Good app, but several flaws. Offline still has problems. I've included some tips! – Sputnik! Review

Several observations: 1. In a recent version, the developer added the Hubble Space Telescope! Nice! 2. However, the developer retained the awkward multi-screen approach for the ISS (and HST) — it has separate screens for the rise, peak, and set times. You end up having to tap around and look at multiple screens to get that info, the magnitudes, and location in the sky! This is the only ISS app that requires such wasteful puttering. Most satellite apps show you all that info in ONE screen or pane! The continued failure to fix that keeps the rating lower than it otherwise would be. I would happily donate or buy a pro version if this display of events was fixed and the information unified! 3. Alas, only part of the problem with outdated data has been fixed. (It also took a long time to even get this far!) The problem was that the app balked at showing ANY satellite passes if the data was even slightly out of date. It meant that the app was generally useless when you were off line. In addition, it balked at showing the past 48 hours of passes, even when those clearly didn't need to be updated! Good news! Those two things have been corrected. HOWEVER, YOU STILL HAVE TO FORCE-QUIT THE APP TO GET IT TO UPDATE THE DATA IF Wi-Fi IS OFF! That's just ridiculous! 4. The developer made a few other tweaks in the recent updates that improved the app, but other issues remain. Here’s the run down... PLUSSES Nicely done, easy-to-use app. Has countdown features and reminders. This continues to be the only free app I know that includes both Iridium flares and the ISS — and now the HST, too! That's convenient. Plus, this is one of the few satellite apps to provide an incredibly useful "look-back" feature to show events over the past 48 hours!! That's great as a way of checking a previous passage or to confirm what one saw! A KEY PROBLEM: MISSING FLARES AND PASSES! Unfortunately, Sputnik! often misses Iridium flares and ISS passes -- or gives different times than other apps do! The Heavens-Above website and the Iridium Flares app will agree, but Sputnik! will be off. It sometimes even lists Iridiums that no other app does. I've triple-checked my latitude and longitude, confirmed my location, and tweaked Sputnik!'s configuration settings several times to no avail (e.g., Sun position and daytime flares). Still, the app misses passes and flares or shows extras. Those are inexcusable flaws in a satellite app! STAR CHART TIP AND PROBLEM Several years back, after having used this for months, I discovered that if one unlocks rotation, one can rotate the i-device and get a sky view. Bad design when such a useful feature is HIDDEN. Even worse, though, the sky chart is unzoomable, unlabeled, and has no cardinal reference points!! So, it's hard to tell where one is looking! It shows only a part of the sky, too, which is of limited use for tracking an ISS passage. The developer should look at GoISSWatch, which does this smartly and simply. The sky chart should be accessible via a toolbar or button -- not hidden away — and shouldn't depend on unlocking the device's rotation control. SKY POINTING FEATURE PROBLEM The app has what could be a great "device orientation" feature. The E-W orientation works fine, but the numbers for up-down make no sense! There's an upcoming flare at 10 degrees, but the app points me to the ground, to my feet, not to slightly above the horizon! Just plain weird! A CRITICAL CONCERN The inclusion of ads was a poor move. They are distracting, irritating, and BRIGHT!! They interfere with the pleasure of quiet, peaceful star gazing. Put out a pro version with more features, or make it donation-ware. But leave the nice simple, ad-free version alone! It really does a disservice to long-time, loyal users to have ADDED advertisements to a product. LOCATION SETTING TIP Note: be careful in setting your location in any astro app -- there's a major difference between entering latitude and longitude using decimals and using minutes and seconds. Sputnik! oddly requires the data to be entered as decimals, but then shows it as minutes & seconds! ALTERNATIVE APPS The Iridium Flares app works better & has a star map, too. GoISSWatch is a great app for the ISS; it is FREE and includes a spiffy star chart. Still, Sputnik! is worth downloading!
Review by AstroPaul on Sputnik!.