Google Released Search & Compare for Public Data
Google just launched a new search feature that makes it easy to find and compare public data. Consider the following scenario.
The data they're including in this first launch represents just a small fraction of all the interesting public data available on the web. There are statistics for prices of cookies, CO2 emissions, asthma frequency, high school graduation rates, bakers' salaries, number of wildfires, and the list goes on. Reliable information about these kinds of things exists thanks to the hard work of data collectors gathering countless survey forms, and of careful statisticians estimating meaningful indicators that make hidden patterns of the world visible to the eye.
All the data Google have used in this first launch are produced and published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Division and the search have just made the data a bit easier to find and use.
Earthquakes are not the only thing that can shake Silicon Valley. After the dot-com bubble burst back in 2000 the unemployment rate of Santa Clara county went up to 9.1%. During the last couple of months, it has gone up again: So, when comparing Santa Clara county data to the national unemployment rate, it becomes clear not only that Santa Clara's peak during 2002-2003 was really dramatic, but also that the recent increase is a bit more drastic than the national rate:
If you go to Google.com and type in [unemployment rate] or [population] followed by a U.S. state or county, you will see the most recent estimates:
Once you click the link, you'll go to an interactive chart that lets you add and remove data for different geographical areas.
Since Google's acquisition of Trendalyzer two years ago, they have been working on creating a new service that make lots of data instantly available for intuitive, visual exploration. Today's launch is a first step in that direction. Google's hope is that people will find this search feature helpful, whether it's used in the classroom, the boardroom or around the kitchen table and also that this will pave the way for public data to take a more central role in informed public conversations.
Website : www.google.com
Location : Mountain View, California, United States
Founded : January 1, 1998
Google primarily provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of tools and platforms including its more popular products: Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Most of its Web-based products are free because Google makes its money from highly integrated online advertising through its AdWords and AdSense platforms. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing them with a rich source of information.
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