InstaMapper Shut Down

[tkleager]

What does the InstaMapper shut down mean for live team tracking on Mission Manager?

[Radishworks]

Well darn, that's too bad.  Instamapper was a nice clean app and had a great API.  As far as a replacement short term, there are several MM apps out there these days that will do the same tracking.  See this thread: http://www.radishworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=217.0  I also think that several agencies have their own custom mobile apps, maybe they will share them  . 

As far as a general replacement for Instamapper, I'm open to suggestions.  I've experimented with Google Latitude, here: https://developers.google.com/latitude/  But it didn't seem like a good option at the time, but on the upside its Google!

I've also had some requests for APRS: http://www.aprs.org/  Although this isn't for tracking phones its for tracking radios.

Anyone else know of any (preferable free) cell phone tracking services with an API?

Anyone interesting in working on a mobile app like Instamapper?  With MM server doing most of the work, the Mobile app is really pretty simple.

Mike

[TARSAR]

Was the previous thread regardiing instamapper removed?  Or am I missing something?

[Radishworks]

Was the previous thread regardiing instamapper removed?  Or am I missing something?

No threads have been removed that I know of.

[TARSAR]

Sorry, suffering from CRS (can't remember squat), it was on the instamapper site. 

It is sad that they're shutting down, although their shutting down certainly points out that "free" services can't always survive despite the best intentions of their creators.  Hopefully MM won't be confronted with the same issues regarding prohibitive costs in both money and time.

[Greg W]

There is a donate button on the login page that we all should use more often  . It should probably be bigger given the number of agencies using the product. The services provided by Mission Manager help to create operational efficiencies that our agencies are beginning to rely on as fact.

[Radishworks]

It should probably be bigger given the number of agencies using the product.

Thanks for the pitch Greg  . 

The current donation rate is about 50 cents per team or about 3 cents per user.

Mike

[Radishworks]

Well its December 13th and it looks like Instamapper is gone  .  Instamapper was a great service and they will be missed.  All Instamapper options have been removed from MM.  Not to worry, with the new MM API, there are other options.  Try one of the MM Mobile Applications:

Beacon Mission Manager - http://www.zmonkey.org/beacon/
SarApp - http://www.sarapp.com/sarapp/appStore/
Mission Manager Mobile (in development) - http://imgur.com/a/SL1Yh

Or if you have some technical ability you can use the API to create your own tracking app.  See: http://www.radishworks.com/SearchManager/Help.htm#API

I've mentioned in a couple posts about looking into a simple replacement for a Instamapper.  To date I haven't found the right one.  Google Latitude is a neat tracker, but the complexity for users to hook it up caused me to pause going that direction.  Still keeping my eye open for other options, but with the mobile apps that do the same thing so other development will take priority. 

Mike
Radishworks

[LJinFLA]

Who is developing Mission Manager Mobile?  Is it you or someone else.  If someone else, who?  Can you provide contact info?  If you, what kind of an update can you give us?  If it is on the back burner, can you use some help?  or would you sell it?

Lee

[Radishworks]

"Mission Manager Mobile" was being developed by one of the MM users (i.e. not Radishworks).  I'm sorry, but I can't recall who it was.  Maybe if they are watching the forum they can chime in? 

If you are looking for an app to help with the development of I think all the source code for the Beacon App can be found here: http://www.zmonkey.org/beacon/

[tensai]

I can definitively state that the developer of Beacon would be more than happy to accept contributions. The code is GPLv2 and is all posted at Github.

[LJinFLA]

I have not been following Beacon because it is being developed for Android.  Our team seems to be almost exclusively Apple.  I have never tried to converts an app from Android to Apple.

[rqd]

InstaMapper alternatives: http://www.moreofit.com/similar-to/www.instamapper.com/Top_10_Sites_Like_Instamapper/  Too many for me to review, but I'll start with the first page and see what's out there.

[Radishworks]

Welcome rqd, thanks for the post.   If anyone wants to give them a try and find one with an API please let us know which one is best.  Key factors will be that it has an accessible API and supports all phone types. 

[rqd]

This looks pretty straightforward: HTML5 API for most all mobile devices (via the browser). Should be fairly straightforward to embed in a simple app or shortcut that launches a browser page on the device.

Docs here: http://goo.gl/5O8X4

Or this: JavaScript GeoLocation API for mobile browsers.  Downside, looks old and possibly abandoned. Looks like it may interfere with other browser-based GPS calls, though

Load this page on your mobile browser and it should report/display your coordinates.

http://kantyka.com/mobile-gps-web-gate/

JavaScript examples here: https://code.google.com/p/mobile-gps-web-gate/