My first Android App (..and you might find it useful)

Free and no ads…
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.uk.happyapper.HereIamFree

You set up some locations that you are going to pass through when out on your bike/walk/commute/whatever. It then sends an SMS to whoever you’ve specified.

Just done as a way of learning how to write Android apps. My girlfriend likes to know I’m getting round a ride ok. I use it to tell her to put the kettle on when I’m about 10 minutes from home.

It works fine, but is a bit bare bones at the moment, future enhancements include…

1 sending emails/messages rather than SMS
2. altering the accuracy of the location spots, currently set at 25m, if you increased it you could use the app to automatically update someone of your location when driving.
3. a GPX overlay so it’s easy to set up locations on a ride you are planning
4. specify if you send a message as leave a location rather than when you enter it.

My first app, so be gentle,

Cheers.

Sounds ace, I reckon I might give that a go.

Thats actually a really great idea. kudos.

good idea

I am 2 miles away, norwich

🙂
or possibly more likely for me

I am 5miles away get the pie ‘n’ chips in t’oven

Sounds good. Bookmarked to have a look later…

Good idea, just had a look. Any plans for iphone app?. I would happily give it try. Would be handy for commute so my wife can break off cleaning etc to make sure my dinner is on the table as I walk in!!!

Great idea will give it a go! Useful for us solo riders.

Cracking idea that, good work. For those on IOS, the RoadID app does something very similar.

No plans for iPhone just yet, I’m still learning about Android.

Like.
This is excellent. I have a txt preprogrammed for my trip to work so I can txt my BFF when I get near her house so I don’t have to wait outside for ages..
This could be used for that yeah? Set it to send when I pass the traffic lights 2 miles from her house?

Excellent

I could set it up to message my biking mates every time I pass a trig point whilst they’re still at work/stuck at home.

yup, i like the sound of this (but I’m another non-android)

would be useful be useful for a –

‘hi babes, don’t go mental but your nice clean house is going to get visited shortly by swamp thing and he’s horny’

a few miles out…

good idea. in addition how about including whatsapp support for your next revision?

Any chance of integrating with whatsapp? Could allow a myriad of additional options given fewer limits on what you can send.

SMS is probably better than email as 1. you don’t need data, and 2. a text is more likely to be sent in areas of dodgy signal – areas where you might not even be able to make a voice call.

Hmm wierd

I can’t get the location map to load, I’m just looking at a pale blue screen

First thoughts – since we’re GRRR rugged mtber types, it’d be useful to be able to switch the map to satellite view so that we can see trails that aren’t roads.

When I stop a trip it stays on the ‘stop a trip’ page with the big red button – I would have expected the button to go green to allow me to restart.

The app is still running in the background (notification showing) after I’ve stopped the trip and I’ve got no way to get back to the starting screen (to start a new trip or create more alerts).

Looks good though 🙂

App could be very handy on long distance challenges (SDW, WHW etc.) for sending progress updates out to the support crew.

it’d be useful to be able to switch the map to satellite view so that we can see trails that aren’t roads.

+1

And a further idea – I saw that the location appears as a circle of fixed size – can that be adjusted – for example for many rides/routes, you could expand that to 200m and it’d still be fine as you’ll still only pass through it once.

This could be really handy at Mountain mayhem, or any other team race.

“I just passed the 3/4 of a lap mark, get to the start line, I’ll be really angry if I have to come and drag your arse out of the tent again”

OT – One of favourite memories of MM – rider comes in, looking quite tired and relieved to have finished his lap. No one there. Shouts for “Colin”. Colin’s not there. keeps shouting for Colin. Colin’s still not there. Rider swears a lot. Colin’s still not there. Rider rides off to do another lap. I spent the rest of the event wondering what happened to Colin when the rider did find him 😆

right got the app working. Will see if it sends a text on the way home. Think its a great idea BTW

Love this. Mrs DM keeps wanting me to get a tracker app but I’m not that keen on her knowing my exact location 😉 I’m assuming this just sends a message and not the location?

What a brilliant idea!

Can you set up multiple points? my missus is always banging on about where am I and what route have I taken, if I can set up three or four then she’ll at least know roughly which one I’ve decided on!

By the looks of it, it sends the specific text you type in.

Though it would be good if you could provide the location as an option (bit.ly web link maybe?)

And yes, it appears that you can set up multiple locations and a different message for each one.

I was all ready to come in here and say “pffffft. that’s not useful” or “pfffffft. it’s been done” – But actually, I think that has a place 🙂

Patent it before Strava or Endomondo steal your idea.

Just clicked install – do you want feedback at all??

DrP

Patent it before Strava or Endomondo steal your idea.

Probably too late 😉

Mrs DM keeps wanting me to get a tracker app but I’m not that keen on her knowing my exact location

I was going to say that the missus and I do the same thing just using “Find My iPhone” – has the distinct advantage that it is built in so you don’t need to remember to start anything for it to work.

Still, good idea OP and definitely has a place.

Sounds like a great idea. Can I ask the op –
What APi did you use for building the app – was it eclipse?
What machine are you running it on? I tried to run an android emulator through eclipse on my windows 7 machine and it hung for ages.
Cheers.

Sounds really useful – shall test it out soon.

oh! another idea might be to allow a set delay on message send. for instance if someone wanted to let their partner know when they get to the pub, they might prefer it if the message went out a bit later than when they actually got to the pub. 😉

well I’m going to let my wife know when I’m “nearly home” from work.
However, working about 1800m away from home, this idea is a bit arbitrary!

But it’s the principle!

DrP

Just downloaded. Thanks!

From a safety point of view rather than texting when each point is reached what might be useful would be if you could enter some waymarkers and an expected time of arrival. If you didn’t reach the waymarker by the ETA + a user selectable tolerance then a txt would be sent? Can see pros and cons of each way to be fair.

I’m at work, so I’ll respond properly later. Thanks for the feedback. Satellite map instead is easy. Do that tomorrow. Already thought of an emergency location point, if not there by specified time, then send message.

they might prefer it if the message went out a bit later than when they actually got to the pub

couldn’t they just send the message themselves then after the first five pints? 😉

Great idea! Can I ask, does it need a data connection once you’ve set off riding, or just the gps and normal phone signal?

Just GPS and phone signal Once you are out and about.

Thanks, I guessed as much. It’s a really neat idea, and I’ll be using it!