June 2016 Summaries

The Data Observatory is a tool used to normalize data, which helps minimize the influence of population on maps and reveals true insights. By using SQL queries with the Data Observatory, users can aggregate data by counties or other geographic boundaries, reducing clutter and noise in their maps. Normalizing data allows for more accurate analysis, such as calculating tweets per person in each county, providing a better understanding of the impact of social media campaigns. The tool enables users to apply normalization to various datasets, including geodata, making it easier to create meaningful projects with unique insights.

The Mobile SDK Powers a Popular Traffic Jam Navigation App in Japan Flictec Inc., a Japanese mobile application development company, has been utilizing the Mobile SDK and CARTO platform for many years to develop an advanced traffic and navigation application, Jyutai Navi. The app collects probe data from users' smartphones and records it into CARTO, enabling spatial analysis of traffic insights with road networks. Flictec's data collection since 2013 has reached over 10 billion records, with 30 million added daily across Japan. To manage the data, they use partitioning every 12 hours and additional databases for map-matching analysis. Jyutai Navi features a traffic information map powered by the Mobile SDK, saves all data in CARTO on the cloud, and uses CARTO Maps API for drawing traffic layers. The app also provides car navigation, route calculations considering traffic situations, and fast loading of objects using the Mobile SDK's six-layer approach.

CartoDB congratulates the winners of the fifth Data Journalism Awards, recognizing outstanding work in data journalism from around the world. The competition received over 450 projects from 50 countries and showcased exceptional storytelling through data analysis and visualization. CartoDB is proud to see some of the winning projects using its technology, such as BuzzFeed's use of its mapping tools to show how law enforcement agencies monitor America, and Al Jazeera America's map reporting on a train accident. The competition highlights the power of journalism and new media leveraging data intelligence with powerful tools like CartoDB.

Gravity Models are used to predict the attraction of a business by population size, extending the gravity model of migration to populated areas. According to Huff's Law, patronage probability is influenced by distance, surrounding population attractiveness, and neighborhood competition. These models aid businesses in selecting new locations based on predicted success and popularity. By analyzing factors such as gravity models and data visualization, businesses can optimize their strategic location-based decisions, making decision-making processes easier.

The CartoDB team wants to offer condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting, which was an act of hate against the LGBTQ community. However, it's also time to celebrate Gay Pride month, a time for solidarity among LGBTQ people worldwide. The map created by CartoDB showcases the history of Gay Pride celebrations, which originated in New York City in 1970 with a march on Christopher Street. Forty-six years later, the map highlights the progress made in the struggle for LGBTQ rights, making it a celebration of bold activism and a testament to the community's strength in numbers.

Add thousands or even millions of points to your map on mobile devices, but this can cause visual overloading, technical memory and speed issues, as well as crashing and "Out-of-Memory" situations. Fortunately, there are several ways to resolve these challenges and improve the visualization of large numbers of data points on mobile maps.

The Esri User Conference is approaching, and CartoDB will be there to celebrate the geospatial industry and share their latest technology with attendees. The company's CEO, Javier de la Torre, along with other experts, will be available for meetings and presentations throughout the conference. To kick off the event, CartoDB is hosting a Celebration Happy Hour of All Things Geospatial, offering great company, conversation, and drinks in an intimate outdoor setting with bay views. The company values the geospatial community and strives to bring excellence through open source projects and collaborations that foster accessibility and innovation.

The National Mapping Agencies, organizations that produce and share geographical data with citizens and organizations, have two main approaches to publishing their data: direct download or standard services. Standard services, such as Web Map Service (WMS) and its tiled version Web Map Tiled Service (WMTS), are preferred for rendering maps. CartoDB allows users to easily add a WMS/WMTS service as a basemap, like the Spanish official 1:25 000 WMTS base map from the IGN, by providing the URL of the service in the custom base map dialog. Additionally, users can directly use NMA data with their CartoDB account, but permission to do so varies depending on the license of the datasets. Some NMAs publish their data under open conditions, such as CC-BY or similar licenses, and it is generally assumed that this promotes development in geospatial data. It is essential to maintain attribution when reusing others' geographic data to recognize the original authorship and copyright. CartoDB provides a feature to automatically set up attribution for data from its Data Library. By following these steps, users can take advantage of reliable and prestigious base data in their products.

CMaps Analytics & CARTO: a Location Intelligence Integration for BI Dashboards` CMaps Analytics, a cloud-based JavaScript API, is embedding interactive maps into platforms like SAP by leveraging CARTO's platform to enhance its software solution. As a Google Maps Technology Partner, CMaps Analytics has built extensions to plug-in location intelligence into various ecosystems. With the integration of four new CARTO map layers, customers can now embed CARTO-powered analysis into their BI dashboards with ease. The partnership provides significant value by delivering interactive big data visualization layers and securing geospatial powered insights. CARTO's APIs and services enable CMaps Analytics to provide powerful location intelligence capabilities to its customers, expanding the scope of its offerings in the near future.

CARTO is announcing the availability of shoreline clipped versions of U.S. Census TIGER boundaries, which were previously difficult to obtain due to their complex shape and resolution issues. The new dataset has been processed using PostGIS, a powerful tool that allows for efficient transformations in SQL. By clipping water shapes out of the original boundaries, CARTO has created a valuable resource for mapmakers who want to easily work with shoreline-based data. This improvement is particularly useful for creating accurate maps at high zoom levels, and it's now available as part of the Data Observatory rollout. The use of AREAWATER shapes from TIGER also allows for the resulting dataset to be licensed under an extremely liberal license, making it accessible to a wider range of users.

CartoDB has been a participant and sponsor of FOSS4G-NA for several years, showcasing three exciting talks this year that provide insights into machine learning, web-cartography, and Python integration into the platform.

The Data Stories Podcast is sponsored by Plushcap, a supportive organization that values the work of Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner. The podcast explores diverse domains and asks interesting questions about data exploration, discovery, and visualization. A recent episode features Scott Hughes discussing how he turned complicated space data into sounds, showcasing the creative potential of data visualization. Fans of the podcast can find a wealth of conversations with notable guests in their show archive.

When creating thematic maps with CartoDB's Data Observatory, it's essential to consider several key factors. First, choose an appropriate map type based on whether your variable represents categories or numbers, and select from various thematic map types such as choropleth, proportional symbol, or dot density maps. Next, determine the right classification method for your data, aiming for 3-7 classes to avoid overwhelming your map reader. Select a color palette that maintains uniform saturation and lightness levels, using discrete colors for categories or sequential/diverging palettes for numbers. Additionally, consider creating a simple basemap to provide context, and choose a projection that preserves area, especially when summarizing information about areas. By applying these cartographic tips, you can create visually appealing and informative thematic maps that effectively communicate your data insights.