Check out my app: GasBot

[GasBot]

we are not gouging, all stations get different fleet costs (cost of shipment) and our wholesale prices are def different, it all depends on the jobber.

there was a good two weeks i was literally 30 cents cheaper then the guy across the street.

it also depends on when you order your load just like the stock market prices vary all day. if ur lucky you get it cheap you can sell cheap and run through loads daily like i was for that two weeks i was 30 cents cheaper but then ur luck runs out and you get stuck with a costly load and the guy across the street gets it cheaper.

today's unleaded: 1.799
diesel: 2.899

That's good to know. Although I'm still sure that the big oil companies still might do some gouging based on market speculation and what not. Not to mention I'm sure there are many station owners who aren't as honest as you and when the person across the street from them is more expensive, they might just sit a couple cents lower even though they could be at 20+ cents lower.

I mean it's basic economics and I guess what gets me is that whenever there's some "crisis" somewhere in the world. The price of gas IMMEDIATELY shoots through the roof when in all actuality the gas they have in the ground was bought at a cheaper price than what it may be in the next few weeks. But then after the crisis is over, it still takes a couple weeks for the prices to drop back down because then the gas they have in the ground is more expensive.

Sharky, please don't take this as me trying to attack you personally. I've just been frustrated by the hold that oil companies have over America and the fact that companies like Texaco and ExxonMobil keep buying out patents that would advance the use of renewable energy and then just sitting on them to secure their profits.

 

[Camarones]

That's good to know. Although I'm still sure that the big oil companies still might do some gouging based on market speculation and what not. Not to mention I'm sure there are many station owners who aren't as honest as you and when the person across the street from them is more expensive, they might just sit a couple cents lower even though they could be at 20+ cents lower.

Its no coincidence that the Chevron station near the airport (hmm last place to fill up that rental?) was still trying to get $3.50 for diesel when everyone else in the county was well under $3. Unfortunately it is what the immediate local market will bear, since that station is always packed.

I mean it's basic economics and I guess what gets me is that whenever there's some "crisis" somewhere in the world. The price of gas IMMEDIATELY shoots through the roof when in all actuality the gas they have in the ground was bought at a cheaper price than what it may be in the next few weeks. But then after the crisis is over, it still takes a couple weeks for the prices to drop back down because then the gas they have in the ground is more expensive.

Sharky, please don't take this as me trying to attack you personally. I've just been frustrated by the hold that oil companies have over America and the fact that companies like Texaco and ExxonMobil keep buying out patents that would advance the use of renewable energy and then just sitting on them to secure their profits.

Its folks like you who write apps like Gasbot that will empower people to support the more reasonably priced outlets. I truly appreciate your work on the project.

 

[GasBot]

Its no coincidence that the Chevron station near the airport (hmm last place to fill up that rental?) was still trying to get $3.50 for diesel when everyone else in the county was well under $3. Unfortunately it is what the immediate local market will bear, since that station is always packed.



Its folks like you who write apps like Gasbot that will empower people to support the more reasonably priced outlets. I truly appreciate your work on the project.

Thanks man, that's exactly what I'm hoping happens. If all of the demand goes to the stations who are selling at the cheapest prices, it'll drive the prices down as a whole. Then everyone wins! (well except maybe the station owner who bought the gas at a higher price than they can sell it at, sorry Sharky!)

 

[markinct]

I downloaded GasBot - my first acquisition from the market...

It revealed a problem with my SIM that wasn't apparent to me, since the phone could make/receive calls. So I ended up calling customer support just as you advised in the troubleshooting screen that popped up. A very pleasant woman helped me validate the SIM, then reset my account.

The app looks good. I will definitely be paying that $7.00 King's ransom to keep it running! But my n00b question of the day is, how do I 'renew' it? Should I re-download it after the trial period?

 

[GasBot]

I downloaded GasBot - my first acquisition from the market...

It revealed a problem with my SIM that wasn't apparent to me, since the phone could make/receive calls. So I ended up calling customer support just as you advised in the troubleshooting screen that popped up. A very pleasant woman helped me validate the SIM, then reset my account.

The app looks good. I will definitely be paying that $7.00 King's ransom to keep it running! But my n00b question of the day is, how do I 'renew' it? Should I re-download it after the trial period?

No, when your two week trial is up, the application will notify you that you'll need to renew. If you click the button that's on that screen, it'll take you to PayPal where you can pay right from the phone. Or you can go to http://www.gasbot.net/GetGasbotLicense enter in your phone number, and buy the license right there.

BTW, I'm getting ready to release the newest version of the app right now. Just making sure everything is set and running perfectly so as to not interrupt anyone.

 

[GasBot]

Alright guys, BETA 0.9 is released! You should get a prompt when you start GasBot if you haven't updated to the latest version yet. You can either download it from the link provided or just get it from the market. Let me know what you think!

New Features:

• App will actively poll the GPS unit for your current location instead of pulling the last known location. Please note that this will cause the app to take a little while longer while starting up.
• The search by address functionality is now complete allowing you to search by full address, just city and state, just state, or just zip code. We've allowed the maximum in flexibility.
• The station listing page has changed drastically. It now shows the station logo so you can quickly recognize which stations are which. Clicking on the result tile will now give you more information like when the price was reported by the station and how much the other grades of fuel they offer are.
• The map screen now allows for easier Google Maps style zooming in and out. It will also allow you to toggle between map and satellite mode.
• Clicking directions will take you to Google Maps to give you driving directions. When you click it, it'll ask if you want to use the browser or maps. I suggest setting Maps as the default.
• Back button now enabled. Rather than having to click new search. You can just hit the back button to go back to previous pages.

 

[sharky481232]

as a store owner i can honestly say that gas isnt my money maker... i usually only make pennies on gas and if u use a credit card after the processing fees its like half a penny per gallon, gas is just a attraction to get people into buy groceries... so gouging at the pumps is just stupid.... and yeah you are right there are people who would rather sit on a load for two weeks and be 20 cents higher then everyone even though they know they can go lower, but that guys missing out in his inside sales so its just a stupid business decision i think.
(unless ur by the airport and can get away with shit like that, but my buddy has a store by our airport and his fleet cost is way more then mine, and we have the same jobber)

Gasbot i know ur not coming at me cause i havent really done anything wrong to you, for you to come at me, just explaining the business to you to further your knowledge for ur application.

yes the big companies is who you should target your anger towards cause im sure they get it for 1/2 of what they sell it to me at. just dont blame us small business owners for the big companies greed.

 

[sleebus.jones]

Anyone around right now that wants to do a little beta testing? I think this puppy is ready to roll, but I'd like to have one more set of eyes look at it before I do.

Missed this yesterday, but I'm always available to help.

 

[GasBot]

as a store owner i can honestly say that gas isnt my money maker... i usually only make pennies on gas and if u use a credit card after the processing fees its like half a penny per gallon, gas is just a attraction to get people into buy groceries... so gouging at the pumps is just stupid.... and yeah you are right there are people who would rather sit on a load for two weeks and be 20 cents higher then everyone even though they know they can go lower, but that guys missing out in his inside sales so its just a stupid business decision i think.
(unless ur by the airport and can get away with shit like that, but my buddy has a store by our airport and his fleet cost is way more then mine, and we have the same jobber)

Gasbot i know ur not coming at me cause i havent really done anything wrong to you, for you to come at me, just explaining the business to you to further your knowledge for ur application.

yes the big companies is who you should target your anger towards cause im sure they get it for 1/2 of what they sell it to me at. just dont blame us small business owners for the big companies greed.

You got it man. I'd never blame the little guy. I know it's the big oil companies really screwing everyone over. And above them the producers are even worse. I just can't wait until they can make some breakthroughs with ultracapacitors and make electric cars a viable alternative.

And I do appreciate your insight on the inner workings of the business. I wasn't aware of exactly how the pricing structure worked. I figured they just sent gas whenever you needed it and set the prices to whatever they wanted.

 

[justjimjpc]

I am not sure if I can explain this so it is understandable. But, here goes.

Lets say you have your radius of stations set for x miles.

GasBot gives you the stations in that radious and normally lists them cheapest to highest price.

The Distance is also given. Maybe the best price is 20 miles away and maybe a round-trip distance would be 40 miles ...

Is it worth the savings to drive that far or pick a closer station?

If we provide GasBot with our avg mpg it would be nice to see the driving cost to go to the station and what the effective cost per gal for each station listed is ... then sorted by cheapest(effective $/gal)... that way we could pick the staion with the BEST effective price and location based on our current location.

Is that way anal or would that not be just to sweet !!!

 

[GasBot]

I am not sure if I can explain this so it is understandable. But, here goes.

Lets say you have your radius of stations set for x miles.

GasBot gives you the stations in that radious and normally lists them cheapest to highest price.

The Distance is also given. Maybe the best price is 20 miles away and maybe a round-trip distance would be 40 miles ...

Is it worth the savings to drive that far or pick a closer station?

If we provide GasBot with our avg mpg it would be nice to see the driving cost to go to the station and what the effective cost per gal for each station listed is ... then sorted by cheapest(effective $/gal)... that way we could pick the staion with the BEST effective price and location based on our current location.

Is that way anal or would that not be just to sweet !!!

I like the idea of giving relative prices based on driving. I'm planning on implementing logging and statistical features in the future that will let you log when you filled up, how much it cost, how many gallons, etc. Then based off of that, I plan on being able to calculate TRUE MPG, not just an estimated one and from there I can definitely do something with the effective price per gallon as well as have high levels of reporting.

 

[justjimjpc]

I was also thinking it would be nice to just plug the mpg into GasBot and get the effective $/gal ... It is a great way to help out the person you are ride-sharing with even though your own "logged MPG" might be different ...

 

[pestilence]

I like the idea of giving relative prices based on driving. I'm planning on implementing logging and statistical features in the future that will let you log when you filled up, how much it cost, how many gallons, etc. Then based off of that, I plan on being able to calculate TRUE MPG, not just an estimated one and from there I can definitely do something with the effective price per gallon as well as have high levels of reporting.

THAT would be the ****.

 

[justjimjpc]

I was also thinking it would be nice to just plug the mpg into GasBot and get the effective $/gal ... It is a great way to help out the person you are ride-sharing with even though your own "logged MPG" might be different ...

After suggesting to GasBot to display stations by the
best effective cost ... I thought it would be helpful
to see what it might look like and the difference it could
make ... So here is actual GasBot Date and using a example
where a car gets 32mpg and needs about 15gals to Fillup.
============================================================
My car's MPG = 32 Gals to Fillup 15
============================================================
Gas____miles____$$$_____MyCost___Rnd-Trip___Cost TO___Savings
Sta_ ___________________Per______$ to get___FILL UP___over most
________________________mile_____the gas______________costly
============================================================
1_______9.3_____1.87____0.0584___1.0869_____29.14_____0.84
2_______8.2_____1.87____0.0584___0.9584_____29.01_____0.97
3_______7.8_____1.89____0.0591___0.9214_____29.27_____0.70
4_______6.7_____1.89____0.0591___0.7914_____29.14_____0.83
5_______4.3_____1.89____0.0591___0.5079_____28.86_____1.12
6_______10______1.89____0.0591___1.1813_____29.53_____0.44
7_______9.4_____1.89____0.0591___1.1104_____29.46_____0.51
8_______6.2_____1.89____0.0591___0.7324_____29.08_____0.89
9_______9.6_____1.89____0.0591___1.1340_____29.48_____0.49
10______8.5_____1.93____0.0603___1.0253_____29.98_____0.00
============================================================
THE ABOVE DATA WAS ACTUAL DATA FOR MY LOCATION
USING GASBOT ON 11/22/08 AT 2PM.

Now the same GasBot data but shown sorted
by "Cost to FILL UP" ...
============================================================
My car's MPG = 32 Gals to Fillup 15
============================================================
Gas____miles____$$$_____MyCost___Rnd-Trip___Cost TO___Savings
Sta_ ___________________Per______$ to get___FILL UP___over most
________________________mile_____the gas______________costly
============================================================
5_______4.3_____1.89____0.0591___0.5079_____28.86_____1.12
2_______8.2_____1.87____0.0584___0.9584_____29.01_____0.97
8_______6.2_____1.89____0.0591___0.7324_____29.08_____0.89
1_______9.3_____1.87____0.0584___1.0869_____29.14_____0.84
4_______6.7_____1.89____0.0591___0.7914_____29.14_____0.83
3_______7.8_____1.89____0.0591___0.9214_____29.27_____0.70
7_______9.4_____1.89____0.0591___1.1104_____29.46_____0.51
9_______9.6_____1.89____0.0591___1.1340_____29.48_____0.49
6_______10______1.89____0.0591___1.1813_____29.53_____0.44
10______8.5_____1.93____0.0603___1.0253_____29.98_____0.00
============================================================
iT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE least EXPENSIVE
STATIONS #2, and #1 are NOT the CHEAPEST to Get.



HAVING PROBLEM WITH FORMATTING TO HAVE CLEAR COLUMNS damn !!!

 

[GasBot]

After suggesting to GasBot to display stations by the
best effective cost ... I thought it would be helpful
to see what it might look like and the difference it could
make ... So here is actual GasBot Date and using a example
where a car gets 32mpg and needs about 15gals to Fillup.
============================================================
My car's MPG = 32 Gals to Fillup 15
============================================================
Gas____miles____$$$_____MyCost___Rnd-Trip___Cost TO___Savings
Sta_ ___________________Per______$ to get___FILL UP___over most
________________________mile_____the gas______________costly
============================================================
1_______9.3_____1.87____0.0584___1.0869_____29.14_____0.84
2_______8.2_____1.87____0.0584___0.9584_____29.01_____0.97
3_______7.8_____1.89____0.0591___0.9214_____29.27_____0.70
4_______6.7_____1.89____0.0591___0.7914_____29.14_____0.83
5_______4.3_____1.89____0.0591___0.5079_____28.86_____1.12
6_______10______1.89____0.0591___1.1813_____29.53_____0.44
7_______9.4_____1.89____0.0591___1.1104_____29.46_____0.51
8_______6.2_____1.89____0.0591___0.7324_____29.08_____0.89
9_______9.6_____1.89____0.0591___1.1340_____29.48_____0.49
10______8.5_____1.93____0.0603___1.0253_____29.98_____0.00
============================================================
THE ABOVE DATA WAS ACTUAL DATA FOR MY LOCATION
USING GASBOT ON 11/22/08 AT 2PM.

Now the same GasBot data but shown sorted
by "Cost to FILL UP" ...
============================================================
My car's MPG = 32 Gals to Fillup 15
============================================================
Gas____miles____$$$_____MyCost___Rnd-Trip___Cost TO___Savings
Sta_ ___________________Per______$ to get___FILL UP___over most
________________________mile_____the gas______________costly
============================================================
5_______4.3_____1.89____0.0591___0.5079_____28.86_____1.12
2_______8.2_____1.87____0.0584___0.9584_____29.01_____0.97
8_______6.2_____1.89____0.0591___0.7324_____29.08_____0.89
1_______9.3_____1.87____0.0584___1.0869_____29.14_____0.84
4_______6.7_____1.89____0.0591___0.7914_____29.14_____0.83
3_______7.8_____1.89____0.0591___0.9214_____29.27_____0.70
7_______9.4_____1.89____0.0591___1.1104_____29.46_____0.51
9_______9.6_____1.89____0.0591___1.1340_____29.48_____0.49
6_______10______1.89____0.0591___1.1813_____29.53_____0.44
10______8.5_____1.93____0.0603___1.0253_____29.98_____0.00
============================================================
iT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE least EXPENSIVE
STATIONS #2, and #1 are NOT the CHEAPEST to Get.



HAVING PROBLEM WITH FORMATTING TO HAVE CLEAR COLUMNS damn !!!

That's interesting. I would leave out the "Savings over most costly" and just order by the "cost to fill up." Seems to me that that's really the bottom line.

 

[justjimjpc]

That's interesting. I would leave out the "Savings over most costly" and just order by the "cost to fill up." Seems to me that that's really the bottom line.

I would say that I would only display in GasBot's output :
"Cost to Fillup" and What is what we really want to kinow is
our "Savings" amount... " the bottom line"

I also think that what we want to know the most is our "Savings" ...
it is the easiest to visulize which Station to choose... and I
think from GasBot's point it will be a good sales tool ... in that a
person can see how much they save ...therefore making
Gasbot a program that is of great value to them ... and this
is whether it is eventually sold or remains free. My opinion
and that of many of the beta users' comments is that they
are willing to pay. This addition can only help to increase sales.

The "myCost per mile" and "Rnd-Trip $ to get the gas" should
not be displayed as they are just intermediate calculations
to get to the bottom line ....

BTW: GasBot, I can email you the simple excel sheet I used to do these
calculations, if you would like ... at any rate I really appreciate your efforts in producing a Great App. Keep it Coming !!!

 

[GasBot]

I would say that I would only display in GasBot's output :
"Cost to Fillup" and What is what we really want to kinow is
our "Savings" amount... " the bottom line"

I also think that what we want to know the most is our "Savings" ...
it is the easiest to visulize which Station to choose... and I
think from GasBot's point it will be a good sales tool ... in that a
person can see how much they save ...therefore making
Gasbot a program that is of great value to them ... and this
is whether it is eventually sold or remains free. My opinion
and that of many of the beta users' comments is that they
are willing to pay. This addition can only help to increase sales.

The "myCost per mile" and "Rnd-Trip $ to get the gas" should
not be displayed as they are just intermediate calculations
to get to the bottom line ....

BTW: GasBot, I can email you the simple excel sheet I used to do these
calculations, if you would like ... at any rate I really appreciate your efforts in producing a Great App. Keep it Coming !!!

Hey man, I'll have to go check my first post in this thread, but GasBot is a paid app. You get a two week trial for free, but then it's $7 per year after that.

I see what you're saying about the savings being the true bottom line. Once I start doing some data logging and all that, I'll have to figure out the best way to show that on screen.

 

[justjimjpc]

Hey man, I'll have to go check my first post in this thread, but GasBot is a paid app. You get a two week trial for free, but then it's $7 per year after that.

I see what you're saying about the savings being the true bottom line. Once I start doing some data logging and all that, I'll have to figure out the best way to show that on screen.

I think the calculations showing the savings should be shown at the same time that each station is displayed in the search (as part of the station listing) ... and should be sorted with the largest savings first to the smallest savings ...

 

[jimczyz]

My trial period is up and it seems my paypal payment to you will not go thru. I click on pay and it just sits and does nothing.

 

[GasBot]

My trial period is up and it seems my paypal payment to you will not go thru. I click on pay and it just sits and does nothing.

Hey jim, send me an e-mail at chris@gasbot.net and we'll get it all figured out. Make sure to include your phone number so I can make sure that everything's ok with your account.

 

[AdamT]

can i ask would this work in europe (im in the UK) but sounds like a pretty awesome n very usefull app otherwise

 

[GasBot]

can i ask would this work in europe (im in the UK) but sounds like a pretty awesome n very usefull app otherwise

As of right now GasBot only works in the US. I'm talking to some data providers in the UK as well but they want like 55,000 pounds (over $100k) per year for access to their data. I'm trying to work out a rev share with them like I have with my US based providers.

 

[GasBot]

UPDATE: Just letting you guys know that GasBot now has E85 pricing!

 

[markinct]

I was just thinking the other day, it would be cool if search results could be shared. Maybe a 'share' button added to the screen where now we can select 'map' and 'directions'?

It would be nice to be able to help friends who don't have and android phone yet, or if they have an android phone, perhaps they could click a link in a footer of the e-mail to get more information...

 

[GasBot]

Hey, yeah actually I was thinking about sharing over SMS. That way it could be shared with anyone on the go. I guess the only thing missing would be the map and directions, but a link to Google Maps could always be thrown into the text.