Ethanol Free Gas (E0) iPhone App - Good Idea?

[turbo6bar]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm not going out and blowing $300 on a stupid IPhone just to benefit from a resource like this, not to mention god-knows-how-much per month on a contract. Forget that.

Haha, I I missed your loathing while you were gone, PoP. Keep it angry, man.

I'm game for a web version on this.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Hopefully someone with a good chem-e background can chime in about the feasibility of setting up a small-scale home de-ethanolizer using water.

Calling Dr. Sammy

[mca]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

FWIW I like the idea of a web site versus an Apple-specific application. I'm not going out and blowing $300 on a stupid IPhone just to benefit from a resource like this, not to mention god-knows-how-much per month on a contract. Forget that.

First of all let me mention that I am a PC user ... and I always will be. I work on my computer all day - Photoshop and Flash mostly. I will never change.

However, the iPhone is perhaps the greatest electronic device I have ever used in my life. Use one ... you won't find it to be stupid.

FWIW you can get one from $99 - $299 ... monthly costs for me are $80 which is less than what my wife pays on Verizon for the same data plan.

An iPhone is well worth the money in my opinion. It is a true pleasure.

Back to the topic at hand. I would love to have BOTH - app and site. Even create app for iPHONY phones.

[MrScott]

Nice thing about an app vs a website is no downtime middle of the night emergency recoveries. The app could be designed to queue updates (to and from) if the central database can't be reached so you even if it takes you a week to get it back up, no big deal.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Bump for sammy (or anyone who can chime in about this in a meaningful way...)

Originally Posted by mca

First of all let me mention that I am a PC user ... and I always will be. I work on my computer all day - Photoshop and Flash mostly. I will never change.

However, the iPhone is perhaps the greatest electronic device I have ever used in my life. Use one ... you won't find it to be stupid.

FWIW you can get one from $99 - $299 ... monthly costs for me are $80 which is less than what my wife pays on Verizon for the same data plan.

An iPhone is well worth the money in my opinion. It is a true pleasure.

Back to the topic at hand. I would love to have BOTH - app and site. Even create app for iPHONY phones.

Don't want to drag what can potentially be a good/informative thread off topic but I have used the iPhone. It's a nice toy but ultimately absolutely 100% unnecessary for me. If you like it and find it worthwhile/worth spending money on, then that's cool. I don't. Just saying it would irk me a bit if the O.P. designed this application for a proprietary platform (like the iPhone) rather than a web site so it could potentially reach the largest audience other than those part of the "club".

It wouldn't irk me enough to want to run out and get one though. And FWIW I think the Android phones are about 10X cooler, but I'm not going to go blow money on one of those either. Electronic gizmos don't do it for me anymore. Not at all.

Now can we get back to ethanol and gasoline chemistry now?

[MrScott]

I was with you P-O-P. Heck, until last year when I got my iPhone I'd been using a StarTAC for the last decade. Still think that was the cell phone equivalent of the 911. Anyhow, the iPhone isn't about needing another gadget, it's about changing the way you do things.

don't have cable TV anymore, I get all my news with podcasts;
don't have a camera anymore, iPhone w/autofocus works just fine for most things;
don't have a GPS navigator, Navigon on iPhone works great;
don't have to lug my laptop around as much, I got ssh, vnc, push IM on the iPhone

So yeah, most gadgets complicate, this one simplifies. Now back to ethanol...

[Schumi]

I'm with you there Scott- my StarTAC served me for on the better of 6 years I think before it finally broke and couldn't get another. By that time the RAZR was out (!) and that's what I still have today.


My productivity would plummet if I owned something like an iPhone where I could have internet wherever I go.


Edit: to stay slightly on topic... I could see how an E0 or race-fuel map program would come in handy.... makes such a device more and more enticing. grr.

Better yet- a program that shops a map of where fellow pelicans are in relation to you, so if you break down in a Porsche on a long road trip you can find somebody...

[spyderman]

Where are we with this app/website? I just spent $150 getting the fuel system of my daily criver flushed because of all the ethanol sludge that was in the injectors. I'm done with ethanol if I can help it. Where can I buy gas without that crap in Southern MD?

Love my Iphone and use the heck out of it. Cash in hand to buy this app.

[mca]

Originally Posted by spyderman

Where are we with this app/website? I just spent $150 getting the fuel system of my daily criver flushed because of all the ethanol sludge that was in the injectors. I'm done with ethanol if I can help it. Where can I buy gas without that crap in Southern MD?

Love my Iphone and use the heck out of it. Cash in hand to buy this app.

Normally iPhone apps are written in Objective C. I don't know this language so I can't write apps.

However, I am a Flash developer which means that I write code in ActionScript 3. The new Flash IDE (CS5) will allow for iPhone application development. Basically I will be able to write the application code in AS3 and then render it out as an iPhone app.

Flash CS5 was SUPPOSED to be released as a public beta before the end of the year. However Adobe announced last Friday that they opted not to release the public beta. Very disheartening news.

This means that I won't get my hands on Flash CS5 until early - mid 2010.

Then there is the issue of data development. It seems like there is no database in existence that specifies E0 gas stations. Although the app would allow for users to submit station locations, it might be a hard sell b/c the launched version of the app would have little to no data available. It would rely heavily on user input and would take time to become robust and useful.

The idea isn't dead by any means. But it is looking gloomy. It appears as though most states don't offer E0 ... if they do, the stations will likely be found in very rural areas.

I am fortunate to have 2 stations near me. One is 30 miles away and the other is 10 miles away.

I welcome you all to search for E0 data. If I can find a reliable baseline database, I would be quite pleased and motivated to develop the app.

[VenezianBlau 87]

I'd buy the app for my iPhone. I don't know if GA or the Atlanta area allow E0. But, I travel (mainly drive) around the southeast and those rural areas may have it available.

[mca]

Originally Posted by VenezianBlau 87

I'd buy the app for my iPhone. I don't know if GA or the Atlanta area allow E0. But, I travel (mainly drive) around the southeast and those rural areas may have it available.

It is funny b/c this idea came to me while I was in ATL for Thanksgiving. After driving 5 hours from Charleston I wanted to find an E0 station. Started poking around the interweb and could not find anything!

Then I thought that it would be cool to have an app ... much like ManGo finds local restaurants, shops, etc around the area.

[Sapporo Guy]

off topic :: ugh! not by much!

Is there a difference between CA and NY standards for ethanol?
Dad (errr, step mom was driving at the time) blew the injection system on the CLS50 ... $2K + repair ... wonder if this was the problem???

[onlycafe]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

FWIW I like the idea of a web site versus an Apple-specific application. I'm not going out and blowing $300 on a stupid IPhone just to benefit from a resource like this, not to mention god-knows-how-much per month on a contract. Forget that.

yes please.
i don't have one of those new-fangled phones, heck, mine doesn't even take pictures. but i would like to know where to get the real stuff.
i like to drink ethanol, but would rather not run it in my cars.

[mca]

I started posting on various boating forums in order to recruit some help.

There are TONS of forums like Pelican where members are sharing the same concerns about finding E0.

Also, OREGON does have E0! I'll try to dig up the locations again.

[slakjaw]

The smart people of MN have made it a law. Fule sold here is at least 10% or more E

I would buy and use the app for when Im on the road though.

[mca]

All Things Ethanol

Came across the above site. People from around the nation are seeking E0. Some of you might be able to find a station near you by reading through the posts.

Yes, MN residents are screwed.

[911Rob]

Originally Posted by mca

...... the iPhone is perhaps the greatest electronic device I have ever used in my life. Use one ... you won't find it to be stupid....

Bingo! I agree.

I now have a company building apps and sites now too; right now real estate related. Gotta love technology.

Bought my wife an iPhone for Christmas stocking too.

[mca]

Some of you Oregon Pelicans may be in luck.

Ethanol Free Premium Gas Starting Jan 1, 2010

Over Christmas I managed to win an Adobe Dead Drop competition - won $3k in software (CS5 Master Suite when it is released) and an iPod Touch.

The best news is that I will be receiving a pre-release of Flash CS5 which means that I will be able to start creating apps in the next couple of months - I will get my hands on it before the rest of the world!!!

Now ... if I could only find good ethanol-free station data.

[campbellcj]

Does anyone know for sure whether ethanol-free pump gas is available in SoCal?

I have been using Union 76 100 octane in my 914-6 with new engine as I suspect it would be marginal if not a Really Bad Idea to use our crappy 91 (although it was built to run OK on 93/94 out of state pump gas). But also I am hoping this is either E0 gas or has less ethanol than the other stuff for the benefit of my spendy fuel system.