Robust Announcement Feature is Required

Robust Announcement Feature

On a hike, while recording a track, one feature that would really come in handy is a robust information announcement feature for a hands-free and a hassle-free hike. GAIA currently has a rudimentary announcement by distance travelled only.

The announcements are usually based on two parameters. One is the trigger and another is the information content. For example:

Trigger: Announce when

1. A user-settable distance (need not be discreet, which it is currently) is travelled
2. User set elevation is gained/lost
3. User set ascent is achieved (ascent is cumulative of all heights gained and is not same as elevation gained)
4. Repeat announcement at each user set time interval (e.g. every 5 minutes)
5. When the clock strikes a time (useful e.g. when the user has limited time and want to return at the set time)
6. On-demand e.g. when the user clicks a volume button
7. When an upcoming turn is coming or forks in the trail (would require a new turn-by-turn navigation feature)

The content of the announcement: This determines what to announce specific to each of the above triggers. This means each of the of above trigger could announce a different set of information from one or more of the following.

1. Current time
2. Distance travelled
3. Time travelled
4. Time stopped
5. Current speed
6. Average speed
7. Current pace
8. Average pace
9. Total ascent
10. Total descent
11. Current elevation
12. Elevation gained
13. Calories spent (based on certain parameters)
14. Current gradient
15. Current temperature
16. Steps
17. Step cadence

Such a robust feature is available in other sports app like Cyclemeter. I have to now run both GAIA and Cyclemeter when hiking and both consume iPhone battery power, which I want to avoid.