Announcing a Python application for speed camera alerting

[mposborne]

Hi

I've written my first Python application for my N95 to provide a UK speed camera warning system using internal or external GPS. It is designed to operate in the background (e.g. whilst using Nokia Maps or in standby) and popup to the foreground with an audio visual alert, then return to the background. It should work with other suitable Series 60 phones with internal or external GPS but I cannot test this.
If this application is of use to others, more information is available at http://mcbiskits1.googlepages.com/

As this is the first application I've made that other users will have to get signed through the Symbian Open Signed process, I'm keen to find out if the installation guide I've written is correct and the installation works before I publicise it. I would therefore be grateful for someone to give it a try and feedback to me.

The application was written specifically for the UK. It should work in other countries except that the application assumes that the camera speed limits are in mph. If there is interest, I could update the application to work with kph limits if someone volunteers to test it.

I've now started to work on adding the speed camera locations to a landmark database so that they can be shown in Nokia Maps. The coding is not an issue but the problem I have is that no suitable icons are supplied in the Landmarks icon set and I have not found a way of adding new icons. Is there a solution for this?

Thanks

[ilpo55]

Hi

I've written my first Python application for my N95 to provide a UK speed camera warning system using internal or external GPS.

Thanks

Great,

I added a link to your googlepages in my 'Links to Other PyS60 Projects" page. Is the name of the link 'SpeedCamUK' OK for you?

In summer I will add a trafic accident warning in my ILeSpeedCam software. Do you have a public database about accidents in UK which you could use?
I have found two accident RSS feeds here in Finland one is: http://www.pelastustoimi.fi/112info-georss/


Ilpo
(http://ilpo.lehtola.googlepages.com)

[JOM]

users will have to get signed through the Symbian Open Signed process

Great app, but installation... huh :

• One text file user has to manually edit and install
• One separate SIS file to be installed on Memory Card
• Second SIS file to be installed somewhere
• Three separate SIS files to be download, Open Signed and installed somewhere

I know, the system works that way, but it's still a LOT to ask from a user! The motivation has to be really high for anyone to actually complete the installation.

Some ideas:

• Could you include the free sample database in your ZIP?
• Could you include appswitch103 and LocationRequestor into your ZIP? Then users wouldn't have to go looking for them.
• You can force SpeedCamData_v1_0_0.sis to be installed on memory card, no need to bother user with that question.
• Can any other SIS be installed anywhere? Sometimes modules actually need to be on same disk where python was installed
• Have you tested whether everything works when python was installed on a) phone or b) memory card?
• Have you checked, if this works with python 1.4.2 (differences are really small)? You might relax the 1.4.3 requirement to make installation easier for some users.
• Could you include the python SIS in your ZIP?
• Are you actually checking python version number in your code? If you really need some minimum version, you should check for it.
• Any screen-shots about Symbian Signed would improve the installation guide. Don't have to be full-screen

Good luck,

--jouni

[mposborne]

Hi Ilpo - Thanks for your interest. I see you've done some work on speed camera alerting as well, I'll add a link back to your site. I hadn't thought about accident notification but its an interesting idea that I'll investigate.

Hi jouni - Thanks for going through the installation and yes it is tedious. I did try to create a single SIS file with all the modules for signing but it wouldn't install. However I'll have another try as this would make it more attractive to users as you say. I'll also update the guide to add more help as you suggest.

[croozeus]

I did try to create a single SIS file with all the modules for signing but it wouldn't install. However I'll have another try as this would make it more attractive to users as you say. I'll also update the guide to add more help as you suggest.

Hi,

Did you use the mergesis of ensymble to make a single SIS file ?

If you could post the command of mergesis that you used to make a single SIS file, then perhaps we could help you.

Best Regards,
Croozeus

[mposborne]

Hi Croozeus

After various experiments and reading forums I think its a limitation of Symbian Open Signed rather than mergesis. Symbian Open Signed doesn't sign embedded SIS files . I can create a merged SIS using files that have been individually Open Signed and this installs ok, but that's of no use to anyone else. The only other option might be to deconstruct the third party SIS files and incorporate the resources into a single signable file, but that would be interfering with other people's intellectual property.

[croozeus]

Hi Croozeus

After various experiments and reading forums I think its a limitation of Symbian Open Signed rather than mergesis. Symbian Open Signed doesn't sign embedded SIS files . I can create a merged SIS using files that have been individually Open Signed and this installs ok, but that's of no use to anyone else. The only other option might be to reconstruct the third party SIS files and incorporate the resources into a single signable file, but that would be interfering with other people's intellectual property.

Hi,

Actually, you need to take care while using the mergesis option, I had done it for my application in the past which did'nt work. But then Jussi suggested me to change the order of the files in the mergesis command and it was working,
You need to take care, if the old signatures of SIS files aren't being cleared.

Moreover if, deconstruction the 3rd party SIS file and then incorporating all the resources to a single file is the only option, you can try take permission from the author, if he may allow you do do that.

Best Regards
Croozeus