Tuesday, July 07, 2020

When GPS loses its way

It only looks like I crossed the border
London, ON
July 2020
This image originally shared on Instagram


When technology fails, it often does so in a fascinating matter.

Exhibit A: This summary screen from my smartwatch following a quick wander around the block with the dog. The route is about 1 kilometre, and it normally takes 15-ish minutes because Calli the Wonderschnauzer can't tell time and she walks like she's drunk.

For reasons I can't quite explain, one km magically become 96, and instead of strolling an easy loop around the block, my watch says I blasted into the middle of Lake Huron in less time than it takes to make fresh pizza. 393 kilometres/hour? I'll take it.

It was probably a spurious data point or two, a glitch in the GPS network, or maybe it was a rift in the space-time continuum. But it made for a fun moment along a walk that might have otherwise felt like any other.

I wonder what uniqueness awaits us on our next neighborhood adventure. I wonder if I'll ever be clocked this fast again.

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