Dive Computer Buddy Kickstarter Project To Enable Direct Dive Computer Download On IOS

An innovative new wireless device being developed by DiveNav, Inc. called the Dive Computer Buddy (aka DCbuddy) will finally make it possible to support direct dive computer download into Dive Log on iOS. More Mobile Software is excited about the possibility that this device and our recent agreement to license the API offers our users. Using DCbuddy and a dive computer specific cable or Inferred (IR) interface, it will be possible to import your dive data into Bluetooth 4.0 low energy capable smart phones, tablets and computers. We are working with DiveNav to bring this support directly to Dive Log on iOS. We will also have the option to integrate support for the DC Buddy directly into Dive Log Manager/Dive Log DT for Mac OS.

Dive Computer Buddy is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign that ends on March 19, 2014. You can pledge to the Kickstarter campaign (use this link) to help ensure that Dive Computer Buddy comes to market in a timely fashion. Don’t forget to spread the word by telling your diving buddies and your dive club how much you like Dive Computer Buddy and ask them to become backers too. The success of the Kickstarter campaign is key to our ability to start integrating support for this device.

We have fielded requests since we first launched Dive Log to be able to directly import dive computer data while traveling without having to bring along a laptop. The ability to do this has been limited by the inability of iPhones and iPads to talk directly to the USB interface cables supplied by the dive computer manufactures. DCbuddy solves this problem by providing an interface to the dive computer and the ability for a Bluetooth 4.0 low energy equipped iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac to receive the dive data from the DCbuddy. You should visit the Kickstarter page for details on the DCbuddy and DiveNav’s plans to bring it to market http://kck.st/1bZYhll.

Tips N Tricks : displaying your SAC Rate

SAC stands for Surface Air Consumption. So the simple definition of your SAC Rate is the rate at which you consume air when scuba diving. It is measured as some quantity over time, usually 1 minute and refers to how much you would consume on the *surface*, or at 1 atmosphere, over 1 minutes time.

Knowing your SAC rate gives you, the scuba diver, another piece of data about a particular dive and gives you an indication of how hard you worked, or how relaxed you were while diving. If you review your SAC rate over various dives and conditions, you'll get to know how long a particular tank will last you and this can assist in your future dive planning.

So what pieces of information are needed for Dive Log/Dive Log Manager/Dive Log DT to figure this out for you:
1. Average Depth over the length of the dive
- if you have a dive profile from a dive computer, your average depth will be calculated from the profile itself (this is the green horizontal line on the dive profile display). If there is no profile, you should enter your best guess at your average depth in the place provided.

2. Length of Dive
- again, this is obtained from the dive profile if there is one, but otherwise a time must be entered. Note that some dive computer manufacturers include the amount of time that you spent on the surface at the end of the dive in the total length of the dive, and some explicitly end your total dive time as soon as you reach a shallow depth. This extra time, or lack thereof, will effect the calculated SAC Rate.

3. How much air/gas you used, which needs:
a. Starting Tank Pressure and Ending Tank Pressure
- the difference gives the amount used in pressure units, like 2000 psi or 150 bar
b. The size of your tank
- if you're using metric units, the size of the tank is given in liters which makes calculations easier
- if you're using imperial units, the size of the tank is given in cu ft which doesn't tell you enough information. So you must also enter the working pressure of that tank. So if you have a high pressure 80 cu ft tank that is normally filled to 3500 psi, it will hold more gas than a low pressure 2200 psi 80 cu ft tank, even though they are both the "same size".
- and of course, if this "tank" is really a double, then there is twice as much available

So that's it. You'll see you're SAC rate listed next to the tank information on the Environment Tab in Dive Log Manager/Dive Log DT. Dive Log shows it as part of the Tank Details information.

And what about you techies who use more than one tank on a dive? Dive Log Manager/Dive Log DT will also give you a "per tank" SAC rate for the amount of time you used that tank, and then also give you the over all *dive* SAC rate for all tanks combined. Information for the calculation is taken from the dive profile information, and the tank switches, to determine the average depth for the time on a particular tank and then the SAC rate is calculated accordingly.

So, be sure to fill in all that information for each dive so you can also view your scuba dive SAC rate!

Tips N Tricks : Keyboard Shortcuts

You know when you're typing on the keyboard and you have to stop and take your hand off so you can move the mouse and click somewhere - it takes some time. This is true if you're lucky enough to be a touch typist, but it's also true for the "hunt and peck"crowd too - you need to takes your *eyes* off the keyboard! :-) Dive Log Manager/Dive Log DT has lots of keyboard shortcuts for you so that you don't need to use the menu items to do things, as well as conforms to many of the Mac-isms in this area.

First, when you're in Edit mode on any screen, tab will take you from field to field. And did you know there was a "reverse tab" - just keep the Shift key held down and hit tab and you'll go in the reverse direction.

One of the most used keyboard shortcuts is to get in and out of "Edit Mode" in the first place. Just use "Command-E" (⌘E) to toggle in and out of Edit mode instead of clicking on the Edit button. Way faster.

When you're working on any of the "Items" found in the Logbook list on the left side of the applications, these keyboard short cuts work to manipulate an "Item", such as a Dive, a Buddy, a Dive Site, a City, a Country etc.

Down Arrow - Next item
Up Arrow - Previous item
Command-M (⌘M) : New
Command-D (⌘D) : Duplicate or Copy
Command-delete (⌘delete) : Delete
Command-P (⌘P) : Print

(Note: Delete actually takes two key presses because you need to confirm that you meant to do it. You can click "OK" or hit return on the keyboard)

When you're working on "Logbooks" or essentially files, you can use keyboard short cuts to manipulate them as well.

Command-N (⌘N) : New
Command-O (⌘O) : Open
Command-W (⌘W) : Close
Command-Shift-S (⌘⇧S) : Backup

You've got those memorized right? They do conform to the very loose Apple guidelines, but no, you don't have to memorize them. If you look at the characters next to the menu item, it will show you what the keyboard shortcut is. You just need to memorize what symbol means what key for the meta-keys, and you just need to get used to using them. Then it becomes "muscle memory" and you'll wonder how you got by without them!

Gift Ideas for Scuba Divers!

Did you know you can give app's as a gift? Tis True!

Why not give a give of Dive Log or Dive Log DT to your favorite scuba diver friend? Get them started on the road to logging their dives.

In the iOS app store, just search for "Dive Log" in the search bar. There is a triangle icon right next to the Buy button, underneath the Dive Log icon. If you click this, you can select "Gift This App" from the menu. You'll get a popup asking you to enter the email address of the person you want to gift it to. But you don't have to send it right away, you can arrange to send it later - like maybe have it arrive on December 25th! You can gift an app up to 90 days in advance.

Unfortunately, Apple does not yet support "gifting" an app in the Mac App Store. But you can find the price of the app and then purchase an iTunes gift card for that amount and send it to the email address of your choice. If you also start up the Mac App Store app, search for Dive Log DT, and then find the same triangle icon next to the Buy button, you can "Tell a Friend" about the app. This is combination with the iTunes gift hard is *a* solution to gifting a MacOS app, although clearly not as nice. Someday, Apple will get around to it and figure out that MacOS gifting is important too!

To purchase Dive Log Manager as a gift from our website, and not through the Apple Mac App Store, you can use this link here. You won't have the option of having the gift delivered on a particular day, but you will be able to send the license for the application to another email address after paying for it yourself.


Happy Gifting!