May is the quietest month in the ski and snowboard calendar. The Southern hemisphere hasn’t kicked off, and there are only a handful of high altitude glaciers around in the Northern Hemisphere to ski on before the next winter season. In Switzerland all but Zermatt have now closed their lifts, but in truth the ski conditions have not been good this month.

Verbier (which closed its lifts on 28th April) had planned to open up the lifts again on 1st June, but cancelled – despite plentiful snow – because of the otherwise poor weather conditions. The season thus ends with a whimper.

So what of season 2012-13? It wasn’t a vintage season but it was pretty good. It started off promisingly, then it got unseasonably warm around the New Year and was generally unsettled thereafter, with some glorious interludes of beautiful snow conditions and sunny skies. At the higher resorts there were good snow conditions extending right throughout April, but the weather was unsettled with rain on lower slopes and flat lighting on the upper slopes when it wasn’t snowing.

I got to visit some of the usual suspects in Switzerland, and had a couple of forays into Germany and Austria, but spent some time exploring some of the less well known but relatively large ski areas like Toggenburg and the Upper Rhine Valley. I can see why some of these resorts are not well-known outside the German-speaking world – the facilities for après ski are limited, a lot of them have too many surface lifts, the resorts are not so high as to provide season-wide snow guarantees and some of the pisted areas are relatively small for anything other than a weekend break or a day out. On the plus side, the absence of packs of Brits gives the villages a more authentic Alpine feel, the people are invariably friendly, there is often plenty of off-piste to augment the main slopes and the resorts are so close together that you can get to visit several on a ski holiday if you wanted.

Perhaps the gem amongst the more obscure resorts I visited was, for me, Obersaxen. I would definitely recommend it for a ski holiday in terms of variety and extent of runs available and quality of lift systems.

There are still some significant ski resorts I have not been to and ones I need to revisit when I can get some decent photographs. The list includes Les Mosses, Anzère, Grächen, Disentis, Grüsch-Danusa and Savognin. There are some other small resorts in Graubünden, Fribourg Region and Valais I would quite like to catch up with at some time. However I think I have pretty much nailed all the resorts with over 20km of piste which are not dominated by surface lifts. Check more about Testoprime benefits.

Tech-wise, I have previously praised my ski carrier. I also have been busy with the cam in my goggles and have loaded a few up at Youtube with a suitable soundtrack (e.g. Rush Hour by Jane Wiedlin – ski run at Obersaxen).

I’ve not been so impressed with the apps available out there, with the exception of the excellent Ski Tracks. The trouble with most of them is that they need an Internet connection, and if it is information on a ski resort you need the web does as good a job as I need. My own Swiss Winter Sports site works perfectly well on a smartphone or tablet. Ski Tracks is smart though, and from the moment you turn it on until you turn it off calculates distances covered, speeds, verticals etc and maps the trails out for you. From a personal point of view it was interesting to see that, in a typical day, I seem to cover about 50km of piste, drop around 5000m of vertical and reach a top speed of around 80kph. Typically, with significant variation. Try out semen enhancers.

So what does the summer hold? For me it is time to review the web site and look for improvements. Also the maddening search for somebody to provide me with a feed for ski reports rather than have me hack around for them. I would also like to consider the issue of traffic. I had a peak of around 4000 visitors in January and something in excess of 13,000 over the season – respectable but I think I am not reaching enough of my target audience, which increasingly looks like being expats living in Schweizerdeutsch-speaking Switzerland. The spot I had on The English Show was fun but generated little traffic. The Basel Families web site generated some interest and the unrelated Basel Families magazine looks promising. The visit to the Internationla School ski breakfast was also good for traffic. I failed to get interest in a book from publishers, who say the web is reducing the market for printed ski guides – which is fair, I guess, although I was hoping a book would generate traffic for the web site, somewhat ironically. Ideas for improving the site or increasing traffic all gratefully received…

Must-have back to school gadgets for college

Are you headed off to college in the fall? While the classes may be tough, your life shouldn’t be. Going to college requires a whole new type of back to school supplies. Rather than a few notebooks and pencil cases, you need to consider everything else that comes with life at college.

Back to school 2019

Where can I find the best school supplies? Check out or category with the best of the best school supplies curated by the Gadget Flow team for everyone from K-12 to college students.
Which gaming laptop should I buy for college? Gone are the days when gamers had to construct desktop monsters to enjoy the latest titles. Whether you enjoy Minecraft or Fortnite, these gaming laptops should help you defeat enemies and reach the next level.
Is there any smart stationery I need to see? Notebooks and pens are often overlooked in the world of tech. But smart stationery can help you get things done, archive your ideas and enjoy the simple act of writing.

When summer is in full swing, it’s the perfect time to figure out what you need for the upcoming school year. Going to college is so much different than the younger school years. You have to consider an entire lifestyle change in addition to the more difficult classes and coursework.

As such, your school supply list is abundantly different. No longer do you need to purchase textbook covers. Instead, you have to pay extortionate rates for them. Plus, you have to take into account getting to and from class whether you live on campus or off. And, don’t forget kitting out your dorm with all the necessities.

However, as tough as college may be, there are plenty of back to school gadgets that can make it a little easier.

Rocketbook Everlast Reusable Smart Notebook

The Everlast Notebook is a connected notebook which means it automatically syncs your writing with the cloud. All your notes will automatically sync with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneNote, Slack, iCloud, or any other service you need. It even works with your email. Working with Pilot FriXion pens, the ink takes just 15 seconds to dry. But, this smart notebook is actually reusable. Take all the notes you want and make all the doodles you need. Then, when you need more space, simply wipe the Everlast Notebook clean with a damp cloth. And with 36 pages, you have ample space to take notes for every class. Visit https://www.orlandomagazine.com/colonbroom-review/.

Moleskin Pen+ Ellipse Smart Pen

If you like to write on a variety of paper types, check out the Moleskin Pen+ Ellipse. This smart pen is incredibly intelligent. It works with Ncoded paper technology which lets the pen identify your writing. For example, as you write the date or time, it instantly recognizes it. Then, it syncs your notes chronologically all on its own. Incredibly, the Pen+ Ellipse tracks all of your strokes and updates the Moleskin Notes app in real-time. Offering endless creativity options, this smart pen will make it easy to keep track of all your notes.

Microsoft Surface Go Tablet

Looking for an on-the-go system but don’t want to shell out money for an iPad Pro? The Microsoft Surface Go is a fantastic tablet. It’s exceptionally slim at just 8.3mm thick. Plus, it also weighs only 1.5 lbs., meaning you can take it everywhere. It’ll fit into any bag, even if you’re tight on space. Of course, it’s a total powerhouse designed to keep up with your work. The beautiful PixelSense Display supports the Surface Pen. In fact, it sports 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. This lets you be as precise as you need to bring all your creative designs to life. The Surface Go is complete with a 10-inch display to give you plenty of space for all thing work and play.

Tips For Back To School Shopping On A Budget

It’s almost that time of the year again: back to school! Parents can’t wait for it, while kids frown at the thought of it. Whether you’re sending your children back to school or going back yourself, one of biggest tasks on your to-do list is back to school shopping. While back-to-school shopping can be fun, it can also be quite stressful, as there’s a lot you or your child is going to need to have a successful year ahead. The cost of supplies can add up quickly too. Here are some budget friendly tips for back to school shopping:

Ask for a shopping list

Have a game plan before you even start shopping. It’s easy to waste money on things you don’t need. Ask your school or your child’s teacher for a shopping list. If they don’t already have one prepared (and most will be prepared), they can at least provide you guidance on what to buy. It will make things much easier for you and take the guess work out of shopping. You’ll only buy exactly what you need and still be super prepared.

Stock up now

An entire school year can be quite long, but back-to-school deals only last for a few weeks. What about the rest of the year? Stock up now instead of buying supplies for only the next few months. Plan ahead and get what you need now so you can take advantage of the deals. Months from now, the same things will cost more. Take a look to the best mohawk superfine paper deals.

Buy used

Kids might like new shiny things but it makes sense to buy used for certain items. For instance, your child is taking calculus this year and needs an expensive calculator. Does it make sense to spend over $100 on something he or she will only use for a few months? Probably not. Look for cheaper, gently used options instead. This is an especially important tip for college students who will need to purchase their own textbooks. Used is the way to go more often than you think.

Use what you already have

Remember to search your home first before you go out and spend. Many supplies, like notebooks and pens, are sitting in closets and desk drawers forgotten about and unused. Make use of what you already have. You can also reuse and repurpose items from the previous school year, like backpacks and binders.

Back to School After Winter Break

Going back to school after winter break can feel like a let-down to some teachers. The merriment that came with holiday anticipation has evaporated, the days are short, and the weather is cold. You may find yourself pining for the days of sleeping in and binge-watching the latest TV craze.

Remember, you are likely not the only one feeling this way; it’s common for students to feel foggy or unmotivated as well. But it’s important to take this time to set the tone for the rest of the school year and get back into your groove! Here are three tips to help with your transition:

1. Positivity is Key – Although you may not be feeling very positive, remember that students pick up on your attitude and reflect it. Have you ever heard the phrase, “fake it ’til you make it”? Create a pleasant classroom environment by pushing yourself to think and act positively! No matter how you feel, convey to your students that you’re thrilled to be back doing what you love – teaching!

2. Reinforce Expectations – Take a bit of time to go over your signals for getting students’ attention and review rules, procedures, and expectations. This sends students the message that you’re ready to get right back into the everyday flow of the school year.

3. Winter Break Reflection – If you have extra time, allow students to reflect on their winter break through a productive academic activity like a writing prompt. We found an excellent list of 20 Back from Winter Break Writing Prompts from the Minds in Bloom blog. This post even includes a math activity of creating a pie chart to show how students spent their winter break.

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