Category: For Fitness

How To Use Endomondo

How To Use Endomondo

In this article we are going to cover the basic functionality of Endomondo. To this end we have divided the basics into 4 different sections that take a user from downloading the app all the way through their first run. As you will find out, using Endomondo is a breeze and really fun too. They have made it as simple and as straight forward as they can so that as many people who want to use it can. All walkthroughs below show how to download and use Endomondo on an Android OS (in this case a Galaxy Nexus running ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) 4.0.2).

Downloading App | Configuring App | Using App | Editing Run Data

Downloading the Endmondo App

Downloading the app can either be done through the Android Market app on your phone or through the Market website (https://market.android.com/).

  1. Open Market on your phone
  2. Search for “Endomondo”
  3. Find Endomondo (Free) or Endomondo Pro ($0.99)
  4. Click on the “Download” button
  5. Click on the “Accept & download” button
  6. Once the app has downloaded you can click on the “Open” button
  7. Endomondo will ask you to sign in. We chose the Facebook option because its easy.
  8. You will be prompted to accept connecting Facebook with Endomondo.
  9. Once the authorization has occurred, you can add friends to Endomondo directly from Facebook. We skipped this step.
  10. After you’re done you will be taken to the next screen where you can begin tracking your very first run.

Configuring Endmondo

Endmonodo Comprehensive Settings

Endomondo is fairly simple and only has a few settings you want to make sure that you are going to be using. The first that I recommend using is the Online Tracking option which will automatically upload your workouts to the Endomondo website. This makes things simple for you and lets you keep all your runs in a single place, even if you use different phones throughout the course of your use of Endomondo.

I also recommend enabling both of the audio settings. Audio Coach will give you audio cues when you have run each mile and the pace at which you ran that mile (or km based upon user preferences). If you are running a goal run you will also get some info on how much longer you can expect to be running given the pace of your last mile (or km). Pep Talk is a cool feature that allows your friends to send you verbal message to you on your runs as they happen. While the pep talked is delivered in a robotic voice and spoken quickly, each message is personalized with who it is from. This is a really cool and especially helpful if you are using the app while doing a race. Friends and loved ones can give you an encouraging word at just the right moment to give you that mental edge.

Finally, at the bottom of the Settings screen they have a link to your phone’s location settings. I recommend selecting them all so that your phone has the best chance of getting a good location fix so that your GPS tracks look the most true to life.

Using the Endomondo on a Run

Endomondo is dead simple to use while on a run. To get started, simply click on the big green Start button at the bottom left of the app screen. Or, as I prefer to do, I click on the 10 second countdown button on the bottom right. The 10 second countdown button ends with an audible countdown and then the electronic encouragement to, “Free your endorphins.” Its a little corny, but I like it.

If you need to pause the run, just click the pause button that replaces the green pause button on the bottom left. To stop the run click the red stop button on the bottom right.

Easy as pie.

Editing And Sharing Runs

Editing

Endomondo Edit Workouts

Endomondo, like all other GPS tracking apps, is not perfect. But what it lacks in perfect tracking technology it makes up for with editing. Once a run is uploaded to the Endomondo website, which is normally done automatically, you simply go to the website and log in. All your workouts are available for you to see by clicking on the “Workout” button at the top of the page. This is going to bring you to calendar that displays all your workouts for the current month.

To begin editing, click on the workout that you need to fix and it will pull up that workout in the map below the calendar. On the right hand side of the screen next to the map of your workout you will see the image to the left for your particular workout. Not all of the field can be edited, but most can.

You can edit:

  • Workout Title
  • Start Time
  • Distance
  • Duration
  • Elevation
  • Heart Rate
  • Note Field

All editing is saved once you press the save button and there is no back button to revert changes you made back to the original info.

Sharing

Endomondo also lets you share runs on other platforms. Users can post a run to Facebook (or a host of other online communities), send a link to a friend in an email, chat message, or forum link, or post their workout in an iframe on their own website or blog. There are over 320 different ways to share your run on Endomondo – a number that is nothing to sniff at. If Endomondo gets anything right it is the sharing and social aspect of working out.

Endomondo also give you access to the raw data from the app. You can download workouts in .tcx or as a .gpx file. This will allow you to export the data into other fitness or GPS tracking software.

This is part of our in-depth look at Endomondo. You can check out the summary of the running tests we performed or read each of results in more detail (Track Tests | Suburban Tests | Nature Tests | Indoor Tests).

Endomondo {Sport Tracking App Review}

Looking for a free and social sports tracking app with real-time GPS tracking capabilities? Yes? Endomondo is for you. This app combines powerful and accurate GPS tracking technology with easy-to-use social features. The app works on a huge assortment of cell phones (Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, Nokia) and integrates with other fitness equipment like heart rate monitors and cycling cadence computers. A full featured website and thriving community plugs users in immediately to friends already using the app and makes it a breeze to find more. If you are looking to get off your derriere and onto the road then Endomondo is certainly worth a shot.

Recommendation: Get Endomondo and free your endorphins.

Summary of Results
For those short on time here is a brief summary of our results. Endomondo was generally very accurate for normal use. Errors in measurement ranged from small (0-5%) on track and suburban running to very large (90%) in indoor tests. Generally speaking, the more exposed to open sky the run, the more accurate the results. Endomondo also did better on there-and-back style runs than on loops where it tended to record workouts as longer or shorter depending on your position on the loop. Using the app to record changes in elevation was essentially a joke, but this surely had more to do with the hardware and software on the phone than with Endomondo itself.

For more detail on our tests and the results, check out the links below or use the navigation bar at the bottom of the content on each page of this review.

Endomondo Logo

Table of Contents

A Word On Our Review Method
We got our base line distances by using published distances from the courses we ran or from measuring the run using Google Maps. In instances where there we neither published course distances or Google Maps to rely on we simply used our best judgment to determine if the route looked like a good approximation of the one we actually took, comparing it to trail maps when available. We understand that neither of these is terribly scientific, but most people are not concerned with getting the accuracy of a sport tracking GPS down to the exact meter. Close enough is often good enough.

In the tests we used a Galaxy Nexus or a Droid X on the Verizon cell phone network and the phone was inside a Scosche armband, on top of a stroller, or in my hand on the runs.

Navigation

Elderly Man Saved By SPOT GPS Tracker

One elderly man is very happy that his son had his SPOT GPS tracker with him when an ATV accident on an annual hunting trip left him unconscious and bleeding from the head.  The accident, which occurred in August this year, came just two days after the unique tracking device was active by his son.

The SPOT GPS tracker is a stand alone real time GPS tracking device that works in a way different from most tracking devices.  Instead of relying upon a cellular network to get its position data out so that it can be tracked it uses commercial satellites to relay this data to interested parties.

It is also specifically designed for outdoor enthusiasts who get away from civilization and cell phone signals.  It has a specially designed 9-1-1 button that will notify local rescue authorities that you are having an emergency and that you need assistance.  You can imagine how useful this feature is for people who in need of assistance when they are miles away from civilization.

Clarence Kolcun was 8 km away from base camp when he lost control of his ATV and rolled the vehicle on top of himself. When his son, Gordon, got to the scene of the accident his father was unconscious and bleeding from the head. Unable to adequately treat his father, he woke him up and drove the 8 km back to the base camp to retrieve the SPOT GPS tracker so that he could activate the 9-1-1 feature.

Twenty minutes after the 9-1-1 button was pushed, the Kolcun family was contacted by search and rescue authorities who inquired about the details of the men using the tracking device as well as some other identifying information like the make and model of their vehicle and the color of their ATVs.

This is by and large the strongest selling point for this type of GPS tracking unit.  Being able to mobilize help in such a short time span is paramount in being able to survive an accident. Clarence was unable to move and could sense that he suffered from internal injuries.  If there was no SPOT GPS tracker then help would have arrived much later than it eventually did.

As you might expect, the emergency personnel were able to locate the injured man and his companion and they were air lifted out of the bush so that the injuries of the injured could be treated.

SPOT GPS Tracker: SOS Device

This device is absolutely fantastic as an SOS GPS tracker.  Because it does not rely on cell phone signals it is able to work in a wide variety of circumstances that would not normally be possible with conventional tracking units.  This story is just one of the many different situations where a product of this nature did save the life of hunter, hiker, climber, or camper – and it certainly won’t be the last.

While these type of devices are certainly not perfect, they do provide a level of safety for outdoor adventurers that is unparalleled by any other device out on the market.  Just take a look at the coverage that this device enjoys:

SPOT GPS Tracker Coverage Map

This means that if you are on an adventure in Australia and you find yourself lost and stranded in the Outback without water and food all you need to do is press your 9-1-1 SOS button and you are going to know that the authorities are going to be notified of your need and given your GPS coordinates sot that they can find you and provide the help that you need.

This type of GPS tracking system is certainly not cheap.  As you can see, the device itself costs around $100 – but that is not the end of the cost associated with this device.  For 1 year of basic service you are going to have to pony up another $100.  While this may seem like a lot right now, I am sure that when something catastrophic happens then it will seem like nothing!

When it comes down to it, the vast majority of people are not going to need a device like this.  Thousands upon thousands of people go out into the wilderness each year and come home without incident.  They simply do not need a GPS device that tracks their movements and alerts family members of their whereabouts.  It is superfluous for these people.

But then every year there are dozens upon dozens of individuals or groups that could definitely benefit from this type of tracking capability.  They have a very serious injury in their party and the difference between life and death can only be a matter of minutes.  It is for these people that the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger are some important for.

Who will these people be?  If you have an elderly person in your hunting or camping party, it could be you.  Or if you have young children on your back packing trip, it could be you.  If you have a first time climber going up the mountain with you, it could be you.  If you attempting a dangerous route, it could be you.  The thing is, it could be any of us at any moment.  We just never know when a stray rock is going to slide off a mountain and strike one of our companions, or a wild animal decide to attack, or a freak weather phenomena blows away all your gear.  Anyone could need the help of a SOS GPS tracker.

That is why we need to walk with out eyes open when we make these types of trips out into the wilderness.  If we have weighed our options and decided that we don’t need the assistance of a GPS tracking device to give us the extra sense of security then we should not buy one.  But when we want that little extra comfort of knowing that help is only a button away – that is when getting a SPOT GPS tracker is the right move.

SPOT GPS Tracking Device: Climbers and Outdoor Adventurers Take Heart

Finding a quality, real time GPS tracking device that is going to work in the rugged outdoors is a top priority for campers, climbers, and outdoor adventurers.  The SPOT GPS Tracking Device tries to meet this need for this particular market.  The problem with many of the other traditional tracking units is that they suffer from a reliance upon the cell phone networks.  When you use the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger you don’t need to be in cell phone range for the device to work, making it perfect for those who adventure well off the beaten path.

The obvious reason for this being a desirable trait in the tracker is one of safety.  Even if you have the best of the best in tracking equipment but it is unable to transmit your signal over a network so that others know where you are your tracking equipment is useless.  It is money thrown down the drain.  The SPOT GPS avoids this serious pitfall by relying upon commercial satellites instead of cell phone networks to communicate its data.

How the SPOT GPS Tracking Device Works

Since this particular GPS tracking unit works differently from all others that I have come across it seems important that we come to an understanding of how it works if we are to understand it fully.  The graphic below is from the SPOT GPS website (http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=108)

Spot GPS Tracking Device How It Works

  1. The process begins with GPS satellites broadcasting a signal containing information that a GPS device can use for trilateration.
  2. The SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger receives these signals from its GPS antenna and process the information in its  onboard GPS chip.  This process is again called trilateration and is the bedrock of all effective GPS tracking.  It then sends this position information to commercial satellites to move along the chain.
  3. Once it receives your message, the communication satellite will then relay it back down to earth for one of the satellite antennas to pick up.
  4. These satellite antennas are connected to a global network that will route the information generated by your SPOT and send a central processing station where it can be stored and then communicated via the methods you selected.
  5. The final step of the process is the actual delivery of your message.  This can be through email, via a text message, or by means of telephone contact with the GEOS Rescue Coordination Center

The whole design of this system is really quiet remarkable and I am really surprised that more personal GPS tracking devices do not utilize this technology.

SPOT GPS Coverage

Tracking coverage is an incredibly important element in the purchase of any safety GPS tracking device.  You need to know that you are going to be able to use your device when you need it.  Here is a map of the SPOT’s coverage as indicated on the SPOT website (http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=109):

SPOT GPS Tracking Device Coverage Map

As you can clearly see, coverage is best in North America, Europe, and Australia.  East Asia also has good coverage and so does the northern portion of South America.

One additional word about the coverage – this is map focuses on step 2 and 3 from above (SPOT and satellite communication).  That means that if you are in a place where you cannot get a GPS signal then you are not going to be able to use it to track your location or use it to contact emergency personnel.

Pre-order the SPOT 2 Satellite GPS Messenger – Orange (PRE-ORDER) now!

3 Uncommon Ways To Use the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger

1.  GPS  Safety Device For Driving

Sometimes our driving takes us to paths that do not get cell phone reception.  At such times it becomes important for us to have a way to successfully notify emergency personnel in the advent of a car crash or other medical emergency.  Services like OnStar are simply not going to cut it since they rely heavily on cell phone networks to transmit their information.

That is where SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger comes in.  Through its ability to contact first responders via satellites it can still get travelers the help that they need.  Here is an excerpt from a story about the how the SPOT was used in this exact role:

[SPOT helped save an ] elderly man with chest pains on the remote Alaska Highway of British Columbia. With no phone service, Gary Sleeper used his SPOT Messenger to alert the Emergency Response Center that he was in an emergency situation and needed assistance.

When the International Emergency Rescue Coordination Center (IERCC) received his 911 message … [the IERCC] immediately notified the Canadian authorities, which dispatched a paramedic to intercept the man and his father on the highway. “I can’t tell you how relieved I was to see an ambulance appear. We transferred my father to the ambulance and he was rushed to Fort Nelson while receiving evaluation and medical treatment.”

This small GPS tracking device has a large impact on this family that day even though it was being used in an uncommon way.

2.  Child GPS Tracking Device

One very common application of GPS tracking is for children.  You see it in a wide range of devices and ideas.  The features of the SPOT GPS that would lend itself well to this application are the SOS button, the Help button, the Check-In/OK button, and Custom Message button.   Have three different ways to communicate with your child makes it much easier for them to communicate accurately with you, their parent.

Here is just a touch of some of the different ways that you could use these different communication options in a child GPS function:

  • SOS button – This would obviously be used for the worst case scenarios.  If you child is hurt, in an accident, or kidnapped they should press this button.  This will notify you and the authorities about your child’s location.  I’m not certain the that the police will be notified per se, but at least you know some government agency will be.
  • Help button – This is designed for non-emergencies and to notify parents of your need for help.  Is your child lost on their way home?  Are they stuck at school because you forgot to pick them up?  Are they stranded at a county fair because they got seperated from the pack?  These would all be proper uses of the Help button.
  • Check-In/OK button – This could be used by a kid who is wanting to let their parent know that they got to school, baseball practice, or a friends house okay.  It could also be a way for them to let you know that they have been thinking of you and just wanted to say I love you.
  • Custom Message button -  You can make up to three custom messages with the SPOT GPS tracking device.  Use your imagination or discuss with your child how these three messages should be used and what their content should be.

While this sounds like a great candidate for use as a child tracking device there is one major concern that one should be aware of.  It is that the device is fairly large when compared with some of the smaller child tracking devices like the Amber Alert GPS.  The larger the device, the more likely it will be discovered and discarded in the event of a kidnapping.  This is the exactly the situation in which you want your covert GPS tracking device to stay hidden!

3.  Bring Me Stuff Device

This is a going to be a very uncommon use of this device, but I thought it was so interesting that I’d put it down anyway.  Imagine a very rich man who travels around a lot but has certain things that he wants constantly – like chocolate or massages.  He has hired a bunch of people to cater to his wishes but he doesn’t want to drag an entourage with him every single time he is out on the town.  A man like this just has to take a long a SPOT GPS tracking device and he is no more than a button away from delicious chocolate or a relaxing massage.

Once he presses the help or custom message button his people will be notified of his express desire can be dispatched forthwith to cater to his every need!  Now that is living in the lap of luxury.

Buy The SPOT GPS Tracking Device

If you are interested in purchasing the the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger then you can pre-order it using the link below.  This product is expected to ship sometime in October 2009.

Pre-order the SPOT 2 Satellite GPS Messenger – Orange (PRE-ORDER) now!

SPOT GPS Tracker In The News

An elderly man was saved by the Spot GPS Tracker after having a very serious ATV accident that left him unconscious.  Luckily, the man’s son had a SPOT that he has just recently activated.  Within minutes of the accident the 9-1-1 button was pressed and emergency personnel were notified of the distress signal.  Shortly after that a rescue team was on the scene and the injured man was taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital.  This just goes to show you the power of a GPS tracking system when adventuring in the great outdoors!

Golf GPS Systems For Cell Phones

We love cell phones.  They can do anything … well, almost anything. For golf lovers, they now provide a way for users to turn these every day devices into golf GPS systems.

Over the past decade the place of the cell phone has become more and more prominent.  Just 10 years ago they were still fairly rare.  Today, it is crazy not to have one.  They have become the repository of our entire social lives, holding all our personal information in their small but powerful computers.  Cell phones now interact with nearly every aspect of what we do on a daily basis.  Cell phone applications are making various things obsolete – day planners, watches, alarm clocks, phone number memorization, navigation GPS, digital cameras, MP3 players, and golf GPS.

Very soon, cell phones are going to be the only piece of electronica that we are going to need – ever.

As far as golf GPS systems for cell phone go, there are two main routes that people can go.  They could choose to use some free software or they can go the paid route.  As we all know there are pros and cons to going with either solution.  Paid services cost money while often making things really easy for users and often have very rich feature sets.  Free services are free but generally take a little more work to get running properly and generally have less features than a paid counterpart.  This is some gross generalization and isn’t always the case in every situation, but you get the general idea.

The rest of this article follows this division between free and paid golf GPS systems for cell phones.

Free Golf GPS Systems for Cell Phones

Did you say free?  Getting our GPS golf tracking software for free is certainly better than having to pay for it out of your own pocket.  Some golf systems for cell phones not only cost money, but they also have an annual fee!  Here is a list of some of the free golf GPS systems for cell phones currently available:

Free Caddie

This is a golf GPS that gives you the basics for your cell phone.  No more. No Less.  In its free version (yes, there is a paid upgrade version) you get to know the distance from where you are at to the front, center, and back of each green on supported courses.  As far as supported courses go, Free Caddie offers a pretty good selection in terms of the number of courses available for use.  If they don’t have your specific course on file, you can always make one using their course creator.  The course creator is available in both the free and the paid version of Free Caddie.

Right now, this  golf GPS tracking system is available on a wide range of phones including Windows Mobile Smartphones, the iPhone, Blackberry phones, and Java enables phones.  There are plans on adding it to the Palm Pre, but who would want to do that after their privacy invading cell phone tracking software.

GolfLogix

This free application is from the same makers of the GolfLogix GPS-8, a Garmin golf GPS system.  GolfLogix is a free golf tracking software that is designed for Blackberry.  It also has a iPhone version, but it is mostly used for the various Blackberry versions.  It is currently supported on:

  • BlackBerry Curve
  • BlackBerry Bold
  • BlackBerry Tour
  • BlackBerry Storm
  • iPhone

In terms of course coverage, it appears that this golf GPS system has a few more courses than the other free application listed above.  With over 24,000 golf courses mapped this is bound to have the course you regularly play.  Unfortunately, it does not appear to have a way for users to build their own course files.  This is a feature that most definitely needs to be added to this GPS tracking system if it is to reach its full potential.

Also, by limiting the phones that can use this software the folks at GolfLogix have really narrowed their market considerably.  If you are a traveling business man or woman who likes to play golf then this is probably going to be the service for you, but if you don’t have a BlackBerry then you are out of luck.

Paid Golf GPS Systems For Cell Phones

Green Finder

To be honest, Green Finder is a way over priced.  Right now it costs $35 per year.  When you consider that it only has 10,000 courses that is a ridiculously high price.  I would avoid Green Finder unless it is the only golf GPS software that works for your cell phone.

Like some of the free versions, it is compatible with BlackBerry, iPhone 3G, Android, and phones that run Windows Mobile.  It also has a software in the workd for Palm Pre.

iGolfScorer

This paid service is definitely not a cheap golf GPS system, coming in at just under €35 ($50), but this is a lifetime price.  This already makes it cheaper than Green Finder.  Also, you get a lot of features with iGolfScorer that you just don’t get with other golf GPS applications.  Some of the features include:

  • On the course scoring
  • Pro-level statistics
  • Side games for betting
  • Shot distribution and tracking
  • Handicap calculator
  • Email your scorecard feature
  • And free web analysis

This is certainly a very full featured golf GPS system.  The only problem that American users are going to find with this software is that it is heavily weighted toward European users.  We find this first in the phones compatible with the software.  There are just a handful of phones – all of which are made by Sonny Ericsson or Nokia.  This means that the most popular GPS enabled cell phones on the American market won’t even run the software.  Also, the course that the software supports is heavily weighted toward European users.  Of the 2,000 courses on iGolfScorer only 260 are US courses.  Chances are, your home course isn’t going to be one of them.

Most American’s won’t be able to use this software, but it make a great European golf GPS system for cell phones.

IntelliGolf

The last golf GPS tracking system that we are going to look is IntelliGolf.  It currently runs just under $40 and looks to be a pretty solid golf GPS features wise.  There is an additional upgrade that costs you $30 and allows you to do a host of things with the data you collect on your cell phone – like make printouts of your statistics and grants you the ability to interact with other IntelliGolf user data.  I probably wouldn’t get the upgrade since this type of data isn’t that useful to me in my own golf game, but some users will really like this type of information.

When it comes to compatible cell phones, IntelliGolf is compatible with the following phones:

  • Palm OS or Treo
  • Windows Touch
  • Windows Non-Touch
  • BlackBerry Smartphones
  • P900/910 Smartphones
  • P1i/W950/P990 Smartphones
  • Nokia Series 60

IntelliGolf also boast having course data on over 25,000 courses – the largest of any software package on the list.  It also has a very robust feature list, including:

  • Score cards for up to 5 golfers
  • Tracks shot statistics
  • Automatically keeps track of side games
  • Lets you recall past course statistics for players

The website for this product is a little cheesy, and could be updated to give the system more credibility to first time users.  But aside from that, this seems like a fairly useful golf GPS system for your cell phone.

Conclusions

If you can, go with a free golf GPS system.  If you don’t like it, you can always remove it and not worry about all the money that you just wasted on the software.  If you love it and find yourself craving even more features then you can take a look at some of the paid systems out there.  But until you give a test drive using a free service I think you should stay away from paying if you can.  Even if you really like a friends version of one of the systems it is always best to take a look at the golf GPS system on your own before making a purchase that you might come to regret at some point in the future.

Golf GPS Tracking

Knowing where you are at at any given moment on a golf course can be huge for your game.  Today, you can know the distance from ball to hole with a simple simple handheld device – a golf GPS tracking device.  This can be a stand along GPS, like the Garmin golf GPS Approach G5, or it could a mobile phone that has one of the golf GPS software upgrades installed on it.  Either way, you are going to get  some important improvement for your golf game by being able to make an appropriate club selection for your next stroke.

Handheld Golf GPS Units

There are several stand alone golf GPS units out on the market today.  These units are small enough to fit comfortably inside the pocket of your pants and can certainly fit inside your golf bag to be pulled out at a time convenient for you.  Here are several different GPS models designed specifically with golfers in mind:

Golf GPS Review: Garmin Approach G5

The Garmin Approach G5 is the cream of the crop in terms of personal golf GPS tracking units. The case is durable so it can jostled around a bit in your golf bag. It also is waterproof, so if you accidentally throw your golf clubs into the drink you won’t have to worry about destroying your investment (but we don’t recommend throwing anything into the water – its is just bad form). This GPS has a touch screen and comes preloaded with thousands of golf courses preloaded on the device. This device uses some of the latest GPS receiver technology to give golfers of all skill levels personalized and accurate distances to help users improve their club selection and their scores.

One of the great parts about the Approach G5 is that you get to look at the golf course you are on with a lot of detail. And since you can know your position on the course to within a couple of yards thanks to this Garmin’s high-powered GPS tracking receiver you can make full use of this detail. You don’t need to eye a hole and think that it is 100 yards away – you can get the full power of a constellation of 20+ global positioning satellites to give you your location in real time. This means that you can use the Approach at your buddies ball and then at your own in a matter of minutes without you both having to buy one of these devices.

The Approach G5 also will let you touch a spot on the course map so that you can get a picture of how far away your next shot is. If there is a bend in the hole that you want to get to but you don’t have the skills to bend your shot so that you can safely land in the fairway with every shot you simple touch the point you want your ball to land and pick the appropriate club for the task. You won’t have to guess anymore and your game will be more about being able to hit the ball well instead of about how well you judge distances.

If you are serious about keeping your game above board you don’t have to worry about breaking one of the USGA rules about golf GPS units – the Approach G5 meets all the golf GPS tracking rules that this organization has set.

One of the cool features that the Approach G5 has is that is can act as a digital score card for your foursome golf party. Keeping track of one of those pencils and score cards can be a real pain, especially if you are walking the course. You want every second of your time out on the greens to be about making the next shot, not about where you put that pencil.

Golf GPS Review: GolfLogix GPS

A little lower down the chain of quality golf GPS units is the GolfLogix GPS. This device is also made by Garmin, but doesn’t offer the awesome eye candy and functionality that the G5 does. It is still a very solid GPS for golf enthusiasts and comes at a significantly lower price than the G5.

This GPS will recognize the course that you are playing on automatically and will give you distances from the front, middle and back of the greens. It is light weight (5.3 oz) and incredibly durable. If you are thinking about getting a stand alone GPS tracking device for your golfing needs this is certainly going to be one that you have to at least consider.

It doesn’t provide the touch screen capabilities of the G5, but for users who just want to know distances to the green this unit will do just fine. It is one of the most well known golf course GPS units on the market today and comes with great support from the GolfLogix.

Golf GPS Tracking Applications For Mobile Phones

But if getting a dedicated golf GPS systems is not up your alley then you might want to consider turning your smart phone into one. We have already listed several different free GPS tracking software packages that let you turn your smart phone into a GPS tracking machine, but there is also a golf GPS program that can be downloaded for free as well.

If you have an iPhone or a Blackberry and want to us it as a golf GPS you should head over to the GolfLogix website. In addition to being the operators of the dedicated golf GPS unit mentioned above, they also offer free GPS applications for the iPhone and Blackberry mobile phones. This means that in addition to being able to install a regular GPS tracking software on your phone to let you know where you are or to let your loved ones know where you are you can also use it a golf GPS. In fact, you can even use your iPhone or Blackberry for both GPS functions at the same time!

If you are in the market for a golf GPS range finder but you don’t want to fork out hundreds of dollars and already have a smartphone then then you might want to consider getting one of these free applications. I don’t even think you need a good data plan for it because it doesn’t send data out of the phone like a normal GPS tracking application might. All you are doing is using your mobile phone’s computer to use the GPS information gathered from your phone to run against the mapping software produced by GolfLogix.

If you have any experience with any of the golf GPS tracking solutions let us know about it in the comments below.

A GPS Tracking Watch Can Improve Fitness

We all exercise for different reasons. Some of us love the experience of testing your mettle against all that mother nature has to offer. Others like how a jog outside can break the monotony of treadmills and gym membership. Many cannot afford, or simply cannot handle, gyms so they turn to outside activities to get the most out of their fitness routine. It does not matter what the reason you go outdoors for your fitness regimen is – GPS tracking watches will enhance it.

One of the main assets of a GPS watch is its ability to track many different pieces of information simultaneously. Most watches record the following basic information that is important for your training – your speed, the total distance traveled, and the changes in altitude made over the course of your workout. In most workouts without a GPS tracking watch the best you can get for these metrics is the average.

Let us take a look at an example to see the benefit of what a GPS tracking device will do for you. If you just did your 7.4 mile trail run in 56:32 you can calculate that you ran an average speed of 7.86 miles per hour. This is important information in and of itself, but what if you can find your actual speed at any given point of the trail? Wouldn’t that help you get a better picture of how you can improve your workout and increase your speed? This is the power that GPS tracking watches provide – and it does so without you having to notice landmarks or check your watch and remember at what time you passed it. Your entire focus can be on hitting the trail, improving your speed, and enjoying all that it has to offer.

When you add the power of a heart rate monitor to the equation you have the perfect combination of effortless information tracking and training analysis. Not only do you get the standard information of speed, distance, and elevation, but now you also can see just how each of these affected your body’s performance – the real key in getting your training to the next level. I have talked previously about Garmin GPS tracking watches and the following is a screen shot taken from data recorded on one of these devices:

Garmin GPS Tracking Watch Output

These graphs are extremely data rich and can really help you better understand your body and the nature of your workouts. They provide information that you would not be able to gather otherwise! Who on earth has the coordination and concentration to keep pace while checking their pulse? Moving your hand away from pumping causes inefficiency of motion and only produces an estimate of your beats per minute. A GPS watch used in tandem with a heart rate monitor is an extremely efficient way to gather this information.

In addition to it being efficient, it is also very fun. Having the ability to see the exact locations of your run, kayak, or hike can add an element of adventure that goes beyond the actual experience. Looking at your route from outer space can give you new ideas of paths to take or interesting features to explore. This can be added motivation to improve your fitness even further and to hit the trail when you don’t really feel like it.

GPS tracking watches provide everything a person needs for outdoor exercise. The casual adventurer receives added motivation through the fun interface to explore new areas or push themselves to new limits. The more dedicate fitness enthusiast can access the powerful information recorded by the watch for use in analyzing their routine’s weaknesses and pushing their body to new heights of physical exertion. They are the best non-essential devices out there.

This article was included in the:
19th Edition of Weight Management and Fitness Forum
Workout Blog Carnival