Package Tracker for iPhone- where’s my stuff?
Reader Valto Loikkanen sent me word of a package tracker for iPhone that can let you see exactly where your precious stuff is as it wends its way to you. Package Tracker looks pretty full featured and will track multiple packages sent with FedEx, UPS, USPS and DHL and does so with a nice interface. I’ll have to try it for sure, oh wait, there are no free trials at the Apple App Store. $4.99.
So how does this work? Do I have to copy/paste the tracking number from order confirmation emails into this app? Oh, wait… no copy/paste on the iPhone. I guess then I can take Kevin’s “workaround” approach and take a screenshot of the confirmation number and this app will parse the image? Or? …
(sorry, no iTunes on this machine, so can’t look at the description of the app to see if it explains)
They don’t explain. I think for $5 the silly thing should have some solution but it would appear it expects you to type in those 64 digit tracking numbers by hand.
For $5 I would have expected it to grab tracking numbers right out of Amazon and emails for me.
QUICK REVIEW:
Ok ok, I bought this right away! Hehehe…considering the amount of packages I get and always having to have multiple ways to figure out status on packages.
I figured, one application, one place.
Here it is…
Interface:
Simple, right to the point. Click the + sign and add the tracking number and a “friendly name”, then using a dial, select UPS, USPS, FEDEX, etc. and hit SAVE.
The interface that you see is the result after putting in the information. Select the package and you get a line by line item (usually what you see on the websites) of the status of the package. Pretty neat!
That’s really it.
Gripes:
Well, I hope there are updates to this. For me, when tracking packages, aside from the status, I do also want to see the estimated arrival date. You know, the excitement date!
Issues:
Only issued encountered so far…I think this is a bug. I received a package yesterday, which I missed. FedEx left a door tag. I entered the door tag number instead of the tracking information. Obviously, this returned an error in tracking the package. After entering the correct tracking number, I then checked the status and it worked.
However, the next time I launched the application and tried to check the status. It returned an error, why? The door tag number replaced the tracking number. It didn’t save or something something. I’m thinking now that I may have to delete the entire package just to retain the new information.
Other than that, it does what it is supposed to do, minus telling you when the package is supposed to arrive? Of course, you can tell by the status as it comes closer to the arrival date but we all know we usually want to know ahead of time when a package is “estimated to arrive”.
The problem with any app like this is going to be the fact that ripping this data from FedEX, UPS, etc. almost always violates their Terms of Service.
They don’t seem to be going after people who are doing this so far, but as soon as you start charging for the information I can imagine they might take notice.
On a side note: one could, if he/she didn’t want to code up sync tracking numbers, provide a webpage that converts a tracking code into a QR code that the iPhone app can then scan using the camera. It adds a step for the user, but most likely he/she is getting a tracking number while near a computer anyway.
Ben, in a way, this application is nothing but a very specialized web browser. It uses (presumably) http to request information from the various shippers’ websites and then parses the html to render the output. You could argue that this vendor isn’t charging for the information, but for the “browser” — just like other companies do with real web browsers. In a way, it’s not really any different than me writing some greasemonkey code that streamlines the UPS tracking page.
That is pretty cool..if you are looking for a place that tracks packages from UPS, USPS, and other carriers, check out a post I had written about several useful websites.
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/cool-websites/how-to-track-a-ups-fedex-usps-dhl-package-from-one-site/