Gaia GPS

Gaia GPS

Are you a writer who uses Gaia GPS? We’re hiring a marketing assistant.

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

If you are a writer and a Gaia GPS user looking for part-time work, send us a note at jobs@gaiagps.com.

Besides writing up new features we release, you’ll also write articles about amazing outdoor destinations, other apps, how-to guides for backpackers, and all sorts of information that might be useful to prospective Gaia GPS users.

This is also a chance to learn about marketing a product, get a lot of feedback on your writing, and learn the methods and analytics we use to reach potential customers. Our approach to marketing combines both a classic agency approach to marketing/advertising, along with modern growth-focused analytics and tests. We’re profitable, and you’ll be able to see the work you do translate into sales.

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Gaia GPS

Map on gaiagps.com much faster, other changes

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

Visit our online topo map today, and you’ll find a boost in performance. We made some changes on the back-end such that the POI overlays on the map load much faster, as do the search results in the left sidebar.

Also, you may notice some other recent changes that affect the entire site. Our top level page at www.gaiagps.com is now showing Featured Trips, and our main map is at www.gaiagps.com/map. Cloud.gaiagps.com is no more, which should make our web experience easier to return to.

Since the Featured Trips gallery is bursting with your interesting photos and trips, our analytics tell us that landing on this page is better for new people than landing on our old homepage. So, the old homepage is now just a sub-page, and the adventures of Gaia GPS users tell the story of why you might want to use our software.

Much more to come with the website and apps this summer! Here’s a sneak peak at versions of a new app icon for Gaia GPS, which seasonal variations. You’ll see something like this replace our existing app icon with the release of Gaia GPS 9, and that will be the least of the changes in version 9.

Screen Shot 2014-05-30 at 9.58.03 AM

 

 

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Gaia GPS

RIP Roger Easton, Father of GPS

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

The man who invented GPS died today. It struck me that a company named Gaia GPS owes this man a lot, and I admit that I only learned about him because of his passing.

I felt a greater sadness when Steve Jobs died, but that’s probably a product of his dynamic public persona, and the wave of media that came after his death.

You can read the Navy’s press release here, and some comments from tech nerds over on Hacker News. His Wikipedia page has already been updated to note his death.

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AndroidGaia GPSNew Features

Gaia GPS for Android v5.4 – Download Maps Along Track

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

We posted an update to the Android version of Gaia GPS today, which adds the ability to download maps along a track or route. This has existed for a while in the iOS app, and it’s a super-convenient way to get a map of where you are going, which doesn’t take up much space on your SD card.

Screenshot_2014-05-28-15-50-10

In addition, we did some house-cleaning based on your feedback! We fixed some lagginess that people reported when resuming the app, fixed waypoints and photos attaching to tracks, improved the UI when taking a photo, improved the Trip Computer recording UI, made the bottom stat bar remember stats, and actually a few other performance improvements and bug fixes.

Drop us a line at android@gaiagps.com with any comments. Many days, it’s your emails that are defining what we do.

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Gaia GPS

Two 30-second videos about GaiaPro – printing and weather

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

With the rest of the team toiling on the actual code of Gaia GPS, I’ve been taking some time to help out with videos and documentation.

Here is a pair of new videos for GaiaPro – one describes the online printing feature on gaiagps.com, and the other details the weather capabilities you get in the mobile version of Gaia GPS.

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Gaia GPSNew Features

New header menu on cloud.gaiagps.com

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

We hope everyone finds the new header menu on cloud.gaiagps.com a little easier to navigate, and a little more compact.

This isn’t a terribly big change, but it should make people’s tracks and other data easier to find, so we get less emails asking!

Screen Shot 2014-05-21 at 12.38.09 PM

 

We have a lot of other big stuff cooking for the app and website, should be an exciting summer.

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AndroidGaia GPS

Turn your Android into an outdoor GPS

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

Gaia GPS got written up in Greenbot today… the title makes sense to us:  “Turn your Android device into the ultimate GPS back-country navigator.”

The article makes the point that Google Maps still isn’t cutting it in the backcountry, and here I thought everyone already knew that.

“Google’s Maps Android app is better suited to urban and known-world navigation—like how to get to Starbucks—than re-enacting a Discovery Channel episode.”

 

 

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App ComparisonsGaia GPS

iPhone vs. Garmin GPS

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

For nearly every purpose, people will find an iPhone or Android performs better than a Garmin or other outdoor GPS unit. We believe Gaia GPS is the best app to use your smartphone as an outdoor GPS, but there are dozens of other apps you will likely find preferable to a Garmin, as well.

Both Garmins and iPhones are suitable for getting GPS information, offline, without cell service. Both devices allow you to save map data for use out in the field, and track your location using satellites. But an iPhone has access to better maps, better software, at a price that can’t be beat if you already have the phone.

Below, we’ll discuss why an iPhone or Android is better than a Garmin, and also talk about what Garmin and its proponents will tell you.

GetImage

Why to Use an iPhone

Proponents of smartphones point out that they offer better maps, larger screens, better software, for a fraction of the cost of a standalone GPS unit. Hiker, hunters, offroaders, skiers, and even professional firefighters, rangers, and researchers have adopted smart phones for outdoor recreation and work.

  • Better Maps – With Gaia GPS on an iPhone, you can download a variety of topo, satellite, and special purpose maps, and import trail data too. With a Garmin, you’re locked into expensive, proprietary Garmin formats, and you can’t get the quality of maps you’ve come to expect from your smartphone.
  • Larger Screens – If you want to get a good awareness of your situation, then an iPhone, Android, or even a small tablet is going to be vastly superior to a Garmin out in the field, simply because the screen is larger and can show a large chunk of map.
  • Better Software – With a traditional Garmin, you have almost no choice in the software you run – it’s all one package. With an iPhone or Android, you can choose from Gaia GPS and dozens of other apps. And because app developers don’t have to worry about shipping hardware, we have room to continuously iterate on and improve the app itself.Gaia GPS, in particular, works on your phone, tablet, and computer, synchronizing data for planning and exploration. Try and get a Garmin to do that.
  • Less Expensive – Garmins are also simply an unnecessary expense. You’ll pay hundreds of dollars for a Garmin, and potentially hundreds more for the maps to go with it. If you already have an iPhone, then you’ll get a better system by getting a Gaia GPS Membership ($9.99/year or $29.99/year), maps included.

Reasons to Use a Garmin

Proponents of Garmin and other standalone devices may cite the battery life, accuracy, and ruggedness as reasons to prefer these units. However, these needs can all be addressed, while still offering the benefits and low price of a smartphone:

  • Battery Life – As with a Garmin, you can provide near unlimited power to an iPhone using double AA batteries, through a cheap case.
  • GPS Precision – Garmins typically have a higher GPS precision, but this ends up not mattering for basically any activity. If this does matter for your use case, then you are still likely better off getting a high-precision GPS to work with your phone or tablet, such as the Dual XGPS150.
  • Ruggedness/Reliability – You can outfit an iPhone with a durable, cold-proof, and/or water-proof case to provide the same rubberizing and other protective measures a Garmin has. Try the ToughCase from Magellan or the Mophie Juice Pack.

Conclusion

For my money, a smartphone with Gaia GPS is the best outdoor GPS for backpacking and backcountry skiing. Along with a paper backup map and awareness of my surrounding, I always get where I want in the woods, and I always come home again.

What do you use for wilderness exploration? Send us a note at support@gaiagps.com, and we’ll post your story.

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AndroidApp ComparisonsGaia GPS

Backcountry Navigator vs. Atlogis US Topo Maps Pro

by Staff Reports
written by Staff Reports

Here’s a comparison of two popular Android hiking apps – Backcountry Navigator and Atlogis US Topo Maps Pro.

I previously wrote about Gaia GPS vs. BCN, and it’s clear that Atlogis is a distant third. In this case, it comes down to the maps. I could take some fun jabs at the usability and performance of these apps relative to one another, but maps make the rest moot.

I’ll also note that we’d like you to compare Gaia GPS to both apps – we’ll give you a refund if you prefer our competitors, and we’ll give you a free GaiaPro subscription if you write to tell us why you like Gaia GPS better. Email support@gaiagps.com.

BackCountry has Better Topos than Topo Maps Pro

If you are looking for USGS topo maps, then you are much better off using Backcountry Navigator than Atlogis. BCN uses the same USGS topo maps that we do in Gaia GPS – the amazingly clear and updated USGS topos provided by CalTopo. On the other hand, Atlogis seems to have stitched together their own quilt of USGS topo maps – you can tell because of the ugly watermarks they superimpose on what are actually government maps.

Screenshot_2014-05-16-11-03-32

Atlogis maps are also just obviously less clear and inferior – CalTopo renders the images to a higher resolution with a better method.

I can’t help but point out that Gaia GPS is best of all in this respect – not only do we have the clear CalTopo maps, but we let you adjust the hill-shading in the app itself, if you have a GaiaPro add-on. Personally, I prefer to have hill-shading turned off in the field. See for yourself which USGS topo is the best:

Screenshot_2014-05-16-10-19-40

Backcountry vs. Atlogis vs. Gaia GPS

BackCountry has Better Map Selection than Atlogis

It might be that if you are looking for a weather app, Atlogis is what you want. There are a lot of weather layers, and like Gaia GPS, you can animate weather radar in the app and get some forecast info.

But for offline satellite imagery, international maps, and special sources like hunting layers and NOAA nautical charts, Atlogis isn’t going to do it for you.

Conclusion

I think people who buy Atlogis Topo Maps Pro do so for very random reasons, related to marketing and effort to promote the app. BCN is just better, and Gaia GPS is best of all.

Email support@gaiagps.com and let us know what you think.

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