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Davis

Davis, California

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Recent UC Davis alumni develop iPhone app

Local and visiting cyclists seeking detailed bike routes need only to download Davis Routes, an iPhone and iPod touch application. Whether users are training for a bike race or trying to find the closest air pump, the application increases accessibility to biking in Davis.

Davis Routes tracks and saves a cyclist’s current, average and maximum speed and distance traveled. The application also displays popular bike routes around Davis, tire pump stations, gasoline air stations and local bike shops.

Uboo Technologies, a company recently founded in Davis, released the application Jan. 3 of this year. Davis Routes has a free light version and a 99-cent full version. The application is a less expensive substitute to bike odometers, which can cost up to 30 dollars.

Edward Cardman, co-founder and chief executive officer of Uboo Technologies, encourages users to try before they buy.

“Users can give it a chance and see if they want to buy the full version without ads,” Cardman said.

The application uses Global Positioning Satellite navigation to track and measure statistics in a route. Although details about bike shops, tire pumps, gas stations and bike routes are only available in the city of Davis, users can track bike rides, walks, hikes or car rides across the country.

“You can use the odometer to monitor time, speed and distance from anywhere in the country and it will display the entire route,” Cardman said.

Cardman said visitors using the application will get to see the best parts of Davis.

“The city gets a lot of tourism from bikers and it will help bikers see sights around the city and show them what Davis can offer the average bicyclist,” Cardman said.

Michael Romero, co-founder and lead programmer, said new students learning how to get around Davis will benefit from Davis Routes.

“I think it’ll be great for incoming freshmen and transfer students who don’t know the area. It shows you where all the bike shops are so it’s good for bike enthusiasts,” Romero said.

Romero graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s in computer science. He took an iPhone development class during his undergraduate education.

“Without Mike being in computer science, this company wouldn’t have happened,” Cardman said.

Cardman, Romero and Jeremia Kimelman, lead web developer for Uboo Technologies, learned to work together in Pi Alpha Phi, an Asian American interest fraternity, during their undergraduate education at UC Davis.

“We developed different positions at the fraternity and we know what fits,” Cardman said.

Cardman and Romero, who were roommates in the dorms, used their knowledge about the city to develop the bike routes along the Arboretum, Putah Creek and the Davis bike loop.

“I rode my bike everywhere in Davis for four years for fun and transportation. We all know the area and most bike routes really well,” Cardman said.

The company is constantly improving Davis Routes and is attentive to their support page, support@ubootech.com.

“We constantly look at the feedback. If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns, let us know on our support page,” Cardman said.

Currently, Uboo Technologies only has one Apple application available, but the company is looking for new programmers for either Android or Apple to expand the business.

“We are thinking about expanding on details in Davis Routes and to Android. We are also open to the possibility of doing bike routes at UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley,” Cardman said.

According to Romero, one of the best features of Davis Routes is that it encourages people to cycle and connect with the local community.

“I think it’ll help people get closer to the biking community, which is a big part of Davis. It will get someone who’s not necessarily in to biking to start using the app and get involved,” Romero said.

For more information, visit ubootech.com or visit the Facebook page.

GRACE BENEFIELD can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Correction – Jan. 13, 2011: The article mistakenly reports that Edward Cardman, Michael Romero and Jeremia Kimelman learned to work together in Pi Alpha Phi. However, they had worked together in Chi Phi, a social fraternity. The Aggie regrets the error.

1 COMMENT

  1. “Cardman, Romero and Jeremia Kimelman, lead web developer for Uboo Technologies, learned to work together in Pi Alpha Phi, an Asian American interest fraternity, during their undergraduate education at UC Davis.”

    WTF Aggie. Get your facts straight. These men were in CHI PHI, NOT Pi Alpha Phi. Do any of their names sound remotely Asian to you you?

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