SMS Sentinel

Now available at the Android Market!

Sentinel - one that keeps guard, a sentry. *One who gives a warning or indicates danger.

SMS Sentinel is designed with the growing problem of Distracted Driving in mind. *Television and Newspapers are filled almost daily with tragic stories of accidents resulting from distracted driving. *Most of these accidents were avoidable if they had paid attention while driving.
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No state bans all cell phone use (handheld or hands-free) for all drivers, but many prohibit use by *Novice Drivers and School Bus Drivers, and many have restrictions on texting.

Text messaging, whether receiving or sending is dangerous. *As many as 30 states, D.C. and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers. *But as many of us have seen for ourselves while out and about, many are still texting while driving.

How many times have you watched someone reach for their phone, read and send a response out seconds after they get a message? *How many of them were driving at the time? *Wouldn’t you like to know if your teenager is texting while driving? *Wouldn’t you like to know if your employee is keeping his eyes and attention on the road? *With these questions in mind we created SMS Sentinel.
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We created a Sentinel app that in its most basic/default mode will stop the automatic grab, read and respond habit that is dangerous while driving. *At the same time, Sentinel also informs the sender of the driver’s situation with an auto-response message. * And for parents or administrators, Sentinel includes a Web App (Subscription) with several features including the ability to know if they are following the guidelines you have set in regards to texting and driving.
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In the Default/Basic Mode SMS Sentinel features:
• User editable auto-response to incoming SMS/MMS message.
• Silencing of all incoming SMS/MMS audible (ring) and tactile (vibration) notifications if you are driving 5 mph and above.
• Resumption of notifications after you have stopped for about 2 minutes.
• Able to suspend Sentinel briefly, or for 10 or 30 minutes at a time.
Note: *In some phones SMS Sentinel also silences the audible notification of incoming phone calls, but your tactile and visual (phone screen will turn on) will still function normally.

And with the Sentinel Option enabled, it features (Subscription):*
• Ability to send a bypass code to suspend or enable Sentinel.*
• Ability to determine who can send bypass codes.
• Website login to remotely administer a group (family) with as many as 5 phones.
• Ability to setup for enterprise or more than 5 devices (call for quote).
• Choose to receive notification via email if your monitored phone when the Sentinel app is disabled or uninstalled without permission. *You may also choose how long to wait before you are notified.
• Ability to generate reports that can be viewed in your web portal. The reports include violations such as sending an SMS/MMS message while driving, suspending the app or pressing the Stop feature. *Reports time, speed, GPS coordinates, and if SMS/MMS message is sent, the number the message was sent to.
• It also will log the time and number of which Sentinel sends the bypass code, and whether to suspend the app or turn it back on.

Subscription for 1 device/yr is $10.00, 2 devices/yr is $15.00, and 3-5 devices is $20.00. *For 6 devices and above or custom enterprise implementation please contact us for a quote. All have a free week trial.

After downloading the the app, go to Refresh for Android | Morpheus Tech Apps to register for the Sentinel option. *(Read the Installation and Registration instructions CAREFULLY.) Email the Sentinel Code to all the devices you wish to monitor, put in the code and you are done.

* *Battery Drain can be alleviated by using your car charger when driving. *Always use the latest phone OS.*
** Accuracy in logging speed is dependent on your phone and how fast it picks up GPS Satellites for triangulation. The newer phones with faster processing speed also make the difference.

 

Clarification: The SMS Sentinel app will work without a Subscription. Only if you want the extra reporting and bypass code, and custom speed and wait times features do you have to have a subscription.

We are updating the website. Email Morpheus at support@morpheustechapps.com to get the User and FAQ via email till website is updated. -- Till then, bookmark Refresh for Android | Morpheus Tech Apps . Here is the registration/login page for those of you ready to help your teens "Break the texting and driving habit" http://SMSSentinel.net .

So download it now!. Remember there is a 1 week trial subscription!

 

50% off Back to school and New Year Promo!!!

For a limited time SMS Sentinel in the Android Market is only $1.00! 50% off the original price. dancedroid:icon_ banana: Website is constantly being update. FAQ's now online and the user manual for the web interface will be posted soon. Do your part to keep the streets safe! Download SMS Sentinel today! For more info on the app... Go to the Market or www.morpheustechapps.com

 

Update v1.2

App that prevents cell phone usage while driving

Hernando techies create app to keep people from texting and driving

Smart phone application developed in Hernando blocks text messaging while driving - St. Petersburg Times

SMS Sentinel V1.2 adds some key features in response to suggestions. The most significant feature is the optimization of GPS and sensor use to improve battery performance. Also, several customers asked for a feature to use SMS Sentinel in a "manual mode" where GPS and Sensors are not used at all, but the app can still "auto-respond" and block incoming text notifications. This is an important feature when you might be a passenger in a vehicle, or perhaps at work and still want to use the app.

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SMS Sentinel User Manual

After registration, you can see the status of the Sentinel on the main page. There are 4 items on the page, and pressing the system menu button provides access to the Info/Settings Page, and the ability to temporarily suspend the Sentinel from interfering with SMS/MMS.

1) The SMS Driving instant reply message and check box are used if you want an auto reply to be sent to any incoming SMS/MMS. For example, if the check box is selected, whatever message is in the message box will be sent to anyone that sends you a message while the Sentinel determines you are driving (both BLOCKING and DRIVING indicators are GREEN).
* v1.2 added button to change from GPS Mode to Manual Mode on the first screen. Touching the button toggles the mode and displays a brief message. If you are on Manual Mode, App does not check GPS, therefore decreases battery drain. If the check-box beside the auto-response text is checked it silences notification and sends auto-response text. If unchecked, notifications are on, while no auto-response text is sent.
** Note: With the Sentinel Option enabled, when sending a SMS/MMS on Manual Mode, app turns on long enough to determine if you are moving greater than 5 mph, and if so, it will log the violation.

2) Indicators for BLOCKING and DRIVING turn GREEN when the Sentinel is blocking SMS and determines you are driving. If you are driving and select the “STOP Blocking!” menu item, the BLOCKING indicator will turn off until the next Speed update if you select “Stop” or for the amount of time you select (30 min, 45 min, 120 mins).

3) The menu has two options, “STOP Blocking!” and “Info/Settings.” Stop blocking will tell the Sentinel to allow normal device operation until a selected time period expires, or he determines driving is in progress with a speed above the SMS Speed after the SMS Delay shown on the Info/Settings page. The Info/Settings page has the registration info and the SMS calibration Speed and Delay numbers (only changeable using the Sentinel Web App).

4) v1.2 also added notifications to the notification bar.
> A small triangle with a '!' in the center is used to alert the user when the app is in manual mode.
> A small circle with a checkmark indicates if the app has the auto-response text selected (white hollow check NOT selected, black solid check selected).
> If a user "pulls down" the notification window they will see the notification message, and the Manual Mode notification will automatically clear when the app is in GPS Mode, and the auto-response notification will show when the check-box is changed.

Note: If you register as a single user (no sentinel code entered at registration from the app) and later purchase the Sentinel Web App Subscription or want to join a Sentinel group, you can simply enter the sentinel code and select the “APP IS REGISTERED” button. You will be prompted by the Sentinel; select yes and you should get back a positive message. If there is an error, check the sentinel code and try again, or contact support (support@morpheustechapps.com).

App is still $1 until v2.0, where it will go back up to $2. Upgrades coming are ability to schedule times to suspend checking of GPS (for people who work in an office or are in school to better conserve battery) and possible white list.

 

SMS Sentinel v3.3

v3.3 adds:

(1) A “Schedule Mode” to auto-respond on a schedule (weekly meeting time, dinner time, bed time, etc), and to conserve battery power because the sensors are disabled on the schedule.

(2) Added a second auto-response message.

(3) Fixed issue where some phones had incoming phone call ring silenced. Incoming phone calls now ring normally when driving, only the text message is silenced.

(4) Improved operation to reduce battery power consumption that was a problem on some devices.

(5) on Web web portal, clicking on GPS coordinates shows location on google maps.

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Schedule Mode:

The SMS Sentinel “Schedule Mode” is enabled by selecting the checkbox at the bottom of the main (first) page of the app. This mode is similar to the “Manual Mode” in several ways.

First, when enabled and it is during a programmed schedule time, the device sensors are turned off (this saves battery power). If the auto-response checkbox is checked, then an auto-response will be sent. The message that is sent is the one that was displayed when you last used the application (you can select one of two messages.) If you are using the app and have entered a valid sentinel code on the registration page (Sentinel subscription account where you are part of a group), then the Sentinel will try to determine if you are driving when you send an outbound message.

What is different from the “Manual Mode” is that the “Schedule Mode” will only turn off the sensors during a programmed schedule period. For example, if you have a morning meeting every weekday from 8:30AM to 9:30AM, you can program that on the schedule page by selecting the days and times, and touching the Add button. During that time, the device sensors will not be turned on by the Sentinel. In addition, if you have the auto-response checkbox checked, the incoming notification will be silenced and the Sentinel will send the displayed message as a reply to the incoming message. After the schedule period, Sentinel will switch back to the GPS mode working normally and wait until you are driving to silence the incoming notification and auto-respond to incoming messages.