So, things have been crazy here in RunKeeper land. We got some nice coverage on CNET last night, which has generated an influx of interest from potential users, partners, well wishers, and even a couple of job offers (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10001129-1.html). They did spell RunKeeper wrong (Run Keeper), but we are very appreciative of their support and will certainly take the broad publicity.
Meanwhile, I have been doing so much testing, my legs are ready to fall off. When Apple decided not to allow beta testing before launching applications in the app store, they must not have taken into account what that decision means to the builder of a GPS fitness tracking application! But the good news is that we have tested the application all different ways, and we feel good that it is ready for our version one release. So much so that we hit the button to publish it last night!
We (and my tired legs) are excited to get all of you using RunKeeper so we can show off what we have built and begin incorporating your feedback so we can continually refine the product! Our goal (with your help, of course) is to enable the iPhone (initially, and then other devices as well) to bring GPS fitness-tracking to the masses! If you are someone who has been thinking about buying a GPS watch, or you have wanted one but couldn’t justify the $2-300 dollars, and you own a 3G iPhone, then RunKeeper is your answer! No more $300 Garmin, no more $30 Nike Sportkit, just use RunKeeper, which you will be able to download from the online app store for $9.99 USD as soon as the app is approved.
Stay tuned, it is only a matter of time before RunKeeper is available! We will keep you informed.
Jason
I look forward to testing your application.
I’m a runner and I use the nike+ system as well as nike site nikeplus.nike.com and some others that are “linked” to that, i.e. http://www.runnerplus.com
Do you think that data that come from your application would be in some sense readable from these sites? I, and many others from those communties, will appreciate that!
Valter
will the app also be available in the german app store?
Will this function when the iPhone screen is off? Will it somehow track if another app is launched or phone call is taken? How does it affect battery life to have constant GPS tracking?
You have answerd to my request by e-mail, and I appreciate that.
But, don’t you think that would be usefull for we guys to have the possibilities to read answers you give to the others?
I’m personally interessed to what both Matthias and marty ask.
Thanks, Valter
Yes, instant purchase, VERY fair price. Thank you. I am also interested in the answer to Martys question.
Hi Valter,
Yes, it would be great if everyone could see the answers, especially since a lot of the questions are similar. We will be posting an FAQ list soon that I think will help a lot. We are also considering adding a support forum so our users can help out each other. Any other ideas? We are striving to get you the information you need efficiently and without overloading you.
In terms of some quick answers, yes, RunKeeper should be available in Germany, although our first release will be English-only.
When the screen locks, the GPS will not keep tracking, so you will need to disable the auto-lock feature when you use RunKeeper. We are hoping Apple will change this, since this also affects battery life (currently, the screen stays on for your entire run). The good news is that you should still get more than 3 hours of fitness tracking in on a full charge (we got 3.5 hrs worth this morning before the phone died), which should be sufficient for most runners. We are also testing different device configurations (screen brightness, etc.) to see if there are ways to extend that further.
If you exit out of RunKeeper, it pauses your run and stops tracking. When you return, you will have the option to resume your run where you left off. When you get a phone call, it will keep tracking if you ignore or dismiss it, and will pause your run if you answer it and you can continue where you left off once you return to RunKeeper. You can run your iPod in the background while using RunKeeper, but you can not run two third party apps at once (Apple’s rule, not ours).
Thank you for your patience as we prepare to be live in the App Store soon! Keep the questions and feedback coming.
Jason
Hi Jason.
I’m italianm so I hope to see your application in the italian appstore too.
If you want, I could translate menus or whatever in italian, just let me know!
Valter
Same than Valterb, if you need any help to translate it in French just ask
I’m planning to use this tool for rollerskating and mountainbiking and a little bit of walking. Hopefully the ap will be release before I go on holiday next week
I have a few questions for you:
- Will we get an history of altitude as well ( I can’t see it on the screenshots of your website) ?
- Will there be any option to export the run to an XML file ?
- If yes, could it be possible to send the file directly via email ?
Basically I manage a small website about extreme sports (spottrotters.com) and I’d like to be able to import my skate/mtb/… trips directly into the site (actually I have to do it by hand
).
Thanks,
Can’t wait for this.
Actually, I like this so much- do you want a website designed? I don’t like your’s very much..
Thanks guys. We submitted it to be released worldwide, although it will be English-only for version 1. Thanks for your offer to help translate, I will let you know if we need help!
For altitude, we are collecting that data but will not be displaying it for version 1. I would expect that we will be in future releases, especially since many of you are asking for it. For exporting data, we did not include that capability in version 1, although it is something we will be evaluating closely for future releases.
Jason
I could help you to translate it in German. Let me know if you need help.
Hi, I was wondering if you could add a lap timer in there. I race motorcycles and a lap timer is about 300$… all it does is set a starting point and then calculate the time it takes to do a lap… and also remembers the fastest lap. So if you could add that in there, you could make a killing in the racing world and I could save about 290$. Thanks
I sometime take phone calls during a run. I don’t stop, so any pause in the application’s run would make the date incorrect. Can you change the behavior to not pause the run during a phone call? Also, how long does it take Apple to approve the app now that you have submitted it. I can’t wait…great idea/app!!!
Hi Jerry,
At this point, you can’t. If you ignore or dismiss a call, it will continue tracking, but as soon as you take the call, your route will be paused automatically. You will have the option to resume where you left off when the call is completed. This is a current limitation of the iPhone platform and something we hope Apple will address in the future.
Jason
I’m assuming that for version 1 you will not be able to listen to music while the application is running. Is this something that you expect to include in later versions?
Hi Bob,
You will be able to listen to the iPod in the background while you run, as well as change songs. You will not, however, be able to use any third party apps like AOL Radio, as Apple prevents you from running two third party applications at once. This is a current limitation of the iPhone platform and something we hope Apple will address in the future.
Jason
Jason,
Any idea of how long the Apple approval process will take? I keep checking the App Store, but nothing. Just wondering when we can expect it to show up.
Thanks,
Jerry
Hi Jerry,
We can’t say definitively, but the sense we get is that we are very close. If you haven’t already, you can sign up to be notified when we are live on our website. We are as impatient as you are
Jason