TRAVEL GADGETS

TWO APPS TO SAY WHERE ARE YOU? WORDS/PHOTOS COLIN WHELAN

GPS-TO-SMS is a basic and easy to use free APP that simply takes your GPS co-ordinates and incorporates them into an SMS message or into an email to send to your Anchor Buddy.

You can pre-set a default email or SMS recipient (the Anchor Buddy) and it’s about the easiest way to let home know where you are and that you are safe.

When you open the App it displays your co-ordinates and altitude together with the accuracy of the reading. It can take a few seconds to narrow it down but usually will settle to an accuracy of 10 metres, which is more than enough.

You can set a single default receiver for SMS and another for email.

You can then add extras manually when sending.

You’re able to add text and images to both communication forms.

Recipients get a hot link to a google map showing your exact location and time.

The downside of course is that this is still dependent on having a phone signal, so if you are out of reception area, this won’t work.

Don’t use it as your emergency help system (leave that to Spot!) but it is a good way of just keeping in touch with home base, especially for $2.49.

MOTIONX-GPS is an ambitious GPS plotting and recording program that does a lot of tasks okay.

Most common use is for plotting your track, recording your ride and then sharing it.

You can set it to send an SMS or email to your Anchor Buddy at preset intervals during a ride and can use it to direct you to a specific POI.

I use the track recording function to plot which sections of rides are out of Telstra service area as well as the interval advisories. If you are in reception area, it does this better than Spot. (see photo where the broken line reflects the out of reception stretches.) It chews up battery so don’t use if you don’t have an accessory power socket on the bike. Like other navigation apps, this one can also seriously chew into your data download allowance so best check your telco contract and be VERY careful about using it overseas!

Available for $1.99 at the App Store. For a more detailed review go to the gear review section at www.motorbikenation.com

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