sub-menu when a location is tapped and the sub-menu has a pretty graphic of the location with some menu options. It's endless really.... don't get too ahead of yourself when figuring this out. It's easy to get excited and it's easy to start creating but do take some time to think about your design before you get super-deep into creating content. It's usually best to create a few test apps before publishing and learning all the ins-n-outs of Apple's approval process. Another thread altogether!

Okay, you got me excited about 1.5 I emailed the request for early adopter...how long until I have access to that?

Disregard. I just got the email. Thanks again

Holy cow, you weren't kidding were you? 5 minutes into v1.5, and I can see already it's 500% crazier. (In a good way... but Beaker face is back!)

LOL. You've been at this 100 minutes and you already need a new avatar - too funny. Won't hear much from me in the forum tomorrow - big day around here moving data around (after Easter Egg hunt of course). goog luck.