UPDATED below the fold
Wow - I am very, very impressed! I have just taken Nokia Sports Tracker Beta for a quick spin and this new service, functionality and strategic direction has left me speechless.
Let's start with a recap. Nokia Sports Tracker was released in March this year. It was released as stand alone application to be used with a Nokia device with built in GPS or with an external GPS receiver. I covered this excellent application many times on the blog.
The application tracks a variety of sports activities and measures the distance, speed, time etc and present the data in form of a workout sunnary. The data could be exported and used with a map application to track your activities. From the very start I was impressed by the application and the passion and dedication displayed by the team of people behind the application.
They were quick to listen to feedback and released new versions and new features with an impressive speed. However, for the past few months it's been rather quiet from the Nokia Sports Tracker team.
Now I understand. They have been hard at work perfecting the next logical step - exactly aligned with Nokia's Ovi annoucement - services!
Nokia Sports Tracker Beta is the name of the online service (graciously free of charge- thanks for that Nokia) for the Nokia Sports Tracker application.
Some of the highlights of the service:
- Store and display your activities online
- View detailed data such as speed, distance etc
- Integrated with Google Maps: "satellite" or "map" view.
- Upload geotagged photos of your activities
- "Live Sharing" of activities
- BEAUTIFUL web design UI & functionality
- Absolutely free (no subscription)
You start with creating a free user account either from Nokia Sports Tracker Beta or directly from the application which can be dowloaded from here.
The set up procedure worked like a charm. I first created the online account and then paired the application with my online account. Not a single glitch!
When you have paired your device with your online account you can set it up so that you can share the progress of your activities live!, yes live!
"Live Sharing" and all other aspects of data display can be set up to match your privacy concerns; available to all, to friends or not shared.
Another really cool new feature is the ability to upload geotagged photos taking during your activity. Say that you are on a nice hike and take some photos. Those photos will be time stamped, matched with your GPS location and displayed with your activity. Photos can also be positioned manually on map by using a manual "photo placement function.
So what does the web service look like? a great example is the below Workout summary complete with photos of a bike ride around Helsinki. (of course, taking photos while working out might slow you down 
but it is a great way of sharing the experience)
Yet another great feature is that the map of your workout is automatically tagged with key information points such as "fastest point", "slowest point" "highest altitude" etc.
The workout summaries can be viewed as a plain map or in satellite mode.
What makes me so excited about this, is of course all the obvious reasons - great product, intuitive, simple but powerful, delightful user experience, free and really, really useful.
But more than that, when I extrapolate and look into the future it is not hard to image many, many more powerful location based services coming from Nokia.
Imagine in a near future when many millions of Nokia devices will ship with GPS built in. Add Nokia's intention to acquire Navteq and Nokia's emphasis on services through Ovi and you have the recipe for products and services with amazing potential!
If the manager of the Nokia Sports Tracker team happens to read this, give them all a nice raise or at least take them out for one earth shattering Christmas party - they deserve it for creating such a great product.
One more thing, extra credit goes out to the web designers! The look and feel is beautiful. As functional as it is esthetically pleasing!
Once again, I am impressed!
Now download Nokia Sports Tracker add me as a friend "eseries" and let's share some maps.
UPDATE:
Nokia has just released Nokia Sports Tracker 1.63. This version should fix many of the initial issues:
I am thinking another use which is to use this software when i am traveling. I can share my travel path,pictures along the way and experiences. Just another use for this software.
Same issue here. E60 app. installs but won’t run.
[...] [Via: Eseries] [...]
Same for me. Problems with e61.
It installs but the application doesn’t run.
Great software. Really. I used the new community-version (1.63) on my E65 and it works like a charm with BT gps, while listening to music and make some call. I did some photo, running near Rome, Italy:
http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/workoutdetail/index.do?id=7252
I think that now on the market we need a bluetooth cardio-sensor. I see that on new models (N82, N95) Sports Tracker includes a step-counter. How did it work? counting the “vibration” of the phone??
@Dav01
dear ed,
Plz help me with ip passthrough connection for nokia e61 ?
for internet ascess.
With regards
satiesh
Works fine for me, on the E61i. Great application with fantastic potential. Used it to track a 300km drive. New version (1.63) solves the problem of the missing icon on the E61i, Tommy.
[...] zainteresował Was serwis Nokia Sports Tracker Beta, zajrzyjcie na stronę http://www.e-series.org, gdzie znajduje się dokładny opis, krok po kroku, jak korzystać z [...]
[...] I missed the scoop, as Eseries.org and All About Symbian broke the news already. Yeah, it’s true: significantly improved Nokia [...]
pretty nice, but where are the posts and info on e90…is this blog hanging in time???
Very nice program, fine working on a E50 with Q-starz-BT-818.
There is only one problem. The altitude (Geoid-correction) does not work correct.
@erick: NST works very nicely with E90. I’ve used the earlier version of it since July and am just installing the newest version to make use of the new web service. A beautiful app that will hopefully be developed into not just a sports tracker but an all-in-one route & location tracker service.
Does anyone else have problems in registering to the web service?
My problem is that I haven’t received the confirmation email that “has just been sent” to my email … an hour ago when I registered. Maybe the system has hick-ups?
[...] There’s more on the Nokia Sports Tracker software and website on the Eseries blog here: Nokia Sports Tracker Beta - New Online Service [...]
WEB 3.0!
How to export to Google earth?
I don’t know how , please give me the right instructions.
Version 1.64 is up now. Hopefuly it will work with the e61 now.
Have just tried v164 on my e61. It seems to install OK, but will not launch - same problem as v163. How frustrating!
Anyone out there having better luck with an e61 using v164?
Same issue again
… 1.64 installs OK on my E61 but does not run.
Same problem on my e61, can’t run 1.64 version.
no problems installing it on e60 but the app will not start….damn it
Yup - same problem with 1.64. I was excited to see the new version and disappointed that it didn’t run. Is there a way to communicate with the development team?
I think for now I will reinstall 1.49 - at least that worked on the device, if not with the web service.
saw this ont he nokia research page
“NOTE to E60 and E61 users:
We’re currently investigating why NST v1.6 or later fails to install to E60 and E61 devices.
Fix to this really annoying problem is underway, and we estimate to have this available on week 50.
Until then, please do not install Sports Tracker v1.6x to your E60 or E61, the installation just fails.
We’re really sorry for the inconvenience.”
what is week 50?
http://research.nokia.com/research/projects/SportsTracker/index.html
Week 50 is the week starting with Monday, December 10. So: next week.
(It’s a European habit to count the calendar weeks of a year, so week 50 is the 50th week of the year (this year, I hope
… I’m owner of an E61 and had to downgrade again in order to keep using the software).
According to my calendar, week 50 runs 10-16 December. So, next week - assuming week 50 of 2007. I wait with bated breath!
Date/time test - 5/12/07 22:24
Date/time test: 5/12/07 - 21:25
Well, week 50 is drawing to a close and still no sign of an updated version that runs on an e61. Perhaps week 51?
Well guys. V1.66 is out. I was very exited about it, but unfortunately it is again impossible to launch it in e61. It installs OK, but nothing happens when you try to run it. Maybe on V1.68?
I got same problem, V1.63, V1.64, V1.66 whatsoever..all not able to RUN!!
It must be really difficult to develop for S60, if even Nokia can’t write software that works.
Back to 1.49 again, v1.66 won’t work for me on e61.
And I have problem with my E61.
Won’t run..
The Nokia site http://research.nokia.com/research/projects/SportsTracker/index.html
makes mention of v1.66 — the list of latest fixes makes no mention of an e61 fix.
THe site still says:
“NOTE to E60 and E61 users:
We’re currently investigating why NST v1.6 or later fails to install to E60 and E61 devices.
Fix to this really annoying problem is underway, and we estimate to have this available on week 50.
Until then, please do not install Sports Tracker v1.6x to your E60 or E61, the installation just fails.
We’re really sorry for the inconvenience.”
Still says week 50 — since we are now in week 51, do we have to wait until the end of next year?
Seriously, though, it seems that v1.7x may fix the problem.
Can someone post BT GPS models other than Nokia that work?
Thanks.
Great post, and great application.
Works fine on my 6110 navigator.
Works 100% on my N73. Dead easy. Needs an external Bluetooth GPS.
FYI, V1.67 has been released, and (as expected from the post above) the E61 issue is still unsolved. Can’t wait for V1.70!
PS: All the best for 2008!!
Hi all. It eventually happened. Nokia released V1.70 together with a E61 version!. Installed *and* tested OK on my E61. I will try it next weekend on the mountains with my kids.
PS: Many, many thanks to Nokia!!
Yeah finally 1.70 is out. But if you have an E60 like me, make sure you install the E61-version because the standard version doesn’t work. Even though the E60 is on the compatibility list of the standard version you actually need the other one.
http://betalabs.nokia.com/blog/2008/01/23/nokia-sports-tracker-for-e61/
v1.70 installed and runs fine on my e61 using the same GPS unit that I purchased for Wayfinder Navi software. Will take it for a walk tomorrow. Many thanks, Nokia.
The prograna is very good in many features, but to be truly effective in walking mode, would have the option to select the time between captures. Neither the filter incorporated can avoid the major problems of those who suffer GPS low speed. I have used many programs and several GPS and the best way to minimize errors in walking mode is scheduling a capture of the position every 5, 7 or 10 seconds. I use a N E50 with two different GPS.
There are other many programs wiyh better features for walking, but they are not as cheap as Nokia Sports Tracking
fyi, for v1.71 on e61 make sure you use
http://research.nokia.com/files/SportsTracker_E61_30_v171.sisx
e61 download link on “http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/download.do” is misleading - SportsTracker_ADIS_30_v171.SIS will not work on e61 (installs fine, but won’t run!)
Great piece of software!! looking forward and hoping for the Share on Ovi integration and heartbeat sensor feature! well done…
I’m running v1.78 on e61i. The application gps data (tracks, speed, position etc) freeze randomly a few seconds to minutes after it’s started. Apparently it’s a known problem:
http://www.womworld.com/nokia/3731/sportstracker-freeze-fix/
Can you use Sports Tracker with a mapping software running on the phone in parallel?