Emergency App

meanredspider

Does anybody know of a good iPhone app that detects when you've had an "off" on your bike and, if you don't respond, "calls for help" ? There's a few apps of this type about - many of which are ski-related - but as it gets dark and icy, I wouldn't mind one for my isolated commute

fossyant

To many chances for it to go wrong I'd think.

meanredspider

fossyant wrote:

To many chances for it to go wrong I'd think.

Possibly - it is my biggest concern though

Corporate Camper

Like this? : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... ident.html

meanredspider

Corporate Camper wrote:

Like this? : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... ident.html

Yup - pretty much but I'm not sure it needs the helmet bit - the iPhone already has sensors.

veronese68

does Mrs MRS have an iPhone? If so couldn't she use FindmyiPhone to track your movements, if you're late she can use it to find you.

meanredspider

Veronese68 wrote:

does Mrs MRS have an iPhone? If so couldn't she use FindmyiPhone to track your movements, if you're late she can use it to find you.

Good idea but it's usually on the way to work that I'm at the most risk. I thought that there was already a good app for this but it seems that this ICEdot thing is the most anticipated (can't find anything else) - and April is too late.

I read that Apple is working on a crash sensor for the iPhone.

Just have to ride a bit more carefully

Corporate Camper

You really only need something that sends out an "alert" if your Gps position doesn't change for a couple of minutes during your commute... That said, I don't know if there is such a thing.

meanredspider

There are apps that send an alert if it doesn't detect movement

Corporate Camper

There you go, then Mrs Spider could get the alert and then activate "find my iPhone" (assuming she hasn't eaten you, they do that)

sketchley

All you need is a tracking app, that sends data of where you are to your home pc or a website, it would be fairly easy then to write an application that could alert based on all kinds of things, like no movement for a time period, or being late at a check point that kind of thing. The app would run on pc or web server all you need is to get the tracking info. Might be worth firing an email to Endomondo they could add an alerting function fairly easily. They may even have an Api......

bompington

meanredspider wrote:

I read that Apple is working on a crash sensor for the iPhone.

I'd have thought that accelerometers would do the job fine, how effective an app would be is more a question of how it interprets the data.

meanredspider

I found an app that basically monitors your movement. If it stops, it will text, mail and Facebook a "buddy" with your location. That will probably do the trick. Might test it

bails87

bompington wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I read that Apple is working on a crash sensor for the iPhone.

I'd have thought that accelerometers would do the job fine, how effective an app would be is more a question of how it interprets the data.

It would be easy to fool if you were MTBing though. Go off a big jump and stop for a few minutes to watch other riders coming down....

daviesee

bails87 wrote:

bompington wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I read that Apple is working on a crash sensor for the iPhone.

I'd have thought that accelerometers would do the job fine, how effective an app would be is more a question of how it interprets the data.

It would be easy to fool if you were MTBing though. Go off a big jump and stop for a few minutes to watch other riders coming down....

Or traffic lights. You do stop on red don't you?

meanredspider

daviesee wrote:

Or traffic lights. You do stop on red don't you?

I think the idea is that it is very sensitive to movement and has minutes rather than seconds of stillness before triggered.

bails87

meanredspider wrote:

daviesee wrote:

Or traffic lights. You do stop on red don't you?

I think the idea is that it is very sensitive to movement and has minutes rather than seconds of stillness before triggered.

Plus I'd expect it would need a 'bang' of some sort to make it think you'd fallen off.

As already said, endomondo can do live tracking, but it obviously relies on phone signal, which might be a problem where you ride.

daviesee

meanredspider wrote:

daviesee wrote:

Or traffic lights. You do stop on red don't you?

I think the idea is that it is very sensitive to movement and has minutes rather than seconds of stillness before triggered.

Could be panic stations when the club stops for cake though!
Just picking holes whist trying (failing) to inject humour.

Kieran_Burns

daviesee wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

daviesee wrote:

Or traffic lights. You do stop on red don't you?

I think the idea is that it is very sensitive to movement and has minutes rather than seconds of stillness before triggered.

Could be panic stations when the club stops for cake though!
Just picking holes whist trying (failing) to inject humour.

You don't ask for much do you? Talk about having your cake and eating it.


(IGMC)

jonnyboy77

meanredspider wrote:

I found an app that basically monitors your movement. If it stops, it will text, mail and Facebook a "buddy" with your location. That will probably do the trick. Might test it

Which app did you find out of interest?

Thanks

Jon

fossyant

I'd worry about the app causing unnecessary alarm or concern if it goes off.

Are you using ice tyres ? Do you have an alternative mode of transport if things aren't good ?

I've come off on ice three times on one ride many years ago. These snow and ice tyres are excellent though. I ride the MTB with snow studs in the ice and snow, and not had any problems.

meanredspider

fossyant wrote:

I'd worry about the app causing unnecessary alarm or concern if it goes off.

Are you using ice tyres ? Do you have an alternative mode of transport if things aren't good ?

I've come off on ice three times on one ride many years ago. These snow and ice tyres are excellent though. I ride the MTB with snow studs in the ice and snow, and not had any problems.

I was going to validate it with a month of rides where I contact only myself if it goes off.

Yes - I use ice tyres. Yes - I have a car but honestly that's in some ways worse when the ice is bad. The dark is as much the problem too - and just the sheer remoteness. This morning, for instance, I was only passed by two Forestry Commission vans going the other way together. It's slightly better when schools are in because I'll also see the school bus and, on a Wednesday, I'll see the bin men.

merkin

Presumably the worst case scenario of a false alarm will simply being your nearest and dearest calling to check you are ok while you are sat at lights, fixing a puncture, eating cake or whatever. As long as you answer then no harm done. There must be settings for how long a delay before it puts out an alert. It sounds a good idea for peace of mind for your partners.

meanredspider

So I tested the app this morning. I set the "no movement detected" timer to the default 5 minutes. I got slightly distracted talking to the VP's PA on the way into my office and the app was 57s away from sending an alert when I turned it off.

bails87

I got slightly distracted talking to the VP's PA

The secretary?

meanredspider

bails87 wrote:

I got slightly distracted talking to the VP's PA

The secretary?

Personal Assistant

FoldingJoe

I'd be interested to know what the app is, MRS?

Cheers,
FJ

meanredspider

FoldingJoe wrote:

I'd be interested to know what the app is, MRS?

iSOSalert from the Apple App Store (£4.99 IIRC) - I should let you know (because it's not clear until you buy and install it) that you get 10 SMS messages free then you have to pay (dunno what) - that's not so clever though I'm hoping not to need them. The reasoning goes that IOS doesn't let apps send texts so you need to use a 3rd party provider (presumably via the Web)

Corporate Camper

meanredspider wrote:

FoldingJoe wrote:

I'd be interested to know what the app is, MRS?

iSOSalert from the Apple App Store (£4.99 IIRC) - I should let you know (because it's not clear until you buy and install it) that you get 10 SMS messages free then you have to pay (dunno what) - that's not so clever though I'm hoping not to need them. The reasoning goes that IOS doesn't let apps send texts so you need to use a 3rd party provider (presumably via the Web)

Does that mean that you need to be dying in a ditch where there is a 3G signal, or will it still work if you are dying with a lesser signal?

meanredspider

Corporate Camper wrote:

Does that mean that you need to be dying in a ditch where there is a 3G signal, or will it still work if you are dying with a lesser signal?

I *think* I need to choose a ditch with some form of data signal (GPRS, Edge, 3G, 4G etc). I think most of the ditches on my route are so equipped.

veronese68

meanredspider wrote:

Corporate Camper wrote:

Does that mean that you need to be dying in a ditch where there is a 3G signal, or will it still work if you are dying with a lesser signal?

I *think* I need to choose a ditch with some form of data signal (GPRS, Edge, 3G, 4G etc). I think most of the ditches on my route are so equipped.

Connectivity in ditches. Surely this belongs in the times are changing thread.