Kruse GPS Audio Guide

Content: 4/5 App: 3/5 TL;DR: The information in the audio clips was interesting and the app worked well when it worked but I ran into several annoying issues throughout my trip. Content: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The content was fairly comprehensive and informative. I enjoyed hearing the history of locations as we passed through. Some of the stories (eg the one with the serpent that turned into a river) were difficult to follow; I think some copy editing and possibly audio mixing could help with clarity and comprehension. Additionally, several of the audio tracks were too long and got cut off by the beginning of the next track. App: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The app fulfilled the basic need of playing audio when you reach a location but there were several usability issues. - There is no clear button to stop the app from playing content. I burned through all of my preview messages before I even set out on my trip. I think the trick is to disable the “background GPS” switch when you want to pause the playback. - Downloading offline content takes a while, even on a fast internet connection. There’s no way to prioritize a specific route and download the rest later, and no indication how much data the downloads take. - Similarly, there’s no map view to see where there should be audio clips to play. - There is no way to view the playback status, pause a currently playing audio clip, or rewind to hear something you missed. This would’ve been helpful when one track gets cut off by another one, or when you need to take a break. -———— Technical feedback for the app team (I could not find contact info within the app): - The "commentaries" view frequently freezes or shows a gray box instead of the list of downloaded content. I tried to time the download on a WiFi connection but I got the gray box again. - There's no overview status of downloading, eg, 35/156 or wherever, so you can’t tell if the download is still working, or how far along you are. - When content is playing, a Google Maps announcement will stop the audio and, at least in my car, switch the input to the radio. - When you have music (eg, Spotify) playing and the app plays a tour location, it will duck the Spotify audio instead of pausing. When Kruse finishes playing, it does not un-duck the Spotify audio. May be an iOS issue

A really great guide and fun information while you travel NZ is marred by a poor app that works only sporadically (with all GPS enabled), cannot be paused, starts often randomly and repeats. Sometimes one story will cut over the former. This is will all content downloaded. And doesn’t show you info points. Paid for the premium ($99) and regret it - not for the content but because the app doesn’t deliver it well.

The GPS initiated audio commentary is brilliant. It is the equivalent of having a personal storyteller accompany you on your drive throughout New Zealand. Māori legends & history, commentaries on geology, historical landmarks, history of towns , of colonial immigration, and not to be missed points of interest. There are a variety of narrators that fit the different characters. The host narrator, Jonathan, has an extremely soothing and eloquent voice. I especially like the variety of soothing music as it introduces the forthcoming commentary. This is a perfect travel companion for New Zealand.