Android Beta Release 1.4.0

posted by Mike Brocklehurst on Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A new beta release of ViewRanger for Android is available. The changes include:

Local and online search
- Search for place names and post/zip codes.
- Searches ViewRanger gazetteer (.VRG) files stored on the phone.
- Optionally connects to an online search service.

Route and POI editing
- Handles shown when creating or editing a route, so you can see the point being placed.
- Toggle between adding/moving POIs/waypoints and panning the map using the pan button.

Map Interaction
- Double tap the map to zoom in.
- New titlebar with configurable map text, Quick-Navi button and location search button.
- Map cross hair shown to indicate centre of map, the point for which the coordinate and altitude is shown.

Numeric Coordinate Entry
- Enter coordinates numerically.
- Choose between a range of coordinate formats.
- Centre the map on a specific coordinate
- Set the coordinates or a POI or waypoint.

Menus
- Updated Context and Options menus throughout.
- New single-press context button on map view.
- Tap the navigation arrow to see the navigation context menu.

Plus a number of bug fixes and numerous small improvements.





More details of the changes are in the wiki.


To install the beta use your phone's web browser to go to www.viewranger.com/vranbeta. Tap on the Android logo shown to download, then tap on the downloaded file to install. Sorry, the beta is not available through the Android Market, so if you use a Market version you'll need to wait for the release.

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ViewRanger Route Guide Awards for 2010

posted by cw on Tuesday, January 18, 2011

With over 8000 expert guided walks and biking trails available to download from the ViewRanger route store, access to anything from a family stroll to an extreme challenge is just a few finger taps away. To celebrate the role of the contributors to this growing route library, we’ve instigated the annual ViewRanger Route Guide Awards.

We've seen a significant increase in the number of route guides that have been downloaded over the last year - on the Apple iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones, and Symbian mobile phones - and in the number of reputable and well known publishing partners that are making their route guides available on ViewRanger. These include; Walkingworld, The AA, Trail Magazine, Trek & Mountain magazine, the Ramblers, and more.

Whilst most of the route content currently available is within the UK, there are routes in other countries and we are working with a range of partners around the world to make more worldwide route guide content available.

Here are the categories and winners for 2010

ViewRanger Route Publisher of the Year: Walkingworld


The range and quality of the Walkingworld routes is exemplary. With photographs at every key waypoint and a huge number of routes to inspire and choose from, the Walkingworld routes offer something for everyone. So many congratulations to Walkingworld and the army of Walkingworld contributors.



ViewRanger Most Creative Route: Bassenthwaite Reflections


This award actually goes to a short series of three routes collectively known as the Bassenthwaite Reflections guides: Honister to Keswick, Dunmail Raise to Keswick, and Glenderaterra Walk. Produced by GPS Training for Bassenthwaite Reflections, the route guides offer a gps-triggered audio tour of the landscape around and near Bassenthwaite in the UK Lake District.

Click to see a preview of these routes: Honister to Keswick, Dunmail Raise to Keswick and Glenderaterra Walk

2010 Most Popular Route*: Snowdon Summit via the Miners and Pyg Tracks (Walkingworld)

The final award goes to the route which proved most popular amongst ViewRanger users. The top three routes downloaded in ViewRanger covered Snowdon, Scafell Pike, and Ben Nevis. But the winner and most downloaded route of 2010 was Walkingworld's Snowdon Summit via the Miners and Pyg Tracks. So congratulations again to Walkingworld and to Walkingworld contributor Jim Grindle, who created the route.

Preview this route: Snowdon Summit via the Miners and Pyg Tracks

*based on total downloads in the year.

Congratulations to the winners.