Graphics – Before and After
January 16th, 2012SVG and Environmental Statistics
January 16th, 2012
I’ve build a neat SVG application. It uses data (via a direct database connection) from the UNEP Environmental Data Explorer (ex-GEO Data Portal). Lots of possibilities to play around with the data, for each variable some 40.000 data points.
HTML/CSS: Nice Boxes Around Your Elements
January 12th, 2012
Nice examples for boxes around HTML elements here.
Excel: How to “Unpivot” a Table
January 12th, 2012Great VisualBasic script for Excel which does exactly that:
Option Explicit
Sub MoveData()
Dim LC As Long, LRO As Long, NR As Long, HowMany As Long, a As Long, b As Long
Dim c As Range, rng As Range
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
LRO = Sheets("Output").Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
If LRO > 1 Then Sheets("Output").Range("A2:E" & LRO).ClearContents
NR = 2
With Sheets("Input")
LC = .Cells(1, Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
For Each c In .Range("A2", .Range("A" & Rows.Count).End(xlUp))
Set rng = .Range(.Cells(c.Row, 3), .Cells(c.Row, LC))
HowMany = Application.WorksheetFunction.CountIf(rng, ">-10000")
If HowMany > 0 Then
.Range("A" & c.Row & ":C" & c.Row).Copy Sheets("Output").Range("A" & NR & ":A" & NR + HowMany - 1)
b = NR
For a = 4 To LC Step 1
If .Cells(c.Row, a).Value > -10000 Then
Sheets("Output").Range("D" & b) = .Cells(1, a)
Sheets("Output").Range("E" & b) = .Cells(c.Row, a)
b = b + 1
End If
Next a
NR = NR + HowMany
End If
Next c
End With
Sheets("Output").Select
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
The Story of Stuff
January 5th, 2012PopTech 2008: Saul Griffith on Energy Use
January 3rd, 2012Numbers in text? Use lowercase numerals
December 29th, 2011
Standard numerals are the size of capital, or uppercase, letters. Their best uses are for standalone numbers like your house number, or, because they have a single set width, for columns of tabular material. Because they line up in columns, they are also referred to as lining numerals. Lining numerals are standard in almost every typeface, and are by far the most widely used.
Old-style numerals are the equivalent of lowercase letters — small x-height, plus ascenders and descenders. They’re the best choice to use in a body of text — for dates, times, addresses, phone numbers, and so on, as in, “He lives at 6451 Elm Street,” or, “The 1979 version had 42,362 points.”
Not all typefaces have old-style numerals — which are sometimes called expert numerals — even as an option. The most widely used typeface that has old-style numerals as the default is web favorite Georgia, which you’re now reading.
Color Vision: To Choose The Right Colors For Color-Blind People
December 22nd, 2011
Nice application to check colors for color blind people.
Keeping Track of Our Changing Environment || Links
December 22nd, 2011“Very much a reference book, Keeping track of our changing environment will prove an invaluable and accessible source of data that underpins a proper understanding and interpretation of numerous issues confronted daily by readers of New Agriculturist, whether specialist advisor, educator or policymaker. Eye-catching and providing much ‘food for thought’, UNEP is to be congratulated for conceiving and commissioning this ‘must have’ publication.”
Although the authors of the report have carefully avoided providing any critical evaluation of the statistical data, anyone reading the 111-pages study can hardly conclude that global leaders have done a great job since they received a wake-up call about the world’s sustainability challenges twenty years ago.
All in all, the UNEP study is an impressive work of data collection but it could have done with a little bit less spin and a bit more “hard” evaluation. But then again, maybe this document has a political function and the real meat can be expected in May of next year?
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
Graphs of the report used in the PPT of “NRT President and CEO” David McLaughlin
This report is proof that, through restrained use of technical language and intelligent application of design tools and graphs, complex messages can be conveyed to wider audiences. Overall, Keeping Track does a good job of explaining to us where we have come from. Where we are going is now up to all of us.
Two graphs included in a Monsanto-Presentation on Climate Change
Listed as one of the four “KEY REFERENCE REPORTS”
Data Vis: Farming & Green Economy
December 21st, 2011
Some simple graphics, but nicely done.
Mac: Lion Quick Fixes
December 21st, 2011
Tools for some Finder, iTunes etc. tweaks and fixes. Finder Sidebar, many small things.
Mac: Free File Archiver
December 19th, 2011
Keka is a free file archiver for Mac OS X
Cartogram: Somewhat Different Display
December 19th, 2011
“The map on the left and the cartogram on the right plot identical data. The only difference is that each hexagon on the cartogram represents an equal number of people. The two views give very different impressions: the big dark green patch on the middle-right of the map — representing a relatively sparse neighborhood — is shrunk to a single dark green hexagon on the cartogram. Meanwhile, the most deprived areas (dark purple) which look relatively small on the map are expanded to quite a few hexagons.” (from Junk Charts); corresponding article
Circular Graphics Showing Linkages
December 1st, 2011
Circos is a software package for visualizing data and information. It visualizes data in a circular layout — this makes Circos ideal for exploring relationships between objects or positions. There are other reasons why a circular layout is advantageous, not the least being the fact that it is attractive.
Which Font Is It?
December 1st, 2011
Seen a font in use and want to know what it is? Submit an image to WhatTheFont to find the closest matches in our database.
Speech: Guy Kawasaki
November 18th, 2011
Great speech of Guy Kawasaki.
Keeping Track of Our Changing Environment
November 8th, 2011The environmental changes that have swept the planet over the last twenty years are spotlighted in a new compilation of statistical data by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), released today in a report entitled “Keeping Track of our Changing Environment: From Rio to Rio+20“.
PHP: Print Array in Readable Format
October 7th, 2011';echo '
';
print_r($array);
echo '
Safari Plugin: Glims
October 4th, 2011
Glims adds a cocktail of features to Safari (Tabs, Thumbnails, Full Screen, Search Engines, Search Suggestions, Forms autocomplete on, Dated download folders, Type Ahead …)









