[Editor’s note: Props to Matthew and Amanda at the New York Times for this Google Maps mashup by zip code (choropleth) of common Netflix rentals in selected U.S. metros. Easy to use interface based on Flash API still allows advanced options for sorting and mouseOver of “neighborhood” zipcodes returns movie watching profile. Far more interesting than dry census stats ;)]
Examine Netflix rental patterns, neighborhood by neighborhood, in a dozen cities. Some titles with distinct patterns are Mad Men, Obsessed and Last Chance Harvey.
[Editor’s note: The interactive Google Maps mashup in Flash AS3 from the New York times shows vector overlay of choropleth mapping by census tract and at the street level via dot distribution. As the user zooms in, the dots are revealed, as is a street map. At all levels the census tract summary statistics are available with a mouse over. Zooms are preset for some areas, and the user can type in their own address to zoom to that area. Multiple years add time dimension. Spatial brushing on the map is accomplished by outlining the geography’s stroke, not changing the fill color. Thanks Laris!]
A New York Times analysis found that foreclosure rates in the region were highest in areas with high minority populations. Zoom in to see foreclosures at the street level. Screenshot below.
[Editor’s note: This Google Maps mashup inside Flash shows color coded streets in New York City based on the number of parking violations. Preset zooms are provided to certain hot spots and but users can still auto-zoom to their own street addresses.]
Republished from the New York Times.
By Matthew Bloch and Amanda Cox.
Orig. pub. date: Nov. 26, 2008.
New York City agencies issued 9,955,441 parking tickets from July 2007 to June 2008.
[Editor’s note: The Times produced a fantastic interactive time-based tag-cloud-on-a-map showing twitter chatter across the US keyed to major events in the Super Bowl game between the Steelers and Cardinals. Several thematic channels are available. Kudos to Matthew Bloch and Shan Carter.Thanks Laris!]
Republished from The New York Times. Orig pub date: Feb. 2, 2009.
As the Steelers and Cardinals battled on the field, Twitter users across the nation pecked out a steady stream of “tweets.” The map shows the location and frequency of commonly used words in Super Bowl related messages.
This interactive from last month hasn’t aged at all.
From the New York Time’s Matthew Bloch, Shan Carter and Amanda Cox.
Clipped version above. View the full-size version here.
From the NY Times:
Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers 84,000 prices in about 200 categories — like gasoline, bananas, dresses and garbage collection — to form the Consumer Price Index, one measure of inflation.
It’s among the statistics that the Federal Reserve considered when it cut interest rates on Wednesday. The categories are weighted according to an estimate of what the average American spends, as shown below.
An Average Consumer’s Spending
Each shape below represents how much the average American spends in different categories.
Larger shapes make up a larger part of spending.
Editor’s note: I like how the “worst 10” table shows all the different map variables in a single matrix where they can be compared numerically. The map shows “all” the sundry elevators in New York City as graduated circles where they can be compared visually. The circles are graduated in size for any of three variables. The mapped variable is chosen with a dropDown menu easily found at the top of the display. There is not an overwhelming number of variables, but those that are listed are fully integrated and cross referenced within the display by using rollOvers on each circle. The DNA-sequence-style time series below the map shows breakdowns by day for 2 elevators and provides a finer resolution picture than the year-sum map. It would be cool if the table and the map could trigger each other (on mouseOver the Times Square station on the map, that row in the table highlights, and visa versa).
May 19, 2008 by Matthew Bloch, Shan Carter and Ford Fessenden/The New York Times
A New York City Transit program to install elevators and escalators in the city’s subway system has been plagued with problems. The machines often break down or are closed for repairs and maintenance and many people have been stuck in elevators. Last year, there were 286 incidents, known as entrapments, in which passengers were stuck in elevators, up from 177 in 2006.
