Recently I became a big fan of dropbox, a free and secure online supported application to sync files between computers. Even if one Mac is at home and the other is at work or somewhere else.
The reason I write this blog entry is that many user request a possibility to sync the diary between two computers.
As you might already know, TrailRunner stores all vital information within your home directories Application Support folder

With TrailRunner 2.1v467 and above, you can sync your TrailRunner data using dropbox. To do so, follow these steps:

- Download and install dropbox.
- By default, the dropbox application creates a new folder in your home directtory called Dropbox.
- Open this folder and make sure that a folder named Documents exists within. If not, create it with the exact spelling.
- Now go to: [yourhome]/Library/Application Support/
- Within, find the folder named TrailRunner and move this into the aforementioned Documents folder.

Next time you start up TrailRunner 2.1v467 and above, the application will check on if your home directory contains the following folder:
[yourhome]/Dropbox/Documents/TrailRunner/
If that's the case, TrailRunner will access this location instead of the default Library/Application Support location

Sidenote: To make this practical, TrailRunner 2.1v467 will move your local cached map tiles out of the Library/Application Support folder into the Library/Caches folder. This heavily reduces the load on your 2GB free storage at dropbox.com

> www.dropbox.com
> Download TrailRunner 2.1v467

Tags: backup

Vidar pointed me to this beautiful map source that — unfortuanetly — is limited to Massachusetts, USA. The map is an interesting montage of several layers and data sources Lars Ahlzen has accomplished.
If you choose the openStreetMap as your background map in TrailRunner and view the area covered by this map server, TrailRunner now uses this source.

Read more about this project:
> What is TopOSM
> TopOSM online viever

Tags: Maps, services, Topographic Maps, openstreetmap

TrailRunner directly and indirectly supports several workout recording devices. As it’s very time consuming to directly support fitness devices, I decided to interface with dedicated helper applications that do a much better job than I could do on my own. Go to the TrailRunner application preferences to set the synchonisation for your supported fitness device.



Apple Nike+ iPod Sport Kit, Nike+ SportBand
Direct import of workout data when you attach your iPod as a volume and press the Apple+Nike toolbar icon Direct import from a nikeplus.com account

Garmin ForeRunner 201/301/305, Edge 205/305/605/705
Import by using Garmin Training Center as the synchronization helper.
To send courses to your fitness device use the helper application LoadMyTracks.

Garmin ForeRunner 50 and 405
Direct import of TCX files by using the helper application Garmin ANT+ Agent for Mac OS X.


Polar RS200, RS200sd, CS200, CS200cad or F6 heart rate monitor
Import by using TrackRecord as the synchronization helper using the Mac's built-in microphone, iSight or an external microphone.

Other Supported GPS Devices
LoadMyTracks can communicatie with most classical GPS devices like all Garmin, Magellan or even TomTom devices.
MacTravelRecorder can export GPX files from GPS mouses like the iBlue.

Tags: import, Apple + Nike iPod Sport Kit, Nike+ SportBand, Garmin Edge, GPX, Garmin ForeRunner 305, Polar RS200, Garmin ForeRunner 405, Garmin ForeRunner 50

Just if you did not hear this already, the Garmin ANT driver for Mac OS X is out. I haven’t checked this out enough much yet but at least you now can upload an activity to Garmin Connect without firing up your PC emulation. (Thanks David for the hint)

> Download

Tags: import, Garmin ForeRunner 405

Reminder on how to use GPSBabel to download ForeRunner workouts and send them to TrailRunner.

GPSBabel is a free software for GPS data conversion and transfer. As Garmin Training Center for Mac is not supported any more, you can use GPSBabel as an alternative way to send your fitness data to TrailRunner. To send your ForeRunner workout data to TrailRunner, follow these steps:

Download GPSBabel
> Go to http://www.gpsbabel.org
> Go to Download
> Scroll down and download the current GPSBabel+ dmg Package for Mac OS X

The package contains two applications, gpsbabel and GPSBabel+.app

In your applications Folder, create a new folder named GPSBabel
Move the two apps into that folder.

Download and install the TrailRunner support script
> open http://www.trailrunnerx.com/SendToTrailRunner.app.zip
> Move the application SendToTrailRunner.app to the same GPSBabel folder as above

Send workout data from your ForeRunner to TrailRunner
> Connect your ForeRunner with your USB port.
> Double click the SendToTrailRunner.app

GPSBabel should now download your stored fitness data and open the TrailRunner Workout import.
If you get an error message, unplug and pug your ForeRunner with your USB port.

Please note that GPSBabel will download raw fitness data from your ForeRunner and TrailRunner has to calculate all average, maximum and calorie values. This will almost always differ from the devices values as Garmin does some fancy mathematics almost impossible to reproduce by just using the raw workout data. (see FAQ on this)

Tags: workout, Garmin ForeRunner 305, import, GPSBabel

I worked on the optimization for map borders. The problem in prior versions of TrailRunner was that when one map provider had no more maps for a region I should automatically switch to the new map provider. What I now do is that I check for each tile being loaded from what WMS server I should get it from. The screenshot shows a cut between the two Maps sources Rheinland-Pfalz TK25, copyright Landesamt für Vermessung und Geobasisinformation Rheinland-Pfalz (LVermGeo) and Hessen ATKIS 50, copyright Hessisches Landesamt fuer Bodenmanagement und Geoinformation.
The funny thing in this picture is that I thought the left map was originally a scanned paper map and the right map was a digital vector map. That could still be true but as you can see with the word "Kläranlage" in the middle of the maps, the word is perfectly aligned on both sources.
Looks like god even planned the locations for clarification plants when he created the world.

Tags: Maps

Klaus from GPSies.com wrote another cool trick in his weblog. Meaning you can plan a route in maps.google.com and import the course into TrailRunner. To do so, just follow these steps:
Goto maps.google.com and use the Get Directions tab to plan your course.
Click the Link to this page link.
In the Paste link in email or IM edit field, append &output=kml to the end of the url (with no blank inbetween)



Copy the whole URL and paste it into the address bar. Press the return key.
A kml file will now download. Drag the maps.kml file onto TrailRunner or the main window. The course importer will open.



How cool.

Tags: GoogleMaps, routes, Maps, directions, planning, weblog

One user named Rolf is using a GPS mouse for recording his course data. This might be an interesting alternative if you would not like to afford an expensive GPS device like the Garmin ForeRunner or Edge. This is how Rolf uses it:

The iBlue is a USB/Bluetooth-GPS-Mouse and can record up to 100'000 data points in any configurable time interval.
You read the recorded data off the device with an application called MacTravelRecorder.
Create a GPX file and open it with TrailRunner.

With MacTravelRecorder I can set the settings of the iBlue747 and also download tracks down to my Mac. Normally I use the settings for GoogleEarth so I can export the tracks directly into GoogleEarth, or also export the tracks into the GPX-file and open this in TrailRunner.

The iBlue 747 Bluetooth Data Logger GPS Receiver is ~$65 at amazon.

> Mac TravelRecorder
> Transystem, maker of the iBlue

Tags: GPX

From the statistics I can see that 100% of all regular users have upgraded to Leopard. So I made the decision to make TrailRunner 1.7 Leopard only and to remove all compatibility code from there on. Complaints?

From build 192 on the Polar HRM import will work better but should still be considered as experimental. I now import the [IntTimes] block and then, if a [HRData] block is available, merge the additional data in. What surprises me is that the data in HRM files are very inconsistent. On the one hand in the leading part of the file the workout duration says to be e.g. 0:41:20.0 but the last Interval ends at 0:44:49.5. Also if the recording interval is set to every 5 seconds and you multiply the number of [HRData] sets by 5 you also get more seconds than the given workout duration. Next, the [Trip] duration is totally off any other values one can accumulate. At last, the file doesn't contain calories burned but only your weight and VO₂ max. So I have to calculate the calories myself. All this means that you will never see identical values for the same data.
To retrieve HRM files from your watch, try TrackRecord or use some PC Software. TrailRunner Preferences now has TrackRecord added as a helper application for the import button. Use Import or drag a HRM file onto the TrailRunner dock icon. Anyway the workout import pane will open. To connect the workout with a route, select one in the routes list and add your workout to the diary like shown in the example below.


> TrackRecord - Polar RS200 SonicLink™ for MacOS X

Tags: diary, import, Polar RS200

What you see in the two pictures below is the very same location. In the greater perspective, the topographic TK20 map is absolutely perfect for hiking and route planning. And next, a small keyhole into GoogleMaps at zoom-level 1.
Although the resolution of the satellite images are perfectly fine, it's an overload of information. If you layout a route in the topographic map, it's possible to work in a wide aspect and still find the trails you want. With the satellite imagery, you can pin down to footsteps, but working in high zoom can be very tedious, as you often loose the overall point of view.
The moral: as ever, less is often more.

You might have read the press-announcements for Nike and Apple creating a new extension to the iPod Line. It's a piece of Hardware, basically a smart pedometer inside your shoe and a software update for your iPod Nano. The software tracks the usual data like time and distance and includes some kind of voice comments. Additionally Apple offers a new set of workout playlists in iTunes for your training and inspiration.
The software update for the Nano will include a new menu item, "Nike+iPod," which allows you to choose your workout distance and select your playlist.
Even if it's cool to hear some motivating tunes during your workout, how do you know what the 5 miles course is? It's clear: TrailRunner is the next perfect addition. Could someone please tell Apple and Nike?

Eine neue Website Google Earth Hacks sammelt und diskutiert alle möglichen Themen rund um die GoogleMaps Mania. Dort findet man auch nette Auszüge aus GoogleMaps wie z.B. Teile der Tour de France Strecke.
> http://www.googleearthhacks.com/

Über GoogleMap und auch über andere Dienste kann man einen beliebigen GPS-Punkt in der Karte anzeigen lassen (Beispiel) . Interessant für das Kalibrieren von TrailRunner-Karten wäre nur der umgekehrte Weg. Falls jemand herausfindet, wie man die GPS-Koordinate eines Klicks in eine GoogleMap herausfindet, dann bitte Bescheid geben.

Google Earth - Explore, Search and Discover
Heute ging Google Earth online, eine virtuelle 3D Ansicht auf unseren Planeten. GoogleEarth läuft aber (noch) nicht auf MacOS X und (wahrscheinlich) ist Europa nicht (vollständig) kartographiert. Dass man in 3D durch eine Stadt fliegen kann ist schon eine sehr schöne Spielerei.
Bei der Gelegenheit: Der TrailRunner unterstützt bereits maps.google.com und multimap.com, wenn man kalibrierte Karten nutzt.

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