Sign in
Another week of data-driven articles, tidbits, and more:
🏆 Data-driven health rankings of 3,000 U.S. counties by U.S. News.
📊 Lesson of the Week: Use data markers to improve time-series charts.
🏛️ A U.S. judge ruled Google illegally kept its search monopoly.
📶 Weekly Tech Tip: Boost your wi-fi signal.
🚀 What’s New: New global leaderboard, enhanced learning resource search, and scavenger hunt report for teachers.
📕 Book of the Week: “The Soul of a New Machine” by Tracy Kidder.
Don’t Fall Behind in Your Data Education
Level Up Your Digital Learning!
2024 Healthiest Communities Announced
The U.S. News & World Report has released its 2024 Healthiest Communities rankings, analyzing more than 90 metrics across approximately 3,000 counties.
This data-driven project, in collaboration with the University of Missouri’s Extension Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems, evaluates community health and well-being, focusing on areas like economy, education, and population health.
The results are presented as scores on a 100-point scale, highlighting both achievements and areas needing improvement, with Falls Church, Virginia, ranking as the top community this year.
Lesson of the Week
In this Lesson of the Week, discover how to implement data markers to enhance your time-series visualizations from our skill, “Designing chart data encoding.”
Question of the Week:
Pick the word that matches the description and example:
A dot or similar shape on a chart that identifies a data point.
Which function is best for identifying the lowest value in a selected range?
Select one
A) Data-driven label
B) Data marker
C) Data series
D) Data symbol
See if you’re right–the answer is at the bottom!
Google Deemed a Monopoly in Antitrust Case
A U.S. District Court judge ruled that Google illegally maintained its search engine monopoly by paying companies like Apple to make Google the default choice on devices, violating antitrust laws.
This decision, a significant defeat for Google, could change its business practices and has broader implications for similar antitrust cases involving major tech companies.
Google plans to appeal, arguing that its practices benefit consumers and maintain its position as the best search engine.
Weekly Tech Tip
Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal
Enhance your Wi-Fi with these quick tips to boost your router’s signal, extend coverage, and speed up browsing.
- Check Your Wired Internet Connection: Ensure your wired speed matches your plan.
- Update Your Router Firmware: Keep your router updated for better performance.
- Achieve Optimal Router Placement: Position your router centrally and elevated.
- Optimize Network Settings: Configure your router for optimal performance.
- Change Channels: Use a network analyzer to select less crowded channels.
- Secure Your Network: Remove unauthorized users and secure your network.
- Enable QoS Settings: Prioritize important apps like video calls.
- Replace Your Antenna: Add a high-gain antenna for better signal strength.
- Upgrade Outdated Hardware: Use modern routers and devices.
- Extend Coverage: Use a range extender or mesh Wi-Fi system.
What’s New
Some of the latest updates to QuantHub include a global leaderboard, enhanced learning resource search, and a data-driven scavenger hunt report for teachers.
Book of the Week
The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative, explores the intricate and intense process of bringing a new microcomputer to market in 1981 by Data General, a lesser-known but significant player in the tech industry.
The book focuses on a team of engineers led by Tom West, tasked with developing a superior minicomputer under the constraints of secrecy and competition, showcasing the relentless pace and high-stakes environment of the tech industry.
Kidder’s storytelling offers an insightful look into the personal and professional dynamics of the engineers, providing a compelling human element to the data-driven challenges faced, making it a seminal work for understanding the culture and evolution of technology development.
More Tidbits
- How AI could help us talk to animals (video)
- CrowdStrike says it’s not to blame for Delta’s days-long outage
- Midjourney’s latest text-to-image model is here
- Apple iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro Release Date: New Report Reveals Extraordinary Strategy
Jump Back Into Your Data-Driven Education!
Lesson of the Week Answer:
B) Data marker