Data

InBloom student data repository to close

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/21/inbloom-student-data-repository-to-close The New York Times Bits blog reports on the close of InBloom, a database for student data that became a privacy…

by

This might be the best thing anyone can do with data

After hearing about the applications of big data for better ads, song recommendations and social media analysis, nothing makes me happier than hearing about technologists coming together with non-profits to use data to fight human trafficking.

by

Has Ayasdi turned machine learning into a magic bullet?

By combining machine learning with stunning visualizations, Ayasdi thinks it has created a product that could revolutionize data analysis. Its software is the latest product that tries to make humans better at their jobs by taking away the guesswork of spotting correlations.

by

Is less gridlock a sign of slow growth, or just fewer cars?

There’s evidence to suggest that traffic congestion is a side effect of strong city economies, a claim furthered by recent traffic-data analysis from INRIX. However, a decreased reliance on cars might mean clearer roads are more the result of alternative transit than of slow economic growth.

by

More data on holiday shopping, with a mobile twist

Placed Analytics has published a blog post showing which retailers had the most in-store visits during the holiday season. Placed can’t track sales, but its mobile-phone-derived location data can give a glimpse into who’s attracting the most physical shoppers, and when.

by

Dataminr grabs $13M for Twitter-powered sensor network

Social media analytics firm Dataminr announced that it has raised a $13 million Series B round of financing. The company accesses the Twitter firehose and provides an early warning network for finance and government clients.

by

Why we’re all big data now

Photojournalist Rick Smolan has a new book coming out called The Human Face of Big Data. Far more than a book, it’s part of a project to show how much data each one of us generates, how it’s all connected and how it’s changing the world.

by

Locu opens its local business data trove to devs with API

Locu, a Boston-based startup that came out of MIT, is releasing a local business information API for developers and publishers. The API will let them access deeper local data on not just menu items but all kinds of detailed information on product descriptions and customization options.

by

Kasabi shuts down, says data marketplace ‘too slow’

Kasabi, a platform that hosted and published linked data, is closing down after owners Talis Systems said the market was growing too slowly to be sustainable — saying that ‘it’s time to admit that Kasabi is not getting the traction we thought it would’

by

Personal lets people get the most of their small data

While the latest business trend is in tapping the power of big data, Personal.com is helping people find the potential in wielding what it calls small data, the private information they have about themselves. The company announced a new iPhone app Monday to further its plans.

by

Google, Wi-Fi snooping and the ever-shifting “creepy” line

While there has been much outrage about Google “snooping” user data over Wi-Fi, even the FCC says this behavior wasn’t illegal, since the networks in question were public. Is this a sign that the laws around privacy are broken, or is the Streetview furor an overreaction?

by

Twitter is a stream, but it’s also a reservoir

Twitter may be an ever-flowing stream of information, but as it becomes a more mainstream source of news and commentary it also becomes a huge reservoir of data that can be analyzed, and that’s what startups like ThinkUp and DataSift and Gnip are trying to do

by

AT&T’s LTE network in the real world

That spectrum shortage isn’t stopping AT&T’s newly launched LTE network for delivering some smoking speeds according to tests out from Signals Research this weekend. AT&T, which launched LTE in in five cities Sunday, delivered LTE speeds averaging 23.6 Mbps down and 15.2 Mbps up.

by

Subsidized iPad Could Actually Save You Hundreds

Japan’s Softbank mobile network provider is now offering Apple’s iPad to subscribers free with a two-year service agreement. Japan is the second country to offer subsidized pricing for Apple’s popular tablet, after Orange and T-Mobile. Is it worth the total price?

by

Track Your iPhone’s Data Usage With DataMan

The days of AT&T’s all you can eat data plans are dead and gone. Now, your options for data on the iPhone are 200MB or 2GB of data per month. Regardless of which plan you’re on, keeping track of usage is useful. Enter DataMan.

by

Data-as-a-Service: Factual, InfoChimps & Google Squared

Although we’ve seen online office suites added to the portfolio of web worker productivity tools, database tools have been curiously absent from the mix. Even suites like Google Apps lack a dedicated application for managing and sharing specialized data, leaving users creating crude spreadsheet-based approximations.

by

AT&T’s 2GB Cap is Costing Me Money

A few months ago, AT&T changed its wireless data rates, essentially killing unlimited data on smartphones. That rate change has had a direct effect on the usage of my iPhone and the amount of money I’m paying each month.

by

Google Winning Sign-In War, But Facebook Close Behind

Most website users prefer logging in with a Google sign-in, but Facebook is a close second, according to new data from Janrain. Close to 40 percent of users preferred to sign in with a Google ID, while 24 percent chose to login with their Facebook profile.

by

Apple’s iPod is Not Dead and Not Dying

Apple’s iconic iPod is credited for reviving the company and helping it dominate consumer mind share over the past decade, but of my greatest fears has started to come true where analysts are now throwing the notion out there that the iPod is dead or dying.

by

How-To: Stay Within Your Data Allowance

Now that AT&T, along with all the providers internationally, have scrapped unlimited data plans and introduced caps, you’ll need to keep an eye on how much data you’re using. Here are a few ways to make sure you don’t end up going over your monthly allowance.

by

iPad’s 3G Pricing: Why It’s So Great

Without a doubt, among the most interesting announcements to come out of Apple’s iPad unveiling were the wireless plans. A close look at the mobile data plans reveals that they may be major competitive advantages.

by

How Technology Won the Presidency, Part I

Command of the issues, cool confidence and disarming smile aside, Barack Obama might just owe his campaign’s success to his team’s ability…

by

Yoskovitz: Be a Data Hog, Make More Money!

Editor’s Note: our readers are familiar now with contributor Ben Yoskovitz’s work. (His company, Standout Jobs was just named one of Canada’s…

by