Best Accessories for Samsung Gear VR

Make the most of your Samsung Gear VR experience with these accessories.

The Samsung Gear VR is an interesting option for people who want to explore virtual reality. It has a relatively low cost and works with some of the world’s most popular phones.

As your usage increases, you’ll want to invest in some essential accessories to get the most out of your Samsung Gear VR. Here are a few recommendations to get you on your way.

• Gamepad
• Headphones
• Microfiber cloths
• Storage
• Power
• What do you use?

Gamepad

Not every game for the Gear VR requires a gamepad, but most of the best games are made even better by not having to touch the pad on the side of your headset. Enhance your gaming experience on the Gear VR with what we call the best gamepad for this headset.

SteelSeries Stratus XL

As mentioned above, SteelSeries makes a quality controller. So while the SteelSeries Free has been priced out of consideration, the Stratus XL is arguably your best bet — as long as its bigger size isn’t an issue.

The Stratus XL is similar in size and feel to an Xbox One controller with analog sticks laid out similarly to Sony’s DualShock controllers. It’s a great compromise between the two leading console gaming standards and will instantly feel familiar the moment you pick it up. This Bluetooth controller is compatible with Android devices and Windows 10, plus it’ll only set you back $43.50.

See at Amazon

Xbox One controller

The Stratus XL may earn the crown for the best controller to use with the Gear VR, but you could already have a solid controller in your house, meaning you don’t have to purchase another one. The Xbox One controller works with the Gear VR and has a comfortable fit in the hand. It’s important that you make sure to get the Bluetooth enabled version since older Xbox One controllers and the Xbox One Elite controller do not support Bluetooth. If you aren’t an Xbox gamer or just want to grab another one, it’s available for $39.99

See at Amazon

Headphones

A fully-immersive VR experience is only possible with the right pair of headphones. Whether you prefer the over-the-ear variety or in-ear buds, we’ve picked out some prime options that pair well with the Gear VR headset so you can block out reality as you delve into your favorite VR games and apps.

Over-the-ear headphones

Sennheiser HD 598 C

If you are looking for the best audio experience with your Gear VR, this is where you start. This is among the best set of headphones you can get for under $150, and the included cable is short enough you can have them connected to your Gear VR without worrying about getting tangled up.

This isn’t designed to keep the rest of the world out, so there’s no active noise cancellation to be found here, but you’ll get quality audio from headphones comfortable enough to be worn for extended periods of time.

See at Amazon

One more thing: If you’re looking to go wireless or you need noise cancellation in your life, check out MrMobile’s review of the Bose QC 35 headphones!

In-ear headphones

Panasonic ErgoFit In-Ear Earbuds

If you’re looking for simple, straightforward in-ear headphones, Panasonic has what you need. They’re pretty basic in-ear headphones, which include a mic and a pause/play button built into the main cord, but they’ll deliver great sound comfortably at a great price. With three different pad sizes available, you should be able to find the right fit for your ears, and they should stay in as you move about wearing your Gear VR.

ErgoFit buds are available in a variety of colors, but they’ve also been lumped in with a few other Panasonic in-ear options — drops360 and drops360 Luxe. If you’re switching around the colors and suddenly see the price jump up, it’s because Amazon is showing you one of those higher-end models instead. And you might be inclined to spend a bit more for the better drivers, which provide better bass and build quality, if that’s important to you.

Otherwise, the ErgoFit earbuds come with a 90-day warranty and should be more than serviceable — especially for under $15.

See at Amazon

Want something nicer? Check out our Samsung Level In headphone review!.

Microfiber cloths

Another thing that might distract from your VR experience with your Samsung Gear VR is dust or smudges on your device or the VR headset lenses. To prevent that problem, it’s a good idea to have some microfiber cloths around to give things a good (but gentle) cleaning.

AmazonBasics offers a 24-pack of microfiber cleaning cloths for around $10 — that’s about $.50 a cloth. Better yet, they’re machine washer safe, so you’ll be able to keep your gear clean for months and months with this small, one-time investment. And of course, you’ll also have microfiber cloths on hand for cleaning all your other devices. Also available in packs of 36, 48, and 144 — which may essentially constitute a lifetime supply.

See on Amazon

Storage

microSD cards

This is a must-have accessory, especially if you’re using a Samsung Galaxy S7 or any newer model — the only current Gear VR-compatible mobile devices with microSD slots. Loading up your favorite movies, tv shows, apps and other media onto the microSD card allows you to use your Gear VR to its full potential without clogging up your phone’s internal storage, or continually cycling through content.

We’ve broken down a list of the best microSD cards to use with your Galaxy S8, but to save you a bit of time, we’ll recommend the $55.97 Samsung EVO Plus 128GB, which is sure to provide you with more than enough storage for hours upon hours of VR entertainment.

See at Amazon

USB-C flash drive

The latest Gear VR models allow you to do a number of things with the USB-C port on the bottom of the headset. One option is to watch local media. You can use a USB-C flash drive to take content from other devices and view it in your Gear VR. This drive from UGREEN works with both USB-C and USB-A making it easier to work across devices of different ages. It’s available in 16GB or 64GB variants for $16.99 and $44.99 respectively.

See at Amazon

Power

The newest Gear VR models also allow you to plug in your headset while using it. This doesn’t charge your phone but instead draws power from an outlet to power the Gear VR which leaves your phone with more of a charge when you’re finished.

You can get a two pack of nylon braided cables for $11. These are each 10ft long which is long enough to leave plugged in while playing in VR, as long as you aren’t playing a game the requires you to walk around. They also support quick charging for when you want to use them to charge your phone directly.

What do you use?

If you own a Samsung Gear VR, we’re curious to know what your must-have accessories are. Anything we’ve omitted on our list? Let us know in the comments!

Updated March 2018: We’ve added some great new accessories for your new Gear VR!

Samsung Gear VR

• Gear VR review
• The Best games for Samsung Gear VR
• Inside Samsung’s Gear VR web browser
• Gear VR vs. Google Cardboard

Amazon

Alexa now controls your FiOS TV set-top box

Verizon’s FiOS TV boxes haven’t lived on the cutting edge of technology, but they’re catching up in an important way: voice control. Big Red has quietly introduced an Alexa skill for its FiOS Video Media Server set-tops, letting you change the channel (by name or number) and steer DVR playback with spoken commands. You’ll need Multi-Room DVR Enhanced or Premium service, but this makes life a little easier if you happen to have an Echo speaker (or any Alexa device) and would rather not find the remote buried between the couch cushions.

This won’t help much if you prefer Google Assistant, and recording is conspicuously absent from the command list. Still, it’s evident that voice guidance is quickly becoming a must-have for modern cable and satellite services — it’s no longer enough to offer a mobile app as a remote substitute.

Via: Zatz Not Funny

Source: Verizon

Vimeo turned popular internet films into an art exhibition

It was hard to leave Westworld at SXSW, but it had to be done. Thankfully, the show here in Austin is full of other tech-themed places to check out. One of them is Vimeo’s “The Decade,” an art exhibition that turns popular internet films into immersive experiences. The company says the space, which is located inside a hostel in downtown ATX, was created to celebrate 10 years of its favorite Staff Picks. There are eight different installations total, with each being inspired by some of Vimeo’s best videos from the past decade. The documentary Jim Carrey: I needed Color, for instance, was brought to life with a showcase of Carrey’s real artwork and his painting boots — all while the film was playing in the same room, naturally.

Meanwhile, Press Play to Cry lets you step into a spot where there’s a loop of sad videos playing. A red button lets you skip between them and, as you watch, you’re surrounded by hundreds of boxes of tissues. Because sad puppies will definitely make you weep. Then there’s the Aspirational piece, based on a short film starring Kirsten Dunst, which is intended to portray people’s obsession with selfies. As you can see above, the plot is you standing in front of a bunch of smartphones as the front-facing camera is on. My favorite one by far, though, was viral hit, Hi Stranger — for no other reason than how creepy it was. I stood there as a naked creature stared into my soul and a live caricaturist surprised me with a drawing of my face.

Vimeo says it doesn’t have any plans to bring this exhibit anywhere else, so if you’re at SXSW, you should probably try to see it before it’s gone on March 11th.

Hi Stranger

Catch up on the latest news from SXSW 2018 right here.

Samsung Galaxy S9 teardown helps explain its camera tricks

Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ revolve around their camera features, but some of the hardware functionality behind them has been a little mysterious. The picture is a little clearer, however, as iFixit has torn down the S9+ and provided a better look at the phone’s camera tech. To start, the signature variable aperture camera is possible thanks to a simple design — where typical dedicated cameras have five-blade apertures, Samsung is using just two ring-like blades. That limits its functionality, of course (you can only choose from two apertures), but helps the camera stay relatively small.

At the same time, the teardown confirms what isn’t going on: namely, any advanced face detection. The camera and iris scanner system is “pretty much exactly” the same as on the S8, so it’s clear that features like AR Emoji are purely software-based. This isn’t exactly shocking (a quick spin with AR Emoji makes it clear there isn’t iPhone X-like hardware involved), but it’s good to have your hunches validated, isn’t it?

You won’t likely be discovering these things first hand, at any rate. While many of the parts are modular and can be replaced independently of each other, that curved display and rear glass make it very difficult to get inside without breaking something. And don’t even think of replacing the screen. You have to take apart the “entire phone” just to get at that panel, iFixit said. Like it or not, the days of easy access to Samsung phones are long gone.

Source: iFixit

Arctis 3 Bluetooth review: Did these headphones change the game on gaming?

Gaming headsets are pretty standardized in 2018. Generally speaking, they are comfy, lightweight headsets made for the long sessions of smashing your friends and enemies, trying to win that chicken dinner.

One brand we’ve reviewed in that space, SteelSeries, also happens to work well with smartphones, too. Personally, I’ve been a fan of the company for years and appreciate the build quality; its products work as advertised. I recently had a chance to try out the newest models, the Arctis 3 Bluetooth, so I jumped at it.

As I expected, the latest in the Arctis line is no different from its predecessor. Right away I found the ear cups to be super comfortable. In testing, I played multiple hours with them, finding the Arctis 3 Bluetooth just as nice as my normal headset.

The headphones have an adjustable “ski goggle” suspension band for comfort and security. Finding the right fit shouldn’t be a problem, regardless of head size and shape. The ear cups feature AirWeave Performance Fabric for keeping your ears dry and cool. You’ll want this for those endless nights of raiding or base defending.

The Clearcast microphone is good, offering broadcast quality with acoustic noise cancelling to ensure your team never misses an order. In my review time I noticed it’s a little bright for my taste but my teammates never seemed to mind.

Having the ability to retract the microphone when not in use is great in theory, but I found that then I wanted it out, had a hard time keeping positions. The flexible mic wanted to keep to the form of the curve that it has when retracted into the ear cup. Also, and this is minor, when retracted, it looked weird having a mic cover stick out even though I was wirelessly connected to my phone.

The variety of connections for the Arctis 3 Bluetooth make them a no-brainer for daily use. When I think about all the places and ways I game, the idea of having one headset for all needs is nice. I’d love to be able to throw one headset in the backpack and know that no matter if I’m gaming on my phone, my home console, mobile with my Nintendo Switch, or my PC, I’m covered. The fact that the headphones are Bluetooth-enabled in addition to all the hardwired adapters gives me confidence this headset is up to the task.

SteelSeries advised that these headphones would work with the Nintendo Switch, something I was anxious to check. Does it? Yes, and it’s awesome. The voice chat on the Switch works through Nintendo’s Switch Chat App over Bluetooth while the in-game sound is delivered over the wired adapter. That might be my favorite part.

Some of the most popular games right now work with multiple people accessing the same game from different devices. Meaning, I can be on my PC while my friends can be on their PS4’s. Until now I would have to jump on a party chat on my PS4 while my in-game audio would come from speakers on my computer.

With the ability to use multiple streams into the Arctis 3 Bluetooth I can have my chat through Discord on my phone (connected via Bluetooth) and wired directly to my PC. Now my in-game audio is in-ear and I don’t have to fight noise bleed from speakers. This is a true game changer if you’ve ever had to deal with audio from multiple sources involving voice chat.

I have been very pleased with the Arctis 3 Bluetooth and think they are almost perfect. While the Clearcast microphone sounds good enough, I’d like the ability to detach it from the headset. Also, it would be nice to have a small case to hold all the wired connections for on-the-go purposes.

At $129.99 they are definitely worth the investment for me. The sound quality is good and the ease of connection with any device I can throw at it makes it so I don’t have to think about how connect. I can just hop in and game! For those who do not want, or need, the Bluetooth option, SteelSeries offers a variant for only $79.99. Each is available in a variety of colors.

AMD’s leaked road map shows plans for Ryzen, Threadripper processors until 2020

Details on AMD’s second-generation Ryzen desktop processors have leaked out over the last several months, and now the company’s entire processor road maps leading up to 2020 is now on display thanks to leaked marketing slides. They reveal what we already know to some extent — that the second-generation Ryzen chips will be based on a refreshed “Zen+” architecture, while the third-generation CPUs will rely on the company’s second-generation Zen2 design. 

But the leaked road maps don’t just focus on Ryzen desktop processors — we can now see what AMD plans for its high-end monster Threadripper processors, as well as its all-in-one Ryzen-branded chips (APUs) for laptops. Here’s a breakdown of what’s to come: 

2017 

2018 

2019 

2020 

Architecture: 

Zen 

Zen+ 

Zen2 

Zen2+ 

Process node: 

14nm 

12nm 

7nm 

7nm+ or 5nm 

TR4 Socket 

Threadripper
1000 Series

Threadripper
2000 Series

Treadripper
3000 Series
(Castle Peak) 

Threadripper
4000 Series
(NG HEDT) 

AM4 Socket
(desktop) 

Ryzen
1000 Series
(Summit Ridge) 

Ryzen
2000 Series
(Pinnacle Ridge) 

Ryzen
3000 Series
(Matisse) 

Ryzen
4000 Series
(Vermeer) 

AM4 Socket*
(laptop) 

N/A 

Ryzen
2000 Series*
(Raven Ridge, Zen) 

Ryzen
3000 Series*
(Picasso, Zen+) 

Ryzen
4000 Series*
(Renoir, Zen2) 

Notes 

New CPU core 

Optimized 

New CPU core 

Optimized 

As the roadmaps show, the Threadripper 2000 Series and Ryzen 2000 Series chips released in 2018 will be based on an optimized Zen+ architecture tweaked for better performance and efficiency. That’s not the case for AMD’s Ryzen-branded all-in-one “Raven Ridge ” APU chips for laptops and desktops; they are a generation behind architecture-wise. Raven Ridge actually made its debut at the end of 2017 but didn’t really go “mainstream” until the beginning of the year.

AMD said in 2017 that it would continue to support its new AM4 motherboard socket until 2020, and the leaked road map shows just that. The company moved to the new processor “seat” with the introduction of its Zen-based chips while also launching the TR4 socket for its larger enthusiast-class Ryzen Threadripper CPUs. What AMD plans to do after 2020 is unknown at this point, but customers can swap out their current chips for upgrades for at least another two years. 

AMD essentially has two teams leapfrogging with its Zen foundation. “The core team came together some four years ago, they started building the design, they started creating this awesomeness,” said James Prior, a senior product manager at AMD. “And after they got the fundamentals worked out, they peeled off part of it, started them working on the next-generation micro-architecture.” 

In other words, team No. 1 is currently working on Zen 2 while team No. 2 is wrapping up the Zen+ refresh. Once that’s completed, the latter team will move on to the Zen2+ refresh planned for 2020. But while the Ryzen and Threadripper processors may retain the same socket until 2020, each upcoming release will include new features backed by new motherboard chipsets. So if customers merely swap out their processors, they may not get the full benefits of the newer chips. 

Although not included in the road map above, an additional slide shows the release of value-oriented APUs for 2020 dubbed “Dali.” As the code name suggests, AMD will continue with referencing famous painters, a trend that will officially begin in 2019 with the Matisse (mainstream) and Picasso (mobile) chips. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD talks details on second-gen Ryzen chips, teases Vega for mobile
• The Ryzen 7 CPU could see a nice speed increase over AMD’s current chip
• CPU, APU, WTF? A guide to AMD’s processor lineup
• AMD Ryzen CPUs With Vega Graphics Review
• AMD vs. Intel: How does tech’s oldest rivalry look in 2018?

Yep, mining for cryptocurrency can now heat your home

French startup Quarnot recently unveiled a space heater that could potentially pay for itself — someday. By harnessing the massive amounts of heat GPUs generate while mining cryptocurrency, Quarnot’s QC1 heater will not only keep you toasty during the winter months, it could very well earn you a little extra cash.

“The heat of your QC-1 is generated by the two graphics cards embedded in the device and mining cryptocurrencies or blockchain transactions: While heating, you create money,” the QC1 product description reads. “You can watch in real time how crypto markets are trending, on your mobile app and on your QC-1 LEDs.”

Really though, the QC1 heater is a slick-looking device, and it packs some serious power — two AMD Radeon RX 580s — but it retails for $3,600. That is a huge amount of money for what amounts to a space heater, even if it can mine cryptocurrency. Keep mind, that is all it can do, it doesn’t include a hard drive or an operating system. You control it from your phone. It can’t run games, it can’t be used to check your email. For that price, you could just buy a high-end gaming PC with two comparable cards inside and set them up for cryptocurrency mining yourself.

Let’s do a little math. You would have to run the QC1 all day every day for five and a half years mining Ethereum before it paid for itself, at the most recent Ethereum exchange rate. The real story here isn’t the QC1, it’s the fact that it exists at all. Using excess heat from cryptocurrency mining to heat your home is actually a really great idea. Mining cryptocurrency generates a tremendous amount of heat and putting it to good use could make passively mining cryptocurrency more approachable.

Nobody is going to buy one of these things and strike it rich, that part of the cryptocurrency boom is probably over, but as a proof of concept, the QC 1 is a fascinating product. Waste heat has always been a huge issue for server farms, and even offices that run a lot of desktop computers, putting it to use in the home isn’t a bad idea. But at $3,600, it’s not a good one either.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Ethereum vs. bitcoin: What’s the difference?
• Litecoin vs. Ethereum
• The best bitcoin alternatives
• How to trade bitcoin for other cryptocurrencies
• What is Ethereum?

Microsoft Launcher beta update includes new features, bug fixes

Microsoft officially rolled out a new update for its Launcher app for Android. The update introduces new features to users who have the beta program installed.

Previously known as Arrow, Launcher allows you to customize your Android device with wallpapers, icon packs, and theme colors. You can also customize your preferred apps and services at the top of the home screen, and link your Windows PC to your device in order to access specific content.

With the latest update, beta users have the ability to get new daily backgrounds from Bing and can also create a custom set of their own. In addition, the wallpapers can be scrollable — which means the background image moves back and forth as users scroll through their phones.

Improvements have also been made to the badge notifications system. Users are now able to control their app notification badges for each of the apps installed on their device.

Another new feature has been added to the lock screen as well. With calendar notifications, you will now always have any upcoming calendar events conveniently show up on your lock screen.

There have also been adjustments made to the user interface. This includes simplified a long-press app context menu and a “What’s New” experience built in.

Microsoft Launcher already includes an app tray feature — which alphabetically organizes the apps you’ve recently used. You can then choose to hide the recent apps or organize the apps horizontally. You’re also able to hide apps that you want to keep private. With the beta version, it now supports the ability to move and clone when users move apps in app drawer to form a folder.

Other updates include bug fixes on the feedback and help page, along with improvements to performance and crash fixing. While there is not an exact release date for when the beta will be public, it should be in the near future.

If you would like to be part of future beta testing, Microsoft has a sign-up page to try out unreleased versions of its Microsoft Launcher app. You can also download the current version through the Google Play Store.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Soon, you won’t have to be a Windows Insider to test Microsoft’s newest apps
• Imgur adds looping GIF feature, new iOS news feed before big desktop redesign
• Picture-in-picture mode comes to Hulu with Live TV’s beta web interface
• The final ‘Sea of Thieves’ Xbox One and PC beta is available now
• An update to watchOS 4.3 brings several new features to the Apple Watch

Climb-On Maps changes the climbing game by getting you there faster and safer

Finding climbing routes can be a frustrating process for even the most seasoned of climbers — be it dealing with dangerous walk-offs or fumbling with large guidebooks. After years of not only experiencing this but also hearing from their peers, married couple and avid climbers Rick Momsen and Stefani Dawn decided to create Climb-On Maps.

Their idea was to have it pick up where guidebooks and sites like Mountain Project leave off, offering users clear route types, grades, and count per crag. In its physical iteration, it also provides water- and tear-proof, highly detailed maps of approaches and (non-rappel) walk-offs for some of the United States’ most popular climbing areas.

Of course, there are other climbing apps like SloperClimbing, Rakkup, and ClimbingWeather built to assist climbers with weather conditions, planning routes, and even GPS navigation. But what about what satellite images can’t see and differing GPS systems? These issues limit climbing apps and could spell the difference between life and death.

Boots-on-the-ground map work by professionals like Momsen and Dawn is so important

This is why boots-on-the-ground map work by professionals like Momsen and Dawn is so important. The couple took their passion for rock climbing — and Momsen’s 20 years of GIS (Geographic Information System) experience — and compiled it with route data from Mountain Project and published guidebooks for an area to assemble comprehensive at-a-glance charts. With Red Rock Canyon and Smith Rock State Park already available, the duo decided to launch a map of Joshua Tree National Park on Kickstarter. They hit their campaign goal in just 36 hours.

Demonstrating complete dedication to the climbing community, climbing safety, and to the protection of the environment, the team personally walked thousands of miles, took thousands of photos, wrote copious field notes, and GPS-tracked every trail to create each map. Digital Trends spoke with Stefani Dawn to find out more about the intense preparation and financial resources that went into creating these navigational maps, as well as the lessons learned using Kickstarter to raise money and why all GPS systems and technology are not created equal.

Digital Trends:  Why did Rick and you create Climb-On Maps?

Stefani Dawn: When we were working full-time in other jobs, climbing trips happened on weekends and over limited vacation time. We would go to big areas, like Red Rock Canyon, Nevada and Joshua Tree, California and we’d usually encounter two things: Busy walls in easy-to-access areas or we’d get lost trying to find a climb. Both circumstances took away from our goal of the trip. It was incredibly frustrating. With our love of climbing and experience navigating and mapping the outdoors, we decided to start Climb-On Maps. There are two main challenges with large, complex rock climbing areas that we felt could be addressed with very detailed, climbing-specific maps.

First, there are navigation challenges. Rock climbing guidebooks are primarily designed to focus on information about individual routes. Our maps pick up where guidebooks leave off, providing detailed directions for how to get to a climb. People can also visit less frequented climbing areas, so they don’t have to wait in line.

Next are planning challenges. Climb On provide color-coded, at-a-glance crag summaries that show important information about each wall in an area like the number of climbs, distribution of grades, and specific climbs. This allows climbers to quickly scan the map, see if a wall meets their needs, how difficult it is to get there, and where walls are relative to each other.

Why did you use Kickstarter to fund your latest map and what were the benefits and challenges of turning to crowdfunding?

Until this point, we primarily used our life’s savings or borrowed money to fund the business. We purchased professional GPS units, software licenses, a vehicle to live out, a large-scale plotter, and also had to pay for traveling and living expenses for about a year and a half. It took us almost two years, full-time, to collect data for our first four maps — and that was a period of no income. We turned to Kickstarter because, as a new business, we needed the exposure and a financial boost to print the Joshua Tree map. Our stretch goals help off-set printing for the fourth map, City of Rocks, Idaho.

This current Kickstarter campaign has been a great success and, now that we have products released and people are using them, we’re starting to get great reviews and coverage. It took a lot of work to get here, however, and that’s where the challenge conversation comes in. This is actually our second Kickstarter. Our first attempt we canceled because it was clear it wasn’t going to fund. The reality was if nobody knows about you, Kickstarter is not going to work.

Anyone with business savvy would say, “Well, of course. People need to know about you, why they need your product, and you have to prove yourself first.” But, many new business owners, including us, don’t know exactly what it takes to reach that point.  The learning curve for social media, advertising, promotion, branding, retail, wholesale, and even basic business practices, is significant. Then, as we have learned, Kickstarter has its own unique learning curve. We even hired a company to help educate us on a few things.

How are Climb-On Maps a better product, or more comprehensive, than other phone maps and GPS units? 

The maps for phone apps and GPS units are created with publicly available data, mainly because it’s time-consuming and labor intensive to collect data at a very fine scale. The scale most commonly used in other professional maps is 1:24,000 (i.e., 1 inch = 24,000 inches/.4 miles) because that’s the scale the U.S. Geologic Survey typically uses and the USGS data is the historical source for much of the publicly available data. Depending on the map area, our maps go down to a scale of around 1:1200. That’s 20 times more detailed than other maps.

When we zoom down to the level of our maps, which are in natural areas where publicly available data all but disappears, the only solution is to create our own data at a scale that’s useful. We collect data by using high quality, professional GPS units and walk every inch of the trails we map. We take detailed notes, collect trail attribute data, and take thousands of photos.

The reason we need to go down to such a fine scale is due to the complexity of the terrain. For our map to be useful in the conditions climbers face, we need to be able to inform the climber of the exact way to go under a big boulder, or crawl up a chimney and walk along a ledge. To be meaningful and useful, this all needs to be conveyed topographically, symbolically, and via photos on the map.

Lady Lockoff

What GPS technology does Rick use in gathering information for the maps? How does this tech add to the accuracy of Climb-On Maps? 

The GPS units used by Climb-on Maps are the Trimble T1 GNSS units and we utilize the SBAS differential correction, which corrects signal anomalies. The acronym GPS refers only to the United States’ constellation of positioning satellites, while GNSS refers to all global navigation satellites managed by other countries (Russia, Europe, and China). Being able to access positions from all GNSS constellations — a total of 91 satellites — allows reliable and continuous positioning even while deep in tall canyons or right up against climbing walls.

You don’t use satellite imagery as the background for the maps, but use it in processing the maps — why? How do you define the boundary of a climbing wall?

We avoid satellite imagery because the quality is inconsistent. Problems with satellite imagery include dark shadows, poor resolution, confusing angles, and sometimes unusable distortion — especially with tall cliffs. Rick uses four different satellite imagery sources, aerial photos, and infrared or elevation to digitize and edit background data. When there’s an error, he switches to a different source for a separate perspective. This allows us to be accurate at the scales we’re working with. A printed map is not able to switch imagery sources and we believe that publishing any one source could be dangerous in the problematic areas.

To define the boundary of a climbing wall, we use our GPS points. While out collecting trail and wall data, we make sure to collect bounding routes of the wall (i.e. the first and last climbs on the wall) and then connect the points along the rock formation to show the span of walls that contain the climbs. Since our GPS data is accurate, it’s used as a reference for everything else. We can make detailed navigation notations when building the map because we’ve been there.

Lady Lockoff

What are your thoughts on climbing apps?

Most climbing apps are digital versions of hardcopy guidebooks. Because they’re essentially digital guidebooks, the maps and directions portion of apps are similar to what you would find in these regular books.

Providing GPS coordinates are helpful to let you know if you’re at the right location but they don’t tell you how to get there. This results in the climber making a straight line towards the coordinate — very likely a bushwhack, which is more difficult and far more environmentally destructive than providing a fine-scale map. In large, complex areas, like Joshua Tree or Red Rock Canyon, climbers are often met with the same problem of being confused and wandering lost.

We love digital technology but sometimes the analog product is the way to go

We’ve seen attempts at trying to use GPS guided maps in some of the climbing apps but there are plenty of limitations — the scale of available data, satellite background imagery, quality of GPS units used, and even the GPS units in cell phones. It’s a difficult combination of factors to make right in certain terrain. Let’s say the underlying data is accurate, the quality of a smartphone GPS unit is still a major limitation, especially in dangerous areas. Even with accurate data, a user’s cell phone could be over 100 feet off obstructions.

With a paper map, users are forced to find their location using visual cues and surrounding terrain features. A map can also help you rapidly triangulate your position. That’s very difficult to do with a smartphone — you have to expand and contract the screen over and over again. We love digital technology and rely on it heavily to make maps but sometimes the old school, analog product is the way to go.

Have Rick or you ever had a close-call while researching a location?

Considering the number of miles we’ve covered (over 1,800 miles and counting), we’ve been lucky to come out unharmed. But, we have had several close calls. If you look at any one of our maps, you’ll see a lot of red triangles. Those indicate exposure. We also have an icon in the triangles telling you the level of danger with that exposure should you fall — bone breaking, major damage, or rest in peace. We know the exposure level because we were there, so we’re constantly facing that risk.

There’s one time I would categorize as terrifying. It occurred while I was mapping alone in Joshua Tree and was very isolated. I came across a dangerous boulder field with crumbling rock and 20- to 40-foot pits between boulders. A fall would result in injury and becoming trapped beneath the boulders — there would be no way to be found.

What’s in the pipeline for Climb-On Maps?

Our most immediate plans are to publish the climber’s maps for Joshua Tree and City of Rocks and to promote them. While on the road, there are other climbing areas we plan to explore to see if they’d be a good fit.

We’re also looking to expand into a unique hiking map product, called Choose Your Adventure which is hand-selected, off-the-beaten-path hikes in spectacular areas. The hikes vary for certain adventure styles, from hard-core adventure to a child-friendly map. Each map is based on detailed trail data, so they’ll be accurate and quite different from standard hiking maps.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Harley-Davidson’s Snow Hill Climb debuts at Winter X Games
• Despite its considerable girth, the Bentley Bentayga will go racing

Will my phone adjust to Daylight Saving Time automatically?

Let’s do the timewarp again …

Twice a year the clocks change (for most of us). We “spring forward” and “fall back,” and depending on where we live that happens on a different day. It’s all sort of convoluted. And this inevitably leads to folks wondering what they have to do to their Android phone so things work right after the switch. If this sounds like you, we’ve got good news:

You don’t have to do anything.

This is the best thing you’ll never have to do for your phone!

Unless you’ve went into your phone’s settings and switched away from the automatic network time (in which case you already know what to do), you won’t have to do a thing. Your Android will check the network for the correct date and time and switch itself on it’s own, changing the system time so that things like calendars and alarms will still be right. The same thing applies when other parts of the world move an hour forward or back on their schedule, and still apply in six months when we change again. And more practically, it’s also what lets our phones know the right time when we fly or drive to a different time zone.

If you’re worried about your phone’s ability to switch the time automatically, go double check your “date & time” settings and make sure your time zone is set properly and that you have “automatic date & time” turned on. The network and phone will handle the rest while you sleep.