March 2012 Summaries

CartoDB has been optimizing its map tile rendering process to improve performance, specifically by reducing the workload on the CPU. The team identified that the most significant bottleneck was the rendering of map tiles, which can be complex and time-consuming. To address this, they explored various techniques using PostGIS functions such as ST_SnapToGrid, ST_Simplify, and ST_SimplifyPreserveTopology to simplify geometries and reduce the number of input vertices. The results showed that applying these simplifications significantly reduced rendering times, with some levels seeing a reduction of over 90%. The team also contributed a patch to Mapnik to expose a style file parameter for automatic simplification based on resolution, which is expected to be released in CartoDB 1.0 and will benefit both CartoDB and OpenStreetMap users.

The 20th Malofiej International Infographics Awards have been awarded, with a bronze medal given to a Spanish public television online project powered by CartoDB and developed by Vizzuality. The award was presented at the end of the 20th Infographics World Summit, which brought together over 200 professionals from around the world. The winning project, "Microcospio del voto", is an analysis of data from Spain's last national elections, and it showcased the power of infographics to tell compelling stories with data. A total of gold medals were awarded to several prominent publications, including The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, and Internet Group do Brasil iG.

A Human Right, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, has initiated a project that aims to utilize idle internet, cellular, and fixed wired bandwidth for social and humanitarian causes such as disaster relief, business development, education, telemedicine, and technology exploration. The United Nations and major telecommunications companies are involved in the project. A Human Right is seeking volunteer developers to participate in this initiative, which could be a valuable opportunity for their resumes.

CartoDB was recently featured at a training session for the Data Journalism Group at MediaLab Prado in Madrid, where participants learned how to use the platform to analyze and visualize data for storytelling purposes. The workshop covered various aspects of using CartoDB, including its capabilities for creating narratives and telling stories through data visualization. The presentation slides are available on Speaker Deck, while the full workshop can be watched online at the MediaLab site. Additionally, the data used in the workshop is also available for download, allowing users to practice their skills with real-world examples.

The NYC GIS Meetup will be held at The Wall Street Journal office on March 12th, and it's an opportunity for attendees to learn about the pros and cons of using custom maps instead of Google Maps. Sebastian Delmont from StreetEasy will discuss his company's experience with creating its own maps based on OSM data and a custom tileset served by Mapbox. Additionally, other project participants will share their experiences with web mapping tools like CartoDB, offering attendees a diverse range of perspectives on the topic. The event is open to anyone interested in GIS and cartography.