An App for Hiking

If you're planning on going hiking this summer, there's an app for that. The American Hiking Society announced earlier this month that it has created an iPhone app to fit all of your outdoor recreation needs. It features over 220,000 miles of trails, thousands of trailheads, campgrounds, picnic areas and more.

If you've never heard fo the American Hiking Society, they were founded in 1976 and they are the only "national, recreation-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience." And now, they're taking their knowledge to your iPhone. The app, called "HIKE GPS," features over 300 free recreational maps from all over the United States. It stores the maps on your phone, so you don't have to look for a signal when you're out in the middle of nowhere, on a hike. You can even track and record your hikes, take geo-coded pictures, and share your experiences via email and Facebook.

In a press release, Gregory Miller of the American Hiking Society said, "We’re excited to offer map resources to outdoor enthusiasts across the country with the launch of our iPhone application. For more than three decades we have been at the forefront of promoting, protecting, and maintaining trails. By embracing today’s technology, we hope this application will expand and enhance the outdoor experience for people from all walks of life and connect them with our natural and cultural heritage, promote healthy lifestyles, and serve to galvanize communities."

The app works with both iPhone 3G and 3G S and it's powered by global digital mapping company Intermap Technologies. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of miles of trails, thousands of trailheads, campgrounds, and picnic areas, it provides you with detailed locations of major public land boundaries.

The app costs $9.99 and can be purchased at the Apple's App Store or on iTunes. Users can choose to download state bundles, state and national park bundles, or special interest areas from around the country. Each bundle is free and will automatically integrate itself into bundles you've already purchased or downloaded. And proceeds will go toward hiking advocacy.

Said Miller, "As American Hiking Society works toward ensuring hiking trails and natural places are cherished and preserved for us and future generations, we believe that education and technology can help people get more from the outdoors. Additionally, proceeds from each sale of the HIKE GPS app on iTunes will help us continue our work on hiking advocacy, volunteer programs, and outreach to communities."

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5 iPad Travel Apps You Won't Want To Miss

In the last month, as expected, iPad apps have been popping up everywhere. And while you can always use the apps designed for iPhone, to get the full quality of the iPad experience, you'll want to get apps specifically for your iPad. Travel apps are popular for any platform and the iPad is no different. Gadling.com picked out five different apps that are inexpensive, yet useful. Let's take a look at what they chose.

1. PointInside - Planning on going shopping and don't want to spend forever standing in front of one of those huge plastic maps of the mall, trying to figure out the key? This is the app that will help you find anything you're looking for. If you're in a new mall in a new town and you can't find the store you need, just consult your app's mall map. Looking for a bathroom or an ATM? It can help with that, too. Best of all, the app is free.

2. UpNext 3D Cities - If you're planning to be in Austin, Washington D. C., Boston, New York City, or San Francisco, you might want to check out this app. It puts Google maps to shame. Simply download one of the above mentioned cities and you've got maps with 3D buildings and, according to Gadling, a "powerful search system." This is also a free app.

3. Couch Traveler HD Earth Explorer - If you can't afford a vacation this summer, this app lets you travel the world from, well, your couch. Use maps and aerial images to sight see around the world, without leaving the comfort of your own home. Oh, and you can also use it when you're traveling and searching for something to do. Pricing for this app starts at $1.99.

4. Kayak - Imagine seeing hotel deals, old searches, and airline search options all on one screen. With the free Kayak app, that's a real possibility. You'll have access to Kayak's famous multi-airline flight search system, car rentals, hotels, and more!

5. FlightTrack Pro - The most expensive of the five apps, this one is an update of the popular FlightTrack Pro for the iPhone. Manage your trip and import your itineraries from TripIt with this app, or track the exact location of your flight. Check for flight delays and check the weather at your airport. There is so much more you can do with this app while traveling, the possibilities are endless. Unfortunately, quality comes with a price but for $9.99, you can't beat it!

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Yellowstone National Park App

A lot of people go to national parks such as Yellowstone to get away from technology, but what if you could use your iPhone to make your trip more exciting? What if your iPhone alone could provide you with a GPS-guided tour of the park, along with the history of Yellowstone told by renowned tour guides? Guess what? There's an app for that!

GeoRoamer is your very own audio tour guide of Yellowstone! You'll hear over a century's worth of knowledge as you're guided through the park, from experts Aubrey Haines, John Good, and Lee Whittlesey*. While you're guided through the park, the GPS system will let you know exactly where you are where you are heading, so you don't get lost.

The app includes all major tour sites in the park in its database and is based on the revolutionary Apple iPhone 3GS mobile phone. Most visitors to the park aren't able to have their own personal tour guide. That can be expensive and the park just doesn't have the resources, but with the GeoRoamer app, you get all the same benefits. Not only will you learn everything you need to know about popular sites, but you'll learn where the best views are located. Location experts can take you to the places best for beautiful scenery. For example, if you want to visit Barronette Peak, the app will take you there, tell you where you can find the head of the trail, so you can walk up the peak, and in addition, it lets you know if the trail is accessible by wheelchair or stroller.

As you drive through the park, the app will tell you what the closest site you're approaching is and how far away it is, and provide directions from where you are. When you're near the site, the audio track will begin to play on its own. In between sites? The app allows you to listen to several "general interest subjects," such as the Fire or 1988, how the Continental Divide was determined, to simply learning about the park's bears. If you need to know the distance between towns and park sites, the app can do that, too, as well as let you know where the nearest bathroom is. You'll also find information on road construction, any type of emergencies (such as not drinking the water in a certain area), site accessibility, and local restaurant information (such as hours and menus).

From the Isa Lake to North Twin Lake, to the 45th Parallel line and more, the GeoRoamer app can help you find it, and even help you find bears!

*Aubrey Haines has been with the National Park Service for nearly 70 years and is considered the biggest expert on Yellowstone and has written several books on the topic. John Good, a world-class geologist is the park's retired Chief Naturalist. Lee Whittlesesy is the Park's Archivist, also having published a number of books on the topic.

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Priceline.com Doing Well in 2010...For Now

Popular travel website Priceline.com, which helps users get discounts on everything from hotels to airfare, has some good news about their first quarter. The company announced today that its year-over-year increase in the first quarter shows that people are traveling again. Worldwide bookings through the company are creating an increase in earnings and revenue, however, the company isn't too optimistic about the second quarter.

Political unrest and natural disasters are expected to put a damper on travel plans for many people, who plan to travel outside of the United States in the near future. This news caused Priceline stocks to fall.

The company says it earned $53.9 million, nearly doubling its 2009 earnings. Last year, during the same quarter, they company earned $25 million. Analysts predicted the company's profit to be about $1.66 per share, but Priceline announced $1.70 per share.

According to Priceline, the biggest increases came in the form of making hotel room reservations and international bookings. Total travel bookings through the company's websites equaled about $3 billion in the first quarter, which is up from about $1.9 billion in 2009's first quarter.

So, what about the second quarter. The volcanic activity in Iceland, civil unrest in Thailand, and the fall of the value of the euro due to debt concerns in Europe are just a few of the reasons why Priceline isn't optimistic. But even so, summer is approaching and people are continuing to book hotels for their upcoming vacations.

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