Blue Badge Parking 10.0.10

This application relies on user contributions to expand its database of parking locations, a method known as crowd-sourcing. Users are encouraged to add new parking spaces if they notice their local area is lacking listings. To do so, they can simply navigate to the settings menu and follow the link to the website.

Description: This app utilizes a comprehensive database of parking locations, graciously provided by Dan Gibson at BlueBadgeParking.com. On initial launch, the app defaults to the last saved version in the absence of a cellular connection. Upon launching, it identifies the closest available parking spaces based on a user-defined search radius, which is set to a default of 3 miles (4.5 km).

Map Tab: The circular 'Zoom' button allows users to toggle between three viewing options: nearby locations, their current location alongside all nearby locations, or an in-depth view of a selected pin. The pin includes a blue 'i' icon; tapping this icon reveals a menu with navigation options.

Searching Other Towns: Within the 'Map' tab, users can enter a town or city name, postal code, or even What3Words in the search box located at the top of the screen.

List Tab: The sorted list displays parking locations nearest to the user or based on the preceding search. It operates within the same search radius as the map. Users can refresh distances and location listings simply by pulling down on the list. To view details of a specific location, tapping its description will redirect to its corresponding location on the map tab.

Notify Tab (Upcoming Features): This section will enable users to add, edit, move, or delete parking locations. The 'Mark' and 'Favourite' options are currently functional; users can temporarily mark a location or permanently favourite it for future reference.

Settings Tab: This area permits customization of search radius and distance units, toggling beep sounds, and managing marked locations with four deletion options. Features include enabling/disabling the shake function, screen auto-lock adjustments, text size modifications, satellite view options, and displaying all favourites in the list tab. All preferences are saved for future use when the app is reopened.

Short Cuts: The application incorporates three shake functions that activate upon a firm shake of your device:

• Map Tab: If parking location pins are visible, shaking zooms into the nearest pin. Users can then temporarily switch to satellite view by tapping the zoom button.
• Notify Tab: A menu appears with three options after shaking the device:
  • A 'Add', 'Quick', or 'Favourite' location which currently functions but cannot directly update the database.
  • A 'Mark' Location on Map feature that drops a pin where you are standing, providing essential details like road name, date, and time for easy retrieval later.

Compass Features in Map:

• Press and hold on the map surface reveals a compass arrow; rotating your device until ‘Device North’ aligns with the top of your screen will orient all pins accordingly.
• Tapping any pin and selecting 'Location Direction' generates a blue arrow pointing towards that pin along with real-time line-of-sight distance updates. This arrow can be dismissed by tapping anywhere on the screen.

Show Walking Route: Selecting 'Show Walking Route' from Navigation Options generates an optimal walking path to a chosen pin while calculating and displaying actual distance. This functionality requires an active network connection.

Compatibility: Blue Badge Parking is designed for universal use, optimized for devices with cellular capabilities—though it retains last downloaded data without an active connection—and is compatible with all GPS-enabled iPads and iPhones from model 4 onward.