May 2016 Summaries

CartoDB provides tools for analyzing store locations, including the Data Observatory Location Data Services and Deep Insights, which offer a complete toolkit for building actionable dashboards and delivering insights using maps. Users can upload datasets of store locations, georeference point locations, enrich data with the Data Observatory, combine data with other sources, grab boundary data from local regions, overlay trade areas, and build custom dashboards using Deep Insights to explore their data in a dynamic and interactive way.

The CartoDB Mobile SDK provides several solutions for offline basemaps, including country-wide packages that include OpenStreetMap-based vector map data for every country in the world, maps for limited regions, and custom map data packages using Mbtiles. These packages can be pre-packaged on the server side for fast download rates via CDN, making it easy to use offline mapping functionality in mobile apps.

The Data Observatory is a platform that enables cities to easily access common support data, reducing the effort required to gather, store, and manage large datasets. It houses hard-to-find and high-value datasets on CARTO servers, allowing users to request data in just a matter of moments and start analyzing with instant results. By providing faster access to data, The Data Observatory facilitates smarter action by city officials and their staff, enabling them to build visualization and intelligence tools that matter. Cities can experiment and iterate with the data, iterating over time as new datasets become available, ultimately leading to more informed end results.

The US Census provides a wealth of data on various aspects of life in the US, which can be used to analyze dimensions of locations and add context to location data. However, when describing neighborhoods, people tend to use archetypes that are more relatable than census variables. To address this, CartoDB is releasing segmentation layers created from demographic clustering, providing a way to group people into meaningful segments and make them easily readable. The layers can be used to augment existing data, create new visualizations, and provide insights into the characteristics of different neighborhoods across the US.

Kroton, a private educational organization, used CartoDB's location intelligence and spatial analytics platform to analyze the success of their geomarketing campaigns across over 100 campuses in Brazil. By integrating data such as school locations, competitor information, population census tract data, income levels, student economic profiles, and distance between students and competitors, Kroton was able to create customizable, real-time visualizations that easily integrated into their existing platforms. This allowed them to make better, faster decisions based on the impact of their campaigns.

The mobile SDK allows for the re-styling of vector-based maps on the client side using a single map source, which is especially useful for offline map packages. The style file format uses Mapnik XML, and additional assets such as fonts and icons are bundled into a single zip file. This approach can significantly reduce storage size, making it more efficient to manage multiple similar styles in an app. The SDK also supports dynamic style parameters that can be changed in code, allowing for greater flexibility in map customization. Additionally, the mobile SDK supports CartoCSS styling, which is a more compact and compatible language with CartoDB's tools. This enables developers to create custom styles using this language, making it easier to manage map visualizations.

The Blue Marble` image was captured by NASA roughly 45 years ago, while smartphones were invented eight years ago, revolutionizing the way we take images and store data. Companies like CartoDB are now ushering in the age of data analysis, with a focus on location data that changes how we act and react in the world. Javier de la Torre, co-founder and CEO of CartoDB, recently discussed this shift with Forbes Magazine, highlighting the importance of analyzing location data for better business decisions and making the world a better place through partnerships with organizations like the World Resources Institute and Global Forest Watch. As imaging and location data become more relevant, they may soon be as common a resource for everyday decision-making as a Google search.

Turbo-Carto is an open source pre-processor for CartoCSS that enables asynchronous function evaluation, allowing users to create complex styles with ease. It saves time by calculating bins and buckets automatically, while maintaining statistical correctness. This new tool will be integrated into the CartoDB Editor and is available through CartoDB.js and the Maps API starting today.

CartoDB will be sponsoring the Alteryx Inspire 2016 Conference in San Diego, CA from June 6-9 as a platinum sponsor. At this event, attendees can view demos and learn how CartoDB can enhance their data workflows and analysis by providing location intelligence. Business leaders and data analysts from around the globe will share real-world examples of using Alteryx and CartoDB to expand the value of location data for a wider audience. Additionally, there will be a two-hour workshop on how Alteryx and CartoDB can simplify business analyst workflows while visualizing outputs on dynamic maps. Boston Consulting Group will also discuss their use of Alteryx with CartoDB to quickly find answers by combining data blending into dynamic maps.

CartoDB's Data Overviews allow for efficiently rendering large datasets on maps by aggregating features into "overview-features" that represent many original features and have aggregated values for their attributes. This process is repeated for all smaller zoom levels, reducing the data targeted to each level's tile size without substantial changes in its aspect. The feature allows users to identify hotspots of data such as airports and provides a platform where location intelligence can be done out of the box, handling large amounts of data without compromising insights.

CartoDB is a data analysis technology that provides journalists with a reliable and accessible way to analyze and visualize data, making it an essential tool for modern newsrooms. CartoDB will be attending the Jornada de Periodismo de Datos conference, where Ramiro Aznar will give an introductory workshop on the platform, while Ernesto Martínez will host an advanced workshop. The company is also hosting a webinar on "Mapping Elections" and encourages journalists to register for its Geo-Jour Newsletter to stay informed about new resources and events in the media sector.