{"id":70473,"date":"2009-12-08T05:26:51","date_gmt":"2009-12-08T10:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/infosthetics.com\/archives\/2009\/12\/shopping_guide_for_the_data-addict.html"},"modified":"2009-12-08T05:26:51","modified_gmt":"2009-12-08T10:26:51","slug":"holiday-shopping-guide-for-the-data-addict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/70473","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Shopping Guide for the Data-Addict"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"shopping_list_2009.jpg\"
\nIn its almost yearly tradition<\/a> to help the data-addicted readers between us buying appropriate presents, here is the data-inspired wish list for the holidays.<\/p>\n

\n\"list_iphone.jpg\"1. iPhone<\/a>
\nNewcomers to this blog can recognize how hip this blog is by the novelty of the first proposed gadget.
\nBecause: An iPhone to a data addict is like crack to a heroine addict. There is no way back. Shown above: The Financial Times app<\/a> with incredibly beautiful stock market graphs.
\nHowever: You will miss the time before-the-iPhone, that is when you had to ‘wait’ for a time and a place to access rich data.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_books.jpg\"2. The Visual Miscellaneum<\/a>
\nBecause: The book must be beautiful, if it resembles anything on its blog Information is Beautiful<\/a>.
\nHowever: For those insisting such graphs are just ‘eye candy’, there is Stephen Few’s Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative Analysis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_we_feel_fine.jpg\"3. We Feel Fine<\/a>
\nBecause: The infamous We Feel Fine is the classic example of information aesthetics. Nice detail: the book is available as a PDF version on the website<\/a>.
\nHowever: Is the book as good as …. the interactive version?<\/p>\n

Editorial Note: I do assume all these book are absolutely great and must-haves, as I haven’t seen them in flesh myself. The virtue to receive free review copies and gadgets seems to be reserved to blogs like Engadget. Not an aesthetic data visualization blog.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_ego.jpg\"4. Ego iPhone App<\/a>
\nBecause: Logging into all these self-indulgent online services is too time consuming.
\nHowever: We do not care about self-indulgence. Having some overview over historical trends would be nice. Sparklines anyone?
\nPrice: $2.49<\/p>\n

\n\"list_chumby.jpg\"5. Chumby One<\/a>
\nBecause: You cannot have too many information displays in the home. For instance, my own first-generation Chumby is located in the kitchen. That is: after realizing playing with an iPhone while washing the dishes is not that smart.
\nHowever: Why is there no Newsmap<\/a> or Digg Arc<\/a> for the Chumby?
\nPrice: $119.5<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_wallstats.jpg\"6. Infographic Posters
\nBecause: Its seems to be quite popular, selling infographic posters online. Take your pick: HistoryShots<\/a>, FlowingPrints<\/a>, WallStats<\/a>, and the recently emerged TimePlots<\/a> are all competing for that little wall space in your home or office.
\nHowever: Isn’t that white wall meant to ‘rest’ your eyes on after straining to all those graphs online?<\/p>\n

\n\"list_nooka.jpg\"7. Nooka Zaz<\/a>
\nBecause: You can subtly show off the coolness of the watch while others figure out what time it is.
\nHowever: Might be problematic when you really want to know the time.
\nPrice: $380.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_decal.jpg\"8. Infographic Vinyl Deca<\/a>l
\nBecause: You stopped having available wall space after all those infographic posters. Hence, the bath tub<\/a>, Fridge<\/a> and kitchen backdrop<\/a> must be information-enhanced.
\nHowever: You can still do it better and go all the way. For instance, tile your bathroom<\/a> according to a subway map.
\nPrice: $25-$125<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_directlife.jpg\"9. Philips DirectLife<\/a>
\nBecause: With this electronic pedometer, web-based statistics and LED-based reward system in one, you want to measure, store and analyze every move you make.
\nHowever: As this technology even works when placed in a trouser pocket, you could wait until a service like this becomes the next-generation iPhone app.
\nPrice: $79 + monthly subscription.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_kindle.jpg\"10. Amazon Kindle<\/a>
\nBecause: You want to tell you children you once read books in black-and-white. Think about experiencing We Feel Fine<\/a>, The Visual Miscellaneum<\/a> or Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative Analysis<\/a> on e-paper.
\nHowever: Hmmm, think about reading We Feel Fine<\/a>, The Visual Miscellaneum<\/a> or Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative Analysis<\/a> on e-paper.
\nPrice: $259.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"list_measure.jpg\"11. Measure Me Stick<\/a>
\nBecause: visualization + kids + measuring = fun
\nHowever: For that price, looks like a future DIY project.
\nPrice: $120.<\/p>\n

Some of this, and much more, at the infosthetics shop<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Any other suggestions?<\/p>\n

<\/img><\/a>
\n<\/img><\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In its almost yearly tradition to help the data-addicted readers between us buying appropriate presents, here is the data-inspired wish list for the holidays. 1. iPhone Newcomers to this blog can recognize how hip this blog is by the novelty of the first proposed gadget. Because: An iPhone to a data addict is like crack […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70473\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}