Foxwood Astronomy
Solar Eclipse Timer
Gordon Telepun is a plastic surgeon and an amateur astronomer with a special interest in total solar eclipses. After witnessing his first eclipse in 2001 he saw the need for audible timing of an eclipse. The first version of an eclipse “taking timer” ran on Windows and was used in 2002. In 2017, to prepare for the eclipse that crossed the United States he worked with an independent contractor to build iOS and Android versions.
App Improvements
Location
Decatur, AL
Industry
Education
Partnership
2022–Present
Languages
Swift, Java
Website
Challenge
The app became the #1 eclipse timing app used in 2017 and was subsequently used internationally for eclipses in 2019, 2020, and 2023. With another solar eclipse that will cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada coming in 2024, Gordon needed the app to comply with new requirements of Google and Apple, change data to assure accurate timing, adjust the interface to improve the user experience, and preserve the embedded Spanish language version.
Solution
While he had worked with independent contractors in the past, Gordon wanted to work with a team going forward. That fit perfectly for us because we take a team approach to all of our projects. We had a dedicated developer for each of Gordon’s apps, but they weren’t siloed. They worked closely with Gordon and each other, and pulled in other team members to assist when a situation called for their expertise. With our ongoing relationship, we continue to provide new features and enhancements to the apps, and ensure they are ready to go for future solar eclipses.
My programmers were intelligent, thoughtful, and efficient, and between numerous emails and video conference calls, reprogramming my app was a tremendous success. I am confident that the end user who will use my app to enjoy the 2024 solar eclipse, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them, will have a reliable app. That makes me sleep well at night. Impressed with the quality of work from Cypress Mill, I am now having them add additional features to the Solar Eclipse Timer app.
Gordon Telepun
Founder
01
Improved audio notifications and announcements.
02
Made several bug fixes and improvements to help users have the best experience during an eclipse.
03
Improved process for choosing and purchasing eclipse data.
04
Localization: Improved Spanish language support
