May 2008
19 posts
Akamai reports what we already know: US broadband... →
Another header for this study might be: “Belgium, Switzerland tiny.” Aaahhh, the tyranny of the percentage.
Daring Fireball: Sixty-Six →
Back to the 66% share increase for Apple in the $1000+ computer market, John Gruber notes “So the striking thing about this report isn’t that the number makes Apple look good, it’s how much better Apple is doing than just two years ago.” Again, this may or may not be true, but until NPD releases the denominator to go along with that numerator, we’ll never know for sure. The...
Twittermania: 140+ More Twitter Tools! →
This is approximately one tool for every 5000 Twitter users.
-Ministry of Information
Fun with Apple's Share Growth Statistics
I just got done listening to last week’s Macbreak Weekly, in which Leo, Andy, Alex and Merlin discussed the recent NPD report that Apple products comprised two-thirds of all sales for personal computers costing more than $1,000. As someone who makes his living telling stories with numbers, this 20+ minute discussion over one statistic (“66%”) was highly entertaining for three...
Cory Doctorow: Our dangerous statistical ignorance... →
Bravo, Cory Doctorow. Innumeracy kills!
The infographic that saved a million lives? -... →
Strength for Life: New Flash: Maybe It’s Not a... →
It turns out that I don’t need to lose 20 pounds. Statistics show that I merely need to grow six inches taller to acheive my optimal Body Mass Index. 6 is less than 20. Awesome! If Shawn Phillips writes Height-For-Life, I’m buying.
Most Business-Launched Virtual Worlds Fail,... →
Change occurs at the margin. I don’t know what surprises me more: that 90% of business-launched virtual worlds fail—or that 10% succeed. Isn’t that the success rate for new restaurants?
60% of You Won't Get This
Via John Gruber, some educators are espousing a minimum grade of ‘50’ for test scores, so that students who get a low ‘F’ are not faced with an ‘insurmountable’ challenge to get their grade above passing level. Here’s the most disturbing quote: It’s a classic mathematical dilemma: that the students have a six times greater chance of getting an F,” says...
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Innumeracy or Sensationalism?
Data butchery on the web generally takes one of two forms: lousy research, or lousy reporting of research. Today’s Mashable earns the latter prize with this header: Pew Internet Finds Web Has Little Effect On Purchasing. Bold headline, but if you actually take the time to visit Pew’s site to read the report, the first sentence on the page is this: The internet plays an important role...
Using Twitter for Market Research?
Yesterday’s BusinessWeek article on Twitter included this little gem: “Businesses such as H&R Block (HRB) and Zappos are now using Twitter to respond to customer queries. Market researchers look to it to scope out minute-by-minute trends. Media groups are focusing on Twitterers as first-to-the-scene reporters.”
Helpfully, there was no link to give us an example of how market...
