TreoSpot, Location Based Profile App

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Thursday, May 15, 2008 12:11:32 PM

TreoSpotTreoSpot is an interesting, yet oddly named, application for GSM Palm OS smartphones. Odd in that it only works on the GSM Centro. The developer describes it as a Location Based Reminder and Phone Profile Settings utility. Once you set up the TreoSpot location database (from the cellular tower ID's I presume), you can enable alerts and phone profiles when you are in a specific area. It's quite an impressive piece of work for a device without any native GPS capabilities.

TreoSpot v2.4 is available as freeware with donations accepted. It is developed by TreoTown, makers of the "iPhone-ish" Treobble and other nice freeware utilities.

Article Comments

 (7 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Start a new Comment Down

Not surprise that this only works in GSM Centro

asiayeah @ 5/16/2008 11:07:19 AM # Q
I'm not surprised that this application only works on the GSM Centro. Because the ability (API) to query the Cellular tower ID of the GSM network is only available on the GSM Centro. This API is not on the CDMA Centro nor the Treo 680 GSM. This is a shame on Palm that they never release this API to any existing device, but the Centro GSM only.

I'm not sure how useful this application would be. If the location of the Cellular tower ID is already available or built-in, then it could be more useful. Has anyone tried this in real-life?

-
With great power comes great responsiblity.

RE: Not surprise that this only works in GSM Centro
amflores @ 5/16/2008 11:44:48 AM # Q
If the treo 680 can´t query cellular tower´s ID, how "my location" software works? Because I have it installed on my treo and works great, I understood that the query thing was exactly what that software did...

RE: Not surprise that this only works in GSM Centro
BaalthazaaR @ 5/16/2008 2:19:50 PM # Q
CDMA also has the ability to query tower IDs. It is just a matter of having the correct "AT" command (not an expert here). I have, in the past, retreived the tower ID from my CDMA dumbphone connected via bluetooth to my Palm TX. I was at one time looking at trying to write an app to give me all that functionality.
RE: Not surprise that this only works in GSM Centro
palmit @ 5/16/2008 4:33:36 PM # Q
I'm still trying to figure out what you would use this program for?

RE: Not surprise that this only works in GSM Centro
BaalthazaaR @ 5/16/2008 6:38:45 PM # Q
Simple example would be incoming call should notify me by vibrating when I'm in the office and by ringtone when I'm at home (where the phone would be on the table).
RE: Not surprise that this only works in GSM Centro
hkklife @ 5/16/2008 6:48:59 PM # Q
Baal;

Just out of curiosity, what CDMA dumbphone did you have tethered to your TX? Were you actually tethering your TX and getting online with it or were you just doing OBEX-type stuff (contact & photo transfer, number dialing etc)?

Historically, *VERY* few CDMA handsets worked with the TX or LifeDrive due to Palm intentionally crippling those final two PDAs to not work with CDMA BT phones (in order to sell more Treos, naturally). And since Palm stopped updating the PhoneLink Update software, none of the newer GSM handsets were officially supported either.


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Not surprise that this only works in GSM Centro
BaalthazaaR @ 5/16/2008 8:16:21 PM # Q
Just out of curiosity, what CDMA dumbphone did you have tethered to your TX? Were you actually tethering your TX and getting online with it or were you just doing OBEX-type stuff (contact & photo transfer, number dialing etc)?

It was a Kyocera K323. I guess I should have been more clear that I tried only the OBEX-type stuff. I simply wanted to dial contacts from my address book, keep tabs on signal & battery strength, etc and did some research as to what was available. I mentioned it only because of this thread about the use of the Tower ID (which I didn't see as useful at the time).

I didn't try tethering because I didn't see the need for getting online with it at the time, since about 90% of the places I'm at have free wi-fi access and one of the places even re-enabled 802.11b just for my TX after their upgrade.

Since I'm trying to be clear, I didn't actually write the code. I researched what was available (a basic sample app) and whether I could actually get the functionality that I was looking for. The sample app showed me that if I had the right AT commands (which I knew very little about before hand), I could retrieve signal strength, tower ID (seemed irrelevant at the time), battery status and a few other things that I do not recall from a couple of years ago. I even downloaded the FrankenGarnet SDK a couple of times, but never got around to installing it.

I was, however, defeated by my contract (that I signed a long time ago) giving my employer ownership of any code that I write even when off-duty. Given that FrankenGarnet is practically dead, I don't forsee myself ever writing it. Also staring at a computer screen all day doesn't help either. I wish I could go back in time and leave programming as a hobby.

Anyway, time for a few cervezas.

Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: