Version 1.8.072 incl. Google Maps online

Yes, we still can!

2019 was the Year of Unwanted Challenges. Google chose to charge end users for Javascript maps usage, and DropBox limits the cloud sync to only 3 devices for free. The dependencies have been created, let’s make the big bucks now!

ParaFlightBook user therefore lost significant usability – and we banged our heads figuring out how to soothe them.

Now the Google maps (for task planner, location editor and thermal analysis) are up and running again. But they need to ask our server before each call because we need some control over our very own account balance. The overall number of calls has been reduced, though, by a new caching system which required a total new architecture design. That’s why we went AWOL for a longer period!

Every end user is free to get an own Google API key which would give him like 25k calls per month for free. If that key is entered into the configuration, all software limits according map calls are overridden. Actually we allow without such a key 15 (demo)/25 (full version) integrated Google calls per month. For 2020 we will introduce PFB 2.0 with an annual subscription covering this field as well. The cloud sync of flightlogs now supports OneDrive as well as DropBox, USB-Sticks and network shares. We encourage users to switch to OneDrive since it still does not limit the number of synced devices.

And we do fully integrate XCTracer, thus enabling features like 1-click-readout. Though this is a normal process, we would like to mention that we`re actually running a longtime test of the device against the top dogs like SK3 and Oudie 5 for our device blog – and the cute mini vario stands its ground!