AotW: CellTrack

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

AotW: CellTrack

This week's app is CellTrack from SPV-Developers, a new Open Source application for your enjoyment!

You'll find details of the application below, and we've tracked down Martin (a.k.a. Zone-MR), one of the lead developers on the application to give us the lowdown ;)

Hi Martin, and thanks for speaking to MoDaCo! Please introduce yourself!

I'm a 2nd-year Electronics student at Newcastle University. I'm fascinated by embedded systems and mobile technology. I spend most of my free time coding various software projects.

Describe CellTrack in your own words

CellTrack is a utility which runs on Windows Mobile based phones. It gathers information on the cell-towers in range of your phone, and is able to approximate your location based on this.

There are many uses for this location information. For example, CellTrack can report it's location to a web-server, so you can display your latest whereabouts on your website, e.g.:

You will also be able to instruct the software to perform certain actions when your location changes.

What can we expect for CellTrack going forwards?

CellTrack is in the early stage of development, and the current version is little more than a proof-of-concept. There are many features which will appear in future versions, such as:

* Automatically performing certain actions when your location changes. For example, diverting all your calls to your ground-line when you are at home.

* Notification when people of interest are nearby. For example, it could notify you if you happen to be in the same place as another MoDaCo member.

* 'Virtual Graffiti' - so you can leave notes, which can later be seen by anyone who walks into the same area.

* Support for more phones. Currently only the SPV C500, SMT5600, and SDA-series phones are supported.

How can MoDaCo members get involved in the application's development?

The latest build is available for download here:

http://celltrack.spv-developers.com/?act=download

If you discover any bugs, or have any feature suggestions, please post them

at:

http://www.spv-developers.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=12

The project is open-source, and the latest eVC++ code is available at the sourceforge CVS server:

https://sourceforge.net/cvs/?group_id=129151 - the module name is "CellTrack".

If you have any experience coding in eVC++, and are willing to help with the coding, please email "CellTrack AT Zone-MR DOT net", and you will be granted 'commit' access to the CVS.

So there you have it, the scoop on what I think is an exciting application for Smartphone!

:D

P

[Guest calle]

Cool!

Any similar app for the Magician out there?

[Guest jazuk]

Nice one.. will try this out right now.

[Guest Tim]

As this app won't install unless your C500 is app unlocked, I suspect this is going to further highlight the problem that the Orange unlocking website no longer works, and if you email them as directed they don't seem to reply any more, presumably because of the number of emails they are now getting !

[Guest James]

What a neat program...

really easy to set-up and use...... ;)

[Guest MPJ]

I loaded the program at the weekend at I think it could be really useful. It needs the database of cell sites populated, I think this is growing fast, but the more who take part the better it will get

[Guest squall]

zone-mr had asked me not to post this in news when first release becuase he didnt want to many people to use an early beta, instead prefering a slow steady build up of users.

The beta does seem stable, and i have no doubt the number of users will continue to grow and the db will start to fill up.

Nice article paul, and nice work martin!

[Guest James]

just looking at designing some new location renedered images for this forum......... a kind of modaco style

[Guest James]

like this?

[Guest chucky.egg]

I loaded the program at the weekend at I think it could be really useful.  It needs the database of cell sites populated, I think this is growing fast, but the more who take part the better it will get

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As somebody pointed out on the spv-developers forums, there are other cell databases, and in prcatice it would be better to get a network-supplied database.

I know I've put cells in under one "location", but I don't actually know where they are, and as they can cover a large area it might be misleading in some circumstances.

[Guest James]

is there a UK list somewhere that we can reference their locations?

[Guest Zone-MR]

Very nice work jlowap, I'll add it to the server now ;)

Update: http://celltrack.spv-developers.com/render...aco/Zone-MR.png

Edited April 19, 2005 by Zone-MR

[Guest chucky.egg]

is there a UK list somewhere that we can reference their locations?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not that I know of

I've asked out telecomms guy to see if he can get a list from Orange for all their cells in our area, have to wait and see if he actually gets around to it, and if they give him the list! (reasonable chance I think, based on our bill!)

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

I'm working on getting a list too... no joy yet ;)

P

[Guest PayableOnDeath]

I Love the new pic desgin fits in well on here dont you think :D

Great program am sure well will soon beable map the cells of the UK n know where abouts we are ;)

[Guest James]

its not bad.... the colors are not quite right though.

and the image is not as good as my original image... looks more compressed.

will be happy to make any changes to it on request.

enjoy....

want a smaller one?

[Guest James]

Has it stopped working... have been running the program for the last 10 minutes without an update on here in my sig...

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Hope it's not overloaded! :|

P

[Guest James]

AH HA! its working again...

[Guest rayhurst]

Any word on when this app might be available for the Mpx220?

[Guest squall]

have you tired using it on the mpx220?

I know zonemr doesnt have one, so it may be a while ! ;)

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

I will test it on the MPx220 later...

P

[Guest rayhurst]

please let me know if it works for you. i sucessfully installed it on my Mpx220 and it shows up in my program list, but when i try to launch it, nothing comes up.

not sure if i am doing something wrong (that seems to happen frequently) so i'm anxious to see if it works for you.

[Guest Zone-MR]

Several people have tried it on the Mpx 220, and all have reported that it doesn't work.

The good news is that I have found two developers interested in getting it running on the SPV E200, and MPX 220. I will report any success.

[Guest rayhurst]

i just noticed everyone posting on this thread is from europe - will CellTrack work in the U.S.?