Weekly Watson: Playing Hoops with the Raptors
February 16, 2016
The Raptors do not have Stephen Curry on their team. The Raptors do have IBM Watson. I read “Raptors Team Up with IBM Supercomputer Watson to Analyze Player Talent.” The idea is that the basketball loving Canadians (no the game is not played on ice) will have a more effective squad with Watson in the locker room.
Watson is not a disturbance. The new team member is more of a cloud thing. As a result, Watson is everywhere, which addresses some of the problems in the Raptors’ line up.
According to the article:
…they’re [the basketball team] hoping that recruiting some help from a supercomputer will help Toronto take them to the next level.
I have had limited exposure to NBA professionals and managers. That experience suggested that supercomputers were absolutely one of the primary interests of those involved. None of this fashion, exotic cars, and friendly fans. Nope. Throughput, massive parallelism, and fresh approaches to machine learning were the chatter on and off the court.
A whiteboard with Xs and Os. Nope. Math equations for optimizing statistical anomalies when processing real time data like how many times the announcers said, “He drained that shot.”
I envision the announcers saying:
Watson mods the open source code. A quick call to Vivisimo and then more of those old Almaden home brew moves. It’s up. A miss. The Raptors lose again at the buzzer. Bummer.
Watson, in the post game interview, says, “My bad.”
Meanwhile the Golden State Warriors keep on winning.
Stephen E Arnold, February 16, 2016
Expedia: Objective Hotel Search Results? Not Likely
February 16, 2016
I read “Expedia’s New Bidding Program Lets Hotels Buy Better Placement in Search Results.” The write up states:
The exact details on the program aren’t public, but it allows hotel properties to bid for placement in select slots on search result pages. But hotels won’t be able to just buy their way to the top of every search result. They’ll still have to match other needs the consumer is looking for.
In my experience, locating a hotel in an unfamiliar city is a difficult task. The idea that a hotel search engine might return objective results was an expectation I had and have long since abandoned. For example, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, there was a hotel with Potomac in its name. The problem was that Potomac was miles from Gaithersburg. Navigating the interstate for a morning meeting was a thrill some executives did not want to experience. I have also stayed in airport hotels at BWI which were miles from the airport.
Now it is clear that objectivity is not on the radar of Expedia. I doubt if it ever was. It is nice to have my hunch confirmed that delivering on point results is irrelevant.
Great news for everyone except the person looking for a hotel near a meeting location in an unfamiliar city.
Stephen E Arnold, February 16, 2016
A Guide to Google-Ize Your Business
February 16, 2016
To Google is a verb, meaning to search specifically for information on the Google search engine. If a user is unable to find information on Google, they either change their key words or look for a different option. In other words, if you are not pulling up on Google than you might as well not exist. Perhaps it is a little drastic to make the claim, but without a Web presence users, who double as consumers, are less likely to visit your business. Consumers take an active approach to shopping these days by doing research before they visit or purchase any goods or services. A good Web presence alerts them to a company’s capabilities and how it can meet the consumers’ needs.
If you are unsure of how to establish a Web presence, much less a Google Web presence then there is a free eBook to help you get started. The Reach Local blog posted information about “Master Google My Business With Our New Ebook.” Google My Business is a free tool from Google about how to publish your business information in Google+, Google Maps, and local search results.
“Without accurate and up to date information on Google, you could be missing out on leads and potential customers either by having the wrong phone number and address listed or by not appearing at all in local search results for products and services relevant to your business. We want to help you take control of your information on the web, so we put together a helpful eBook that explains what Google My Business is, how to set up and verify your business, and tips for managing your information and tracking your progress.”
The free eBook “Your Guide To Google My Business” written by the Reach Local folks is an instruction manual on how to take advantage of the Google tool without going through the headache of trying to understand how it works. Now if only Windows 10 would follow a similar business pattern to help users understand how it works.
Whitney Grace, February 16, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
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Coveo Lauds Itself for Growth, Innovation, and Industry Awards
February 16, 2016
The article on EIN News titled Coveo Achieves Another Record-Breaking Quarter and Calendar Year of Rapid Growth discusses the search companies growth and recognition in a nakedly self-congratulating post. In 2015, Coveo released both Coveo Cloud, a streamlined search-as-a-service, and Coveo Reveal, a self-learning search service aimed at understanding intent to ensure improved accuracy and relevance in search results. The article states,
“The company expanded its SI ecosystem with several leading CRM and Customer Community system integrators, including Appirio, Bluewolf, Cloud Sherpas, Etherios, NTT Data Cloud Services and Vertiba. Exiting 2015, Coveo had in excess of 100 certified SI partners… Coveo for Sitecore was named as a 2015 CUSTOMER Magazine Product of the Year Award winner, marking the fourth consecutive year that Coveo has won this award (In January of 2015 Coveo received its fifth consecutive CUSTOMER Magazine product of the year award…)”
So just how big was that fish Coveo caught? The private company reports a “record breaking quarter” lists any number of current projects and industry recognitions. According to the article, the company now has a total amount of financing of $75 million. 2015 was clearly a very good year, particularly in the financial services market. What company can resist patting itself on the back?
Chelsea Kerwin, February 16, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
USA.gov Not Enough? Now GovInfo.gov Tries to Mind the Gap
February 15, 2016
I love it when US government indexes proliferate. The consultants enjoy the fruits of their duplicative labor. The folks looking for information have another choice. I thought that USA.gov, produced by the ever reliable GSA outfit, was the portal to US government information. There are some caveats; for example, classified information is not on USA.gov and there may be some servers’ content which is either not indexed or scrubbed. Where are the public documents related to health care contractors who assist the various agencies in rooting out fraudulent medical claims? Good question.
I learned that I can “discover US government information” at www.govinfo.gov. I did a quick check of the site, ran a couple of queries, and browsed documents in alphabetical order. I like alphabetical ordering.
Several observations:
- The query “CIA budget” returned an eclectic list of documents. The top hit was a privacy act. I expected no less.
- The browse list revealed a category approach. Clicking the “plus” sign allows drill down. Lots of drill down.
- A number of links directed me to another Web site so I could order documents.
- I ran the federal budget query on USA.gov and was directed to yet another US government Web site, not the GPO Web sites.
When I browsed the site, response time seemed a bit sluggish. A small banner reminded me that the site was in beta. At some point the GovInfo.gov site will replace the Government Printing Office site.
I have no strong opinion about these government “find information” sites. There are a number of them. Redundancy is good for jobs, good for contractors, good for consultants, and good for those who know which US government site to consult for which specific document.
Now about those vendors supplementing investigations of medical fraud? I know the documents were available. I downloaded them from www.cms.gov a couple of years ago. Poof.
Stephen E Arnold, February 15, 2016
A Russian Signal: Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft: Are These Outfits Tuned In?
February 15, 2016
I read “Russian Official Says Google And Apple Have Hit ‘Point Of No Return’.” If accurate, the information presented in the write up is bad, bad news for the giant American outfits selling in Russia. I learned:
Speaking to Bloomberg, Russia’s “Internet Czar” German Klimenko said that Google and Apple will need to pay higher amounts of taxes to the Russian government.
I noted a wonderful quote, although the US companies might not think the statement is worthy of a motivational poster:
“We are breeding the cow and they are milking it,” Klimenko [Russia’s Internet tsar] told Bloomberg. He added, “When you buy an app from Google Play or the App Store anywhere in Europe, VAT is charged at the place of payment, but not here in our banana republic.”
I like the cow reference. Cash cow from the BCG star, dog, and question mark thing which harkens back to General Eisenhower and forward to the azure chip consulting crowd.
Worth monitoring along with the flight reliability of the SU 35, the Russian military drills, and the Russian tax authorities’ approach to some cash generating US outfits.
The write up points out:
Klimenko also alleged that companies like Google can track “everything” and responded to 32,000 requests a year from U.S. law-enforcement agencies but won’t help Russian agencies with similar requests.
Imagine life without Windows. No Apple hardware. No Google. Maybe there is more to the tax move than just hard cash.
Stephen E Arnold, February 15, 2016
LinkedIn and Its Alleged Dark Pattern GUI
February 15, 2016
I am a no pay user of LinkedIn. I don’t pay much attention to the service. I noticed that I no longer receive automatic notifications when one of the few groups I “follow” post new items. My hunch is that LinkedIn does not find my sense of humor in line with the firm’s revenue goals and its efforts to boost its stock price.
I read “LinkedIn Dark Patters or Why Your Friends keep Spamming You to Sign Up for LinkedIn.” (Note if the link does not work, you will have to deal with the publisher.) I did not give LinkedIn permission to suck up my address book. I do receive wonky emails from people I don’t know thanking me for my “anniversary.” Hey, LinkedIn, I am retired, and I am not into the anniversary thing. Send me a Hallmark card. That’s really sincere.
In the write up there was a reference to a phrase which I found interesting. The phrase is “dark pattern.” The idea is that LinkedIn allegedly uses interface tricks and confusing links to get “permission” to send email to people.
I am not sure what LinkedIn hopes to accomplish with this trick. Maybe the outfit needs new customers of a service which is mostly a job hunting and data collection system? Maybe LinkedIn is helping people reunite with contacts who are stranded in an unused corner of an address book? Maybe LinkedIn is desperate to irritate people? I am not sure.
I quite like the phrase “dark pattern.” I noticed that Google is going to take action when “download” buttons do not perform as expected. Hey, what’s the hurry.
After reading the write up, I noticed that when people want to be my LinkedIn pal, I no longer can reply to that person. I have the choice of accept or reject. I don’t click any buttons, but it seems reasonable that if someone wants to be my pal, I should be able to ask, “Why?”
Who wants to buddy up to a 71 year old who spends his time thinking about the sad state of the online industry, the quasi monopolies that crush innovation, and the services which try hard to make their spreadsheet fevers disappear with actual revenues?
Interesting question. I love the “dark pattern” thing. But the idea offends me. I will continue to make the links on my pages do what the user expects. I am one of a almost extinct species. If you want to buy CyberOSINT, you have to navigate to an info page and then click a link that asks you to buy. That click displays the purchase page. No trickery. You can depart at any time without fear of spam.
Stephen E Arnold, February 15, 2016
The UK Government Invests in Secure Startups
February 15, 2016
The UK has been criticized as being one of the most invasive countries when it comes to monitoring individuals and having security cameras everywhere, even on garbage cans. While the question, “how much is too much?” runs around people’s heads, there is also a concern about the lax of security developments. The UK is much like its former colony the United States in that is interested in beefing up security technology InfoSecurity says in the article, “Government Start-up Support Creates A ‘Very Exciting Time.’”
Government support for UK security tech start-ups is one of the main driving forces in the industry. It demonstrates that the UK government is invested in advancing new ideas and help new companies get the leg up they need to develop the best possibly product before it is delivered to a bigger market. It also proves that the government is taking cybersecurity as a very serious risk that needs bolstering to counteract actions taken by terrorists and rogue nations.
“This week, the UK government announced a £250,000 Early Stage Accelerator Programme to help start-ups in the space get advice, support and funding to develop their products and services and bring them to market. It will be run by Cyber London—described as “Europe’s first cybersecurity accelerator and incubator space”—and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast.”
While venture corporations are usually the first place start-ups turn to for investments, the government plays a crucial role in regulating the technology and helping companies grow beyond their initial roots. It also allows the new security start-ups to make important connections with the right government officials to build strategic relationships.
It is wonderful that western governments are taking cyber threats more seriously and take preemptive action against dangerous threats. It would be even better if smaller law enforcement agencies at the city and state level in the US were more capable of handling cyber attacks.
Whitney Grace, February 15, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
EasyAsk Unveils Mobile Shopping Solution Through Semantic Search
February 15, 2016
The announcement on PRWeb titled EasyAsk Introduces EasyAsk Voice Shopper Uniting Voice and Mobile for a Revolutionary Shopping Experience pairs shopping with semantic technology. According to the article, users will be able to hold a conversation with the EasyAsk search engine that will lead to the relevant and ideal product for the user. The article says,
“EasyAsk Voice Shopper creates a new paradigm for mobile shopping by allowing customers to have a conversation with a mobile commerce site or app, just like speaking with a sales associate. Having evolved from over 15 years of natural language research and development, the EasyAsk conversational search engine powers the conversation with the customer, combining an understanding of the shopper’s intent with the deep knowledge of retailer’s products and merchandising objectives to deliver the right products.”
The emphasis on mobile shopping is due to the research showing the low mobile shopping conversion rate of only 0.80%, most likely due to the pain-in-the-neck that is mobile shopping! Who hasn’t switched from their phone to their computer after clicking an email link for a cute pair of sneakers? In a perfect world, this new service would be like speaking to a real person. But unless I am mistaken, it will probably feel more like any number of voice menus that people find themselves shouting at to be understood.
Chelsea Kerwin, February 15, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
Wrangle That Data: Trifacta Receives $35 Million
February 14, 2016
When I read “Data Cleaning Software Company Trifacta Raises $35 Million,” I realized that the notion of automating the clean up of disparate data was an unsolved problem. Odd. I have been operating on the assumption that tools from Lexmark Kapow and Palantir had tamed that stallion years ago. Wrong.
According to the write up:
New investor Cathay Innovation and existing investors Accel Partners, Greylock Partners, and Ignition Partners participated in the new round. To date, the company has raised more than $76 million, including the $25 million round announced May 2014.
That’s a reasonable chunk of change for a function many search and content processing vendors suggest is a no brainer. Trifacta has a pocketful of cash to provide some evidence that the belief that cleaning up data remains a big, big problem.
Will Trifacta surge to the top of the data clean up pile. If one takes a peek at the azure chip consulting firm reports on this housekeeping sector, there are quite a few vendors chasing customers in this sector.
Now returning to the question about incumbents like Kapow and Palantir. Where are these companies? I can understand why Kapow has slipped from some folks’ radar, but the Palantir operation is active in the commercial sector and seems to have helpers, wizards, and smart software which allows a person with little or no training to import, process, and extract insights from disparate data.
Do those funding Trifacta perceive Kapow and Palantir as companies unable or unwilling to tackle the problems Trifacta addresses? Good question.
Stephen E Arnold, February 14, 2016
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