As we already noticed earlier this month, we are working on new version of geotagging iPhone application - Geotag Photos 2.5. Currently, all features are implemented and we are in heavy testing phase. It will take at least 2 weeks, until new Geotag Photos will be in AppStore, but I think, that this waiting is worth of it 
. So that let’s look on new features.
GPX export without uploading to our servers
This was one of the most requested features. Some of you want to do geotagging of photos in your own software (like Aperture) and don’t want to use our Geotag Photos desktop application. For that reason, we’ve implemented GPX export 2 months ago, and it is available now thought Geotag Photos web site. But it is still needed to upload data to our server and some of you concerns about privacy – that we are storing your location data on our server. Even when we don’t collect any personal data and use strong secure protocols to make all data really secure, we listen to our customers and we prepared 2 other ways how to export GPX – without sending data to our server.
First way is totally automatic and very easy to use. You even don’t need network for it. It is using new feature of iPhone OS 4 (so that you will need iOS 4 to use it) – that is called iTunes File Sharing. Only thing, that you have to do is to connect your iPhone to your computer, open iTunes, click on your iPhone item there and open Application tab. When you scroll down, you will see File sharing section with list of applications, that supports file sharing. Select Geotag Photos and now the magic is here – all your trips are there – in GPX format. Just select GPX file and click on Save to to get it where you want. As we wrote, this works automatically (maybe we could say automagically), no need to select any export or so… When you update to new Geotag Photos, your GPX files for all trips will be there.
Another possibility is to send GPX file by Email. My favorite usage for this feature is to send recorded track with locations to my friends, that were on the trip with me – they can use it to geotag their photos. This function is available from new Trip Action menu.
Trip Action menu
Together with export function, you asked for better management of trips on the iPhone. In current version, it is possible to delete parts of trips, but what if you want to delete whole trip or edit the trip name? It is where Trip action menu will help you. On every trip in trip log is now blue arrow button, that shows that Trips Action screen.
New GPS Data logger backed
Last, but not least. This is invisible change on first look, but everybody will benefit from it. We’ve totally reimplemented backend of Geotag Photos, so that now Geotag Photos is less iPhone battery consuming, is more configurable and so on. Also that ugly thing, that logging was working only when you were on main screen is gone. Now, when you start logging, it will continue with it even when you switch to the Map view or to the Trip log view.
We’ve also extended configuration of Geotag Photos, now you can setup minimum accuracy, that is acceptable for you. In current version, it is 200 m, but in this new version, you can change it. Using this option and setting low enough accuracy, Geotag Photos can work even on 1st generation of iPhone (without GPS) – location will be determined using Wifi and GSM cell towers – with accuracy few hundred meters or so.
Hope, you will like our new version. Please give us few days for final testing, then we will send it to AppStore as the update for you. And yes, don’t forgot to send us new ideas. We will implement them in next version, similarly, like we’ve implemented those features.
Your Jindrich & Jan Sarson, authors of Geotag Photos
