About this app
Summary:
TouringEngine is a location-aware mobile application using geofences (GPS based) and low-energy beacons (BlueTooth based) for location triggers. Approaching user-defined destinations composed into a "tour", TouringEngine plays full-quality media content (audio, video and synthesized speech) from programmable URL locations. Tours can have an unlimited number of destinations, user composes a tour via the TouringEngine web application tools at www.android.appsird.com, an easy-to-use map-based composition canvas and management platform. Registering an account on the TouringEngine homepage is free and allows downloading of server-designed tours to mobile devices. Detailed documentation about the application's settings and operation can be accessed on the website via a web browser.
In addition to geofence and beacon functionality, TouringEngine also can, concurrently or by itself, act as a location tracking and logging tool. Logging can be started, suspended and restarted as many times as needed and finally be closed. After closure a track file contains latitude, longitude and time stamp information at a programmable sampling resolution. Elevation service can be invoked to assign true elevation data to each destination and to convert the track into a regular tour, which can then be viewed in map just as any of the downloaded geofence tours, annotated with speed, distance and topographical data that can be graphically displayed and shared with others. Optionally, a tracked tour can be uploaded to server database and/or deleted on mobile device.
More Detail:
A geofence is a circular perimeter of programmable radius around a point of interest which, upon being entered or exited, can trigger user defined actions. On entering a destination perimeter while driving or walking between points of interest, TouringEngine plays audio or video media, reads synthesized speech, or displays an URL in your phone browser. On exiting a geofence, media content optionally plays out or terminates and Google map navigation will automatically take over and guide the user to next destination, according to a preset sequential order of the current tour's destinations. On entering next destination's perimeter, TouringEngine takes over and plays media content as programmed for this destination. Geofence tours are ideal for larger targets, perimeters of 10 m and upwards, lending themselves for example as "electronic" tourism or real-estate "tour guides" playing instructional material whenever one of the tour targets is being approached within its perimeter.
Bluetooth beacons allow alerting an application on a device equipped with an appropriate receiver to receive notifications when in close proximity of such a beacon. Each beacon is tagged with a unique ID and permits the application to display user materials of interest about the triggering beacon's represented product or location. Beacon tours lend themselves for use with high-resolution spatial targets (a few meters), for example as a museum audio-visual tour guide where you'd hear an audio explanation or see an instructional video while standing in front of a piece of art, or as a commercial promotion tool where an electronic coupon could be flashed saying "Corn Flakes on sale" when passing in front of a store shelf equipped with a beacon in the cereal aisle.
Once a mobile device is logged into a user's personal server account, local sample tours can be generated and downloaded on demand from mobile device, while personal tours are composed on the website within its map canvas and browser. Use of a mouse and a better user interface simplify accurate destination marker placement, movement or deletion through clicks/drags on map, provides for easy tour destination sequence ordering and destination media play annotation. All tour destinations end up being tagged with address, latitude, longitude, altitude, perimeter radius and the URL of the media to play on entering its perimeter.
App Permissions
Allows an application to change the Z-order of tasks.
Allows an application to read or write the system settings.
Allows an application to write to external storage.
Allows an application to read from external storage.
Allows applications to open network sockets.
Allows applications to access information about networks.
Allows an application to receive the ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED that is broadcast after the system finishes booting.
Allows access to the vibrator.
Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming.
Allows access to the list of accounts in the Accounts Service.
Allows an app to access approximate location.
Allows an app to access precise location.
Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks.
Allows applications to connect to paired bluetooth devices.
Allows applications to discover and pair bluetooth devices.
Allows an application to manage access to documents, usually as part of a document picker.
Allows read only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information, the status of any ongoing calls, and a list of any PhoneAccounts registered on the device.
