Trimble Outdoors Launches Backpacker Map Maker App for iPad

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) and Backpacker magazine today released Backpacker Map Maker, a mapping and trip planning app for the Apple iPad. Now, from the touch-screen of an iPad, hikers and backpackers can find wild places, plot GPS points and plan their next adventure over seamless topographical maps.  

"Our readers absolutely love maps. As avid backcountry explorers and GPS users, they like to view, create and annotate their topos, and with Map Maker, they can now harness the beauty and power of their tablets to experience maps in an extraordinary and dynamic way," said Jonathan Dorn, editor-in-chief of Backpacker, and vice president, AIM Outdoor Group. "Map Maker is a portable, practical tool for hikers, a great way to relive their adventures, and the perfect complement to GPS Trails, our smartphone navigation app for in-the-field use."

Backpacker Map Maker begins with best-in-class maps for hikers in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to aerial, hybrid, street and terrain maps, the app provides access to more than 68,000 USGS topo maps stitched together and enhanced by MyTopo. The app has a full-line of other features for the hiker, including:

Place search: Find popular peaks, campgrounds, trailheads, mountain passes, creeks, lakes and more from a list of more than 10 million places.

Dual maps: Turn on dual map mode and view two map types at once for more precise trip planning. For instance, view street maps to find access roads to the trailhead then fade to topo maps to check out the detailed topography.

Cloud-based trips: Save trips to a backpacker.com account and access them from anywhere with an Internet connection. Hikers can also plan trips in Map Maker and then open and navigate in the Backpacker GPS Trails app, an in-field navigation app for iPhone and Android.  

Mark waypoints: Simply drag-and-drop GPS waypoints onto the map. Add notes too.

Ruler tool: Measure how far it is from the trailhead to your campsite to a mountain summit and beyond.

Digital compass: See a full-screen translucent compass overlaid on the maps.

GPS coordinates: Display latitude/longitude coordinates in three formats: DD, DDM and DMS. Or, view coordinates in UTM, the metric-based coordinate system preferred by the U.S. military and Backpacker editors. Backpacker publishes trail-based coordinates for nearly every destination article in the magazine.

"We are excited to add an iPad product to the successful line of Backpacker outdoor adventure apps. Backpacker readers can surf gorgeous topos and plan out trips in any park or wilderness in the U.S. and Canada, and then carry that trip with them using GPS Trails on their iPhone or Android smartphone," said Rich Rudow, general manager for Trimble Outdoors.

Backpacker Map Maker for the Apple iPad and iPad2 is available for download now from the Apple App Store at: www.backpacker.com/mapmaker.

About Backpacker

Backpacker brings the outdoors to readers' doorsteps, inspiring and empowering them to get out and enjoy nature more often. The authority on active adventure, Backpacker is the world's first GPS-enabled magazine, and the only magazine whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish. Backpacker is published by Active Interest Media (www.aimmedia.com), has a circulation of 340,000, and is published nine times per year. www.Backpacker.com.

About Trimble Outdoors

Trimble Outdoors, a Trimble business, develops GPS-enabled mobile apps and map solutions for fitness and outdoor enthusiasts. Its popular apps—Trimble Outdoors™, AllSport GPS™, Geocache Navigator™, Cabela's Recon™ Hunt, and Backpacker GPS Trails—run on more than 300 mobile devices worldwide and help consumers navigate on trails and off-road, track fitness workouts, find caches and more. Trimble Outdoors is also a leading provider of print and digital maps for hikers, hunters, and campers via the MyTopo brand. By leveraging Trimble's 30 years of commercial expertise in GPS, software, and communications, Trimble Outdoors delivers cost-effective and convenient position-based services that promote consumers' well-being, security and active lifestyles. For more information about Trimble Outdoors, visit www.TrimbleOutdoors.com.

About Trimble

Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

For more information, visit:  www.trimble.com.

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SOURCE Trimble