Thoughts on Sony Xperia android tablet and anchor watch app

[RichardS]

Got my Xperia 10 inch tablet last weekend. This is my first tablet or smart phone so my typing might be a bit dodgy. First reaction is that I really like it. The screen is big enough for my eyesight but the tablet is so light and thin, apparently lighter and thinner than an Ipad. However, the killer for me is that it's waterproof so ideal for boating! I've got the 3G / 4G version and have put in a giffgaff data sim so I'm not restricted to wifi. This also means that I can set a program like Anchor Watch at one end of the house (boat is in Med!) and walk to the other end of the house. When the boat (me) moves out of the watch radius, an alarm sounds on the tablet and at the same instant my mobile phone receives a text saying that the boat has dragged 2 metres beyond the safe limit and giving me the lat and long of where it is. Very clever I reckon and it works perfectly.

Richard

 

[Searush]

Don't let it upgrade to KitKat (Android 4.2) if my experience with my Xperia Z phone is anything to go by. I had to disable all GPS functions to stop the thing getting red hot with processing Google services demands.

 

[ShinyShoe]

How does it send the SMS alert?

Is it using the sim card's own ability (only needs mobile signal not data) or the 2g/3g features of the card... I can get sms where I usually park up but not 2g..

 

[Koeketiene]

Don't let it upgrade to KitKat (Android 4.2) if my experience with my Xperia Z phone is anything to go by. I had to disable all GPS functions to stop the thing getting red hot with processing Google services demands.

Settings > localisation > change setting from 'high accuracy' to 'battery saving'.
This disables the GPS.

 

[ShinyShoe]

But disabling high accuracy means you know you've dragged your anchor when the rocks you just bounced off of are banging on your hull...

 

[RichardS]

It uses the SMS card facility rather than data. This means that I have to have a voice and data package from giffgaff but as far as I can work out the cost per mb on the voice/ SMS payg package is the same as that on the lowest usage data bundle.

Richard

 

[Koeketiene]

But disabling high accuracy means you know you've dragged your anchor when the rocks you just bounced off of are banging on your hull...

My reply was not intended for OP, but rather to address Searush's question.