Highway Radar: Waze + VASCAR aircraft alerts on Android

[ferius]

I can confirm the app using less power maybe due to it being darker but I had a bad charger on the bike after riding through rain on my trip in June so it would only charge at a slower/lower amperage and even though I had Waze running in the background when I had this app in the fore ground I noticed my battery stayed at x percent longer then with Waze in the foreground!

Maybe because HR collects zero analytics and doesn't use GPU for drawing the map in arrows mode.

 

[turbofish]

Thanks to Bikes Blues & BBQ, I know know what it looks like when you are surrounded by reports of LEO. It has been full all day long and will continue to be that way until 400,000 motorcycles go home on Sunday

 

[ferius]

Just published v1.9 to the Play Store.

This version is mostly about sound improvements.

Here are the main changes:

• Separate sounds for ground police and aircraft enforcement alerts
• Choice of various sounds for alerts
• Voice announcements using text-to-speech
• Option to choose whether to use google services for determining location
• Ensured minimum functionality on devices without Google Apps

Note, it may take some time for the update to be delivered (sometimes up to 24h).

 

[oktavf]

Niiceee! It should be much easier to keep our eyes on the road now instead of the app with these new sounds! Will test today thanks!!

Posted from my LM-V350 using the RDF Mobile App!

 

[nomore55]

Here are the main changes:

• Option to choose whether to use google services for determining location

Thanks, Ferius !!

Guys, can we discuss the pros and cons of using "Google Services"? (I am not an overly-paranoid person.)

 

[Bossdad71]

Thank you for the update

 

[ferius]

Thanks, Ferius !!

Guys, can we discuss the pros and cons of using "Google Services"? (I am not an overly-paranoid person.)

Well, here how it works normally (without Google Services):

GPS -> location -> Highway Radar

Here how it works with Google Services:

GPS+Wi-Fi+Cell+Bluetooth+??? -> Magic by Google -> location -> Highway Radar

I don't have good research on which is performing better when driving, still testing.


Also, here is a line from JBV1 1.8.5 release notes:

Removed fused location provider option (because it sucks)

What is called "fused location provider" here is exactly what I call "Google Services location" in Highway Radar.

As for now I want to test both options to see how well do they perform in different situations and maybe also leave only one in the end.

 

[Brainstorm69]

@ferius - To resurrect an old topic, maybe this is a different way to do the stop monitoring where you use the back button to either 1) send the app to the background and keep monitoring or 2) to actually close the app and stop monitoring. This is how Escort does it in Escort Live (not that you would need to do the 10 minute inactive thing).

 

[LinuxD]

I am friggin in love with this app.. so much easier to use this rather than \/\/aze for the work commute.

 

[Bloovy One]

But, LinuxD. How are you helping others if you aren't reporting what you see? Please somebody think of the children!!!

 

[ferius]

@ferius - To resurrect an old topic, maybe this is a different way to do the stop monitoring where you use the back button to either 1) send the app to the background or 2) to actually close the app and stop monitoring. This is how Escort does it in Escort Live (not that you would need to do the 10 minute inactive thing).

View attachment 131178

Love the idea, easy to implement. Wait for the next version =)

 

[ferius]

But, LinuxD. How are you helping others if you aren't reporting what you see? Please somebody think of the children!!!

There is a big Waze quick launch button in Highway Radar now, which allows to send reports same easy as just with running waze in the foreground.

 

[oktavf]

Ran the app today and even in the car the simple audio alerts were as helpful as expected if not more! Tomorrow we'll run it on the bike so I expect a really helpful ride on the police alerts front without taking my eyes off the scary road and its cagers!

 

[LinuxD]

But, LinuxD. How are you helping others if you aren't reporting what you see? Please somebody think of the children!!!

I use it mostly on the 15 mile stretch of interstate i travel everyday. Longer trips i use a 7" tablet with Waze running and contribute as I travel along. Most alerts that i get, I never cross paths with the reported activity, If I do i tap the WAZE button and ,there ya go.

 

[200V]

Map now works on Android 5.0 on a S4.
Thank you! !

 

[HaloInReverse]

I usually run Highway Radar and Waze in split screen mode on my Oneplus 6T so I get alerts other than popo and planes.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

 

[ferius]

Also, I've revived the thread poll which wasn't updating for the last month. Please vote for the next features since I heavily rely on this poll for prioritization.

 

[kramerica]

New member here (be gentle).

Would it be possible to include a second police alerts server host, and then add in Speed Trap alerts from Google Maps? It seems that feature is gaining steam in Google, and it would be great to layer it in to HR. (This assumes data isn't already shared between the VVAZE and G Maps)

Thanks for all your hard work on this OP.

 

[ferius]

New member here (be gentle).

Would it be possible to include a second police alerts server host, and then add in Speed Trap alerts from Google Maps? It seems that feature is gaining steam in Google, and it would be great to layer it in to HR. (This assumes data isn't already shared between the VVAZE and G Maps)

Thanks for all your hard work on this OP.

Hi @kramerica, thanks for that question.
Here are the main reasons why I don't add google maps protocol support to the application yet:

• The first is that I didn't find any way to view a map of alerts at this point of time. Not alerts along a route but a piece of map with all reports on it. Lack of such possibility significantly affects ability of including alerts from such sources.
• I could suggest user to enter the destination point and fetch the alerts along the route, but:
  • Google doesn't provide an API for that yet (please let me know if I'm wrong).
  • Simulating Google Maps application would be fairly difficult and strictly violates their ToS.
  • Considering there are not that much alerts in Google Maps yet I don't thing it is reasonable to implement such support now.

 

[oktavf]

So I don't think this has been requested if it has apologies. Can a separate volume be added for the voice announcements? I tested it it in the car and on the bike this past weekend and it was GREAT BUT considering I rather not have to tap the screen if I don't have to on the bike and even in the car at times due to it being illegal in Georgia now it would help if I can hear the voice higher. For example on the bike I have the volume lower then max so I can hear the ALP at x volume yelling or beeping at me and it matches decent with my music app BUT the more constant beeping of your app would drive me nuts at 100% so I run it at 85% but at 85% I can't hear the text to speech perfect at all times so thus my request! Thanks!!