EOTrackMe is a facility used to track and display the movement of just about anything that moves. The service supports an unlimited number of devices for every user so even mass tracking of events, races or just about anything else that you want to track (outback travel, kids movements, even the dog) can all be accomplished using the EOTrackMe system.

NEW 9th Sep 2010 - EOTrackMe now supports all international position reports as well as Australian updates. So now no matter where in the world you are you can be easily found with EOTrackMe.

The EOTrackMe service is offered free (one device access license per member, additional device access licenses available, various devices may require supporting software or services and these fees are additional to the tracking web services) as part of the ExplorOz Membership program. With support for a growing number of devices, unlimited geofences and an easy to use web interface there is no reason for not knowing where someone or something is located.

The system uses a GPS enabled mobile phone, GPS connected PC/PDA, dedicated personal tracker or Spot device to capture, store and when in service transmit positions to the EOTrackMe server so that you see the progress in real time. Different devices support different modes of operation and offer slightly different levels of service (this will be discussed in detail as device support is added).

Supported Devices

The EOTrackMe service currently supports the following:

Devices

Once you have the software installed, and data has been sent to the EOTrackMe system, you can register your device. To do this simply visit your Member My Profile page, upon which you'll find a section for EOTrackMe. Scroll to the bottom of the map and you will see a line showing your devices (as recorded via the tracking server). To register your device simply click on the "Register" link and fill in the details (you can edit these details at any time using the Edit link, which will appear once registered). Click "OK" and the system will show that your device is registered. When your set your device to run the tracking software, your movements will be recorded automatically on the map.

As positions are recorded for your device, the links under the "tracks" heading will become active and these allow you to archive the current track or clear the current track. The Archive option will store the current track into your profile. This will allow you to open the previous tracking logs for later analysis, download or blog embeding. The Clear option will remove the current track and NOT store the track for later retrieval (so only use this to clear test data or other data that you are sure you will not want to view at a later date).

Geofences

A Geofence is a term used to describe a geographical boundary and in EOTrackMe we allow you to protect various locations in a Geofence. Initially, there is one Geofence configured and this is located at your home address (based on your My Profile Edit Home Position setting) and the proximity of the geofence is initially defined as 2km. This means that no positions will be recorded or displayed on the map if the position is within 2kms of your home address. This is a security feature to ensure that your home location is not accessible to anyone viewing the EOTrackMe system.

The system supports an unlimited number of Geofences for each user. Each Geofence supports variable proximity and this is easily configurable in your profile. So, for instance you could Geofence your home, work, friends' places etc to ensure that these addresses are not recorded. You could also set a Geofence around a whole city or suburb. The maximum radius is currently set for 10km as this would seem to be the most logical maximum considering that you can have as many as you like.

Tracking Data Available

Of course the system can record your travels on a map and this is visible within your profile page. But you can also access a lot more information about your journeys such as; moving average, overall distance, direction from start, average speed, total travel time and graphical elevation/altitude profile.

Group Tracking

Currently only available on the iPhone platform allows you to see other devices on your iPhone. So if you have multiple devices in your profile (eg: family users or event tracking) you would be able to see the position of all other devices on your iPhone. This feature can also be used to find other users (provided access is granted) you share your position with another user and you can then see both markers on your iPhone map allowing you to move closer to each other.

beGPS is one of the supported EOTrackMe phone interface products. This program is used for the BlackBerry implementation. This product supports full store and forward of data (provided the app is not closed) so will keep track of you even when a data service is not available (all positions will be transmitted when service is restored).

This product is available from in the ExplorOz Shop see beGPS -Tracker for BlackBerry Smartphones. There is a trial version available (which is a copy of the full version without the registration code), this full featured trial operates perfectly for a number of days to allow you to trial the system on your device (see the shop for download information.

Once you have this product installed the set-up is currently as follows:

• Select the "Communications" menu from the "Options" screen
• Tick the "Send update online" checkbox
• Set "Protocol" to http
• Set "communication Connection" to Blackberry MDS
• In HTTP Options URL enter http://maps.exploroz.com/track/position.aspx?uid=Mxxxx - where xxxx is your personal member number without any leading zeros. If you are a business member then please change the Mxxxx to a Cxxxx and change the xxxx for the business member number

Other advanced settings:
Once these have been installed you should be ready to register your device by having it send a position to the server. If you have setup correctly you will be able to see and complete the device registration on your My Profile page.

The EOTrackMe PC program provides a data logger and real-time tracking interface between your GPS and laptop. The software operates stand alone or also fully supports OziExplorer and seamlessly links the tracking functions and moving map features of OziExplorer together.

EOTrackMe PC is a FREE download, however has limited functionality (will not display your route on the ExplorOz website) until registered. To download your copy of EOTrackMe PC click HERE

In order to sync your copy of EOTrackMe PC with your ExplorOz Member Profile it must be registered. The registration process requires Members to activate their copy of EOTrackMe PC in the ExplorOz Online Shop, in which a $7.95 fee applies. To register your copy of EOTrackMe PC click HERE

System Requirements

-EOTrackMe PC is compatible with all Windows based computers. It will not function with a Mac.
-OziExplorer is not required to run EOTrackMe PC, however is recommended if you want to make use of the moving map functionality.
-An internet connection must be present when you wish to transmit your routes to the ExplorOz servers.
-The computer must utilise some form of GPS to track your position. A Mouse GPS or compatible hand held GPS can be synched with EOTrackMe PC/OziExplorer.

Registering EOTrackMe

Once EOTrackMe PC is installed, a Device ID will be generated that is unique to your computer. This Device ID will be required when registering your copy of EOTrackMe PC. When you are ready to synchronise EOTrackMe PC with your ExplorOz Member Profile, it is simply a matter of purchasing an EOTrackMe PC registration from the Online Shop. Whilst purchasing the EOTrackMe PC registration you will be prompted to enter your Device ID. Your Device ID can be found in the text box within EOTrackMe PC and either manually entered or copy and pasted. This unique device ID will be allocated to your ExplorOz Member Profile, subsequently allowing you to display your route on the ExplorOz webpage.

Initial Set-Up

EOTrackMe PC offers a straight forward set-up process and once configured is essentially a “set and forget” program. Once installed, the first step should be to use the ‘Scan’ button to scan your computers ports – This will ensure that the correct port settings are found for your GPS (You will need your GPS connected in order for ‘Scan’ to function correctly). Once your GPS has synchronised, you are ready to configure EOTrackMe PC’s additional functionality. Items such as ‘Tracking Distance’ and ‘Tracking Time’ can be altered to suit your requirements. The image to the left outlines each of EOTrackMe PC’s functions. Should you wish restore EOTrackMe PC back to its original state, it’s as simple as clicking the ‘Default’ button. Once you have configured EOTrackMe PC you are ready to start tracking. The ‘Start Tracking’ button will begin tracking your route and sending updates to the ExplorOz server (when an internet connection is available). Should you wish to stop tracking, simply click the 'Stop Tracking' button, which was initially the 'Start Tracking' button.

GSM Tracker is one of the supported EOTrackMe phone interface products, this product supports full store and forward of data so will keep track of you even when a data service is not available (all positions will be transmitted when service is restored).

This product is suitable for all Symbian based mobile phones as follows:

This product is available from in the ExplorOz Shop see GSM Tracker. There is a trial version available (which is a copy of the full version without the registration code), this full featured trial operates perfectly however will stop operating after 10mins (you can restart it for subsequent 10min tests).

Once you have this product installed the set-up for the various screens is as follows:


NOTE: EOTrackMe is implementing a UDP receiver and there will be a few settings changes to make after device registration. These settings will be provided once your device is registered. The advantage of the UDP service is ability to store and forward positions when you go out of service.

The SPOT Satellite Messenger devices (now available in the Shop) are supported in EOTrackMe via the use of the shared page XML feed system. The shared page system and XML feed are an available using the Track Progress service available directly from Spot see http://au.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=111 and this must be activiated to use your Spot on EOTrackMe.

To set-up your SPOT device to be visible on EOTrackMe do the following (if you have already setup a shared page skip down to the next section below):

• Login to your SPOT account
• Click on the Share tab
• Under the SPOT Shared Pages section, click the Create Shared Page link
• Name the page something like SPOT XML Interface
• Select the messenger (i.e. SPOT device) for the shared page. If you only have one, it will be selected automatically. If you have more than one device, you must select the device for which you're creating a feed to EOTrackMe. Do not select multiple devices! If you have more than one device, you will need to create a separate shared page for each device
• Check all message types to share on this page. If you're creating a shared page for a Generation I device, you will see three message types - Check-in, Help and Track. If you're creating a shared page for a Generation II device, you will see a fourth message type - Custom. Be sure and check all message types
• In the Share GPS locations from the last list, select an appropriate number of days. 2 days is the recommended value but it's totally up to you
• This is important... For the Share message detail setting, please select Yes. This allows EOTrackMe to pull the custom message text that you've set-up for Ok, Help and Custom messages
• Password protection is not currently supported. Ensure the page is public
• Select the Send the shared page myself option
• Click the Create Now! button
• At the bottom of the page just below the Create Now! button you'll find the link to your newly created shared page. Copy the link to the clipboard or otherwise save it somewhere.



• On EOTrackMe home page scroll down the page (you will need to be logged in to your member account) and you will see the "Member Tools" option which will show the Register SPOT Device option - click on the link
• In the window that appears paste in the link that you saved above and press OK
• The SPOT device is now loaded into your account, go to your Members My Profile page to complete the set-up

uTrackMe is one of the supported EOTrackMe phone interface products. This program is to be used in conjunction with either an iPhone or an iPad. ExplorOz Members using uTrackMe with either their iPhone or iPad have the ability to publish their location in real-time to their very own EOTrackMe Map. uTrackMe supports full “store and forward” of data, meaning that your route can be stored when you do not have phone coverage and forwarded when service returns. Additionally, Members using an iPhone/iPad have the ability to share their location with other EOTrackMe users, as well as viewing their current location/route.

You can download the latest version of uTrackMe from the iTunes App store. Simply do a search for “uTrackMe”

Once you have this application installed on your iPhone or iPad, the set-up is as follows:





uTrackMe has "in-app" settings for some of the most essential settings. You can get to these settings by clicking the "settings" button in the top left corner of the application (it looks like a cog). The following data must be entered within the uTrackMe settings in order to synchronise your device with the EOTrackMe servers

In-App Settings

Tracking Service:-

Select EOTrackMe as your tracking service. Once selected a tick will be displayed beside the EOTrackMe service icon.

EOTrackMe Settings:-

Once EOTracKMe has been selected as your tracking service, your settings page will display a EOTrackMe settings option. Your ExplorOz Member Number needs to be entered into the ‘Member Nr’ field. Type your Member number in prefaced with a M. For example if your ExplorOz Member number was 458, you would enter M458.

Background Tracking:-

Background Tracking - This options tells uTrackMe to continue to run in the background (on supported devices). Be aware: running uTrackMe in the background has roughly the same power consumption as running it in the foreground and will have a significant effect on your battery life.

Advanced Settings

Additional, more advanced, settings can be found in the "Settings Application"; accessible from your iPhone or iPads home screen. This is the grey app, that looks like a cog.

The advanced settings are explained below, along with our recommended settings. However, Members are more than welcome to customise these based upon individual requirements.

User Interface:-
Proximity Sensor - With the proximity sensor enabled the screen will dim and the application will no longer respond to user interaction when an object is near by (on supported devices). (Recommended: OFF)

Interface Rotation – Enables/Disables the automatic screen rotation on your device (Recommended: ON)

Units – Displays measurements in either Metric or Imperial. (Recommended: Metric)

Map Type – Changes the way in which the uTrackMe Map is displayed. Available options are all Google generated and consist of Map, Satellite or Hybird. (Recommended: Map)

Center Map - Aligns your uTrackMe Map centrally over your current location (Recommended: ON)

Background Tracking Notification:-
Show Notification - Tells uTrackMe to show a dialog box whenever the application is sent to the background and uTrackMe is configured to continue to run in the background. (Recommended: ON)

Connection Errors:-
Show Alert - Tells uTrackMe to show a dialog box (that is automatically dismissed after a couple of seconds) whenever a connection error occurs. (When set to "NO" the connection errors are still logged however). (Recommended: ON)
Publish

Interval - The interval in seconds between requests to the server. (Recommended: 2 Minutes)

Timeout - The connection timeout in seconds. (Recommended: 30 Seconds)

GPS:-
Desired Accuracy - Tells the GPS what accuracy to strive for. (Recommended: Best)

Distance Filter - Tells the GPS the minimum distance in meters a device must move laterally before an update event is sent to uTrackMe.
Setting this to a large value reduces the power consumption at the cost of resolution (but not precision). (Recommended: 50 Metres)

Minimum Accuracy - Tells uTrackMe to discard location updates from the GPS that have a lower accuracy. Instead uTrackMe will consider the position "lost". For example setting minimum accuracy to 500m discards location information based on cell towers. (Recommended: 500 Metres)

Track Log:-
Send Entire Track - Tells uTrackMe to send the entire track log to the server instead of only the last known value. Enabling this option can significantly increase the amount of data that is sent to the server. (Recommended: ON)

Cache Size - Defines the size of the cache in points that uTrackMe uses to store the still unsent part of the track log. (Recommended: 131072)

Cache Persistent - Tells uTrackMe to write a copy of the cache to persistent memory. This ensures that no unsent track log data is lost if the application is terminated (note: cached data is not lost when the app is suspended). Enabling this option might increase the power consumption. (Recommended: ON)

Min Displacement - Tells uTrackMe the minimum distance in meters a device must move laterally before a new position is added to the track log. (Settings this value smaller than the GPS minimum distance filter has no effect). (Recommended: 50 Metres)

Extras

*Members with multiple devices (such as 2 x iPhones) running uTrackMe have the ability to share their location information. A full screen map shows your location and the location of the other iPhones and iPads. This would be a great feature to use amongst friends on your next 4WDing trip!

**Approximate data usage: Each packet is not huge however if you travel 200km with a 5m "Distance Filter" you will be sending 40,000 position reports each being around 700bytes totalling approx 28Mb, if this is reduced to 50m you would be sending in 2.8Mb and at 500m only 280Kb. So the 200-250m number is the most suitable as it will produce a good mapping result and keep the data usage at reasonable level.

**If you are looking for the settings for uTrackMe Version 3 – Please Click HERE**

This clip features a Pat Callinan product review of the EOTrackMe online tracking service. The clip is part of a segment from Series 3 of the Pat Callinan 4x4 Adventures show currently airing on OneHD and Ten.