The app supports GPS and network location methods. You can enable and disable GPS from the settings. If GPS is disabled the network location provider will be used. It´s possible to configure how long the app waits for a GPS signal before giving up. If a GPS signal can´t be found, the app falls back to network location.

The registration process is more intuitive than the Symbian version. When you start the app for the first time, a web page pops up in the app where you can log in or register for the service. After logging in you´re returned to the app automatically.

So far we´ve used 55 hours creating Phonelocator for Android (a tiny fraction of the time spent on the Symbian version). There´s still loads of features to add:

• Update version IMEI/IMSI to server
• Prettiness – icons, nicer lists etc
• Passcode protected settings and uninstall
• Buddy message – a message that is sent to a known “buddy” number when the SIM card in the phone is changed.

Most of the settings on the web site releate to the Symbian version. However, it is possible to enable and disable updates from the web site and change the update frequency. The phone´s IMEI and IMSI numbers (and the app´s version number) are not updated to the web site and consequently is currently only possible to have one Android app per account.

Phonelocator for Android is free and open source. The source code is hosted on Github here. If anybody wants to get involved in the development please get in touch

The app has been tested on a Samsung Galaxy S2. I´ve been updating every 10 mins and running the app has not made any perceivable difference to battery life. Please let us know your experiences with it.

The work has begun. Our plan is to have the first version ready for release by the end of the summer. Check the screen shots below:

This process is the same for both Phonelocator Periodic versions 0.9 (free) and 1.0 (paid)

See below:

Most of the changes are not visible to the user, we’ve upgraded from Rails 2 to Rails 3 and moved from restful-authentication to authlogic. The app has been given a visual referesh and the following new features added:

My account page

It’s possible to view and edit your login and email address. Account deletion is now possible without emailing support too!

Delete updates

It’s now possible to delete individual updates.

Testing the app

The app is not yet production ready, but it is now possible to test it. You will need Phonelocator 1.0 mobile app from the Ovi store. After installing and starting the application, switch to the settings pane and set the host name to stage.phonelocator.mobi. Then switch back to the status pane and sign in as normal. You will need to create an account on stage.phonelocator.mobi even if you already on perioidc.phonelocator.mobi. If you already have Phonelocator 1.0 installed on your phone, you’ll need to remove it and re-install using the Ovi store.

The phone was stolen at 7:00PM on Jan 6. Bruce was able to track it to a point in a Windhoek suburb called Khomasdal. Despite the limited GPS accuracy of version 0.9 Bruce was able to place the phone within 3 houses on each side of the street. (The GPS accuracy has been improved in version 1.0)

At about 8.30 PM the thief swapped SIM cards which is when Bruce received the SMS notification. (Bruce’s number was set as the buddy number on his daughters phone) The SIM card inserted was not GPRS enabled, which prevented further location updates from being sent. Despite this setback Bruce took the last know location of the phone and it’s new number to the Nambian police. They obtained the new numbers telephone logs from the mobile operator, MTC. The police then questioned some people who had called the new number who revealed the identity of the theif.

Bruce concluded, “The bottom line is that the Geo-locating function was useful up to a point, but it was the buddy number, phone IMEI and MTC logs which were the prime reasons in locating the phone.”