New iOS App for Location Tracking, SWConnect for iPhone

[Ignacio]

SWConnect for iPhones is now available for free in the App Store and appears to be better than the Google Latitude I wrote about a year or two ago. It seems to buffer GPS locations when you're not in cell phone range and catch up when you get back to access. This makes it much closer to the gold standard of SPOT.

I just downloaded it, will be testing, and will probably still keep my SPOT as I do a fair amount of adventure riding out of cell range, but if it lives up to expectations--a great option for iPhone folks.

 

[GPRIDER]

Interesting. Keep us informed.

GP

 

[LKLD]

I will be interested in the battery life while running in background. Also, which iPhone model will you be using this on?

Thanks.

 

[bgross]

I downloaded it a few days ago and it works great.

Mine is an iPhone 4.

 

[Bungie]

We're currently evaluating a LOLA here at work (We do ankle bracelet/offender monitoring). Neat rig! Includes 2 way voice as well.

Looks like the resellers are trying to make up the cost on monitoring though.

Google it. oh nevermind. Here...

https://www.laipac.com/s911_lola.htm Clicky for LOLA

 

[Ignacio]

I will be interested in the battery life while running in background. Also, which iPhone model will you be using this on? Thanks.

iPhone 5, but it's not dependent on the phone specifically to function...the version of iOS has to be 6 or greater. I'm sure 4 and greater function...maybe clear back to the 3GS.

As for battery--about what one would expect. If you're transmitting your location once a minute--it's using more battery than if you're doing it once every 5 minutes or 10 minutes...and more if you're not using location services at all. YRMV.

Update On Use

Ran last night while at home and noticed it didn't update location every minute as set--I think it's senses if a coordinate is very nearby that it won't update again until you've moved a reasonable distance. This is fine with me and consistent with the way the newer SPOT 3 runs. It's a feature.

My initial impression is this app is WAY better than Google Latitude with the buffering feature I thought wasn't available because of either iOS or iPhone architecture. This app appears to close the gap that's been available to other phones and operating systems (e.g. Android) had.

Ran this morning too work set to the 1 minute feature and sent several custom messages along the way. Much more feedback from the app than running a SPOT unit to be sure. I'll be interested to see how it does when I ride outside of cell range and see the stack of buffered locations unstack when I get back into cell phone range.

Good job so far SWConnect!

 

[RaYzerman19]

May be similar...... I was reading about the Garmin Monterra the other day in a Touratech mag I picked up at the bike show...... Google apps, but no phone capability (does not take a SIM card).

https://sites.garmin.com/monterra/geocacher/

https://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/3389/PN-G00924-02/Garmin-Montana-650t-GPS-Unit

 

[Ignacio]

May be similar...... I was reading about

Not similar at all. These have nothing to do with iOS, SWConnect, or cell phones. Please keep this thread based on the OP....which is the SWConnect application for iOS.

Thanks.

We're currently evaluating a LOLA here at work

Same thing. This thread is about SWConnect on the iOS. Please start another thread if you want to talk about a different product.

Thanks.

 

[Bounce]

Tried mine. If you've never messed with setting up a Spotwalla account, it could be easier to pair the ap with the web account. Maybe a help button in the app itself instead of having to open a browser, search for the developer's web site, dig around for the details, etc.

I got it working in about twice the time I felt it should take. Neat once it's set up.

 

[Ignacio]

Tried mine. If you've never messed with setting up a Spotwalla account, it could be easier to pair the ap with the web account. Maybe a help button in the app itself instead of having to open a browser, search for the developer's web site, dig around for the details, etc.
I got it working in about twice the time I felt it should take. Neat once it's set up.

Good context....very true. Even with a Spotwalla account I had to fiddle with the phone app and web page until I got. Yes, you need to create a SWConnect setup on the Spotwalla side before synching on the phone side. In my case it was just adding another to the list of 3 or 4 I'd created over the years.

 

[bgross]

My bride and I did a Pie Run to Julian today (rode the Wingabago). About 170 miles r/t.

I fired up the APP before we left home and put the iPhone in the trunk.

Two hours we were in Julian wandering around window shopping, taking photos, and having pie & coffee. After an hour we started home. I noticed that the iPhone charge was down to about 60%, so I plugged it into the charger before we headed home.

Needless to say, when we got home the iPhone was @100% charged and I had a nice Spotwalla track of the trip:

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=8d9a530bca86ca8d4

Works great - and the price is right!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Thanks for the info and testing Iggy. Using Latitude now but I'm definitely going to check it out when I get home later this week.

--G

 

[leedavis]

Google stopped Latitude in August last year in an effort to steer everyone to their awful social networking Google+. The Latitude API for connection to 3rd party apps, Spotwalla, no longer exists. The equivalent app for my Android phone is now Bubbler GPS and is much better than Latitude was. Like your iPhone app it caches location when you don't have data connection for later update when you do and works with Spotwalla. Excellent app.

 

[Burnspot]

Thanks for this! Downloaded and will try out. I used Latitude and Apple's Find My Friends app last year on my CO ride...it was okay, but this looks much easier to deal with.

 

[bgross]

Addendum to post #11:

The default setting for location updates is every 5 minutes, which is what is shown on my Spotwalla track (above).

Until I figure out how much data it uses (I have a pretty restricted data plan), I'll leave it there.

 

[pista]

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=8ee85318ca356aad9

I had it set at the default 5 min ping. This is all I have when viewing the trip, just a few location pings. Any ideas why it doesn't show the complete track?

The phone was plugged in to a usb port the entire trip so battery wasn't an issue.

This appears to be a great app ignacio, thanks for the heads up! Now I just have to get it sorted out.

 

[Bounce]

Worked great for me:

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=8d3a5309773d9a1a8

 

[Ignacio]

Worked great for me:
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=8d3a5309773d9a1a8

Same here with varying reporting intervals and using some custom message:

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=8d71530ac211251fe

vs. the same trip with SPOT 3:

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=8b8a52f578d9945f8

(I had instances on both reports that reporting was temporarily disabled...learning to use both)

Not sure why pista's appears intermittent unless they had the reporting interval turned way down or maybe the phone buried inside something so much it couldn't get a GPS fix.

WIth the exception of the fundamental issue that you won't be able to call for help with your cell phone if you're outside cell range....I'm considering abandoning the $150 a year service on SPOT. SWConnect at 3 or 5 minutes is the dog's bollocks! .....I have 2 months to decide.

 

[Bounce]

I intentionally left most data into the bread crumbs for this first test. DO NOT click on the dots near Pauls Valley.