GPS Doing Something Useful? So Near But Yet So Far
OK, everyone who is happy with the price they have been paying for gas lately,raise your hand. Hmm, not too many hands going up. Well this morning I came across a really neat “widget” for your mobile phone which will help. It’s from a company called Mobio Networks and they do some very nice things. They have a database of gas stations, updated semi-regularly and they can give you the list, right on your phone, by text or map, when it’s time to fill up.
You need to check all the details of the pricing with them but it looks cheap to me … you should be able to save way more than the monthly cost just by pre-planning your stops at the cheapest stations that are already on your route (don’t be one of those dim bulbs who drives 10 miles across town to save 3 cents a gallon, okay? If you do the math on that, you lose).
But this is a site about return on investment from using GPS, isn’t it? I haven’t mentioned GPS yet. Funny thing is, neither does Mobio *sigh*.
This software will tell you where to get the cheapest gas and even draw you a map to find it … but you have to know where you are to begin with. I don’t know about you, but I generally know where I am in my home city and on local trips, and I pretty much know where the cheap gas stations are there, also. Where I need help is when I am in Punkin Center, Colorado and the closest gas station at any price is 96 miles away … that’s when I need help finding a gas station … and of what earthly use is this tool if I don’t know where I am?
Here’s an innovative, forward-looking company making a living by adding value to today’s and tomorrow’s feature-laden mobile phones … most of which already come with GPS … and according to Mobio’s own instructions for the widget, you have to tell it where you are … then it will go to work to find you fueling options.
I may be missing something here, it may just be poor tech writing in the user’s manual or lousy copyrighting on their web site … so anyone from Mobi, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to post a retraction/correction, but based on the public information the company sees fit to put out to the world, this is a tool that really, really, really misses the boat.
In today’s world, though, I give it a conditional recommend, because you’ll get an ROI even without GPS.
The app is free…and thus generates an INFINITE ROI! :o)
On the GPS front, as you probably know, the GPS information isn’t accessible to developers unless they cut a deal with a wireless carrier…and scuttlebutt is that the carriers won’t license that information out unless the developer agrees to charge at least $9.99/month to the user. Money grubbing pigs!
We love GPS too! The reality is that carriers charge the content provider if the application is to be GPS enabled and therefore we have to pass this cost on to the consumer. This is why virtually all GPS-enabled applications here in the US cost $20-$36 per year on a subscription basis through the major carriers.
So today, our Cheap Gas widget is available for free. There are definite advantages to this approach - as explained here:
http://www.getmobio.com/support/apps/cheap-gas/#cheapgas1
At the same time, we embrace GPS and our technology supports location-based services … so it is entirely possible that you will see a GPS-enabled version of Cheap Gas (or other GetMobio widgets for that matter) coming to mobile phones in the near future. Possible … but of course … we can’t discuss unannounced products :>
Hi Jim, well the app is free _if_ you buy a whole package of other service … but then that’s the whole purpose for Mobi to be in business, so I’ll settle on, “It’s free to Mobi subscribers”. And you’re certainly right on the infinite ROI … with California gas prices I think I could save the price of a mobile, a monthly plan and a Mobi subscription with this tool if I drove the mileage I used to drive when I lived in the US.
Please tell us more about the intricacies of the carriers “locking up” the subscriber’s location data … if you wish to send me email at davestarr (at) gmail (dot) com I’ll be happy to hold confidential what you designate confidential … or feel free to send me a guest blog post … I read your comment and had to go back for another cup uf coffee to cool down … just the sort of issue I’d like to bring up here. Thanks.
Hi Marcia, thank you very much for the comment and the link … I’ll post a correction/amplification … mea culpa on not going to your FAQS section, about 99% of them are useless, yours is an exemplary exception to the rule.
I was not aware that the carriers charged application providers separately for the use of the GPS data, they already get paid for air time/bandwidth and the GPS data isn’t theirs to charge for … looks like I have a lot more to learn and write about … thanks.
And re: talking about unannounced products? Yes, you’re correct in sying you can’t, unless you were working for Microsoft *smile*
Just to clarify - FREE means free … with GetMobio there’s nothing you need to buy from us. But additional charges from your carrier may apply for data services.
You can’t download just the Cheap Gas widget - it’s bundled as part of the GetMobio lifestyle portal. But the portal is FREE to download and use so long as you’ve got an unlimited data plan. Enjoy! And drive safe and cheap this memorial day weekend!
Thanks again, Marcia, so once again I missed the point? If the entire Lifestyle Portal is free to download and free to use, where does Mobio make their money … in other words, I’m missing something on your business plan.