Updated SHS App aims to improve communication

The SHS App Development Club has released the updated version of the SHS App that includes new features such as a countdown timer, a “Me” page and an updated bell schedule.

The app was released on Aug. 10 for both the iOS and the Android versions. Junior Spencer Yen and senior Alex Yeh completed the iOS version while club president senior Aditya Aggarwal programed the Android version.

The countdown timer shows the number of minutes left in a period, and the “Me” page allows students to take a picture of their student ID cards to use in place of a physical card.

“The biggest thing is a complete redesign,” Yen said. “The previous one was made two years ago and was really outdated.”

The app now has an announcements section, which contains information directly from the ASB. Yen hopes this will increase communication between students and administration. In addition, the Falcon newspaper’s site, saratogafalcon.org, has been integrated into the app, as opposed to being a separate app. The app also includes links to Canvas, Naviance and Aeries.

In addition, the list of teachers has been updated to include the current faculty members for the 2014-15 school year.

Students have responded positively to the new updates and features.

“It’s easy to find out new updates, staff info, has a clean interface and I can check Aeries on my phone easily,” junior Naved Krishnamurthy said.

According to Yen, the most popular feature of the app is the bell schedule. To make it easier for students, the home page of the app automatically displays the schedule for the current day.

According to Yen, the App Dev club had been wanting to update the app for a long time, even though the work was completed in three days. The app was not too difficult to design since it followed a basic format, Yen said.

“The update was long-due,” Yen said. “[Club adviser Debra Troxell] kept bugging us to update the teacher section, so we thought if we’re going to do that, [then we] might as well change the entire thing.”