Keeping my Joggler going with the new Tesco API

Joggler - an organiser for busy families

Back in 2009, O2 launched the Joggler. The adverts caught my eye and the product looked interesting (this was before the days of the Ipad and other such tablets). But at close to £150 I was not prepared to buy one. Nor were many other people it would seem as a year later the price dropped drastically to £50 and O2 sold off the remaining stock. At this point, I bought one on ebay and it has lived in my kitchen ever since.

Joggler Squeezeplay - awesome

It is mostly used as a controller for my music system, but its other main purpose has been as a shopping basket for my Tesco account. You see, once the Joggler arrived, I couldn't resist tinkering with it and its arrival coincided nicely with Tesco's launch of its API for third party developers.

Although this was my first experience of a web API and terms like JSON and REST were all new to me, I found the reference guide provided by Tesco to be excellent and knocking up a useable app was a breeze. The hardest part was getting my elderly version of Flash/ActionScript to run on the Joggler, but I got there in the end.

My Joggler App

It was great. When I ran out of something in the kitchen I just tapped on my Tesco favourites and added the item to my basket ready for my next order. This simple app has served me well for the best part of 5 years. As has the Joggler, despite its regular dusting of flour, icing sugar, butter and everything else that has been thrown at it.

But, after the Christmas and New Year break I went to add something to the basket and .... nothing. No service. Now I do vaguely remember reading somewhere that the service was going to be discontinued but .... did nothing.

Fortunately, all is not lost as Tesco appear to have been busy re-branding and the old techfortesco has become

http://www.tescolabs.com/

complete with new API. Yay!

So, I signed up for a dev key, fired up Flash 5 and fixed up my app to access the new API. Fortunately most of the commands that I use (LOGIN, LISTPENDINGORDERS, LISTBASKET, LISTFAVOURITES, PRODUCTSEARCH) all worked seamlessly. CHANGEBASKET however doesn't appear to do anything; the response tells me that 'Basket change completed successfully' but when I request the basket via LISTBASKET, nothing appears to have been added. I have a very vague recollection of this problem happening the first time around. Perhaps it just hasn't been implemented yet. I will wait before investigating my app further, but not for too long as I'm about to run out of tea and I really can't let that happen.

Any sane person may be wondering why I stick with the Joggler. I have asked myself that many a time. In fact, last year, I was all set to replace it with my Asus EEpad with its lovely big screen. However, that died completely after less than two years of ownership and very little use - and it cost about 10 times the price of my trusty old Joggler! So cross. I am reluctant to splash out on another tablet just for the kitchen, especially as it will have to be sticky finger proof, something that thankfully the Joggler has already proved to be.