App Detail » Sightings

Published by: Stewart Macdonald

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Price: $2.99
Current Version: 1.1
Released: July 25, 2012

What's New

This app has been updated by Apple to use the latest Apple signing certificate.

Please make sure you export your data as a backup before you update to the latest version. While we have tested the upgrade process, backing up is always a good idea.

Lots of changes!
-Now displays three custom fields. By default these are 'Site name', 'Survey method' and 'Distance (to observer)', but you can rename them to whatever your heart desires.
-Updated for the latest version of iOS and the larger iPhones.
-Sightings are now displayed individually on maps. Map imagery is downloaded on an as-needed basis; automatic downloading can be turned off in Settings.
-You can now search your list of sightings, and sort it by date or distance (from your current location). Long-press on the Sort button to get more options.
-The app icon will be badged with a red number 1 if the GPS is on when the app is in the background. You may be thinking "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!", but this is to remind you that Sightings is using the GPS hardware and sucking up your precious battery power.
-Settings can now be edited from within the app.

App Description

Sightings is a field data collection app that makes it easy to record location data for natural history observations. You’re out in the bush. You see a night parrot. You add a record in Sightings, start typing ‘nigh…’, select ‘night parrot’ from the auto-complete list, and you have a permanent record of the date, time and location of your sighting. Sightings comes preloaded with the common and scientific names of all Australian tetrapods (birds, mammals, reptiles, frogs), plus most Australian butterflies and dragonflies. You can also upload additional names if your taxon of interest is missing. Sightings can be used to record the location of anything, not just animals.

You can then email the list of records to yourself, or connect your iPhone to your computer and download a CSV/GPX file through iTunes.

Important notes:
Your records are not shared with anyone else or uploaded to the Internet - only you have access to them.

This app requires GPS hardware for effective use. iPod touch and the original iPhone don't provide the level of accuracy required for obtaining precise locations.

The GPS hardware works separately to the phone communication hardware, so you can still use this app to record locations even if you don't have phone reception.

Warning: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.