OpenWLANMap@Android 1.14

Similar to SETI@home now there exists a possibility to support the free OpenWLANMap project easily and fully automatically. To do that nothing more has to be done than to install this App. Once it was executed it runs in background and collects WiFi data that are useful for extending the projects database. The user itself is credited by points that can be used to show its ranking comparing to other uses that do the same. Technically this is a crowdsourcing application/some kind of friendly Wardriving with an included Wardriving contest.

But how's that working in detail? The steps you have to do are quite simple:
- install this App
- execute it; in case you don't have a cheap flatrate for mobile data transfers set the option "Don't access network..." to avoid expensive internet connection attempts via mobile/cellphone network
- send this App to the background by pressing the Home-button
- take your device with you like you're doing that always

Now all required data (consisting of available WiFi networks and their current geographic position) are collected anonymously and should be sent to the project from time to time. For data submission select the menu item "Upload data" to connect the App with the Internet and the projects database. Then you only have to wait a short time until your rank and score is updated.

You will get - dependent on the accuracy and measurement quality of the network - from one to five points for every WLAN network that is new for the database of for every existing WLAN that has changed its position nameably. WLAN networks that are already known or have been uploaded earlier are not credited with points.

How it works: this App uses GPS to find your current geographic position. In case there is no signal available (may be because you are inside a building or because you currently don't have a GPS fix), OpenWLANMap is used to evaluate your position. This second method of positioning is not available in case network access is not allowed since it requires an Internet connection. That means in this case it might be possible you collect less WLAN-points because you depend on the GPS-based positioning.

The OpenWLANMap@Android-App itself works as ressource-saving as possible. So it wakes up after some seconds to collect the required data for a very short time and to fall asleep fore some more seconds afterwards. During these long times of hibernation nearly no computing power and therefor nearly no battery capacity is used.

As an additional bonus this App offers the possibility to auto-connect to open Freifunk WLAN networks that are available to the public. As soon as this happened all data are transferred via this network, so this function acts as some kind of automatic internet connection which does not cost you any fees for the data transfer. This option can be enabled within the preferences. Additional it is possible to navigate to the next available Freifunk network.

Beside of that there is a theft-tracking function that helps you to see where your device is. When this function is enabled you can check the last position of your device online at http://www.openwlanmap.org/finddevice.php?lang=en . After entering the secret and unique tracking identifier of your device you can see the address of its position within a map there.

More detailled information about this App, the required privileges and privacy as well as the high score table can be found at http://www.openwlanmap.org/owlmapatandroid.php?lang=en