Has anyone else here used Nextel's Mobile Locator? I have been using AccuTracker for less than a day, and it has numerous powerful features!
Nextel's mobile locator allows you to login and view the location of the phone only at that instant. It also uses a Total Connect data plan to send the information to the website. It does not do queries over time as AccuTracker does.
The real interesting difference that has me puzzled is that no additional software was added to the phone. I have an i88s and when I goto the website and query the location of the phone. The website will report back if it received the location based on GPS or cell-towers (not as accurate). Any ideas on how they are getting the location without a J2ME app? Have not been able to find any documentation on developer.nextel.com or motorola's developer site.
Of course, Mobile Locator is NOT free...$15/month/phone. See more details here.
Nextel's Mobile Locator
Re:
I was mostly comparing that it works without having to load the J2ME application.
After some further research, it uses Openwave's Location Manager. In fact, you can now download a Mobile Location Protocol (MLP) Development Guide from Nextel's Developer Site.
In the end, it works by posting XML request in Open Mobile Alliance Mobile Location Protocol format to a Location Studio server (not sure if this is owned by Nextel or Openwave). This server then reports back the location information. I am assuming the $15/phone would be the cost associated with accessing the server.
I do like the cost and robustness that AccuTracking offers! The mapping is very powerful!
After some further research, it uses Openwave's Location Manager. In fact, you can now download a Mobile Location Protocol (MLP) Development Guide from Nextel's Developer Site.
In the end, it works by posting XML request in Open Mobile Alliance Mobile Location Protocol format to a Location Studio server (not sure if this is owned by Nextel or Openwave). This server then reports back the location information. I am assuming the $15/phone would be the cost associated with accessing the server.
I do like the cost and robustness that AccuTracking offers! The mapping is very powerful!
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tc0nndallas
It does use GPS on the phone, as only certain phones actually have GPS that the Java can read. It also falls back on the tower location, NOT tower triangulation. So if the phone is inside a parking garage, you should know within a mile or two where it is located.
My biggest complaint is I have no way to give the location information to other employees. Nextel's software/application developers need to be punched in the mouth for developing such idiotic software that entirely relies on the Nextel account administrator to login interactively.
My two or three suggestions:
1. allow non-administrators (with approval) to access the mobile-locator
2. allow the data to be retrieved externally
3. find a way to communicate with the people who actually use this stuff.
My biggest complaint is I have no way to give the location information to other employees. Nextel's software/application developers need to be punched in the mouth for developing such idiotic software that entirely relies on the Nextel account administrator to login interactively.
My two or three suggestions:
1. allow non-administrators (with approval) to access the mobile-locator
2. allow the data to be retrieved externally
3. find a way to communicate with the people who actually use this stuff.
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Bmack
I just purchase the new I860 and loaded Accutracking. I also asked for Nextel's Mobile Loactor as a trial. Nextel Locator had my location as approximately a mile from where I was acutally located. Accutracting was exactly correct. I will be cancelling the trail version of Nextel Locator also. Bmack....tc0nndallas wrote:It does use GPS on the phone, as only certain phones actually have GPS that the Java can read. It also falls back on the tower location, NOT tower triangulation. So if the phone is inside a parking garage, you should know within a mile or two where it is located.
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Guest
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Guest
yeah, Nextel Mobile Location service is suck 
I called their tech support and they said it tracks to the closest receiver, not the spot where you're at.
the Nextel Mobile locator works only if you combine with Accutracking.
you need to turn Accutracking from your cell on first, then go the Nextel Website to locate your mobile. I found this work fine....
but why you need to pay $15 / m while you get from Accutracking for free
My question is, I have i730 phone after I installed the Accutracking on the phone it's work fine, except on the Accutracking Web Still No Data on the tracking....
I have added 1 MB Data access via Nextel but I have to wait 12-24hrs.
I think Accutracking is cool!
I called their tech support and they said it tracks to the closest receiver, not the spot where you're at.
the Nextel Mobile locator works only if you combine with Accutracking.
you need to turn Accutracking from your cell on first, then go the Nextel Website to locate your mobile. I found this work fine....
but why you need to pay $15 / m while you get from Accutracking for free
My question is, I have i730 phone after I installed the Accutracking on the phone it's work fine, except on the Accutracking Web Still No Data on the tracking....
I have added 1 MB Data access via Nextel but I have to wait 12-24hrs.
I think Accutracking is cool!
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J Nick
Nextel Mobile Locater vs. Accutracking
It's no contest, of course, although I have both on the phones. Since Mobile Locator is not a Java app, it is mostly dependant on the tower location, which I've experienced can read MILES from the actual location. And there is no history record either, except for your last 5 manual queries. The locate is slow, mapping is cumbersome, and yes, it only finds the location of the phone for the instant of your query. So WHY in the world does Nextel charge for it...and better yet, WHY THE HECK do I still pay for such a doggy program??? Well, Accutracking IS the bomb, but is entirely GPS based...so if the phone is "out of sight" or "not found" you get no data and hence no location. Nextel mobile locater will always send a location usually of the nearest receiving tower, as long as the phone is on, has signal and the user isn't locked in some lead vault six feet under. It will also send the precise GPS location, but only when you happen to query the phone at the precise moment a GPS phone is in "sight" of a GPS signal. And once in a GREAT WHILE, Mobile locator has given me a GPS location when Accutracking did not. I presume that's because I queried the phone inbetween Accutracking's send interval. In that case, I can cut and paste Mobile Locator coordinates into the coordinate block of Accutracking's mapping, and it gives me Mobile Locater's location with all the benefits of Accutracking's great mapping! Geez...I must have too much spare time, ya know? Bottom line is this...Mobile locater offers just 2 advantages..TOWER location, when Accutracking doesn't see the phone, but that's old world technology, ya know. You could've been using tower location since cells evolved from tin can and string. AND, Mobile locator does not require the TOTAL CONNECT SERVICE PLAN (and the extra 10 BUCKS) so it's just about a wash. But seein' as how Accutracking provides such a GREAT PROGRAM for FREE, Nextel should be PAYING US to use their old world- no memory-poor mapping-makes you sit by your computer 24/7 is you wanna locate-15-bucks-a month-PLAN!