Route Tracker version 1.0 deployed to Marketplace

Route Tracker version 1.0, has been finally realeased to the Windows Phone Marketplace and is available @ Marketplace link (Zune must be installed). The main differences with the Route Tracker Lite version are:

• a route can be split in stages
• different stages use different colors in the map representation
• most of the speed and altitude figures have been replaced with a graphical representation.
• routes can be uploaded to a dropbox account
• routes are saved in the phone´s memory

A future post describing the application should be posted shortly. Meanwhile see below the description as provided in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Route Tracker is an application that tracks your route while you move (walk, run, drive). The application allows the user to split the route into several stages (shown in different colors in the map of the route) and will show the following.

• statistics of the route,
• a chart with altitude and speed
• a map of the route.
• a list of stages, with their names and summary

The available statistics are total distance, total time, time in motion, time paused (time in motion and time paused is based on whether the user pauses/restarts it), average speed, current altitude, and current latitude and longitude.

It supports three systems: international (meters, km/h, etc.), imperial (yards, feet, mph, etc) and nautic (knots, nm, etc.).

Once stopped, the route is stored in the telephone's memory and either before closing it or afterwards by re-opening it, user can perform the following operations

• delete the route
• capture the current screen to the stored images of the telephone
• send the route as gpx (kml) via email (gpx will be used by default, and kml will be used if the gpx file is bigger than 32 KB -maximum size allowed so far for emails. If the kml file is bigger than 32KB then the email won´t be sent).
• upload the route as gpx to his or her dropbox account.

Feedback received so far for Route Tracker Lite

With this post I just want to list all the feedback receibed so far for Route Tracker Lite and my view on each of the points.

• Caching of maps (i.e. before starting route by selecting a radius centered at current location)
  I do agree it is a good idea. I included it in the list of features for future versions.
• On the map page, allow the screen to be captured to images album.
  In Route Tracker, the "complete" version of the application that will be published in some weeks from now (there is some IRS paper work pending) it has been already implemented.It is very likely it will be included in Route Tracker Lite as well.
• Allow a feature to capture a link of your location or route to Google map, which can be sent as SMS or email to yourself or friend.
  This item will have to wait before some of the other features are implemented first.
• Add a compass on the map page, so that you know the direction you are heading.
  I have an internal version that includes a compass page, the main problem with it is that the information comming from the actual compass on the device is not accessible yet to applications, and the current implementation needs to compute the direction you are moving based on GPS data and requires the user to move. Not sure whether it is a good idea to release such a compass page.
• Solve the problem with email length limitation.
  In Route Tracker, the "complete" version of the application that will be published in some weeks from now (there is some IRS paper work pending) in addition to sending emails, the application can upload the route as a gpx file to a dropbox account.
  At some point, Route Tracker Lite will include the same feature, but it is not yet planned.
  I am also hoping that at some point Microsoft allows 3rd party applications to include attachments with emails and there is a much bigger file size limit.
  Some people suggested splitting the route in several files (I don´t think users would like the app sending 2 or 3 emails), or increasing the number of meteres one has to move before the application tracks a position (thus reducing number of positions and file size).
• Is it difficult to force the map orientation to point in the direction of travel, i.e. pointing towards the roads that you are heading?
  I don´t know whether is easy or difficult but I do like maps that have north on top and south on bottom.
• Posibility to enable or disable "auto-magnification" of map.
  The map currently centers an sets the current displaying rectangle to the minimum area and correct zoom level so that the complete route fits in the screen. The request is basically that once the route is a long one that changes so that the "next two to three side roads or road names" are visible.
  I still don´t have a strong opinion on this and need to think more of it.
• Ability to disable screen lock from within Route Trakcer Lite.
  Well, it is not important whether I think is a good or bad idea because applications fo not have access to the system settings and there is no way to implement it. 

And I think that's it so far. If you have any additional feedback or comment, use either the comments option of this blog or email them to route.tracker.wp7@gmail.com

Route Tracker Lite version 1.1

Version 1.1 of Route Tracker Lite is now available on the Marketplace. It is a minor update that includes the following changes:

• Name changes from GPS Tracker Lite to Route Tracker Lite
• Improved Marketplace artwork
• conversion from meters to feet was wrong
• stops the route as soon as you hit the stop button
• some other minor changes

GPS Tracker Lite version 1.0

GPS Tracker Lite version 1.0 for Windows Phone 7, the free version of the future GPS Tracker application finally passed the application certification process and is now available on the Marketplace. Marketplace link (Zune must be installed)

GPS Tracker Lite is an application that tracks your route while you move (walk, run, drive) and shows two main things: statistics of the route, and a map of the route being followed. It supports three measurement unit systems: international (meters, km/h, etc.), imperial (yards, feet, mph, etc) and nautic (knots, nm, etc.).

The available statistics are total distance, total time, time in motion, time paused (time in motion and time paused is based on whether the user pauses/restarts it), average speed, current altitude, max and min altitude, and current latitude and longitude.

Once stopped, it will let you send the full route as a kml file using your email account. Due to limitations for third-party application developers for Windows Phone 7, the file cannot be sent as an attachement and is instead sent as the actual body of the message (which is in turn limited to 32 KB approximately).

In order to keep the UI design as simple as possible, the route screen does not include icons or labels to help distinguish what each figure actually represents. The reasoning behind such decision is the fact that there is little space for confusion and using the application for some minutes will make each of them clear enough, and once you know what they represent icons or description labels are never needed again.

• 4.40km represents the total distance moved since route tracking started.
• The bigger 00:05'41'' represents the total time accumulated since route tracking started. It includes both time in motion and time paused and for the screenshot it means 0 hours, 5 minutes and 41 seconds.
• The small 00:05'41'' with a play icon on its right represents the total time in motion since route tracking started. Time in motion or paused is tracked based on when the user pauses/continues the route.
• The small 00:00'00'' with a pause icon on its right represents the total time paused since route tracking started. Time in motion or paused is tracked based on when the user pauses/continues the route, and in the screenshot you can see there has been no pause at all.
• 46.39km/h represents the average speed since route tracking started and does not take paused time into account.
• The bigger 300m represents the last altitude provided by the GPS.
• The small 300m represents the lowest altitude provided by the GPS since since route tracking started and while the route was not paused.
• 600m represents the highest altitude provided by the GPS since route tracking started and while the route was not paused.
• 25º20'35''S represents the last latitude provided by the GPS.
• 131º01'30''E represents the last longitude provided by the GPS.