Data 16 is coming up fast and as many of us in the UK get ready for the 11 hour journey across the Atlantic, I’ve been checking out tons of apps to keep me prepared and entertained. I love apps, if I didn’t put them in neat little folders on my phone I would have home screens in the double digits. If you haven’t already, make sure to download the official data16 app to see all the available sessions, register for hands on workshops, and get live updates on what’s going on in Austin. In addition to the official app, these are 4 apps I’ve found that are in my tool kit for the great data saga of 2016.
1) Pack Point
Worried about packing too little? Too much? Too warm? Too cold? This is a great little app that generates a packing list for you based on the weather where you’re going and how long you’re staying. You can also choose from a list of activities so your list is fully customised. Now you can use all that extra suitcase space for more #data16 souvenirs!
2) Jetlag Rooster
I need my sleep. I am an absolute crank if I don’t get enough hours of sleep and I love my nap time. Jetlag is a terrible affliction for me. Enter Jetlag Rooster, an app that will create an optimised sleep schedule for you to minimise the effects of jet lag. You can choose if you want to work on adjusting a few days before you leave, or when you arrive in your destination city. Use the website linked above, or download the app on iOS or the Google Play store.
3) Google Maps
It’s a staple app on many phones, but what makes it useful for traveling is that you can download maps for later offline use. Mark all the places you need to keep track of in Austin like your hotel/staying place, the Austin Convention centre, the nearest pub with the best local beer (especially if you’re coach Kriebel :)), etc. Data roaming is not cheap and if you need to figure out where you are without the convenience of GPS, the offline maps will be a life saver.
4) #Data16 Dashboards
Okay, I lied, this post isn’t all about apps. Some amazing and very useful dashboards have been developed by folks in the Tableau community that are just as resourceful and accessible as an app:
See when people are arriving in town, where they’re staying, and where the fellow newbs are to huddle in a corner with (no, don’t do this, huddle with everyone everywhere please!). Fill out the google sheet here to add your data to the viz!
If you’re able to get a data or wifi connection, I highly recommend checking this viz out rather than Google maps. It’s designed to provide you with a map and walking estimate to get from session to session during the conference. It might also help you narrow down your choices among hundreds of amazing presentations; kickassness ratio held equal, why not attend the presentation that’s just a hop skip and a jump away?
You know those awful flights you get where the person you’re sitting next to just wants to gab away, spills their drink in your lap, and brings smoked salmon as a mid-flight snack? Yeah that’s me. BUT I like to think if I’m sharing a seat with a fellow TC attendee, at least the gabbing about data geekery won’t be so bad? Chapman’s dashboard shows all the flights UK folks are taking on their trek across the Atlantic – see if you’ve got some other data geeks on board!
Numbers to Narratives 