Importing Gas Cubby Data
 

Just got word from App Cubby about the pending Fuelly acquisition.

My concern, or question. I have hundreds of fuel-ups on 4 different vehicles in Gas Cubby.

The CSV inport feature did not work for me on my initial test of my newest (to gas cubby) vehicle. Although the csv file was complete, apparently things are in the wrong order, or something.

Are there plans, now that you will be getting tens of thousands of new contributors from the App Cubby family... to build some kind of an "Import Gas Cubby Data" tool?

PLEASE make this a painless move! PLEASE!

I tried to send a note using "Contact Fuelly" but it would not let me send it without retyping the "captcha"... and there was no "captcha" showing to re-enter...

I just imported my gas cubby data from the past 2 years. The fields in the csv file from gas cubby are named differently from the fuelly file. Also be sure to check your settings for you vehicle. My first attempt failed because I had tripmiles ticked instead of odometer. Hope this helps. If I can be of assistance let me know!

I just went through an arduous process to import my data from Gas Cubby. I'm rather upset that I lose all of my service updates as they error out in the import due to having a fuel volume of "0" or non-numeric (read: blank/empty cell).

Will the conversion to v3.0 of Gas Cubby to Fuelly preserve this functionality? This was the primary reason I chose (and paid for) Gas Cubby over Fuelly nearly 4 years ago.

Yes, I too sincerely hope that the transition will be without pain. You have a huge opportunity to expand your user base, since Mileage Log+ is nowhere near what Gas Cubby is so the good folks out there (including me) who only need the gas / service data will hunger for this transition to be 100% smooth.

After reading the problems of importing data, not sure I will bother. So disappointed that GasCubby is going away. Happy for the developer but sad for us users. I downloaded the free version of Gas Tracker and the fact that it is a social app, is a negative for me. I don't run a fleet of cars; I just like to keep track of my gas and service. It's none of anyone's business but mine. I guess I will have to find something more private and forget about importing my data from 2008 on up. Bummer for me.

I don't mind the transition to Fuelly; but I do hope that there is a simple "Import to Fuelly" option when the app is rebranded. I have 2 cars (my wife's and mine) each with around 75 entries. It would kill me if I lost (or worse, scrambled) all that info and tracking data.

Based on the OP, I'm going to hold of importing into Fuelly.

Attention Fuelly: I agree with the above comments that there needs to be an easy import of Gas Cubby into the Fuelly database. Please list on the FIRST page instructions for importing this data.

Add my vote that the developers of both Apps (Gas Cubby/Fuelly) work together to create a seamless transition method from Gas Cubby to Fuelly. I have tracked 3 vehicles from their purchase (over 5 years ago) using Gas Cubby and have hundreds of entries for each one. Without a smooth transition this App sale/transition will surely fail due to negative publicity. On the other hand, if the developers work together closely to accomplish this it would be a coup for Fuelly! Hoping for the later.

Does anyone from Fuelly ever answer these questions? So far I'm not impressed.

I hope we don't have to end up paying to buy the app again. The initial $5 investment was already more than I planned on spending.

Sorry for the delay in responding.

The plan all along was to have a seamless transition for the GasCubby users syncing their data to Fuelly. We're still working on that process and will notify of updates as they arrive.

We appreciate your patience.

Sorry, I've been sick (along with my wife and kids) and haven't checked in this past week.

First I'll tell you about what we are working on so everyone can be in the loop and then address some specific comments/concerns that some people have made.

Right now we are putting the final touches on a new back end infrastructure for Fuelly, basically it's an API that will allow us to power the website, iOS and Android apps, along with widgets and lots of other future uses.

We've also been busy working on the next version of Gas Cubby, it's a total rewrite since the currently available version is built on some old school code. We understand everyone's concerns about data retention and we plan to design the migration process to ensure your current data is not touched. Basically we will read your current data and move it to a new database which we can then sync online if you choose. By not actually manipulating your legacy data file we can ensure it's available should anyone experience any problems. We'll also build in a way to export the data so you'll know you have a backup in your possession.

Knowing that not all Gas Cubby users might not want to participate in the social features of Fuelly, and plan to have some settings for them to opt-out of certain features.

We will bring over all the service information. Our goal is that zero data will be lost and with time you will be able to capture more data about your vehicle. Our vision includes tools to allow vehicle owners a better understanding of total cost of ownership so they can truly understand how much their vehicle is costing them per mile or kilometer. This means we'll need to account for insurance, maintenance, depreciation, etc. Our primary goal is to get our new infrastructure in place, focus on making sure the app migration works flawlessly and then once we are settled we will be able to focus on new features.

We have plans for an Android app which will give our users a full cross platform solution where you can edit an entry on your phone, then sit down at a computer and add some other data via your browser and finally turn on your Android tablet and see all your data updated.

At this time there is no need to import your data into Fuelly, it will be an automatic process that you can initiate when the next major version of the app is released. That being said, if you have already imported your data, you will be able to decide on how to handle the duplicate entries once the sync process runs.

If you have any other questions, please post here.

Andy

Hi folks, I'm currently doing the work with Andy on developing the new version of Fuelly / GasCubby for iOS and I can give you a more detailed rundown on what we're going to be doing to ensure no data is lost and Gas Cubby is still fully operational with all your prior data.

First, as Andy mentioned we're keeping the original app data store untouched so that in the event that something could go wrong with an individual migration the issue can be fixed and original migration can be re-run if needed.

Second, we'll be doing an initial migration locally in the app itself to take the data from the current GasCubby structure and map it to the Fuelly structure locally within the updated app. This process may take a few seconds but since it is fully local with no data connection required we don't risk connectivity issues impacting the initial migration.

Finally, after the data has been translated locally it will be migrated (if the user chooses to sync with Fuelly.com) up to the server. This will take some time depending on network connection but if connection is lost the process keeps track of where it last left off and goes from there when a connection is available again.

When all is said and done you should have full access to all your original GasCubby data and a much improved app that I'm very hopefully you'll love and use for years to come.

I just signed up here because I use Gas Cubby and it was the first app I downloaded and paid for after about a week of use. I hope that it goes well, and to tell the truth, I have been searching for other apps in case it turns out that I have to share my entries with the world. I don't care when somebody else fills up or adds a picture. I don't follow facebook and I use this to keep up with my trucks,mileage and services. I know it's your app now and you can do what you want with it, I plan to stay as long as it's private and straight forward. It was #1 for a reason, If it's not broken, don't fix it. Time Warner wanted to upgrade the Braves and they lost 45% of the fans and sponsors. Just a thought.

Thanks to Andy and Josh for their replies. I had emailed customer service about these issues and just received another email today to check the above replies.

Keep up the good work, as you can see this is a main concern for Gas Cubby users and I will fully support Fuelly once this transition/update/sync/import problem has been completed. I look forward to the new updates and will report back (and even beta test, if needed) when it's working properly.

Thanks again for replying so soon and helping your users.

Robert, Andy, and Josh,

Thank you all for the replies. Losing the 270+ entries over the past 4.5 years was a huge concern of mine as well as the ability to import the existing gascubby data. I am very happy to hear that the fuelly team is going to make the transition seamless.

Two quick questions:

1) Right now there are two iPhones linking to my one account. I assume that one of us will export the data from gas cubby into the new fuelly app and the other person can sync it from the fuelly website? I hope that we will still be able to enter data into the one account. Not the end of the world, but conveneient if it will be able to.

2) Will you all send out an email or notice to let us know when the final fuelly app is complete? I check here fairly often, but would hate to be entering info into the gascubby app when that sync feature no longer works.

Thanks again fellas,

Jason

I will be watching this closely as well. I have 2 vehicles and hundreds of fuel/service records recorded so my concerns were the same. Thank you for keeping us up to date.

So it sounds like Fuelly will become a native iOS and Android app? OR will it remain Mobile Web or SMS only?

My concern that mobile web relies too much on a connection and I often fill up with crappy cell service. I would prefer to have a native app that then syncs to the web when I choose. Is this the plan or what are your thoughts?

If we've already paid for GasCubby are we grandfathered in as a paid user of fuelly?

Should be.If the cable company gets sold, you don't pay hookup again.

I have been using gas cubby for a few years now on my iphone, I moved over from another similar app. I have been religiously entering all my data during that time.

The latest version did not appear to be working correctly and prompted me to re-register by pressing a button after which I would receive an email to migrate my data.

I was very worried as the button to press said delete all data, I comforted myself by the fact that my data was recently synced. I pressed the button and all my precious data was gone! I waited for the promised email... Nothing arrived. A week or more has passed and no email.

Please tell me that my data is sitting safe on a computer near you, and that all will be fine in the end, to lose it at the press of a button would be unbearable.

I have hundreds of apps on my iPhone and iPad. Maybe 4 of them paid (apps). GasCubby is used daily. I have 2 cars and 2 motorcycles and have been using GasCubby since June 2009... I've got a lot of info stored that I'd hate to lose. Please don't **** it up wink, wink...

@nobody1959 - You will be able to continue to use the app without sharing your data as part of the Fuelly crowd sourcing project. As time passes there will be more and more functionality added but many of those features will require opt-in. So you won't be able to access all the new features but you will have the current bases for many many years to come.

@quickyonesize - The plan is for GasCubby users to get a prompt to encourage them to create an account. Once complete the data from your phone will sync with online. You can then access that data from our site, another iOS device, Android devices (once our Android app is ready, etc). We will send out more emails in the months ahead as we get closer to releasing the new app (it still needs quite a bit of work).

@mdusing - We will remain native and allow for capturing data and viewing graphs (just like it does now) without a connection. With a connection you will be able to access more features, some of which might be a mix of native and HTML so we can reuse those across other platforms (ie. Android).

You will not need to pay again if you have already paid for GasCubby. The fuelly apps will be rolled out using the same App ID so your old paid app is still going to be the same as the new paid app.

@reevers - Please send an email to support@fuelly.com and Robert can point you towards a solution.

@febail - We'll try our hardest not to **** it up! We have a lot riding on this (our reputation) so we want this to be a success just as bad as our users do. That being said, it's going to take us more time then we thought to test and get the new app out. We'll post a more firm ETA as soon as possible.

Will Gas Cubby remain completely private and will changes maintain my privacy IE will this be an opt in or an opt out? I purchased the app because I want to track my maintenance and fuel consumption. Just like I do not post my medical records on the internet, my driving habits are none of anyone's business and my privacy is very important to me.

Will there be support for PHEVs that show MPGe, and allow to log electricity usage?

I have a fuelly account I forgot about because I choose Gas Cubby years ago. I also have alot of data I don't want to lose.

@toddmclaren - Yes, you will be able to continue to run Gas Cubby without opting into the community features (ie. your data will remain private and stored only on your iPhone).

@SUVdriver - We do indeed plan to add electricity logging and provide MPGe. So PHEVs will be supported. We've actually looked into some pretty amazing ways to log electricity that would use an outlet that has blue tooth that could send the electrical usage info directly to your phone as you walk out and get into your car. This is on our road map but we do not have an ETA, our current focus is getting the new infrastructure in place and making sure the Gas Cubby app and integration work flawlessly.

I'm relieved to see responses about the upcoming merger. Thank you for getting back about these issues. With so many years of data in GasCubby, I'd probably cry if it got lost!

@andyrobo.... With your answer to my question... I'll put my trust in you!

Robert, Andy & Josh,

Please count me in if you need some beta testers for Iphone 5S, Iphone 5 and Ipad 4th Gen

Looks like you are working hard to keep this wonderful product great.

Thanks,

Alex

Hope all is going well. Merry Christmas to the Fuelly Team and all the forums users!

So just so I'm clear. Is there a way to import cubby data into my Fuelly now, or waiting for the beta and have to add data in manually.
New to Fuelly and love the app. so far but just trying to avoid having to add info again manually.
Also if I do add manually and we are able to sync later will any of the entries be duplicated?

Michael

Ah!!! Success.

Looks like I have made a mistake. As a longtime fuelly user I clicked on a banner ad within fuelly and purchased gas cubby. I thought it was your app and would import my fuelly data.

I have read a number of threads so understand what is work in progress. Please assure me my purchase isn't wasted and when the new app is launched I will be upgraded and it will work with my fuelly data?

Hi Rephex
Hope I can help as I just started messing with the two programs.
I've had gas cubby for about 3 years and love it. However the export is really clunky getting it to Fuelly.
That said, if the guys at Fuelly do what's promised (and seems they're on top of it) the combo is going to be kick ***.

This is what I did. First you have to export your data from cubby by emailing the csv export file to you from cubby. Then you have to do some modification to the headers to get Fuelly to accept the import. If it barks at you there is a link to show you which header need to be modified.
Word of caution the cubby header Cost/Gallon needs to be changed to Price although this is optional. If you don't, you'll wind up with adding the price/gallon manually and it's a pain when you have 52 entries.

Please anyone if there is a different workaround, jump in.

Michael

Yes, that's correct but the we plan to launch the new app in two phases. The first will simply be an upgraded GasCubby app where the sync is only available to beta testers (you can sign up here - scroll down to the very bottom). Once we have a more robust sample in our testing then we plan to enable the sync feature. So after the first upgrade you will not be able to sync right away, not until we enable that feature. We have two developers working full time (soon three) to speed up development. It's not just the app which is being rebuilt from the ground up but also the backend server side stuff that has to be built and tested. It's a lot of work and we've made significant progress but we still have a lot to do with a fairly small team. I'll post a more thorough update soon.

You mean I was right? lol
Thanks Andy, can't wait. I think I did sign up.

Thanks andyrobo and medusa1

I've signed up for the beta.

NB I track 3 vehicles, the beta only asks for one.... :)

Is there a release date for the new version of the app? I signed up for the BETA testing but was not contacted or acknowlegded in anyway.

Been using Fuelly for years, hated having to only use the website (based in South Africa, no SMS support). Even offered to write an app for free for Fuelly at one stage but was shot down.

About to install Gas Cubby as I want an app not a mobi site.

So what is the takeaway here? Can we import GasCubby data in to Fuelly right now, today, or not? If so, via what methods?

Yes, but it is not a "one touch" type process.

If you do the .csv export of your GasCubby data (which creates an Excel file), you can re-order the columns of the GasCubby Excel file and upload it to Fuelly.

I did not find it all that challenging to perform.