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Building a Location Pinging App as Distributed Bus Tracking Tool

Submitted by John Geraci on 9 April 2009 - 10:42am to Phone Tracker Development.

Let's use this group to discuss development of a location pinging app for mobile phones that could be used as a distributed bus tracking device. This is something DIYcity and TOPP Labs are discussing building together. Anyone interested please join in.

This is not specific to NYC as I see it - a generic mobile phone pinger could be used in a variety of places and situations. So please feel free to join in regardless of where you are from.

Also, would love to get more than just developers working on this. Transportation specialists, urban planners - lots of viewpoints and specialties are needed here.

For previous discussion on phone pingers as distributed bus trackers, see this thread:

http://diycity.org/discussions/mobile-phone-pinger-bottom-tracking-syste...

There's no particular agenda here so don't wait for me to begin - just start posting if you feel the motivation.

09 Apr10:57

if you join the group

By John Geraci

if you join the group remember to enable email notification of new messages in your 'my membership' area. the site doesn't seem to be defaulting to that for new groups, and if you don't set it manually you wont be notified of new messages for the group.

09 Apr16:37

Testing today

By novalis

I'm going to go test the iPhone's location features today on NYC buses. First we need to whack together some iPhone software, then a tiny server, then I'll get on a bus!

09 Apr18:28

Er, nevermind

By novalis

Actually, I probably won't make it out until monday, because it turns out that Apple doesn't make it easy to install software on an iPhone. Who would have thunk?

09 Apr20:10

Re: Er, nevermind

By John Geraci

yeah, i think everyone is taking off early for holiday anyway. let's
circle around on this on monday and see what's up.

09 Apr21:17

Around the block

By novalis

Well, the iPhone people got something working, so I wandered around the block on foot. Here's the data from that trip:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=http:%2F%2Fn...

Note that on the Greenwich street, I ran at my full speed, then stopped at the corner for a few seconds to let my goddaughter (who has the day off school) catch up, and then continued. Also, I didn't actually make a right onto Jane street -- I have no idea where those two data points came from.

Monday, I'll ride the buses.

14 Apr19:10

Re: Around the block

By John Geraci

> Well, the iPhone people got something working, so I wandered around the> block on foot.  Here's the data from that trip:that's pretty cool.  if I send you my uuid can you set me up with a version of that app to play with?

14 Apr19:31

Probably

By novalis

Email Anil Makhjani (anil-openplans.org), the author of the app. I was using it on a jailbroken phone, but perhaps we now have a real license.

19 Apr05:17

Smart-City NYC

By reconfigure

I recently attended the Open Everything NYC sessions at UNICEF and was told about this site.

Last year, a piece of writing of mine on the NYC subway was published (http://smart-city.re-configure.org) entitled "Creating Communities of Communications and Foreknowledge." It relates to the real-time bus service alert idea, and does mention a bus stop concept out of Spain

Feedback on the writing from people here would be cool/appreciated.

It was published in the book "Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace." The free version is here http://tinyurl.com/3859nn

Jason Liszkiewicz
http://www.earth-intelligence.net
http://twitter.com/earthintelnet
http://re-configure.org

20 Apr22:59

What would you get?

By jaybird

Hi

Suppose you have that system: how exactly would it help? What would be the benefits and usages of it? Like what's the purpose?
I'm sorry i just can't find any answers to that so i'm asking.

Thanks,
jay

21 Apr00:13

re: what would you get?

By John Geraci

Hi Jay,

See this thread for some answers on that question:

http://diycity.org/discussions/mobile-phone-pinger-bottom-tracking-syste...

I was talking with Ken Snyder of placematters.org last week, and he saw a whole other slew of possible uses for such a tracker, of a more personal variety.

So there are lots of possible uses for a phone tracking system. In this discussion though we're talking about it in the context of distributed bus tracking.