Category Archives: Android | iPad | Kindle Fire

Google Analytics on your iPad

March 6, 2012Android | iPad | Kindle FireRichard

At the end of my vacation (Nordic Ski Week), I decided to take a quick look via my iPad at my Google Analytics data. I was curious to learn how many folks had viewed my American Birkebeiner photos, Winter Wonderland Video (ABR Trails), and the Wabos Loppet musical slideshow posts.

More importantly, and much to my surprise, the problems of using Google Analytics via my iPad disappeared while I was on vacation! Upon login, I discovered that Google had provided me a gift while I was away skiing through the northern forests … a rewrite of their service which is now optimized for html5 and the iPad (hurray). In the past, any Google Analytics chart viewed via the iPad could not be rendered due to Google's use of Flash. This necessitated purchasing various apps as work arounds, and most of those apps did not work well. There is now no need to purchase Google Analytics apps for your iPad. Those purchases would be a waste of money.

This development is all the more intriguing given via my day job which includes the responsibility for managing a premium installation of Google Analytics (i.e. paid). In frequent conversations with my Google Account Manager and Google Systems Engineer, I had often commented (complained) about the inability to use my iPad to access the full capabilities of Google Analytics. The response I always received was essentially … not our problem. Could this mean Microsoft will optimize in the near future Microsoft Office for use on the iPad? Obviously as the iPad becomes more of a business platform device, companies have to respond.

Shown below is a screenshot of my Google Analytics NorthStarNerd.Org data for the last 30 days (click upon the image to view at size). Charts! Yea!

Northern Newspaper App … the USA Today

December 22, 2011Android | iPad | Kindle Fire, Economy 2.0, Northern LifeRichard

You may not think of the USA Today as the newspaper of Duluth, Minnesota. After all, Gannett certainly does not target the NorthstarNerd who lives in the frozen northland! However, spend some time with my post and you will learn a number of items:

The USA iPad App is phenomenal, and free!
Old media which does not adjust is doomed.

Let's address the second item first. The largest newspaper in the state of Minnesota, the Star Tribune, offers a digital only subscription for $52 per year. While I applaud the Star Tribune for their efforts, review of their iPad app demonstrates a less than optimal user interface, and integrated digital media. Like most newspapers, the Star Tribune covers national stories, but they are really only repeating what any netizen can get from better national sources who have deepers pockets (like the USA Today).

In terms of the first item, review some of the images I've included below. I added USAToday.Com to each image to insure proper attribution. You'll discover that the USA Today has an easy menu, and integrated video, weather, and high resolution photographs. I've only included sports photos, but they have the "Day in Pictures" for each section. One of my personal games is to review all the high-res celebrety photos and see if I even know who are the stars and starletts featured (normally, the answer is "no"!). I also like to toggle the descriptions on and off for the main "Day in Pictures" photos, and see if I understand or know the context.

The USAToday is one reason I love my iPad. The reading experience is wonderful, and "consuming" the app has become part of my daily routine.

Oh yes … why is the USAToday the NorthstarNerd's newspaper of choice. Believe it or not, I am constantly amazed how often they have photos of Winter sports events presented in a manner which my Minnesota media does not. (two versions of every photo … with and without captions).

Enjoy! (one football photo for you non Winter sports fans)

Remember … click on any image to expand and view at full resolution.

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Biathlon! (Nordic Skiing)

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Ski Jumping 1! (Nordic Skiing)

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Bob Sledding!

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Cross-Country Skiing! (Nordic Skiing)

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Ski Jumping 2! (Nordic Skiing)

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Downhill Skiing! (Alpine Skiing)

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American Football

Of Bippolo Seeds and Zinniga-Zannigas!

October 5, 2011Android | iPad | Kindle Fire, Northern LifeRichard

Working as a corporate software project manager for a Fortune 100 company can be intense, which is why I just purchased the Bippolo Seed app by Dr. Seuss. This app both restores my sanity when work is stressful, and brings together several lost stories by that famous author. Each story was published over 50 years ago in various magazines, and have not since seen the light of day.

Now … when I need a moment away from web analytics, SEO or Yammer, I can break out into brand new Seussian rhyme and impress my cube farm mates! Better yet, I can use the app's extras and provide entertainment for the aerospace guidance engineers who sit near me. What could be a better interlude from work than listening to the tale of the Zinniga-Zanniga?

Seriously, the app is an amazingly better experience than the book, and cheaper! I forked out $6.99 via iTunes for the app instead of purchasing the book for $13 via Amazon (includes shipping charges). The app extras make this option a slam-dunk! To learn more for listen to this commentary from NPR (National Public Radio). Geeks may prefer this story from Wired Magazine!

Regardless, I just read the first story via the app … no wait … after a few pages I stopped reading to myself and let the narrator take over with his sound effects. This 55 year old had a great time … laughing out loud by myself. Now that I've finished the Bippolo Seed, I'm on to "The Rabbit, The Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga! I can't wait to experience this app with my grandson, Ben!

Click on any image to view full sized (screenshots from my iPad)

Amazon Kindle … Now Live at your Library

September 21, 2011Android | iPad | Kindle Fire, Economy 2.0Richard

The hoped for program between public libraries and Amazon to deliver books free to your Kindle device or app is now live in beta (read more via mashable). Apparently there are 11,000 libraries across the USA already participating!

I just downloaded a book Acts of Malice by Perri O'Shaughnessy for a 21 day check out at no charge from the Hennepin County Library (Minneapolis)! The book was actually delivered via my Amazon account. A purchase would have cost me $7.99 from Amazon.

To check if your library is partcipating do the following.

Google your library and "Overdrive"
Visit your library's Overdrive site
Log in with your local library card
If you're lucky, Kindle books will be listed

If you're library is participating, install Overdrive on your Kindle device (iPad, etc). Here is the iTunes link. For instance, here is the Hennepin County Library Overdrive Service. I guess libraries are truly entering the digital age! Here are some images from my checkout process. My library has over 17,000 digital books available.

Click to maximize any image. The first image is my local library's digital library page.

Cycling Off The Grid!

July 26, 2011Android | iPad | Kindle Fire, Northern LifeRichard

Are you a serious cyclist? If so, without geeking out too much there are some tools you MUST add to your toolkit. These services are even more important if you often cycle "off the grid" like my recent rides in northern Minnesota and the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. While I'll admit that the Channel Islands have cell phone coverage, your American smartphone might not connect (or be too expensive dur to roaming charges).

Here are the tools I recommend (reviews included below):

Google Maps Android Download
Wikihood (iPad)
Garmin software

The first requirement is Google Maps for Android. Users may now download up to ten regional maps (10 square miles) to your smartphone. Even if you lack a 3G connection, your GPS will work. While both cycling this month on the Isle of Jersey, and in northern Minnesota, this combination helped avoid getting lost, and adjust bike rides on the fly! See my screenshots (click to view full sized). Here are two screenshots from Google Maps and my Android smartphone. Even though there is no cell phone service in the area of Northern Minnesota where I was cycling, via these maps and GPS I always knew where I was, and even changed my route twice on the fly! Underneath is a photo taken of Turtle Lake on Sunday's ride using my smartphone (another good reason for bringing it along!). The black outlines show the area maps I have downloaded.

and the Tour de Turtle!

Showing myself to be an equal opportunity operating system user, before taking off on a ride, try out Wikihood for the iPad. It is really cool how you can explore Wikipedia entries for stuff located near your present location. With this data you can plan cool rides that visit locations you learned of via Wikipedia. Here is an iPad Wikihood screenshot I took just prior to a ride in Rothley, England.

Finally, at the end of my ride I like to see where I've really biked … what roads? what elevation changes? etc? Enter my trust Garmin in combination with SportTracks Software. You'll find a video tutorial I created a while back which shows SportTracks in use while I cross-country ski. Here are just two screenshots from my recent Tour de Turtle!

I would love to hear other folks favorite cycling apps. Ping me, or leave a comment. In closing here are a few photos from our cycling holiday on the Isle of Jersey. Click to maximize.