2022-12-21
[Edit 2023/10/23: See specific update for Emerald Chronometer and Emerald Chronometer for the iPad here.]
[Edit: Please also see our updates here and here.]
The tl;dr
After 14 years, Emerald Sequoia LLC will be shutting down at the end of 2023 and our apps will no longer be available.
The details
On November 1, 2023 all of our apps (iOS and WearOS) will be removed from their respective stores.1 Until then, it will be business as usual: The apps will remain in the stores, we will continue to respond promptly to support emails, and we will make critical bug fixes as required. When the apps are pulled from the store, if they are still on your devices they will most likely stay there (no guarantees; this is up to Apple and Google) but they will be unable to be re-downloaded if you change your device or if it needs to be reset. We’ll continue to respond to support requests through Dec 31, but we won’t be able to assist you if an app has been removed from your device. We’ll post again late in 2023 to remind and update you.
The background
As some of you know, we were in Apple’s iPhone App Store on the day the store opened in July 2008 with the first version of Emerald Chronometer, and Emerald Observatory was in the iPad App Store in April 2010, the first week iPad apps were available. The company has always just been the two of us, with no other employees or contractors. We’ve written all of the code, documentation, and web sites, responded personally to all customer support email, and dealt with all of the finances, taxes, and government forms, all on our own. It’s been immensely satisfying to both of us and the best “work” experience we’ve had in the over 80 years of our combined careers.
The situation now is considerably different from when we first started. The App Store has grown from the 500 apps released on opening day to millions now. There are now millions of app developers competing for customer eyes on their products. Niche products like ours, all over a decade old, don’t show up in reviewers’ lists any more. And most importantly, the two of us have found it increasingly difficult to find the time to support these apps.
Nearly all of the work we’ve done in the past 10 years falls into two categories:
1. We’ve done our best to keep up with OS releases and update our apps with versions using the latest development kits. This is nontrivial work: Companies like Apple and Google are constantly improving and enhancing their development kits, and don’t want to continue supporting their older versions. So developers like us, even with apps that don’t change functionally, must periodically update our apps to stay in the store. Looking forward, both Apple and Google have announced that OpenGL, the foundation for our app displays, is deprecated on mobile – that change, when it is required, will be even more ambitious.
This is a problem for a lot of companies, most of which need to show a profit even when their markets are saturated. Many have chosen to move their customers to a subscription model, where customers pay a relatively small amount each year to pay for the updates the apps require to stay current. But we don’t want to force our existing customers, who have already bought our apps, to buy subscriptions, and the stream from new customer subscriptions wouldn’t be significant enough to matter.
2. In 2018 we released a version of Chronometer that runs on actual watch devices running Google’s WearOS. This was a very fun project for us because it meant we could finally wear these faces on our actual wrists as we originally conceived. But here the market has been very disappointing, most probably because Google hides watch-only apps from people searching for them on their phones. Also, perhaps because it is a new platform, the developer churn responding to WearOS updates has been much more than that required by Apple in recent years.
Emerald Sequoia has always been a labor of love, paying back more in fun and in satisfaction than in dollars. But it has reached the point where app revenue no longer covers our overhead, even ignoring the time we spend supporting the apps. And it must be said that the kind of work required to support new hardware and OS releases has little of the fun and satisfaction we started with.
Thank you
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all of our customers, without whom we would not have had the wonderful experience we’ve had with this company.
Cheers,
Steve & Bill
ChileGuy 2023-06-22 13:34:51
I find it hard to believe that I’m the only one to comment, even if only to wish you guys well, and to say a profound Thank You for the many hours of entertainment, enjoyment and education you have provided me.
I assure you that Emerald Sequoia will be missed!
Harold H. Fink
Former US Army Aviator Former Senior Electronics Engineer, DOD (Retired) Former Avionics Engineer, Delta Air Lines Inc,
ardeet 2023-08-06 12:45:50
A big thank you for all your efforts.
The Observatory was one of the first apps I purchased when I got my first iPad many years ago. It was also one of the first apps I felt compelled to rate and review.
To this day it is still one of the most beautiful looking apps I own.
While I’ve moved on to other iPads my original now sits in a stand on my desk for the sole purpose of displaying the Observatory.
The old iPad no longer qualifies for updates so my copy should run as long as the iPad stays functional.
You’ve both literally given me many years of joy and learning with this richly informative and beautiful app.
Thank you for that and good luck in your future projects.
Warm regards, Ardeet
ardeet 2023-08-06 12:49:35
Now you’re no longer the only one.
It was only by chance that I saw a notification today that Emerald Sequoia was shutting down.
BigMcGuire 2023-08-07 09:27:40
Registered just to leave a comment.
Also a big fan of your apps on my Apple devices (iPads/iPhones). Used Geneva, Time, Chronometer, and Timestamp. Always loved opening Time and watching it poll the servers for an accurate time. I am going to miss this but completely understand the reason why.
Had many many years of enjoyment using these apps and just watching them. Thank you.
Nikolai 2023-08-08 06:07:25
Dear Steve & Bill,
1.) Thank you for your work. However, even though I regret it, I do understand your decision. I wish you the very best for all you are planing.
2.) FYI: I did use your Emerald Clock (NTP) regularly, to have an independent/backup set of NTP servers, from the ones we use for Satellite Operations at ESA (https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESOC).
3.) I do not know what your plans are for the future of your extended Code Basis. Maybe you can sell it? If not, did you consider to donate it to the public domain? If so, I am happy to answer some questions you might have.
Anyway, all the best to you, Nikolai
Steve 2023-08-08 19:32:49
Hi Nikolai,
Thanks for the kind words. Please contact us at essupport@emeraldsequoia.com if you want to talk about alternatives.
Thanks, Steve
Sieglynda 2023-08-08 20:43:33
I am crushed to hear about you discontinuing this fabulous app!!! It is crucial to my work and I use it every day. It is the hands-down best time keeping app I’ve ever used. I recommend it to all of my colleagues. I love how easy it is to use and customize. I can’t imagine doing my job with out it. It has literally changed my life. Is there any way to convince you to keep it in the store, even unsupported? I am truly crushed. With all my appreciation and devotion. -LKB
ja-hernandez 2023-08-10 20:48:39
It felt like longer, but I’ve had Emerald Time since Mar. 2013. It has been indispensable for me, and I am sad to see it go. Is there anything that you all have learned that might make it easy for someone to continue or create an alternative? Wondering if React Native might be a way make some of the development easier, but maybe not. I’d like to help if at all possible!
m-eleca 2023-08-17 05:02:59
So sorry to hear this. I’ve had Emerald Sequoia Chronometer iOS and iPad Chronometer HD and Observeratory apps many years ago but only open them once a year or so, and only saw this recently. Always brought great joy at the beauty and craft of your software. I want to say thank you and I did appreciate that you had a one-time purchse only.
I am also wondering if there is any backup software that would let me, without rooting the Apple device, restore just a single app so I can keep using your apps as long as they might run when I change devices? And, have you considered a possibility where current users who purchased, could be offered a paid upgrade to an annual subscription “2024” version at a modest pirce, which would initially be the same but might enable you to hire contract coders to keep the apps alive long into the future? If not, perhaps, you could donate the code and a community member on github could keep your beautiful apps running on an iOS or iPad emulator on macOS, and a WearOS emulator, where the os version might be “frozen” in time permitting perpetual use. Regardless, thank you.
dirtbagpook 2023-09-03 18:25:36
Hello Steve & Bill, I often wonder who are the magicians behind very cool apps like this. Your Observatory app is a delightful and most entertaining product of two magicians. I still remember downloading it onto my first iPad, the iPad 2 — whenever that came out. I knew I wanted to put it into my astro observatory when I built one. Five years ago I did build one and this app is running when friends and neighbours come by to look at the stars. It isn’t running in the dark of course — but it would be great on a large display in the lobby of an observatory. Thank you for all your efforts over the years and good luck in your future endeavours! Best, Mark Force
gullevek 2023-09-03 22:28:10
I think you for the hours of delight your app brought me. From the first install on my first generation iPad to the iPad pro now, I could always rely that your app is here and works. Not anymore. Sad, but so it goes.
Again, I must thank you for this wonderful app …
pto 2023-09-04 06:10:27
Thank you for many years of enjoyment! For most of those, Emerald Time has been running on an always-on original iPad sitting in a 30-pin dock. And it is a delight to spend a little while paying attention to all the details of Emerald Observatory (especially after the Retina upgrade!). Best wishes on whatever comes next for you.
EMGULS79 2023-09-04 07:47:14
I was very disappointed to learn about the discontinuation of your app upon loading what I assume will likely be the final update today. I have not been able to find anything else close to it in terms of features. Thank you for your many years of supporting what has been by far my favorite chronology app.
You wrote about your apps: “if they are still on your devices they will most likely stay there (no guarantees; this is up to Apple and Google).” Of course I have no way of knowing for sure exactly what Apple will do, but my past experience with discontinued iOS apps is that: 1) they can no longer be downloaded, 2) if they are already installed, they will stay there and they will continue to operate as long as they are operable with the iOS version installed on the device. 3) In some cases, prior to iOS being updated to a version for which the app will no longer be compatable, Apple will cause a warning message to come up saying something along the lines of “The developer of this app needs to upgrade it to be compatable with the next iOS release.” Then once that iOS release is installed, the app will no longer operate. The icon and the app will still be there, but will not work, so the user’s only reasonable option will be to delete it.
Everything you wrote about your circumstances is understandable, but perhaps you could find yourself a buyer of your code? This is a beautiful app with bells and whistles far above just about anything comparable, and as mentioned in the comments there are some people who are heavy users of it. If sold to some interested party with the time and resources to continue its upkeep - and perhaps to keep it available even as a paid or subscription app, it would be able to be kept alive - and the sale would also provide you with some final compensation for the huge investment of time and effort you have made over the years. It really would be a shame to see all of that code just fall into oblivion.
tgarbut 2023-09-04 21:45:50
You were one of the first app on my iPhone in 2009. As you may be aware the first iPhone wasn’t released until 2009 in Canada. Steve and Ted (Rogers) didn’t like each other. Your app went up on my iPad, bought first day in Buffalo NY. Thanks for your efforts. I hope someone can take over your work. Good health and all the best.
kissingengland 2023-09-04 22:52:10
The most beautiful app ever!
I would happily pay for it. Can it not be saved??
Kit 2023-09-04 23:16:03
Such a wonderful, lovely app. Have used for many years now on both iPad and iPhone and it always impresses me. One of the few class acts amongst all the tat and trash out there. How very sad that we are losing you. Like others, I would happily pay. Is there no means by which it can be saved?
mbeckman 2023-09-05 07:05:52
Bill and Steve, Your apps are rightly recognized as not just software, but software artistry of the highest order.I hope you’re able to find a buyer, as that seems like an obvious, if not easy, solution.
I remember when Saurik (Jay Freeman), spurred Steve Jobs to create the iOS App Store in the first place, by dint of jailbreaking iOS and preemptively creating his own store (Cydia). That resulted in the first “21 Apps Apple doesn’t want on your iPhone,” and triggered the Apple AppStore ecosystem you had the vision to publish for at its inception. I admire your dedication and tenacity, and pray there is yet a way to keep your apps alive. Because they’re, well, timeless.
jm 2023-09-05 09:29:52
Hola Steve & Bill: Gracias por esta magnífica aplicación. Saludos desde España. JM
Imperial Pint 2023-09-05 10:37:43
Bill and Steve, I have loved your amazing work on this app since i first got the iPhone many years ago. Thank you both for your work and please know that I’ve enjoyed the app every day for years. please Consider making one of your faces available for a raspberry Pi screen or some other format that a devoted enthusiast could build and maintain without the need for a phone. You could sell kits! Good luck to you both and I wish you the best of success in whatever you do. Thanks again
Dunic 2023-09-05 11:38:59
It’s a real shame to lose such a good App. What alterations can there be. Thk’s
james.saffery 2023-09-05 17:41:10
Emerald Sequoia. My first and most loved app. In fact the very thing that spurred me to buy an iPhone in the first place. I was travelling for work and staying somewhere with a enormous tree in the garden. They told me it was a Sequoia. I looked up “Sequoia”, learnt about the tree but also discovered your app. Such a wonderful combination of science and beauty. All these years later, it still has a prime spot on my phone and is used regularly. So thank you so much for making and maintaining it. I hope you can find an acceptable way to pass it on, so that your work can continue to educate and bring joy.
Abusbey 2023-09-05 17:43:04
Most of what I think is written by previous correspondents. I have had your apps on my phone and iPad since they were first available and have long considered them to be the most beautiful and functional applications I have had. There are no comparable apps. Thank you for what you have done and I certainly hope some scheme arises to allow these major works of art and science to continue. You both had a vision that continues to be lacking with most developers. Best wishes…
Jim Carollo 2023-09-07 01:47:30
I also registered to this site in order to express my appreciation for all of the great moments you’ve enabled me to work more accurately and keep my watches in alignment for the last 23 years. I live in Denver, Colorado and I started collecting watches very heavily in 2001. I’ve now got Pateks, Rolexes, Breitlings, Hublots, Cartier, IWC, and more. I use your App often. I thank you very much for maintaining such an accurate schedule on the watch displays and for creating great displays to be worked with. After years of hard work, you certainly deserve time off and I wish you a very happy and healthy future. Thank you.
wgehlhaus 2023-09-07 15:23:32
Say it ain’t so. Been with you since forever. Love the different watch faces. Like Losing an old friend.
uplinkal 2023-09-08 09:21:05
It is true, you are no longer the only one registering your disbelief. I have had Emerald & Sequoia app running on my iPad since the very beginning. I love it and love being able to know the celestial positions i n my part of the world. thank you for being there and I hope to keep it running for as long as my iPad survives. ***** (five stars)
Greg Joksch 2023-09-08 09:54:11
I’ve had the Chronometer app on my iPhone for so long that I no longer remember when I first downloaded it. I use it almost daily to regulate my various mechanical clocks. It’s ideal using the sweep second hand and the highly accurate time. I’m sorry to hear that you’re leaving the app store but I understand the issues. I’ll continue to enjoy the app as long at it continues to run on the iPhone. Best of luck!
Greg
computerhusky 2023-09-09 02:21:53
Hi, It really is a pity to loose this app. I‘ve enjoyed it for many years now, on iPhone and later on iPad. I‘d be happy to pay for an annual subscription - you always had a very reasonable price, and I think it‘s fair to ask for support for the development effort even if it doesn‘t add functionality at the outside. I have a few questions about the current situation: - will the app still run under iOS / iPadOS 17 which is due very soon? - if it‘s no longer in the app store will I still be able to transfer it to a new iPhone when and if I upgrade to a new phone? - where can I find the WearOS version at the moment? (Before 1.November) It really seems to be hidden very well. A bit thank you for the development and continuing support over so many years. Thomas
Flotzky 2023-09-09 03:11:17
Der Steve & Bill, what a great pity to see you leave, but I do fully understand your reasons. Thank you so much for one of the greatest ipad applications ever. I am sure all your customers would have subscribed. We all will miss you ! with very kind regards Flotzky
Stezyp 2023-09-09 07:56:05
Yours were my 1st apps used and purchased on my iPad2 way-back-when.
Any recommendations on app resources similar to your superb efforts?
Hearty thanks and best wishes in all your endeavors!
Stezyp 2023-09-09 07:57:37
Ditto on everything said here.
Andy Aitch 2023-09-09 10:18:18
Dear Steve and Bill,
I hope this finds you well
Yours is such terribly sad news. You have created something of such immense beauty - both visually and in terms of the ‘engineering solution’ … Emerald Sequoia is the very epitome of an ‘elegant’ solution. It brinks such joy every time I look at it and think about all that it is telling me about the universe we live in.
And to think it’s all been done by just the two of you. Thank you. So very much
But as others have suggested I too would be happy with a subscription model if you could bring yourselves to continue
Failing that I will take a screenshot for sad posterity on the last day
Be well …
Andy
Steve K 2023-09-09 20:30:07
Emerald Chronometer has had a prominent place on my various iPhones’ home screens since November 2008. Thank you for such a beautiful and functional app. I plan to leave it there as long as Apple lets me.
mikem 2023-09-10 05:55:30
Emerald Chronometer is the first app I open each morning. I like to keep up with passing seasons, eclipses, sun and moon rise/set time, age of the moon. How lovely it is to be able to manually swing around the watch hands to find the peak of an eclipse, or the moment when seasons change… all in an elegant presentation not possible with the most expensive mechanical watch.
I first saw Emerald Observatory when my friends, an astronomy enthusiast, demonstrated it for me. I did not own a tablet of any brand then. After seeing Observatory I bought my first iPad specifically to run this app. Now Observatory is the SECOND app I open every morning. I like knowing where the planets are… not that this information is of what might be called “practical” importance, but it gives me the feeling of being connected to the larger world around us.
Both these apps have such an elegant presentation of their data. They are amazingly functional but, really, astonishingly beautiful! Truly eye-candy of the highest order.
I too would be willing to buy a subscription to continue maintenance of these apps. If that should become an option please let me know.
In any case, I am sorry to see these apps fade away as they must, eventually, without support. However I want to offer my deepest thanks to you both for the stunning apps you have created. Thank you for the years you have put into this effort!
best regard, Mike M.
DougH 2023-09-13 20:08:12
I am beyond sad that your beautiful app is coming to an end. I’ve loved it since I first saw it. As I’m nearing retirement myself I recognize how difficult it can be to pull the plug on something you’ve invested so much in. I wish you all the best. Enjoy your retirement
OverlyZabs 2023-09-14 21:53:53
I am very disappointed to hear this. I have used Emerald Sequoia since the beginning and love the functional elegance of this application. No words… Thank you for your efforts and best of luck with your transition!
Regards, -GH- Senior Director Engineering
sfwrtr 2023-09-16 21:06:15
I am very sad to hear this. I loved your app so much that I bought an additional iPad so I could display Emerald Chronometer 24-hours a day. I know that the app represents an asset, but have you considered putting it into the public domain on GitHub? I’d definitely setup the project and generate it for my local use!
In any case, thank you for having made this app. It has given me a lot of joy over the years and will be sorely missed.
sfwrtr 2023-09-16 21:10:32
I’m replying to my last comment to clarify I use Emerald Observatory on the iPad, but I have Chronometer on my iPhone. I wanted to also add that I’ve used the azimuth feature to spot planets and find it unique and wonderful. Please consider open sourcing the app so it can live on!
ParkerEng 2023-09-18 09:55:26
Can you please sell it to another software company so that it can continue?! Emerald OBSERVATORY is literally the most used app on my iPad and by our Astronomy group for planning. I would even ask what it would take to buy the rights to the IP for it for our 501c3! I can fund raise for it and then rebrand it for our non-profit if that is what it takes to keep EMERALD OBSERVATORY going! Please contact me as I cannot find any direct contact info for Emerald Sequoia anywhere.
MalcolmDoble 2023-09-20 09:46:00
️ So sad to hear of Emerald Sequoia’s imminent passing; Such seems to be the way, time speaking..
I, like many, have used, enjoyed & marveled at Cronometer’s beautiful and the unique take on what the perfect app really can be.
Some of my favorite uses include setting of the many mechanical movements that happily clutter up my life.
Aiding in my astronomy affliction
Super important: gives me an immediate visual indication when I NEED TO KNOW whether or not the NIST signal actually set my analog (of course) watch the night before. I am simply in awe of the fact that one can detect the 120ms (or so) difference in Haleakalā second hand vs 1 day drift in my uncorrected watch.
Some say I need to get a life.
I use Chrono for many other things , I’ll bore you with only 2:
Using sun azimuth hand (Geneva) and plumb bob’s shadow to know accurately north/south
McAlester Howard pocket watch combined with the magic of IOS multitasking to add escapement sound makes a great car clock for my dash.
So: in short (too late)
To Bill and Steve
Thank you!
I wish you luck and happy success in the future (time)
Malcolm Doble
timl23 2023-09-21 09:25:09
I was just headed into emerald chronometer to screenshot my favorite watch face, Mauna Kea, to load it on my watch. I hope it will remain archived on the App Store. Although I find myself using it less and less over the years, I’m so very fond of it and especially Mauna Kea. Thanks for creating this app and this experience for me. It’s not just an app really but an amazing work of art. (It was the 18th app I downloaded, August 14, 2008, I cannot believe that was so long ago)
barfusque 2023-09-23 14:53:43
This is a bummer. I really enjoy this app and will miss it if it disappears. Thank you for all the hard work
CraigS 2023-09-23 15:55:27
I have enjoyed Observatory for many years. It uas been on my home screen on all iPads for quite some time, and I always marvel at the way you convey such a great amount of information in such a beautiful way. When it eventually stops working, I’m going to miss it. I especially like running Observatory in thr evening and in the middle of the night.
Thank you both for giving me and so many others such an interesting and entertaining app. As I said, it really is beautiful on screen. My iPad won’t be the same without it.
steven56 2023-09-24 05:12:42
Thank you for creating first class watch faces. I use them on all my devices and my watch. I understand your reasons for pulling the apps but will be sad non-the-less. As the 43rd poster, I find it also sad that not more people have reached out to you in gratefulness.
HanSolo 2023-09-24 09:47:33
Oh no!! This is so sad. Although I understand the motives, I am really so sad to see this beautiful app (Observatory) go… I would be happy to pay 5 dollar, well.. even 10 dollar (or more!) for this App, because it is one of a kind and so beautiful in design. Every old iPad that I own has this app running in my house as a modern version of a clock. It’s truly hypnotizing. Can’t you please reconsider and keep this one alive? I don’t need new features.. I just need to have this app working with newer versions of IOS. Anyway, a big thank you and all the best.
HanSolo 2023-09-24 09:48:28
Spot on ! exactly my feelings.
HanSolo 2023-09-24 09:50:57
Yes, I saw the sad message only today ! I absolutely adore Observatory
dennisgee 2023-09-25 12:16:54
Dear Steve & Bill, As an amateur nightscape photographer I have relied on the Geneva and Miami faces to plan my outings since April 2010, looking out for dark skies. There is no other app that can show me instantly the sun and moon position, risings, settings and phase, right now or tonight, next week or months ahead, anywhere in the world.
Thank you for all your hard work, and please let us know if Emerald Chronometer morphs into something else.
Dennis
doakley314 2023-10-01 07:42:57
I love the detail on your watches! What can be done to convince you to continue your labor of love?
RussB 2023-10-01 11:03:28
What sad news, as others have said this was a very elegant & thoughtful solution to a fundamental problem. By late father who was a computing pioneer always bemoaned the increasing bloat & clumsiness of apps/software so many thanks & hats off to you for all you have done for us. I know it will appear slightly deranged but I have just tried ordering a new iPhone in order to keep your app near to me for a few years longer & the delivery date was going to be later in November so I cancelled the purchase, so Apple have lost out!
Feadan 2023-10-06 09:57:13
This is very sad news.This was one of the first apps I put on my 1st generation iPad and one of the first to be added to iPads purchased after that. It is a thing of beauty & elegance…traits in short supply these days. Thank you, gentleman, for keeping it up as long as you have been able. Very sorry to se it go…
MartyMcG 2023-10-07 07:35:25
At the risk of suggesting something you’ve likely thought of and dismissed: sell your software and development kit to someone, more likely, a business entity who sees value in what you’ve poured your life into. “Sky and Telescope” comes right to mind, or an outright software outfit, Ion, whose predecessor I’d retired from. And at this moment, two astronomical colleagues, respectively at MIT and Harvard, whom I’m about to mail of your situation.
And, … Good luck.
p.s. My Advice: “Never give any!”, and it’s first corollary: “take all you can get”
SSteve 2023-10-14 08:38:56
iMazing will let you download apps you legitimately own onto your Mac and then load them onto your iOS/iPadOS device. You’ll probably have to get it set up while it’s still on the App Store.
SSteve 2023-10-14 08:54:53
Emerald Chronometer was the third app I installed on my first iPhone on July 8, 2009. Emerald Observatory was the third app I installed on my first iPad on March 12, 2012. I’ve always considered them both to be the epitome of beautiful, finely-crafted iOS apps. Thanks for all your hard work over the years. It’s too bad the App Store turned into a vast ocean of dreck. It had such promise in the early days. But now it’s impossible for apps like yours to be self-supporting. I’ll use it today to track a solar eclipse for the last time. (It’s overcast here so we can’t see it directly.)
wolf 2023-10-21 02:15:16
Hi Bill, hi Steve,
yours were the first app i downloaded when using my first iPhone.
It looked nice and beautiful. I never regrettet this decision. You made this digital world better.
I wish you all the best! And hopefully clocks will work another decade!
Regards from Berlin, Germany Wolf
vieras 2023-10-23 08:24:13
Emerald Chronometer is still the most beautiful digital timepiece I’ve run across on any platform (although in all honesty, I guess I don’t get out much). With the advent of the Apple Watch, I’d always wished they’d allowed third party watch faces, so I could wear one of these on my wrist. Like everybody else here, I’m sorry to see you go.
thankfulazf 2023-10-23 08:47:06
I won’t bog down the comments by repeating what others have said, but really wanted to add my own huge THANK YOU for Chronometer. Amazingly detailed and beautiful app that I enjoy so much! Best wishes to you both.
thankfulazf 2023-10-23 09:41:22
Okay, well sorry but now I’ve got to add a quick second comment which is not only that I forgot to thank you for and mention how useful the Time app is and how often I use that one too, but also to say how awesome the new “bonus” watch faces are that you added today. VERY COOL and much appreciated!
vyinla 2023-10-23 22:30:37
I’m so sorry to hear this. Absolutely adore the app and have relied on Mauna Kea in particular for over a decade. Thank you and good luck in your next adventures.
StarMann7 2023-10-26 10:44:19
Farewell… This has been my favorite app of all time. As an amateur astronomer and by default a time fanatic I’ll be very sorry to see you go.
Yours, very sincerely, and with many thanks over the years,
Angus D. Mann
Grover 2023-10-30 05:55:14
This is such a shame, but I can fully understand. You have created some beautiful clock faces, works of genius. Don’t let your talent be lost to us….and should you ever consider restarting I for one would definitely subscribe….. Thanks for all you have done. Grover
mlanger 2023-11-05 23:22:22
I am incredibly sad about this. Emerald Observatory was one of the first apps I bought for my first iPad, if not THE first app, way back when the iPad first came out. It has been on every iPad I’ve ever owned; it’s always one of the first apps I install when I set up a new iPad. It is a gorgeous app and so well designed. I often use it to get rise/set info like times and directions so I know here and when to look for astronomical objects. And golden hour/twilight times for photography, aviation, boating, and simply knowing when I’m most likely to see noctilucent clouds during the summer months at my Washington state home. While I don’t use it daily, I use it often enough to miss it very much if it were to just stop working. i appreciate everything you’ve done over the years to keep it running right through the evolution of iOS. Thank you.
dsmithy 2023-12-06 08:47:23
Years ago, I wrote a letter (or possibly a review) expressing my admiration for someone who could take all the tradition and innovation that is embedded in the venerable art of watch making and bring it to an electronic device. I had the first iPhone within a week of its being introduced and I had Emerald Chronometer installed as soon as I discovered it. Emerald Chronometer amazed me then and it still amazes me today. It is so beautiful and so functional, that to know that it has been simply a labor of love from a couple of expert and passionate individuals begs all understanding. Which leads me to gush, just a little.
I get why you are moving on, you were very clear in your explanation of the continuing challenges, but I need to acknowledge what I see every time I launch the app. Brilliance. My phone has maybe a hundred and twenty apps at any one moment, and I roll through new ones as each proves their usefulness or folly in their turn. I’ve looked at a LOT of apps; perhaps not as many as a reviewer, but many more than your average smartphone user.
Emerald Chronometer is easily the most beautiful and elegant realization of an idea I have ever seen in an app. It is rare to see an app that does what it claims to do without a hiccup, or maybe force an accommodation, or even (sigh) a workaround. It is rarer still to see one that looks so good; that pleases the eye every time it’s opened. It is almost impossible to find one that shows real artistry, that, in doing what it does, manages to be fall-into-the-screen beautiful. Forget you’re playing with a handheld computer beautiful. This you accomplished, and in so doing, you should join the list of brilliant watchmakers you have so lovingly brought to us.
You should be very proud of what you accomplished, its longevity, the breadth of the collection, and its passionately appreciative clientele. Good on you. Sadly, I must join that group of people who wait pensively for Apple to do something rash that causes Emerald Chronometer to wink into a fond memory. Thank you for giving so many of us the same pleasure that holding a fine watch gives, the wonder of holding a tiny, beautiful, magic machine that untangles the mystery of time.
Thanks Again, Douglas Smith
JimmyJ 2024-01-02 12:25:09
Used your site and timings for many years - very sad to see you go . Thank you for a brilliant representation of time.