GeoStrings (Location-based reminders)

[DanPLC]

GeoStrings version 1.1.7 is now live in the catalog and adds support for the Pre 3.

[mlove99]

Originally Posted by DanPLC

GeoStrings version 1.1.7 is now live in the catalog and adds support for the Pre 3.

That's great... thanks!

I noticed an odd blip where the background wasn't set to the default (it was blank instead) which seemed to have an odd effect on the notifications - they turned completely black and so I couldn't read them

Not to worry, I just restored the default settings and everything's fine now

Just thought I'd tell you in case anyone else experiences this.

Thanks again... so happy to have this app back!

[DanPLC]

Originally Posted by mlove99

That's great... thanks!

I noticed an odd blip where the background wasn't set to the default (it was blank instead) which seemed to have an odd effect on the notifications - they turned completely black and so I couldn't read them

Not to worry, I just restored the default settings and everything's fine now

Just thought I'd tell you in case anyone else experiences this.

Thanks again... so happy to have this app back!

Weird... Thanks for the report.

[mobilemitch]

Dan! When are you going to come to the dark side and port this fine Geostrings app for android? I have not been able to find an app that works as well as yours does. (Or one that works much at all actually)

I have to stick with the android for work but I miss geostrings on my pre SO BAD!
Have you used any of the android versions of similar programs? Any you might recommend?

Ideally though of course, you just write geostrings for android.

[DanPLC]

Originally Posted by mobilemitch

Dan! When are you going to come to the dark side and port this fine Geostrings app for android? I have not been able to find an app that works as well as yours does. (Or one that works much at all actually)

I have to stick with the android for work but I miss geostrings on my pre SO BAD!
Have you used any of the android versions of similar programs? Any you might recommend?

Ideally though of course, you just write geostrings for android.

I haven't tried any Android equivalents. So I don't have any recommendations.

I'm not sure if I'll do an Android version. I think I'd rather work on something new. I'm trying to come up with new ideas.

[kilroy]

Originally Posted by mobilemitch

Dan! When are you going to come to the dark side and port this fine Geostrings app for android? I have not been able to find an app that works as well as yours does. (Or one that works much at all actually)

I have to stick with the android for work but I miss geostrings on my pre SO BAD!
Have you used any of the android versions of similar programs? Any you might recommend?

Ideally though of course, you just write geostrings for android.

Wow, I had to do a double take to make sure I didn't write that android comment myself as i feel the exact same way! The location reminder apps for android are all totally worthless. I tried many and all of them are so poorly done. I'm amazed that I couldn't find something even partially acceptable. I really miss geostrings horribly bad.

[DanPLC]

Originally Posted by kilroy

Wow, I had to do a double take to make sure I didn't write that android comment myself as i feel the exact same way! The location reminder apps for android are all totally worthless. I tried many and all of them are so poorly done. I'm amazed thY I couldn't find something even partially acceptable. I reaaly miss geostrings horribly bad.

Were any of them paid apps? Do you really think Android users would pay for this type of app?

[kilroy]

Originally Posted by DanPLC

Were any of them paid apps? Do you really think Android users would pay for this type of app?

Hi Dan,

I only tried the free ones, but I did spend time reading the descriptions and user feedback for the few paid ones and they just didn't seem very attractive. It seemed to me that most (if not all) of the free ones polled the GPS quite frequently (draining the battery when you were nowhere near the target location).

It took me awhile to figure out your philosophy with Geostrings, but once I got it it made really good sense. I love how you've got grouped locations, favorites, the time window, and the boomerang idea of "not this time" is genius!

I only jumped ship from HPalm back in August when Leo crapped all over webOS. I knew it was pretty much over at that point. Hated to go away but the bazillion apps on Android really makes for a lot of fun fiddling with the phone. On the other hand, with SO MANY apps out there it becomes hard to find good stuff. I'm not sure how popular location reminder apps really are, although the Android market does show how many downloads apps get so that would be a good start. On the other hand, since IOS 5 has built location based reminders into the OS, I think that introduces some jealously on the part of android users and suddenly they are looking for an equivalent app that they didn't know they needed (same story with people suddenly finding that they need an app equivalent to Siri).

Anyway, bottom line is that I am too new to Android to know how well you might do with porting geostrings over there. HANDS DOWN you'd be LIGHT YEARS ahead of anything else I've seen, but would it amount to some good $ returns or not - unfortunately I don't know.

Gerry

[DanPLC]

Originally Posted by kilroy

Hi Dan,

I only tried the free ones, but I did spend time reading the descriptions and user feedback for the few paid ones and they just didn't seem very attractive. It seemed to me that most (if not all) of the free ones polled the GPS quite frequently (draining the battery when you were nowhere near the target location).

It took me awhile to figure out your philosophy with Geostrings, but once I got it it made really good sense. I love how you've got grouped locations, favorites, the time window, and the boomerang idea of "not this time" is genius!

I only jumped ship from HPalm back in August when Leo crapped all over webOS. I knew it was pretty much over at that point. Hated to go away but the bazillion apps on Android really makes for a lot of fun fiddling with the phone. On the other hand, with SO MANY apps out there it becomes hard to find good stuff. I'm not sure how popular location reminder apps really are, although the Android market does show how many downloads apps get so that would be a good start. On the other hand, since IOS 5 has built location based reminders into the OS, I think that introduces some jealously on the part of android users and suddenly they are looking for an equivalent app that they didn't know they needed (same story with people suddenly finding that they need an app equivalent to Siri).

Anyway, bottom line is that I am too new to Android to know how well you might do with porting geostrings over there. HANDS DOWN you'd be LIGHT YEARS ahead of anything else I've seen, but would it amount to some good $ returns or not - unfortunately I don't know.

Gerry

Thanks for the thoughts. That's a good point about the jealousy of the iOS 5 feature. I did browse location reminders awhile ago but never found anything I thought would work for me. My biggest concern is battery life. I felt good about using my own app because I knew exactly what I did to conserve battery. I don't have the same trust in other apps.

I have been missing GeoStrings too, so maybe I'll do it one day. What's good is that I'll be able to port over much of my code because I use a Javascript-based package called Titanium. So all the code I wrote for battery conservation (a lot of it) would be easy to port.

[mobilemitch]

Originally Posted by DanPLC

Thanks for the thoughts. That's a good point about the jealousy of the iOS 5 feature. I did browse location reminders awhile ago but never found anything I thought would work for me. My biggest concern is battery life. I felt good about using my own app because I knew exactly what I did to conserve battery. I don't have the same trust in other apps.

I have been missing GeoStrings too, so maybe I'll do it one day. What's good is that I'll be able to port over much of my code because I use a Javascript-based package called Titanium. So all the code I wrote for battery conservation (a lot of it) would be easy to port.

I have tried all the android "location" apps paid and free and nothing comes close to geostrings. I kind of gave up on them untill the IOs5 announcement and thought, well surely that would have prodded someone to write a decent app like geostrings.

Also, I think using a wifi to trigger an alarm is a great low-battery use way to ID a location. Like when I get home or to work if I want an alarm to trigger. No reason to use cell towers or GPS. Just use the ID of my wifi.

Dan dude, I would pay all kinds of money for geostrings on the android.

[DanPLC]

Originally Posted by mobilemitch

I have tried all the android "location" apps paid and free and nothing comes close to geostrings. I kind of gave up on them untill the IOs5 announcement and thought, well surely that would have prodded someone to write a decent app like geostrings.

Also, I think using a wifi to trigger an alarm is a great low-battery use way to ID a location. Like when I get home or to work if I want an alarm to trigger. No reason to use cell towers or GPS. Just use the ID of my wifi.

Dan dude, I would pay all kinds of money for geostrings on the android.

Another thing I'm hesitant about is supporting an app whose primary function depends on the device's ability to produce fairly accurate GPS readings. With so many devices out there in Android land, I'm wary to produce a GPS app since there may be some phones that don't have accurate GPS.

[ToddK]

I'd bet there are more than a few million (+/- 10 million), with accurate GPS - sounds like a lucritive opportunity to me.... '-)

I know this Motorola Photon's GPS is fast, accurate and barely uses the battery when on. (unlike my old Pre)

Sent from a Motorola-Photon using TapTalk for Android

[DanPLC]

Originally Posted by ToddK

I'd bet there are more than a few million (+/- 10 million), with accurate GPS - sounds like a lucritive opportunity to me.... '-)

I know this Motorola Photon's GPS is fast, accurate and barely uses the battery when on. (unlike my old Pre)

Sent from a Motorola-Photon using TapTalk for Android

Yeah you're probably right...I guess I'm just remembering all the bad ones from the Pre/Pre+ days.

[jdod]

When the Samsung Note comes to Sprint as the Journal, I suspect that will be the signal for me to go Android. I tried the Note at an ATT store, and its not too big for me and the function the stylus brings is much of what I have been missing since Palm left stylus based phones for capacitive screens. For now, Geostrings continues to be my most used app when on the road, and is the only app I fear will not have a decent replacement for on Android ICS for the Note/Journal series.

I hope you'll port it over, and if I already have my Journal, I'll be happy to help you test it.