Announcing GeoAlert for the iPhone

I have just submitted my newest application to Apple, and it is the first utility app (i.e. non-game) from Opetopic. It is called GeoAlert, and it will be available exclusively for the iPhone 3Gs and iPhone 4 running iOS 4.

GeoAlert is a location aware alarm clock that allows you to be notified when you are in the vicinity of a placemark. Simply set up a time range for the alert to be active, a location, and then the next time you are near that spot your phone will alert you.

There are many uses for this app, but I will highlight the two ways I plan on using it. I commute a lot between home and school, and I like to travel a lot. This means I spend a ton of hours on buses and trains. Fortunately I have been able to teach myself to get work/study done or just sleep while in transit. But if you get to absorbed in your work you run the risk of losing track of time and missing your stop. Now I can just set up a GeoAlert for the last stop of my train/bus with a time range centered around when I should be arriving, and I will be notified once I get near my destination.

Another use is to aid in tourism. As I said, I love to travel. In my next trip I will set up a bunch of GeoAlerts for all the things that interest me around the city (I can do this from my hotel’s internet connection or before I leave). Then I can just forget about the things I should be doing and instead concentrate on exploring the city and culture (I hate traveling with my nose buried in a travel book). Once I get close to a museum, monument or landmark that interests me GeoAlert will notify me, all without an internet connection!

I hope others will find interesting uses for the app. I will post back to this blog once it is approved. In the meantime, here are some screenshots. Click for enlarged version: