Earlier, we posted about the DIY cheap GPS tracking service Mologogo, you can get a cheap $60 pre-paid boost mobile phone, register on the site, download a Java app and you’re pretty much done. The phone will transmit your position to server (Uses Rails, Linux, Google Maps) and you/your friends can view where you are at in real time. I’ve hacked up tons of solutions to do the same thing, and this is simplest and cheapest (pretty much free if you have the phone, or $60 if you go pre-paid + 0.20 / day). Here are some photos and screenshots of the service in use…
Starting up, took the dog for a walk.
Choose the app.
It’ll display the memory.
And then find the satellites. You can also hit prefs and this is where you’d enter you log/pass you registered on the service/site as well as other items, like sending, type of map, etc.
Here I am, it shows where you are, and how many minutes ago you were there, it will also show friends if added on the site.
Another ping – let’s look at it on the server.
I went a few places in Seattle, and it worked great.
Satellite view.
This was on my way to Radioshack to buy a serial cable, again.
So there it is, register on the site and check out the Wiki for more information. If you need a fun or low cost way of tracking things, it doesn’t get any easier.
One other note, it does use a data plan, but it’s free if you have a phone and dataplan. With prepaid it uses .20 a day (20 cents) for wireless web, but thats for unlimited points. Not bad at all.
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