Spyglass
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Spyglass: A full featured nav app for outdoor enthusiasts
Spyglass (U.S. $3.99 on sale) is a really complete GPS toolkit for people spending time outdoors or doing off-road navigation. Features are numerous; among them are a heads-up display, a high quality compass with map overlays, a gyrocompass, speedometer, altimeter, astronomical object finder, a sextant, inclinometer, and angular calculator and more. The app makes use of every sensor in your iOS device in a simple to use package. Waypoints can be saved and navigated to by following a simple pointer. Spyglass can track multiple destinations at the same time, and display distances, direction, azimuth, elevation and ETA. A rangefinder measures distances to distant objects. The app can utilize your camera to provide photos with data overlays. Hikers and others going off-road will really be excited about this app. It has a myriad of functions all wrapped up in one place. I tried the app and found it useful, even in urban life. You won't get the most from the app without reading the instructions, and there are some nice videos available as well. This isn't a typical navigation app with streets and hamburger joints; it's a sophisticated tool for finding your way when there are no roads or obvious checkpoints. It's customizable, even to the colors of the displays and the filters over your live picture -- for use at night, for example. I do a lot of landscape photography that involves some hiking and car locating. Spyglass was a trustworthy companion for that endeavor, including estimating my altitude and distance to destinations. Getting back to my car was easy, just a matter of following an on-screen pointer. If Spyglass interests you, there are online videos and a manual you can check before you buy. Spyglass needs iOS 6.1 or later, it's universal and therefore friendly with all iOS hardware, and it's optimized for the iPhone 5. Recommended.
This screenshot really makes me want to play Darkfall
Have you ever felt that way about a screenshot? It's kinda annoying, really. I don't have time for another game right now, and I don't have the energy to seek out a guild and make new friends (both of which are basically required in the sort of FFA PvP environment that Darkfall offers). So, yeah. I guess I'm just going to sit here and look longingly at that dude's spyglass and think about the good ol' Darkfall days. Oh, and Aventurine's put out its latest newsletter, if you want to give that a read-through. And there's a custom roles video after the break.
Spyglass beefs up iOS navigation with augmented reality for the great outdoors
Sure, you can use the regular maps available for iOS to get around, but those who trek around the wilderness need a bit more muscle. Well, Spyglass offers just that, employing all of the sensors Apple's devices house and tossing in a bit of augmented reality for good measure. The app overlays compass, GPS and location info on top of visuals captured by an iPhone camera or the map itself. There's also a load of more advanced navigation tools for in-depth tracking -- options that include a high-tech viewfinder (HUD), MIL-SPEC compass, gyrocompass, tactical GPS, speedometer, altimeter, rangefinder, sextant and more. Real-time tracking based on the location of stars, the sun and the moon is possible too, as is the ability to save waypoints for the return trip. You can also save specific spots for later, snap pictures with the data overlaid and employ one of a dozen different coordinate systems ranging from civilian to military. Sound too good to pass up for that next mountain excursion? Spyglass is available now via the iTunes App Store for $3.99.
