I learned of this video via Laughingsquid.com. Kind of fun given for whom I work! Unfortunately I never had the good fortune to meet the world's first robotic woman. My tenure did not start till the mid 1980's.
Google Analytics on your iPad
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!
Wabos Loppet Photos (2012)
In northern Ontario this past Saturday, the Algoma Central Railroad ran a special train which took 80 skiers north into the Lake Superior Wilderness. After an hour plus ride the engine stopped and let our guide get off the train to insure that the proper trail had been found. Apparently we were at the correct spot as the approval was given for everyone to get off the train in the middle of the forest (no town, village or even cabin sight!). Skis were unloaded from the baggage car and everyone traipsed through the thigh deep snow to start our 25 kilometer ski back to Stokely Creek Lodge. There were two stops for tea along the way, but not a single road was crossed. The first aide station was a small creek where tea was warmed by a small burner, while the second stop was Trapper Norm’s cabin in the Alogoma Central Highlands. After Norm’s we skied 10 more kilometers back to Stokely Lodge for a barbecue and band. Ski conditions were fantastic with 6 inches of new snow the previous night, on top of an extremely deep base. The goal of this loppet is fellowship, not racing! What a great end to Nordic Ski Week.
Here is a animated musical slideshow of the Wabos Loppet!
Wabos Loppet on PhotoPeach (pop-open window does not work in Chrome)
And two photos … (click to maximize)
ABR Trails (Winter Wonderland Video)
Molly and I are snowed in … spending an extra day in the Ironwood, Michigan area at the Black River Crossing Bed and Breakfast (fantastic place) … which gave me the opportunity to create a video from yesterday's ski at ABR Trails.
2012 American Birkebeiner Photographs (GoPro)
I skied yesterday's Birkie Classic (54 kilometers / 33 miles). I wore my GoPro camera and took timed photographs every 5 seconds while wearing a chest mount. I did not keep the camera turned on for the entire race (storage limitations), but did get some nice sections:
- Moment of Start
- Classic / Skate Split
- Birke Warriors and Inge
- Bi.ch Hill
- My Wipeout on the Last Downhill
In total you will find 55 pictures (edited down from 554). My apologies for some snow smudges in later photos. I fell twice during the race, and some powder got on the lens. I was too tired to notice!
Unfortunately my camera ran out of file storage space 500 meters short of the finish. Bummer!
- Picasa Album
- Slideshow (full screen view)
This post is the first fron Nordic Ski Week which starts with the Birkie and ends with the Wabos Loppet (a 25 kilometer ski in the Lake Superior northern Ontario wilderness which starts with a one hour train ride to the small lumber village of Wabos).
Selected images including Garmin data: click upon to maximize
.