PhoneSeek is an application to track any device that uses InstaMapper. InstaMapper is free real-time GPS tracking service. To use InstaMapper you need a GPS enabled device with the free InstaMapper tracking software installed along with a API Key from InstaMapper’s web site for each device you own. You can track mobile phones (iPhone, G1, Blackberry) or even automobiles.
Use Case
With PhoneSeek I can add my InstaMapper API Key for my phone and track it from the desktop. I can also add and track multiple devices. On my G1 phone, I installed the Android version of the InstaMapper tracking software. This software allows me to send my phone’s GPS data to InstaMapper service where I can view it either on their website or consume the data through InstaMapper’s web service. In PhoneSeek I just add the API Key to begin tracking the advice as soon as your phone starts to transmit GPS data.
Get PhoneSeek
Download the latest version from this location.
Development Background
PhoneSeek might be used to track devices from your family members, or maybe track down a lost or stolen phone. However, Phoneseek was basically created as a test project to learn PureMVC and also experiment with the new Google Maps API SWC for Adobe AIR. Previous versions of the Google Maps API SWC only worked for web-based applications.
Coming from Cairngorm to PureMVC was quite an experience. At first it was really painful because I had a tendency to over think things, or try to structure things more the Cairngorm ways (like dude, where are my delegates and commands).
I really had a hard time understanding where to put certain code, like update code, or code to set the window location on startup, and even how to pass around value objects used by more than one view. It took some time to get used to the PureMVC way, but all in all, its not a bad framework to work with. However, I still prefer Cairngorm and have since started to investigate and really enjoy Mate.
Credit for some of the graphics goes to DragonArtz Designs.
- Mister
4 Comments
Wow… When will it work? I’m successfully running AIR and the alpha of 64-bit Flash on an Ubuntu 0810×64 box, and can’t seem to get my Instamapper devices to show up in this setup…
I’ll try on one of my 32-bit systems, as well, but I don’t think that is the issue…
It is working, at least for me, it might be your version of AIR, I think it needs AIR 1.5.1. I am running a Mac.
Ah, be sure you are using your API Key from InstaMapper.com, not the Device Key.
I updated the post with links to the Device Manager on Instamapper.com which allows you to setup an API Key. This key allows PhoneSeek to talk to Instamapper web services for your device. If you have an account already, visit http://www.instamapper.com/fe?page=manageDevices and select Configure API Access.