Hands-free clocking, and an iOS port begins

An iOS port

The biggest piece of work this month was starting Pulse for iOS. The Android app is the reference: the iOS version uses the same server connections, the same rules and the same wording, so a company can mix tablets without retraining anyone. The first build covers pairing, including typing credentials when a QR code is not practical, the kiosk, profile photos on phones and tablets, and clocking with codes. Much of the month went into getting it to build and run reliably. The iOS app is still in progress and is not released.

Clocking without a tap

On both platforms, an idle kiosk now watches for a face or a clock-in code instead of waiting for someone to press a button. Clock-in codes now carry the action the employee chose, such as clock in or start a break, and the kiosk submits it straight away. The on-screen label changed from "Scan QR" to "Clock-in code", which is what people actually call it.

Face clocking became hands-free too. A company can switch the liveness check off in TimeKeeper if it does not suit their site. Enrolment got simpler: the kiosk now takes two photos rather than walking someone through five poses.

Fixes from real use

Several fixes came from watching the kiosk in use. Face checks no longer hang on "Verifying…", and the screen now says what it is doing. A match that arrives just after the time limit is still accepted. On iOS, a code that has just clocked is ignored while it stays in view, the same code can clock out later, and someone already clocked in is told so. The iOS profile wall became a wall of faces, and the design files were brought up to date with the profile wall that shipped.