May 8th RI Capitol Notes

For my second observation day at the Capitol this week, I tried to talk to a few more people about the app and their work. But mostly I just watched people.

I think one of the most interesting things to note is which groups were there. Today’s focus seemed to be a children and developmental disabilities. I saw two press conferences, but there may have been more. One was on developmental disabilities funding. They had a press conference just outside the entrance to the building with several legislators and candidates present, including Sen. DiPalma (D-12) and Rep. Hull (D-6) (Yes, I did use CapitolBuddy to store notes on those two — I even made them public, so everyone can see).

I believe the other press event had to do with Home Care services. And some children’s groups like RIght Now for Kids had booths set up.

The most exciting piece of news is that CapitolBuddy will be getting a place in the State House Library’s info stand. Ask and ye shall receive.

I did watch the lobbyists mingle outside the door after the gavel rang to start the floor meetings, as I has planned. It’s not much to gaze upon — but it would be a good time to tap a shoulder and do a user interaction survey. So that’s my goal for next week, get some feedback and watch people interact with the app.

Home care press conference

5/8 at the Capitol

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CapitolBuddy puts legislators in your hand [video]

If you work at a state capitol in any capacity, you likely need to know the lawmakers around you, and you also need to take well organized notes on those lawmakers. CapitolBuddy gives you the info you need to succeed. Take a look at Rhode Island’s info for free by downloading the app on your iPhone or iPad to test it out — and even luckier for you if you live in Rhode Island. Missouri, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio are also available for only $24.99 each.

Remember you’re not just getting the info with CapitolBuddy. You’re getting tools like vote counting, note organizing, and a new feature that quickly lets you attach news links right in the app. Stay tuned for more on that soon.

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(Video made with Prezi and iMovie.)

CapitolBuddy is LIVE in the App Store

Version 1.1 of the CapitolBuddy is in the App Store now. Go download it for free.

Review of the pricing

Rhode Island comes free with the app so you can see the layout, view the available info, and try out the Notes and Vote Count features.

Then, if you need the info for a state that isn’t Rhode Island, you pay $24.99 for a year’s subscription. Enjoy having up-to-date legislator contact info, bios, photos, and more right in your pocket — something services like GovWatch don’t even offer.

So far Missouri has been approved for sale in the App Store. Illinois, Virginia, Ohio, and the US Congress are on the way. If you’re looking for a specific state, leave a comment!

Enjoy.

Version 1.0 of CapitolBuddy submitted

I’m waiting for the Apple Store to approve my new version of CapitolBuddy. I submitted the binary a few times actually, but kept finding little bugs to fix. But I’m letting this one go all the way through. I figure it’s better to have it out there at least. Updates go quicker than new submissions.

It is targeted to iOS 7, so update your iOS! (I think it looks prettier too.)

I was hoping I’d be able to add more states without requiring an update, but with every new product you add, Apple requires an app update. Good news is that once you buy a state, that data will just keep coming to you for the duration of the subscription.

So look for version 1.0 in the next couple weeks. The app is free, Rhode Island is free, everything else is $24.99/year. A price that beats everyone else I’ve seen…