Tag: instant alerts

Android, Canadian Classifieds Alerter

Current status of Canadian Classifieds Alerter Android App

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UPDATED Nov 2019:

Future of Canadian Classifieds Alerter:

In case you haven’t noticed, this app hasn’t been updated in over a year. I can assure you it’s not because I’m lazy, it’s that the app will not work on newer versions of Android.

What? Why? The app works on my phone now and I have the newest version of Android!

That’s because I have the target API level set to 23 (Android 6.0). In order to submit an update to google play, I’d need to target at least API Level 28 (Android 9.0)

The app runs in compatibility mode so that’s why it still works.

Some newer phones are already having problems! Some phones will only allow background services to run if the app is in the foreground!

Why don’t you just target Android 9.0 then?

Oh man, I wish I could. The problem is that newer versions of Android are incredibly picky about background services. See this blog post for more information:

https://blog.klinkerapps.com/android-o-background-services/

So where does this leave us? Is the app done for?

Ha. Well. Funny story. I’ve been in this same situation for the iOS version and found a workaround!

Okay… what’s the workaround?

I purchased a server to do the crunching for the app, then deliver the results to the app through a push notification! It’s working right now as we speak in the current beta and has been working for the iOS version for about two years.

I don’t know what that means. Can you just give me the pros and cons?

This new app will have the following pros and cons.

Pros:

  • Better battery life
  • Less slowdown on phones with limited memory and CPU
  • Less data usage (aka, lower monthly bill)
  • Ability to do complex things that a phone would choke on or be inefficient at. For example, I can ignore posts by certain sellers (people who repost the same crap for way too much). It’s made me WAY more efficient on Kijiji.
  • The app will be updated regularly again.
  • The bug where you have to reopen the app after opening a notification has been fixed

Cons:

  • Relies on a server. Servers go down occasionally
  • Will have a recurring monthly subscription cost if you want premium features (instantaneous checking). Free checking will get slower as the app gains more users.

What will happen to the old app? It still works fine for me for now

I won’t be updating it anymore. However the play store listing will still be around and I won’t be getting rid of the listing. You’re free to keep using it, just know that at any given time, you could update your version of Android and it just straight up won’t work.

What new features are in the works for the new version of the app?

  • Facebook marketplace
  • Better french translations.
  • Ability to open Kijiji or Preview mode directly from a notification

Summary:

Install the open beta from the link below. If there’s any issues, I need to know before I release it to the public. The old version of the app will always be available to you, but could stop working at any time.

Open beta link:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.evanp.canadianclassifiedsalerterpush

Please report any issues!

—

This page is the system status for the Android port of Canadian Classifieds Alerter. To see the iPhone status page, please visit this page

Current Issues:

– None!

Android, Canadian Classifieds Alerter

Canadian Classifieds Alerter – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Where can I download Canadian Classifieds Alerter?

Google Play or Amazon.

How much data will it use?

Here’s a simple formula you can use to get a ballpark

(X) = minutes you’re on data and not WiFi a day (2 hours = 120)
(Y) = Refresh frequency (Check settings to see potential values)
(Z) = Number of alerts

((X) \ (Y)) x 60 x (Z) = Amount of kilobytes used in a run of the day.

Someone who has 6 alerts, who is not on WiFi for 2 hours a day (120 / 15) x 60 x 6 = 2.8 MB’s a day… or 0.0028 GB’s a day.

If data usage is a huge concern, you can turn off checking when not on WiFi in the settings

How much battery will it drain?

Barely any really. Might equate to losing 2 minutes of charge time a day, tops.

Will it work on my Android phone?

Unless you have an Android phone older than 2011, it will work! I tested Canadian Classifieds Alerter on a Galaxy Ace 2 which is running Android 4.0.3 (Api level 15) and it works just fine. The only issue I’ve found is that it ignores ringtone/vibrate settings. This will be fixed in a future update.

Will it work on BlackBerry 10 devices?

According to the Amazon compatibility checker, it does. I no longer own my Q10, so I can’t test it. I will update the FAQ when I find out for sure.

How can I get it to open the Kijiji app instead of the browser?

You can’t. Unless Kijiji modifies their app to open all links associated with Kijiji. This is out of my control unfortunately 🙁

Android, Canadian Classifieds Alerter

Canadian Classifieds Alerter – How to customize and configure to your liking – Rundown of the app settings

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The Canadian Classifieds Alerter app is ready to go out of the box, however you may want to fine-tune the settings or temporarily disable the service.

Settings are available on the main page, click the top right button

Settings location

There is two different sections, “Notifications” and “Data and Sync”

2

 

Let’s go through each section and I’ll explain the settings to you

Notifications

Notifications

#1 – Service Enabled: Want to disable the service for a while? Turn this switch off. When you’re ready to re-enable it, flick the switch back on.

 

#2 – Ringtone: Change the ringtone to something specific so you know it’s a Classifieds Alert if you want.
#3 – Vibrate: Turn Vibration on or off

 

Data & Sync

Data & Sync

#1 – Sync Frequency on WiFi: How often do you want to perform checks while on WiFi? For battery considerations, you may want to set this higher. You can set it as frequently as one minute, but I highly recommend that you don’t for two reasons:

  1. Kijiji’s servers aren’t going to like being bothered that much.
  2. If you have more than 10 alerts, your phone won’t like it. As soon as it’s done doing one round of checks, it will be time to do another.

#2 – Sync Frequency on mobile: How often do you want to perform checks while on your mobile data? Each alert uses 60 KB (0.06 MB) of data everytime you do a check. If you check every 15 minutes, have 5 alerts and you’re on your mobile data two hours a day, you would use 480 KBs of data (0.5 MB or 0.0005 gigabytes) every single day. If you have a great data plan, you can definitely get away with setting this more frequently.

#3 – Check for new ads only on wifi: If you have a terrible data plan (I do too, nothing to ashamed of) and just don’t want to use your data at all, you can turn off checking while on data. Once you connect to WiFi again, the service will turn back on.

 

These are all the settings! Now download the app if you haven’t already!

 

Android, Canadian Classifieds Alerter, Java

How to get instant alerts from Kijiji – Canadian Classifieds Alerter

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You’ve tried using Kijiji’s daily alerts. The issue with them… is that they come daily. As in once a day, when everyone else gets them, meaning you have no more advantage than anyone else. The worst part is… sometimes they don’t even get sent at all.

The solution

If you have an Android device, you can download “Canadian Classifieds Alerter” from the google play store.

Or you can download the iPhone/iOS version on the Apple Store

What does it do?

Canadian Classifieds Alerter checks Kijiji for you! Let’s say you are looking for an iPhone and you’re on a budget of $200. Simply set an alert to check for “iPhone” and a price limit of $200 and you will be notified the next time someone posts it on Kijiji… before anyone else!

Where can I get it and does it cost money?

It is available on Google play and the Apple app store for the low cost of FREE!

How do I setup an alert?

(These steps are for an outdated Android version, iOS/iPhone version and newer Android versions will be very similar!)

Glad you asked and that you’re on board. Let’s walk through the steps… I am going to assume you know to download an application from Google Play or Amazon. Because of how their search is setup, you may have to search for “Canadian Classifieds Alerter” all in quotes. If not, just click this link for Google Play or this link for Amazon on your Android smartphone/tablet.

(These screenshots are from an earlier version of the app. The steps are still the same)

Step 1. Click “New Alert”

The New Alert screen will then be displayed

Click on "New Alert"

Click on “New Alert”

 

Step 2. Select a Category and Location

Clicking through the buttons will traverse you through categories, and categories within categories. The same goes for location. For this example, I am picking “Cellphones” in the “Phones” category and I will be searching in Moncton, New Brunswick. If you make a mistake, don’t sweat it, just press the back button.

step2

 

Step 3. (Optional) Enter a search query and a maximum price

While this part is optional, I highly recommend it just so you aren’t bombarded with notifications with things you don’t care about, or things out of your price range. In the maximum  price field, enter the most you’re willing to pay (ie, 200) and enter a search query in the “Search for” box (In this case, “iphone”).

step3

Step 4. Press “ADD ALERT”

Self-explanatory.

step4

And just like that you’re brought to the main screen and your notification is now there

step5

Step 5. Close the application and wait.

There is a background service running that does all the checking for you… sit tight. The more specific your search is, the less results you get. It’s worth mentioning that by default, it will not check unless you’re on wifi. Go into the settings to change this. Want a rundown of all the settings? Check out my blog post on how to do that!

Step 6. You got an alert! Hurry and jump on it!

step6

Wow, that was fast! Touch the notification and the Notifications screen will appear… click “GO TO AD” to open the ad in your browser

 

step7

Check the ad out, if you like it, then contact the seller!

step8

 

Want more information? Check out these posts:

Canadian Classifieds Alerter – How to customize and configure to your liking – Rundown of the app settings
Canadian Classifieds Alerter –  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)