Elevation For Real

Looked good at first, nice layout, etc. Temp. In 30s. Several side-by-side elevations clearly yielded flawed elevations (e.g., lower curb elevation shown higher, etc.). Enough unreliability to render the app moot for rough topographic use. Unfortunate.

This app did exactly what I wanted during my walks between sea level and 2750 ft elevation around Marin County in the San Francisco Bay area. Within half a minute or so, it told me what my elevation was, with estimates from both the iPhone 3G GPS and the USGS database, indexed by latitude and longitude. With longer periods of sampling, the two estimates generally converged within 20 ft or so, even on mountain paths. It is really a terrific addition to the phone, complementing the main feature that the built-in Maps for iPhone lacked.

I started this app for the first time indoors when the shades were closed. It still worked! They also explain why most other altimeters for the iPhone don't work properly. Nice.