Columbia’s GPS PAL

Columbia’s GPS PAL Review

by on July 11, 2012

Columbia’s GPS PAL offers the opportunity for urban or countryside hikers to track their walks as a journal, with extremely accurate results. Creating a new journal is incredibly simple – just tap Begin within the Track page, and the basic data will begin to record: your current location, length of time spent walking, your current speed, the total distance covered and so on.

At any time you can exit the app – to make a phone call or put your iPhone in your pocket, say – and it will keep tracking you as you walk – so a few miles down the road you can check it again, to see a satisfying blue wiggle, mapping your progress.

This tracking system isn’t exactly revolutionary, but the beauty here lies in that fact you treat your trek like a scrapbook, as you walk. Spot something of interest? Take a photo, or make a note – and it marks your entry as a spike along your route. You can then use Twitter, Facebook or email to share or recommend your memorable walks and their stats, photos and notes with friends.

Download this app: Columbia’s GPS PAL for iPhone

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Review courtesy of Tap!

There’s nothing to stop you using this as just a basic pedometer, or even for joggers to test their speed or running route, but this is targeted towards rambling strolls – for those who are walking for pleasure rather than practicality – if you just want the stats then you might be better off with something like LogYourRun.

We got a little impatient while waiting for the data to sync (believing it to have stopped working at one point), and continual background GPS tracking can be quite the battery-drainer, but on the whole, we found Columbia’s GPS PAL a fascinating and enjoyable addition to our Saturday afternoon mosey through the city.