NOW in VERSION 1.6
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Welcome to Doc's Stogie Rate for iPhone. Based on the same basic design as Doc's popular Stogie Rate for the desktop, this mobile cigar inventory software and rating app will keep your cigar collection and tasting notes no further than your iPhone or iPod Touch. Designed by Doc from StogieFresh.com, this application is built from the ground up to be user-friendly and educational. Since 2005, Doc has been educating cigar enthusiasts around the world through his StogieFresh.com website, Stogie Fresh 5 podcast and Stogie Fresh TV. The Stogie Fresh name has been considered by many in the cigar industry as synonymous with top-flight quality in education and superior innovation. As a professional educator for 30 years, Doc now turns his attention to the world of mobile applications... and with impressive results. |
New in Version 1.6
Features
* Some resources require internet access |
- Set up your Collections: To get started with Stogie Rate for iPhone, you must first establish your "Collections." You can set up your collections by the name of your humidor(s), by country, or simply by Cuban and Non Cuban. Name your collections in a way that make sense to you and that will "grow" with your cigar collection.
- Add Cigars: After you have set up your collections, you will need to add cigars. When you click the "Add Cigar" icon at the bottom of the screen, you will be asked what collection you want to add the cigar to. Then you can choose to search the online database and add cigars to your collection that way, or if you don't have an internet connection, you can use your own "user brand list" to manually add cigars. The integrated entry scheme using the online cigar database, makes adding cigars almost painless. You can also customize entry fields to reflect your own method for naming Brands, Cigar Names, Types, etc.
- Take Notes: When
you smoke your cigars you can add tasting notes by clicking
on the "Touch
for Tasting Notes" icon. I use tasting notes to compare
and contrast cigars as I taste and review them over time. By
comparing notes, you can see how a cigar's flavor and body
profile has changed over time.
- Rate Your Cigars: Using the 5-star Rating Scale, you can assess the cigar's performance in 3 categories: "Look and Feel," "Flavor and Aroma," and "Burn and Construction."
- Learn: Using the online database, search and learn the basic facts about thousands of cigars. Also, use the Help page resources to view educational videos, listen to hundreds of Stogie Fresh 5 podcasts, and learn other important facts about cigars.
Question: Are you planning upgrades to Stogie Rate for iPhone?
Answer: You bet! With version 1.5 in the bag, we are already considering what features to add next. Be sure to make suggestions on our Support page. We may even eventually consider an iPad app! There are currently no plans to develop Stogie Rate for Droid or Blackberry platforms.
Question: Does Stogie Rate for the desktop interact in any way with Doc's Stogie Rate for iPhone?
Answer: I am VERY HAPPY TO SAY that Stogie Rate for Desktop version 4.1 can import and export data to the iPhone version of Stogie Rate and visa versa. Check out "How To" below.
Question: How do I EXPORT my Collection data FROM Stogie Rate for iPhone TO Stogie Rate for Desktop?
Answer: On the Summary page, you will find an @ at the top right-hand corner of the screen, which you can click to send your data via email. This process will export ALL your cigar data in a CSV formatted file and will use your iPhone's Mail application to send the file to your email address. When you receive the file, just import into your Stogie Rate for desktop app.
Question: How do I transfer my Collection data FROM Stogie Rate for Desktop 4.1 TO Stogie Rate for iPhone?
Answer: Detailed instructions for exporting and importing are found on the Stogie Rate for desktop Help page.
Question: How do I IMPORT data files into Stogie Rate for iPhone 1.4 or above?
Answer: Importing a data file into Stogie Rate for iPhone is only recommended if the data file comes directly from Stogie Rate for desktop version 4.1. The data field names and import order must be identical to the field names and order found in the iPhone app. Directions for exporting the proper file type can be found on the Stogie Rate for desktop Help page.
After you send this file to yourself via email, you will use the iPhone Mail app. Find the email and click on the file attachment. This will open up the file contents and you will then see a button at the top right of the window that says: "Open in Stogie Rate." When you click that button, the Stogie Rate for iPhone app will launch (you must be running version 1.4 or later) and you will be given the option of overwriting current data, adding new data, or canceling the import. In most cases, I recommend "Overwrite Current Data." This will overwrite all data on the iPhone app, so you must make sure that the imported file contains the most up-to-date data.
Question: How does the Wish List feature work?
Answer: The Wish List is a permanent Collection that allows you to keep information about cigars that you may wish to buy. To add cigars to the Wish List, click on Add Cigar button and select Wish List as the collection you wish to add to. Then, search the online database and add cigars. You can add cost and numbers of cigars, if you wish. They will not be added to the totals reflected in your Summary statistics. However, if you use Stogie Rate for desktop, I would recommend against adding these figures until you actually purchase the cigars. If you transfer your wish list collections to Stogie Rate for desktop, that program will use those figures in calculating the totals for value of collection and total number of cigars. So, the totals in the two apps will not match.
Question: How does the online database work?
Answer: The online database of cigars will be a work in progress. We are not trying to create an exhaustive list of cigars, but are trying to populate the database with the most popular large brands and boutique brands. Accessing the online database requires either a WiFi or phone connection to the internet. If you do not have internet access, you will still be able to add cigars to your inventory manually.
Question: Why no photos of cigars?
Answer: As of version 1.5, cigar bands AND cigars are now a feature of Stogie Rate! We don't have a scanned photo of EVERY band or cigar that is in the database. We currently have band photos for about 77% of the cigars and cigar photos for 15% of the total cigars listed in the database. We are committed to continually adding photos of new cigars over time. However, as of version 1.6, you have the option of taking your own photos of bands and cigars.
Question: Is there any quicker way of typing tasting notes into the notes field?
Answer: Sure, just type out your notes in a word processor on your computer and then email them to your iPhone or iPod Touch. Then, in your Mail program, copy the text you want and go to the tasting notes text field and paste it in. This is the best and quickest way to make lengthy and more detailed notes on your cigars. [NOTE: This works with iPhone OS 3.x and above.] Also, now that the Stogie Rate iPhone and Stogie Rate for desktop 4.1 apps are compatible, you can simply type out your notes in the desktop app and export them to the iPhone app.
Question: How do I duplicate a record in Stogie Rate?
Answer: Real simple. Just click the Browse icon at the bottom of the app screen, then go into one of your collections and click on the "Edit" button. You will see a blue "Duplicate" button appear on each one of the cigars in your collection. You can also use the "minus" (-) button to remove a cigar from your collection.
Question: Why does the Stogie Rate app calculate the age of the cigar using the purchase date?
Answer: This is a good question because subtracting the purchase date from the current date will rarely give you a true indication of the age of the cigar. However, while Cuban cigars regularly provide a "Box Date" and while this is a much more accurate starting point to use to calculate age, the vast majority of cigars made outside of Cuba do not have box dates. Therefore, if your cigars have a box date, I recommend that you enter that date in the "Purchase Date" field. As of version 1.3, we have added a Box Date field, but it is NOT a calculation field.
If you have a problem that is not answered in the FAQs section, please use the form below. Be sure to describe the problem in as much detail as possible and we will help get you squared away as soon as possible.
Bug Reports and suggestions for the next version. Found a bug or have a suggestion for a new feature? By all means send all your feature requests and found problems using the form below.
Current Version 1.6
Release Date: 14 December, 2011
- SORT: Added custom sort page. This feature works within any of the search categories, or standalone.
- PHOTOS: You can now take photos of cigar bands and/or cigars. Crop and sizing allows you to best match the photos with the photo container.
- METRIC VALUES: Cigar lengths are converted to metric value and you can now elect to use metric lengths (mm) as default.
- GESTURES: Added zoom gesture to photos.
- SUMMARY OF CIGARS IN EACH COLLECTION: Browse mode now shows how many individual cigars you have in each collection.
- DATA REPLACEMENT: You can now overwrite local data with information from online database.
- iOS 5 COMPATIBILITY
Current Version 1.5
Release
Date: 29 August, 2011
- Access to expanded online cigar database
- Addition of other monetary types (access in General Preferences)
- Provides cigar totals in summary view
- Addition of cigar photos
- Age at Rating Field
- Separate page for cigar and band photos
- Cancel link added to cigar entry sequence
- Stogie Fresh videos will now play in landscape mode
Version 1.4.2
Release Date: 17 December,
2010
- Backdated the minimum required
iOS to version 4.0 or later.
Version 1.4.1: 2
Release Date: 2 December,
2010
- Fixed issue in which the database was only showing the first 20 cigars within a certain brand when you attempt to access that brand from the database.
Version: 1.4
Release Date: 2 August, 2010
- Import/Export feature allows swapping data with Stogie Rate for Desktop
- Ability to MOVE cigars from one Collection to any other Collection
- Added a permanent "Wish List" to the Collections list
- Added new fields to match fields of desktop app: Date of Rating, Review#, Storage Conditons (hidden)
- Added iOS 4 features including multi-tasking, etc.)
Version: 1.3
Release Date: 7 April, 2010
- Added option to create a duplicate record from a Cigar
- Added Box Date field
- Changed the way brands are looked up in the database
- Changed the search details
- Updated brand and cigar database.
Version: 1.2.2
Release Date: 2 February, 2010
- Version 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 fixed various
bugs including: Bug that caused crashes when new cigar brands
were added to database, fixed a calculation bug on summary
page, bug that caused check marks to disappear when looking
at filler, binder and wrapper info pages.
Version: 1.2
Release Date: 29 January, 2010
- Cigar Reference Tool: now you can easily look up basic information about thousands of cigars
- Continually expanding database of cigars and cigar band scans
- Changed to new online database source table, reducing duplicate entries
- Splitting of Online and User Databases
- Browse screen interface changes
- Fixed bug that caused "Filler" field to aggregate succesive cigar info
- Fixed calculation bug
Version: 1.1
Release Date: 24 December,
2009
- Access to online database
- Addition of scanned cigar bands to cigar information
- Access (streaming) to all Stogie Fresh 5 podcasts
- Can now remove Brand, Name, and Type elements from main lists
- Fixed bug that caused crash when a "0" was added to the Cigars in Batch field.
Version: 1.0
Release Date:
29 September, 2009
Developer: Cory
Imdieke, MobileVision Software
