[rlmesq]

After viewing another thread in this subforum, I decided to try RobLock again. If I'm incorrect in any details, or if somebody can offer some tech advice to solve the problems I had with RobLock, corrections are appreciated.

I had been very disappointed with RobLock when I tried a demo a while back, mostly because the lock/ping function didn't produce an audible tone when the phone was on vibrate or silent.

RobLock recently dropped the price to $4.95 via BB App World, so I decided to try it out. The first thing I noticed is that the device interface is definitely not Storm-friendly. The fields to enter passwords are tiny and hard to select on the touchscreen. It doesn't allow multitap keyboard inputs and it won't work in landscape mode, so entering passwords is difficult. For some reason, when it asks for an email address to send a notification if your SIM card is pulled, it doesn't even have any way to enter the @ symbol! I finally wound up opening MemoPad so I could type out passwords and addresses, then cutting & pasting them in.

When using their web interface -- which isn't accessible unless you buy the app and enter the key -- it wouldn't connect to my phone unless I manually sent an SMS or email with the connect code. (After uninstalling, I found it was sending emails to my phone with the correct code. Like SmrtGuard, it sends commands to your phone by email, then deletes the messages.)

The lock function works fine, and now starts a siren sound even if the Storm is on vibrate or silent.

However, I couldn't get the mapping function to work on the web interface or by sending a locate command to the phone, then clicking on the link in the email I received. This seems to be a problem for others, judging from a Google search of other forums.

Bottom line: I'm back to SmrtGuard, but it will depend on their pricing scheme when they release the first paid version.

RobLock
The good:

1. One time, $4.95 charge
2. Phone locked through website can only be unlocked via website (or by physical battery pull).
3. Sends message to BB screen so you can tell the person who finds your phone to call on a land line.
4. SMS or Email commands to lock & unlock the phone work as well as the ones from the website.

The bad:

1. Interface is hard to read and not touchscreen friendly
2. Web interface won't connect with phone without sending separate SMS or email.
3. GPS Mapping function doesn't work.
4. No auto backup; download function is slow.

Verdict:
Although it's being marketed as a 2.0 version, this is far from a final release candidate -- at least for the Storm, though it may work better on some other BB models.

SmrtGuard
The Good

1. Web interface connects quickly on startup
2. GPS tracking feature works well
3. App on device is touchscreen friendly
4. Automatic backup of contacts, email, tasks, phone lists, MemoPad

The Bad

1. Doesn't have its own locking function independent of phone password*
2. Only supports one command via email -- audio ping -- which cancels as soon as the message alert sounds, so it isn't very valuable.
3. No idea yet what it's going to cost when Beta testing ends
4. People who missed the Beta can't get it now.

* In the http://forums.crackberry.com/f35/uno...1-02-a-189882/, the developers say they will add this.

Verdict:
Although SmrtGuard is a Beta, the app is far more polished than the 2.0 release of RobLock.

The winner

Currently SmrgGuard is the winner by a long shot.

RobLock has some good features -- password protection in the app, better commands via email, lock command can only be disabled by a unlock command or physical battery pull -- but the overall experience is not user friendly and, despite claims on the website that it is Storm-compatible, many of the functions don't work

SmrtGuard lacks the ability to send commands via email or SMS (except for the audio ping, which is pretty worthless because it gets canceled in a fraction of a second), which is great for people like me who tend to misplace their phones all the time: "Where's my phone... aaaack... can I borrow yours for a second to send a text to ping it?"

However, the rest of the functions actually work, in a package that is well designed, versus the unfinished feel of RobLock, and the developers have seemed pretty responsive to forum posts during the Beta testing. I hope some of the advantages of RobLock will be incorporated in a final release of SmrtGuard.

For me, the deciding factor will be the price of SmrtGuard when it's released. Google Sync backs up my contacts and calendar, and my email is either on an outside server or, in the case of my BIS account, forwarded to another address in addition to my Storn, so the backup features are pretty redundant.

If SmrtGuard wants to charge more than ten bucks a year, then I'll just use RobLock to ping my phone when I misplace it.

[rockigirl]

I'm not a storm user but nice break down! I found this to be very useful and I hope you do another review when the final smrtguard comes out. Thanks!

[smcgo4]

Sounds to me like you did not download the Storm specific version of RobLock (a different URL than the general one on the website).

[Emerson098]

quick question if you ping smrtguard on silent will it make noise cause that would suck if my freinds found out about that and texted me in class all the time

[rlmesq]

Sounds to me like you did not download the Storm specific version of RobLock (a different URL than the general one on the website).

If I screwed up, I'd be the first to correct myself, but this is the developers' fault, not mine.

They are currently selling Roblock through CrapWorld, not a download or OTA.

There is apparently only one version shipping, 2.0.9.2

On the screen in CrapWorld, it says:

ATTENTION BlackBerry Storm Users:
Please enable compatability ode for roblock to work smoothly. This can be done by navigating to Options-Advanced-Roblock-Menu-Enable Compatibility Mode

NOTE: They didn't even get the path right!

I just think they're selling an app that is not as well developed as the SmrtGuard beta.

[rlmesq]

Both the SmrtGuard ping function and the RobLock lock function will work if the phone is on silent; otherwise, they wouldn't be useful if you turn off the ring tone, then misplace it.

SmrtGuard's ping via email silences almost immediately, so it isn't that valuable. Roblock requires a specific command, along with your password, so your fiends couldn't set it off unless you gave them your password.

quick question if you ping smrtguard on silent will it make noise cause that would suck if my freinds found out about that and texted me in class all the time

[ljcandee]

I have the 9530 and cannot seem to get the GPS tracking feature to function properly even though I have enabled GPS and clicked the Track My BB on the smrtguard website.

If someone could clue me in as to how to show the tracking history over the time period I select in my account settings i would greatly appreciate it. All I seem to get are a few locations but never the full path of where I have travelled.
Thanks in advance.

[rlmesq]

I have the 9530 and cannot seem to get the GPS tracking feature to function properly even though I have enabled GPS and clicked the Track My BB on the smrtguard website.

If someone could clue me in as to how to show the tracking history over the time period I select in my account settings i would greatly appreciate it. All I seem to get are a few locations but never the full path of where I have travelled.
Thanks in advance.

It isn't going to provide real time tracking. That would involve huge amounts of data and a constant battery drain

I'm not sure how Smrtguard chooses when to send a location point from your BB to the website. There's a support thread under the general third party apps forum; you might try asking there.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ljcandee]

It isn't going to provide real time tracking. That would involve huge amounts of data and a constant battery drain

I'm not sure how Smrtguard chooses when to send a location point from your BB to the website. There's a support thread under the general third party apps forum; you might try asking there.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Thank you for that. I'll try there.

[zinadork]

I am a smrtguard beta test on my storm and love the app. I think it is going to be monthly subscription fee of $5.