Amazing Features in GPS Kit 4

While GPS Kit may still be in Beta it is moving along very rapidly to get to the app store.

I just wanted to share a few things that I like from the new, completely re-written app.

USER INTERFACE

The new yet very similar UI has been revamped for iPhone 4 retina display and cleaned up from the previous version. They have revamped the way to start and stop, and now resume and pause tracking. But like before everything is clickable and changeable so that you can display the most useful data for your adventure.

MAPS

Map types are now in more abundance. And yes that is a '+' in the corner, as you can add any map source you desire. I have a GIS buddy that found the 3.x app to be the most useful all all the the app store and when I showed him that he can add is own sources in 4.x he was eager to get his hands on it. All maps give the option to turn caching on, and as can be seen caching is done a lot easier. While still auto caching what you seen on the screen, you can also go to each maps type and manually select the tiles for download at the resolutions you want. I found the '?' in the bottom left corner to be very help in understanding the tile selection process.

DATA SETS

My most requested feature is included in the way GPS Kit 4 handles GPS data. I can now get a track from by bike shop friend and his Garmin and instead of making/editing that data file into a single track then uploading it to GPs Kit. Before GPS Kit 4 you would (and this was the same for all GPS apps in the app store) have to weed out the 'Multiple' tracks in a data set as they would all be lumped together as one track, merging the end of one to the beginning of another and creating a cobweb of tracks. The way GPS Kit 4 handles data sets you don't get the cobweb mess and instead get each track and each waypoint displayed within the data set as recorded and named, with the option to delete them individually. Which to me gives GPS Kit a whole new feature of data set management, as on my mac I have always found it somewhat difficult to simply delete the right part of a data set.

In this picture you also see a green dot or grey dot to the left of each preview icon, the green dot tells you that you have that track set as 'visible' when on the map tab. Thats 3 new features right there. Track Preview Icon, Visible maps (multiple), and Data Sets.

Forgive the lack of stats shown in the Halo Trail image, that track has been corrupted prior to downloading (Google Earth will kill a lot of data from your tracks if you let it).

TRACK SHARING

Track in your email can now be opened right into GPS Kit. All .GPX data in an email or in a file management app (GoodReader-pictured, etc) will let you 'open in' GPS Kit. I found that before iOS allowed the open in feature that getting GPS data into any App somewhat difficult, especially if you have to have the track to email it to yourself or upload it to the right place, but this is by far the best way to accomplish the task.

When you email the track to a friend you get the three options as show below, emailing stats and files is by far the best as it sends a very nice HTML email (pictured) with the option to open in GPS Kit and download each file type or view on an external map along with all the stats.

Facebook and Twitter sharing was just added in the beta version I got last night. Check my twitter feed to see how it works.

 FLASHLIGHT

Yes, that is right there is an integrated flashlight app for iPhone 4 in the app. Who doesn't use a flashlight while using a GPS at night! While out geocaching I find myself switching to the flashlight app but then not seeing where I needed to go on the screen. The flashlight stays lit even when you go back to the maps tab or any other tab.

 JUST PLAIN USEFUL

Ok so the first beta confused me with the while background tracking and such, after sending the developers a bug tip that the app did run in the background they added this screen when you double click the home button. After seeing the screen it all made sense and I truly think all apps should do something similar as I don't want my app to run in the background when I single click home. Yes I know most apps don't truly run in the background but GPS apps that do kill battery and if I want to close the app without force quitting and I don't want it running in the background then give me the option. I find GPS Kits' approach to be perfect!

 NOT NEW BUT NOTE WORTHY

The measure tool is not new but very loved and welcomed. It still has 1-4 finger support, with one finger you get distance from where you are to where you touch. Two fingers will allow you to do the same but between the two fingers. When using 3 or more fingers you will get and acre/sqft readout. Useful to get a rough area of a lot or a ball field. 

WAYPOINTS

Waypoints are now easier to make and manage as with tracks they can be moved from data set to data set. Double clicking the screen no longer displays an option box, it will simple zoom you in. If you click and hold you will drop a waypoint in the spot.

RADAR

Radar is still a sweet feature! Introduced in 3.x, radar gives you the option to be seen by others on your radar channel. There are a possible of one million channels so it's very tough to be seen by people you don't want. Essentially you can see the location and speed of people on your channel with who you can chat with all from in the app, great for keeping track of the lead or trailing person on a hike. I use it mountain biking as I can just look at the screen and see if my buddy is coming closer or stopped and possibly hurt or fixing a tire. No need to close the app to text them just send them the message in the app to 'come back with the tire pump' and they can see your location so there is no confusion there either.

GPS AND ME

If you know me you know I absolutely love all things GPS. I have tried all the GPS apps in the app store if they aren't on my iPhone it is cause I can only fit the 12 in the folder. Keeping in mind that I am not employed or persuaded by anyone or any developers, I in fact beta test for Gaia GPS also. With that said, I find GPS Kit to be the best solution for a Garmin replacement on the iPhone. While other apps are great in there own way the customizable UI and abundant features keep me coming back to GPS Kit. I do know that in the past they have had a 'crashy' app, but the developers have told me they re-wrote the whole app making it much simpler to track bugs and add features in the future.

Please ask any questions about the app and feel free to check out more screen shots.

Lego and Apple in Perfect Harmony

So, I got creative one day and made the iPhone case, not a dock, but the dock attachment is coming soon!  Now, after the iPhone 4 pre-release show, I was thinking I could sell the case to Apple as a way to hide the iPhone prototypes and test units, not really. But the case is fully functional, bottom opens to slide phone in and out, all ports have access (except for camera at this time, I need the right size drill bit) the bottom has holes for the sounds to exit the case, and the bottom swings open to charge. It even fits in my pocket, when I wear a suit. I shall call it the iLego. (Check out all the photos at my flickr page.)

Along with the iLego case I needed an iPad stand, so I woke up and the son was playing legos, which gives me quality time with the him and time to advance my lego designs. With the very limited legos I still have this is what became of it.

Feasibility Test Build:

Final Build:

Had to beef it up to hold the weight both landscape and portrait. Left and opening in the front to access the home button when needed. Very sturdy and lego-esk. All the pictures can be seen here. Pictures aren't the greatest, seems to be that I only build legos when it is overcast.

OtterBox Commuter Series

Ok so some of you may know that I have been sporting the OtterBox Defender on my iPhone 3GS. But the other day I won two OtterBox cases of my choice, thats what Twitter is good for - Free stuff. Anyway I chose to get the two new cases from OtterBox, the Commuter and the Commuter TL, in Blue.

Now if you know me you know that I am a bit ridiculous when it comes to the right case to cover, protect, my iPhone. I like a case that will actually protect my phone not just look neat. And this is why I have been using the Defender from OtterBox, keeps the dust out and covers every port. Why dust? Well if you have a case that collect dust then it will grind all the dust into the phone and that is just dumb. Drop/Shock protection is also very, very important to me, hence I use the Defender.

Ok back to the two new cases. I won them on Thursday and they arrived at my door Saturday. Wow! I didn't even pay for these and they still made them a priority, OtterBox's customer service make them a company that will go far, and a company that I can continuously recommend without hesitation.

Digressing once again, the Commuter Series cases are near perfect! I love the blue of the Commuter TL (other colors available) and the design with the hard shell on the Commuter is perfect! Only thing I would do is cover the apple logo, but since that is a signature of OtterBox I would suggest covering the Commuter the way it is covered on the Commuter TL. Also more colors would be great for the Commuter, yes they will have colored exchangeable hard shells soon. But I want the blue from the TL on the Commuter, mostly been just a black cases person but this blue is sharp!

I must also add that I love how the ports are covered! The headphone ports does not stick out too much but has a small nub on it to easily lift it open, much easier than the SwitchEasy port plugs, and OtterBox has them all integrated so I can't drop them in the car and never find them under my seat. And the sync plug is perfect - lightly wedges into the right spot and does not cause any problems getting out, the hard plastic is also designed at a slight angle to give more plastic for reinforcement but still allow for all cables to plug in.

While I am very tough on my reviews and recommendations for iPhone cases I can seriously recommend both of these cases, as well as the Defender for those that want real protection!

While I did just get the cases I believe that I will be sporting the Commuter from now on, as my favorite cases of all time!

Defender is pictured in Black and White (not sold that way), Commuter Series in all Black, and the Commuter TL in Blue.

GPS Promo Code Giveaway!

How to get your choice of promo code:

Option 1:

Post in the comments which app promo code you want and why? Ex. what feature you like and need the most, what will be your main use of the app, etc. (please use an approved account or leave your email or copy and paste your submission in an email to me so I can contact you if you win)

Option 2:

Follow Me and your app developer of choice (the app you want the code for) and tweet:

Win a promo code from @iPhoneApp4That for @Garafa, @MotionX, @iPhoneTrails at 150 followers. More details at http://tiny.cc/qlcP5

After either or both of these options (enter both options for more than one chance to win) are completed wait for the random, yes random generated selection that will begin when I have 150 follower on twitter or 10 comments on this post. There will be as many winners as needed till the promo codes are gone, your choice of app, while supplies last.

To help you decide which app is for you read the rest of the post:

Each of these apps have features that the others don't, so if your in search for the best Garmin Replacement App for your iPhone just take note of the above table and figure out what features are more important to you. I would also look to the developers web sites, facebook pages, or twitter accounts as they tend to mention what features they are planning on adding. I would also like to invite the developers to contact me with a possible feature roadmap, that I would love to add to this post. Having said that, I have immersed my self in these apps enough to see what I like and don't like so the following is a list of Pros and Cons according to me.

GPS Kit

Pros:

-Google Terrain Maps:

First and foremost I love google terrain maps, they are critical for outdoor use, hiking, mountain biking, geocaching, and just anything outdoors that you may need topographic maps for. But these aren't regular topo maps. Check them out.

- Fast User Interface:

GPS Kit also has a lot going for them on there user interface (UI), they use a default iPhone scheme leaving the tabs at the bottom and tool bar up top. What this does is make all the pages easily, one click, accessible from any other screen. I must also mention that I love the Dashboard tab as it lets me customize (many customization options) the dashboard with the info I want depending on that activity I am doing. Overall a very friendly UI.

- GPX Import:

Each user of GPS Kit gets there own web space to upload and store tracks and waypoints. No Limit. And can easily access those from within the app.

- Hidden Radar Feature:

GPS Kit is currently testing and improving a feature called Radar that will show your position to your friends, and vice versa, that are on the same channel as you (channels are much like channels on a two way radio only with more channels). You will be able to see there live position, display name (and associated color), and current speed. Of course this feature is still in testing but does work quite well, and obviously only when a network connection is available.

Cons:

- Bug:

The current app store version has a bug that causes it to crash.

- Cache:

Not sure if this is the same bug as above but I have found that if the map cache has about 10MB or more in it the app will crash at times.

Note: Garafa has mentioned that the infamous Apple has rejected there last revision and that is what is causing the delay to fix the bug.

MotionX GPS

Pros:

- Maps:

Has so many options for maps it isn't funny. Why is this good, well the other day google maps were down and in a pinch what do you do? In MotionX all you have to do is select the Bing or Open Maps.

- Compass:

If MotionX were to make the compass page in this app its own app I would buy it, and it would be the best compass app in the app store. The compass lets you choose three different bearing modes, magnometer (3GS only), Auto mode (3GS only), and a mode for all iPhone taking data from the GPS chip. the Compass also shows the distance to the selected waypoint along with other essential stats. Also has the option to change from Manetic to True North, and from Rhumb Line to Great Circle navigation.

- iTunes controls:

While I thought all my music needs were handled with the double click of the home button, I was mistaken when I saw the itunes controls in this app! I can select playlist and even make my own for the right outdoor mood!

Cons:

- User interface:

While I enjoy the clean and polished looking UI that this app has, I find navigating it to be slightly slower than desired. To navigate to the next page it is just one click which is perfect but if the page you want is two or three away then you have two or three click to get to it. They do have a click and hold on the arrow button that remedies this but still not as fast to navigate the UI as some may like.

- Display info:

I like my GPS data displayed in on place, or as few as possible. MotionX has split a lot of the data into three pages. Compass page for direction (etc.). Track Recorder page for speed and distance info. GPS Status page for location info, altitude, accuracy and other stats. I feel that they could easily skip the 'Tips' box and shrink some large buttons and display boxes to give all the GPS data on one or two pages.

Trails

Pros:

- Track Editing:

Anyone that wants to edit there track, not just waypoints but edit the tracks, this is the app for them. I love the ability to name a waypoint in my track, Trailhead or whatever it may be, to further describe the track for later use. Great feature.

- Elevation Graph:

Ok now I thought I didn't care for much to have this feature but Trails implemented it so well I feel that I can't live without it! The graph is a small tab on the side on the screen that when touched scrolls out for an overall graph of the tracks elevation. This is great for outdoor activities in which you are following a track or just want to know how much you have ascended and descended and the end of the activity. One thought would be to allow the phone to rotate landscape and be able to see the graph fullscreen and possibly with more details.

- Track Import:

I have grown to love the ability to import the track by just searching from one of the built in sites. EveryTrail, MapMyRun, Bikely.com and Other URL. Much faster and easier than finding them on the computer and getting them on the phone.

- Tuning:

Trails allows for the fine adjustment of how often data is collected. This feature is why I marked the above table showing a low power mode for this app, by changing the amount the app collects data the battery will last longer.

Cons:

- Information:

I find that Trails is missing much of the needed GPS data. It only provides, distance, altitude, speed, pace, and duration on the navigation screen. No compass or bearing data or anything else. Note: it does give slightly more info about the track once not track/recording you position.

- Lack of Compass:

No compass view or page in this app.

- User interface:

I do not like the ability, or lack there of, to navigate to a different page or tab when this app is tracking you. To change a setting or download a new track or waypoint you must stop tracking.

Final Thoughts:

While I have kept an open mind while reviewing each app separately without comparing it to the others I feel I owe the readers my honest opinion as to what app I would choose. As a self proclaimed GPS Guru I purchased GPS Kit about the time it first came out and have never looked back. I paid full price for the app and while it has had its bugs I do not regret my purchase. It has a simple but powerful UI that is fully customizable with the maps, google terrain, that work best for my needs and desires. So while I will keep testing out all the apps I will primarily be using GPS Kit for all the new and exciting outdoor adventures.

GPS Kit Promo code giveaway! (via Twitter)

Promo codes are awesome, I covet them but don't hate me you want them too or you wouldn't be here reading this. And while a promo code for a $.99 app is great a promo code for a $9.99 app is the shiznit, the bomb, awesome, sweet, groovy (yes I am aware that Earth Worm Jim is coming to the iPhone, love it!).

Being a huge user of GPS Kit, and GPS in general, and due to the fact that GPS Kit 3.2 (current App Store Release) has been somewhat 'crashy', I contacted the developers. After providing them with some crash logs they told me that they are aware of the bug and have pinpointed it to the iPhone OS 3.0.1. They seeded me with the current beta build and then in a follow up email they gave me some promo codes to give out. While the current version does crash on long trips, for example on my 3GS it crashed twice on my 20 mile mt. bike ride but on my friends 3G it crashed much more often. So, the promo code will get you the 'crashy' app but it will be updated as soon as the bugs are ironed out, and that is a $9.99 App for Free, honestly no string attached.

How to enter:

1) Follow me on twitter and watch for the promo codes to be dropped at 100 followers.

While you are here take a look at my ideas for future GPS Kit releases and give some feedback and post your ideas.

Most new features are self explanatory - in app camera, instant waypoint drop, elevation graph, and instant iPod controls on a three finger down/up swipe so that they are always available on any screen! Once again these are just my ideas and most likely will not be implemented but if you have any ideas send them to my email or twitter them to me and I will post them and hopefully just maybe some of these features will show up in future GPS Kit releases!

And no need to remind me of my crappy photochop job, I am in the middle of moving and have not found the box with my mouse and am not an experienced trackpad user!