news
2007-11-07 Database improvements and preparations for the launch of the iPhone.
NEW: When you view the details of a programme, we now provide you with recommendations of other programmes you might like.
FIXED: Some user favourites had not been migrated over to the new schema. This has been corrected.
We have been prototyping the new iPhone/iPod Touch version of the site and have been getting the views of regular users as to it's key features. We hope to have it live in time for Friday's launch of the iPhone.
2007-10-31 Happier Halloween
After a long wait, we've moved puretelly to a big and better server. In the process, we've snuck in a few updates to the site:
NEW: For registered users, the search tool now only searches for programmes on the channels we know you have.
FIXED: The default listings are completely visible when not logged in. Some browsers had difficulties when listings were delivered out of order.
2007-02-21 Google adverts stopped
Unfortunately we have been victim to invalid clicks on Google advertising that we showed on the site which means that we are no longer allowed to show their adverts. This has removed our primary revenue stream to pay for the listing license, so I'm afraid we are going to have to put more advertising on the site to compensate for the loss.
Google have been extremely unhelpful in explaining the nature of the invalid clicks and we would advise caution to anybody relying on Google Adsense for revenue. They won't even pay out the advertising revenue we had earned over the last few months. Be warned.
2007-02-18 puretelly 2.0
Rather than put it off any longer, we've rolled out the all-new version of the site. The site has been completely rewritten in Ruby on Rails and whilst the vast majority of changes are behind the scenes, you'll see our biggest change in the way you can change individual channels. We've also enhanced the listings to prominently highlight films and new programmes.
The rewrite paves the way for some significant updates in the near future.
2007-02-10 Wii compatibility
We've had the chance to view and optimize the site for the Nintendo Wii. The main changes oversize the text so that it's easier to read on a TV.
2006-12-01 Good and bad news
Bad news first: The ITV feed seems to be playing up, but we hope to get it back up and running over the next few days. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Good news: Registered users can now view their favourite programs within their favourite calendar application such as Apple's iCal or Mozilla's Sunbird.
2006-08-27 On Safari
We've finally fixed the accursed Safari listing problems, so apologies to all you Mac users. Curse those Javascript dates. The Ruby on Rails migration is progressing well, more soon...
2006-06-24 Power to your postcode
We have rolled out all the regional updates for registered users. Users will now only see channels that they can receive in their region. The changes also affect listings searches and user favourites.
2006-06-21 The return of ITV
We have finally sorted out all the paperwork (and finances) with Broadcasting Data Services who are now providing us with an ITV feed. Thanks to all those of you who emailed in with your messages of support. The service should improve as we tweak and automate the import routines to process this new feed.
The region updates are coming along well, so registered users in Kent, for example, won't see results from BBC Scotland or S4C.
2006-06-05 Quick fix
Fixed an IE bug with the update last week and removed the "don't forget to bookmark" reminder that used to appear every time the view didn't have any of your favourites to display. Some of you got fed up of seeing it again and again, so this message now only appears once for new registed users.
Our attention over the next week or so will focus on improving the desktop widgets.
2006-05-26 Further improvements
We have added a feature that shows registered users when their favourite programmes are showing on channels that aren't in view. Look out for the little arrow on the right hand side of the listings when it happens.
We have separated radio from tv channels in your settings as some of you wanted to see Freeview channels and Radio without having to see every single channel.
Registered users can also choose whether the listings default to the current view (i.e. showing what's on now) or this evenings view.
Thanks again to user feedback, we have also made a number of significant behind-the-scenes changes which fix the programme highlight circles, which didn't work properly under certain circumstances.
2006-05-15 Minor improvements
Thanks to user feedback, the RSS feed has been shortened to just show two day's worth of programmes and the details page show the full date. More minor tweaks to follow..
2006-04-21 Listings feed problems
Sorry for the recent problems getting you the listings. Your patience and continued support is appreciated.
2006-03-22 Programme highlights and bug fix
Thanks to James Barker for his idea of using the highlight we prepared for Channel 4 Press as an additional programme highlight. It just goes to prove that some of the best ideas come through user feedback - keep the ideas coming.
Also, apologies for the Internet Explorer problem linking through to programmes. We have been introducing significant changes to make the site more accessible and one of the recent ones misbehaved in IE.
2006-02-26 My Favourites available as an RSS feed.
Registered visitor can now view their favourite programmes as an RSS feed. The My Favourites page now includes an 
link which lists all the programmes that you have highlighted as your favourites.
2006-02-01 Registration available to all
Visitors to the web site can now register and benefit from a couple of new features on the web site.
- Flag your favourite programmes and see when they are scheduled over the coming week.
- View up to eight channels simultaneously.
2005-12-31 Goodbye 2005, Hello 2006!
This has been a good year for puretelly.com and we wish all our visitors a prosperous and telly watching New Year. Some highlights for us included:
- Over 160,000 visitors graced our web site in 2005 and we look forward to the coming year during which we expect to receive over 250,000 visitors.
- Over 2,000 users have downloaded the Yahoo! Widget in the first two weeks of it's public release, with no sign of slowing.
- New features have been added to the web site for searching listings, rating programmes and highlighting my favourites.
Looking forward to 2006, you can expect to see:
- Monthly interviews with people who grace your telly, starting in January with Eastenders and The Bill actor Alex McSweeney.
- Email and SMS alerts for your favourite programmes.
- New programme recommendations based on your existing favourites.
- Improvements to the web site widget to add topical listings to your site, as well as the popular Now and Next listings.
2005-12-19 New version of our PC widget for Yahoo! Widget Engine
Version 1.1.3 of our "what's on now…" desktop widget for Yahoo! Widget Engine was submitted to the Yahoo! Widget Gallery. The widget features bandwidth optimisation of the feed data and the ability to manually swap between "now…" and "next…" listings.
Last time it took a while for the widget to be approved by Yahoo!, so those wishing to upgrade now can download a copy of the new version here
2005-12-17 Our widget for Yahoo! Widget Engine
Version 1.0.1 of our "what's on now…" desktop widget for Yahoo! Widget Engine was listed on the Yahoo! Widget Gallery web site today.
2005-12-06 Alpha release of Mac OS X Desktop widget
The first version of our desktop widget was released to alpha testers today. More news soon.
2005-12-01 Shortcuts and cookies improve the user experience.
Visitors can now choose preselected groups of channels to speed up the web site experience. The "My favourites…" group stores a cookie on in your browser to remember your favourite channel group for the next time you visit.
2005-11-29 Add "What's on now/next…" to your web site.
Due to popular demand, we have launched a "widget" that enables you to show "what's on now…" and "what's on next…" from the comfort of your own web site more…
2005-11-28 puretelly.com passes the 150,000 visitor mark.
puretelly.com is delighted to announce that the number of visitors to the site during the year 2004-11-29 to 2005-11-28 reached 150,060.
2005-11-16 puretelly.com redesigned.
puretelly.com is relaunched with a fresh new look and feel. The site has undergone a redesign to accommodate the latest web standards in accessibility, privacy and usability and to address the feedback of users.
Further improvements to the site will be added soon, but should you wish to access the old version of the site you can do so here.