New in-app features offer maps to go while on the go
ViewRanger offers an unrivalled selection of free open source mapping. The new features, which are now on Android and are awaiting approval from Apple, now make it easier to access ViewRanger’s range of premium topographic mapping while on the move. The update also comes with features making it easier to share recorded tracks of your outdoor adventures and to create conversations with your friends around those trips.
Craig Wareham is co-founder of Augmentra, the company behind ViewRanger. He says;“Our users want to share their routes and adventures. If someone recommends a good dirt trail or hike they want to see quickly where it is, how long it will take and what other trails are nearby.
“The new ‘maps-with-route’ feature will allow the easiest and fastest download of the relevant topographic map tiles for a specific trail. Detailed topographic mapping is available across more than 22 countries and this helps users get exactly the maps they need whenever they need them.”
With more than 1 million installs and a global user base, the social networking aspect of sharing favourite trails and location-based information makes ViewRanger the place to go to get the local knowledge on the best trails in any region, as Craig explains.
“We are facilitating trail sharing further with the new ‘TripStories’ feature which allows you to comment on and ‘like’ recorded GPS tracks created by your friends, in a similar way to photo-sharing social tools. With our media integration of GPS tracks with services such as Twitter and Flickr, these tracks are an awesome way to share your outdoor adventures.”
Alongside more than 400 brands, there are also increasing numbers of individuals who self-publish on the platform and earn revenue from outdoor pursuits. Craig sees this as a growing trend.
“ViewRanger’s open publishing platform enables any content owner or local expert, anywhere in the world, to create, share, and publish detailed, media rich, interactive trail guides. It is up to the publisher whether they choose to share their trail guides for free or they can choose to publish paid-for guides which consumers can purchase via in-app transactions on their smartphone.”
ViewRanger’s popularity has soared over the past 12 months, topping the app navigation charts in over 20 countries.
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