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Health

Win a Year’s Supply of Countdown Energy (and a Mini Fridge!)

2 min read
Mountain

Utah Skiers’ Year-Over-Year Visitation Down 5% from 2023, Still Up Significantly Over 2022

2 min read
Pantanal fires
Environment

Brazil’s Pantanal, the World’s Largest Tropical Wetland, Is Burning Out of Control

3 min read
Jake and Callum Robinson, along with Jack Carter Rhoad, who went missing in Baja a week ago.
Surf

New Arrest Made During Murder Investigation of Visiting Baja Surfers

2 min read
This pod of whales surrounded Tom Waddington on his solo crossing of the Atlantic. Photo: Tom Waddington // Instagram
Video

Solo Rower Surrounded by Pod of Whales on Atlantic Crossing

2 min read
fur seal population
News

A Fur Seal Rabies Outbreak In South Africa Has Surfers on Edge

5 min read
Koa Rothman battled a bout of Bali belly on a recent Indo trip. Photo: Koa Rothman // YouTube
Surf

Koa Rothman Battles Bali Belly on Indonesia Surf Trip

2 min read
This Is Zane Schweitzer at Jaws During the Eddie Swell
News

Maui Waterman Zane Schweitzer Severely Injured in Boating Accident

3 min read
Tonga: A Tale of Two Surf Trips
Features

Tonga: A Tale of Two Surf Trips

7 min read
4 Action Sports Start-Ups To Watch (Or Invest In)
Mountain

4 Action Sports Start-Ups To Watch (Or Invest In)

4 min read
My Favorite Surf Podcasts Right Now
Features

My Favorite Surf Podcasts Right Now

5 min read
Smartphones have revolutionized the way we hike. They’ve given us access to useful apps that provide maps, trails, weather, and, more recently, emergency communication outside of cell signal range. Back in January I openly posed the question if Apple’s SOS emergency satellite messaging feature on iPhone 14 and 15 could replace the long-trusted satellite devices specifically built for those who recreate outdoors. The conclusion that I reached was: not just yet. While useful, feedback on Apple’s satellite feature indicated that it wasn’t as reliable as dedicated satellite communication devices like Garmin, and the smartphones themselves aren’t as durable in the elements. However, I also curiously ended my story with this sentence: “I can’t imagine it will take too long for Apple to improve its satellite capabilities to more strongly compete in the market.” With the latest software update, iOS 18, which will be released in the fall, Apple is building on its satellite communication service. Now, instead of only emergency calls via satellite, you’ll be able to freely communicate via iMessage or SMS with whomever you please on iPhone 14 or newer. Want to message your friends while camping out of cell range? No problem. It may seem like a minor update, but it’s another smartphone incursion into the satellite device space. Even Android is experimenting with it too. Grayson Haver Currin penned a piece for Outside that gave a great example of how this service would have saved him some trouble. Currin got separated from his wife on the Continental Divide Trail. Unable to directly contact her, he used his iPhone satellite feature to contact emergency services and get search and rescue involved. Had he instead been able to contact her to request her location, the crisis would have been quickly averted. The satellite messaging service will only be available in the US, which is a tick on the “cons” side of the Venn diagram for those who live elsewhere. But, again, the point is that the service is improving fast. Apple is making its product increasingly tantalizing for outdoorsy people. As a hiker, I am tempted to pick up a new iPhone just for this update. Satellite messaging is not Apple’s only foray into the space currently dominated by outdoors-oriented technology companies. The iOS 18 update will also replicate features found in popular hiking apps, like AllTrails, in Apple’s own Maps app. As a thrifty, avid hiker, it’s hard to complain about the technology race. These desired features are becoming more accessible and at lower price points, which, in theory, should translate to safer hiking.
Mountain

iPhones as a Backcountry Tool? Latest iOS Messaging Update Improves Apple’s Position

3 min read
Surf

Maui Surf Community Awarded ESPN’s 2024 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award

2 min read
Jacob Turner features prominently in Tim Bonython's latest video. Photo: Tim Bonython // Youtube
Surf

Tim Bonython’s Latest Teahupo’o Video Highlights Kaua’i Surfer Jacob Turner

2 min read
Why Hiking Is Way More Dangerous Than Surfing
Health

Why Hiking Is Way More Dangerous Than Surfing

5 min read