My Nextel i760 Phone

[Squintz]

I just bought a nextel i760 phone (aka nextel 3-digit series). I went ahead a got the lowest internet package which is an extra $10 for unlimited use and then I got GPS software which is another $10. I just thought I would share some of my finding over the last few days and tell you guys how cool these phones are. There is a lot of potential for these phones in the home automation world.

Yesterday, me and the family were shoping for xmas trees. We had a list of tree farms we wanted to go to. All I had to do was input my Destination Address and click ok. The GPS software connected to the internet and downloaded directions from my Current location to the Destination. Then the on screen display counted down the miles until our next turn. It actually counted down to the feet. At about .6 miles it warns you that your turn is coming up. Then at .1 miles it says Turn Now.

The GPS technology has been improved because it not only uses the satalites but it also uses the cell towers just in case you lose satalite lock. It took a about 10 minutes for me to figure out how to use the software (I did not read the manual ).

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The next really cool thing about these phones is their ability to run Java applications. Since I just finished my Java 5.0 programming class for college I was pretty syked about it. I went online and found that Java has a package that you can install that allows you to program for mobile phones. It also gives me the ability to setup a Java Server (J2EE) on my home pc and write what are called Servlets. Then I can write something called a MIDlet which is the same as an applet but for mobile phones.

Java has made some really cool tools that allow you to compile your Java programs and package them up in a matter of seconds. It also has an emulator program that comes with those tools so you can try your application on what looks like a real phone. This saves you from having to link your phone to your PC all the time. It also makes it easier to debug your applications this way.

So, I can see a whole lot of things that could be done with these MIDlets. For example a servlet could be tied to your HomeSeer or CQC software and allow you to monitor the status of your home and even control it. Also, You could write a MIDlet to send you the location of your phone in case you lose it. Still working out the details on this one because I think it would require user interaction but I may be able to run the MIDlet all the time.

There are classes in java that would allow you to stream TV feeds to your phone. TV feeds are expensive for phones but could probably be free if I wrote an applicaiton to stream feeds from my ATI card or Security Cameras.

Here are a few How-To links and other links that I have used to learn about this stuff.


http://www.j2me.org/yabbse/index.php?board...lay;threadid=46
http://idenphones.motorola.com/iden/develo...rGuidelines.pdf
http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobility/getstart/
http://developer.sprint.com/site/global/n_...5548d861d33.jsp
http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobil...icles/wtoolkit/
http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobil...al2/j2eeri.html
http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobil...cles/tutorial2/

If you try to do any of this stuff there is a lesson I had to learn the hard way. The Java 5.0 SDK does not work with the J2EE 1.3.1 (Java Server). You need to get either 1.3 Java SDK or do what I did and get 1.4 of the Java Server. They say 1.3.1 is the latest but 1.4 is now available.

If you guy think of cool ideas that you could use Java programs on your cell phone for post them here.

 

[TCassio]

My i605 has all those features plus Bluetooth.

 

[Mike]

So did I read that right: They tack on another $20 / month to use GPS and internet?

 

[Rupp]

So did I read that right: They tack on another $20 / month to use GPS and internet?

That's what I was wondering as well. Someone posted a link recently to a prepaid phone that could be used for GPS tracking for $6 month but I couldn't find the link.

 

[TCassio]

Its $10 a month to be able to download the directions (subscription for the service) that are used with the GPS feature. My phone will always tell you where you are via GPS via Lat and Lon and something else, not familar with this stuff. That part is free. and yes, $10 a month for the internet. I did not get these additional subscriptions. As crapy as all cell phone service is I was not going to pay addtl $$$ that works as well as cell service.

 

[Squintz]

Yes, the 20 a month is $10 for unlimited web browsing and $10 to use their GPS Software to download maps and directions. The GPS service on the phone is of course free but It does not do much more than provide the GPS message. You could write your own software and not have to pay for their software.

Their software is called TeleNav if you want to look into it.

 

[Skibum]

Hey Squintz

Telenav is OK... if yer the type of person that can't find their way to the mobil station down the street..... lol

You might want to check out www.accutracking.com for some cool free stuff that you can do, like the locate me link I have here.

 

[smee]

So did I read that right: They tack on another $20 / month to use GPS and internet?

That's what I was wondering as well. Someone posted a link recently to a prepaid phone that could be used for GPS tracking for $6 month but I couldn't find the link.

You are probably referring to mologogo (I think that was discussed recently somewhere). You can get a $60 phone from BoostMobile [1] (Motorola i415 [2]) and a data cable and download the mologogo software. Boost is a pay-as-you-go wireless company and charges $0.20 a day for unlimited web access (there are no other fees but you pay for each minute). Mologogo is free.

As far as I can tell, accutracking also works fine with the Boost Mobile phones.

[1] I really don't like Boost Mobile's web site. Ignoring the fact that it's targeted to teen agers (most pay-as-you-go phones are), it's based on too much flash. It is possible to find information without going through the flash, but it's not always easy. Not even the "site map" link gets you to everything. I really wish sites would realize that not everyone wants to or can run flash (or can navigate with it) and would improve alternate means of navigation.

[2] from Target and Best Buy, among others.

 

[Rupp]

I wonder if this would work with the i285 BoostMobile phone? These are available on ebay for $48

 

[smee]

I wonder if this would work with the i285 BoostMobile phone? These are available on ebay for $48

Both mologogo and accutracking say that they work on the i285. With the i485 going for $60 at Target, I'd probably take the walk-in-walk-out-with-a-phone-no-waiting-involved-for-an-extra-$12-(plus-tax) approach.

You probably want to find the USB data cable online (ebay or other). They run $30 in stores for the official Motorola one. They show up on ebay for under $10 (but I have not bought one from ebay). I've heard that you should stick with the Motorola cables as some after-market ones are not completely compatible (i.e., they will charge the phone but the data connections aren't made).

I've played with mologogo for a few days. It's crashed after 20 minutes or so a couple times. Accutracking is next on my list.

 

[Rupp]

Smee,
Which phone do you have?

 

[smee]

Smee,
Which phone do you have?

i415

 

[Rupp]

Smee,
Which phone do you have?

i415

Did you buy if just for this "experiment" or did you already have it?

 

[smee]

Smee,
Which phone do you have?

i415

Did you buy if just for this "experiment" or did you already have it?

Just for this experiment. I don't intend to use it as my regular phone. I'll admit that I haven't played with the phone as a phone that much (I haven't made or received any calls), but I prefer my current phone (which was cheaper, too). I don't use my cell phone very much at all, anyway.

It's not the cheapest experiment in the world, but sometimes you feel like playing with something.

 

[Rupp]

Smee,
This is exactly what I want to do. The one thing I wanted to confirm was that you could get the data plan without the voice plan. Also about the tracking. Does it work? How often does it drop a way point? Do you simply leave the phone on and run this app? Can you elaborate on this a bit more?
Thanks
Greg