Search by Tapping Technology from Amazon Released
September 19, 2012
A fascinating and strange innovation has been introduced from Amazon early this month. The company has introduced a new spin on search, which offers instant information to users about the media they are working with. According to “Amazon Introduced X-Ray Technology for Kindle Lineup” on SlashGear, the X-Ray technology allows users to simply tap on the media they are interacting with and get information about that media. For example, a user watching a movie from Amazon can tap the film and get data instantly from IMDB.
The article tells us more:
“The same brand technology appears in X-Ray for Textbooks, with your ability to tap anywhere – or in a whole lot of places, at least, for more information at your whim. When you’re tapping a video, you get information not just about the video, but about everyone in the scene that’s identifiable. In a textbook, more educational information appears. This X-Ray technology is set to be shown on the Amazon Kindle Fire HD lineup first, and will certainly be expanded in the future.”
The technology also already exists on the Kindle Paperwhite ereader and enables users to tap anywhere on a page to get information about characters and other story details. We are impressed with this seemingly magical search without search feature and are curious to see more action from this tappable technology.
Andrea Hayden, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Learning about SharePoint Search 2013
September 18, 2012
“Search Is Everywhere! What You Need to Know about Search in SharePoint 2013 Preview” provides a handy summary of new features and major changes in Microsoft enterprise search.
The summary begins with a look at the tweaked document library. The author points out, “Search is everywhere in SharePoint now so it is important to understand how it has changed.”
One important assertion the article makes is, “Search was essentially rewritten from the ground up… The concept of FAST Search for SharePoint servers is gone. The components from FS4SP have made their way directly into SharePoint and we don’t need separate dedicated servers for it (necessarily).
Corey Roth adds:
Aside from cool stuff like drag and drop, document libraries directly leverage the search engine to allow users to filter documents easily. Gone are the days of relying on CAML for simple document library searches. You’ll find out why later in this post on why you can rely on search for those uses as well.
The other topics covered in the summary include the components of the search system; specifically, crawl component, content processing component, index component, analytics component, query processing component, and the search administration component.
The summary provides additional detail about crawling. The summary points out:
Whereas SharePoint 2010, only had protocols for Local Search and OpenSearch 1.1, SharePoint 2013 Preview (as well as SharePoint Online Preview), support for Remote SharePoint servers and Exchange has been added. Since SharePoint and People Search results are served by the same search index now, you can choose which type of results you want here too.
This summary includes information about querying, the user interface, and the API, and some of the new administrative controls. Illustrated with screenshots, we think the article is a useful reference.
For more detail, you will want to take a look at “What’s New within SharePoint 2013 Search.” So far, SharePoint Talk has issue three useful write ups which include screenshots and links to supplementary documents.
The first part is “What’s New within SharePoint 2013 Search? Part 1. This is an overview. The second part has the same name but focuses more on some of the configurable elements; for example, managed properties.
The new features of SharePoint Search 2012 deliver significant benefits to those seeking information. However, implementing and customizing specific search features will require close attention by programmer who are deeply knowledgeable about Microsoft’s technologies. The “cool stuff” is indeed very exciting. Comperio can provide the engineering support to make these functions deliver to the SharePoint’s licensees’ specific requirements.
Comperio’s search engineers continue to work closely with clients, Microsoft partners, and Microsoft itself. As a result, we have compiled deep experience with the most recent version of SharePoint Search. We can implement the specific features of SharePoint Search 2013 that a client requires. More importantly, we can extend the system to deliver particular functions such as seamless interaction with third party enterprise applications. For more information about Comperio, visit the firm’s Web site at www.comperiosearch.com.
Stephen E Arnold, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
Mindbreeze InSite is a Hit
September 18, 2012
Even at its inception, Mindbreeze InSite was garnering rave reviews for its creativity and effectiveness. The From the Cloud blog features good news regarding Mindbreeze InSite acceptance in the industry in its entry, “futurezone.at: Mindbreeze InSite is a Direct Hit!”
The author begins:
A few weeks ago Mindbreeze InSite became the latest sprog to join the family of Fabasoft Cloud services online. The young Cloud service had barely entered the world when it landed its first major success: Replacing Google Appliance as the integrated search on futurezone.at, the Austrian national newspaper Kurier’s technology news portal. According to Alexa ranking this website belongs to the top 5 websites in Austria (top 871 worldwide)!
Mindbreeze InSite is quick and easy to install. Tens of thousands of pages of Web content can be indexed simply by embedding a few lines of script code. Additionally, tens of thousands of searches can be performed by hour by users to the Web site, without any burden on the system. In addition to the other successful enterprise services that Mindbreeze offers, InSite offers a wonderful compliment, equipping users to find quick satisfaction in their search of your public facing Web sites.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Google: More Than 18 Percent Search
September 18, 2012
Search Engine Watch emphasizes the importance of perspective when it asks, “Is Google Search Really Only 18.5% Organic Results?” The short answer—um, no. The question was prompted by a Jitbit blog post that made an outrageous claim– that Google’s search results pages are only 18.5 percent “actual search results.” Search Engine Watch’s Thom Craver explains the original posters methodology:
“The author’s ‘reasoning’ suggests on his 1280×960 resolution screen, the search results take up a box 535 pixels wide by 425 pixels tall, 18.5 percent of his window if you multiply the resolutions and consider square pixels to be the same as measuring something in square inches. . . .
“The author jumps around between different numbers of links, trying to make a point that out of all the links, only five were actual ‘search’ results, leading to a claim that only 11 percent of the links are actual search results, then later suggesting an ads to results ratio of 8:7, ‘which is 47% of the links are actual results.'”
Ummm. . . okay. Google engineer Matt Cutts responded to the post with a list of three major problems (just three?) with the original poster’s reasoning. Essentially, he had counted a lot of things as “non-search” space he probably shouldn’t have—like the search box. And the tools in the left column. And the white space on the page.
Perhaps the original (faulty) observation only got any traction because it tapped into a simmering unease with Google’s increased search results monetization? Nah, that couldn’t be it.
Cynthia Murrell, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
No Wonder Search Is Broken. Software Does Not Work.
September 17, 2012
Several years ago, I ran across a Microsoft centric podcast hosted by an affable American, Scott Hanselman. At the time he worked for a company developing software for the enterprise. Then I think he started working at Microsoft and I lost track of him.
I read “Everything’s Broken and Nobody’s Upset.” The author was Scott Hanselman, who is “a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee.”
The article is a list of bullet points. Each bullet point identifies a range of software problems. Some of these were familiar; for example, iPhoto’s choking on large numbers of pictures on my wife’s new Mac laptop. Others were unknown to me; for example, the lousy performance of Gmail. Hopefully Eric Brewer, founder of Inktomi, can help improve the performance of some Google services.
Answer to the Google query “Why are Americans…”
The problems, Mr. Hanselman, identifies can be fixed. He writes:
Here we are in 2012 in a world of open standards on an open network, with angle brackets and curly braces flying at gigabit speeds and it’s all a mess. Everyone sucks, equally and completely.
- Is this a speed problem? Are we feeling we have to develop too fast and loose?
- Is it a quality issue? Have we forgotten the art and science of Software QA?
- Is it a people problem? Are folks just not passionate about their software enough to fix it?
I think it’s all of the above. We need to care and we need the collective will to fix it.
My reaction was surprise. I know search, content processing, and Fancy Dan analytics do not work as advertised, as expected, or, in some cases, very well despite the best efforts of rocket scientists.
The idea that the broad world of software is broken was an interesting idea. Last week, I struggled with a client who could not explain what its new technology actually delivered to a user. The reason was that the words the person was using did not match what the new software widget actually did. Maybe the rush to come up with clever marketing catchphrases is more important than solving a problem for a user?
In the three disciplines we monitor—search, content processing, and analytics—I do not have a broad method for remediating “broken” software. My team and I have found that the approach outlined by Martin White and I in Successful Enterprise Search Management is just ignored by those implementing search. I can’t speak for Martin, but my experience is that the people who want to implement a search, content processing or analytics system demonstrate these characteristics. These items are not universally shared, but I have gathered the most frequent actions and statements over the last year for the list. The reason for lousy search-related systems:
- Short cuts only, please. Another consultant explained that buying third party components was cheaper, quicker, and easier than looking at the existing search related system
- Something for nothing. The idea is that a free system is going to save the day.
- New is better. The perception that a new system from a different vendor would solve the findability problem because it was different
- We are too busy. The belief that talking to the users of a system was a waste of time. The typical statement about this can be summarized, “Users don’t know what they want or need.”
- No appetite for grunt work. This is an entitlement problem because figuring out metrics like content volume, processing issues for content normalization, and reviewing candidate term lists is not their job or too hard.
- No knowledge. This is a weird problem caused in part by point-and-click interfaces or predictive systems like Google’s. Those who should know about search related issues do not. Therefore, education is needed. Like recalcitrant 6th graders, the effort required to learn is not there.
- Looking for greener pastures. Many of those working on search related projects are looking to jump to a different and higher paying job in the organization or leave the company to do a start up. As a result, search related projects are irrelevant.
The problem in search, therefore, is not the technology. Most of the systems are essentially the same as those which have been available for decades. Yes, decades. Precision and recall remain in the 80 percent range. Predictive systems chop down data sets to more usable chunks but prediction is a hit and miss game. Automated indexing requires a human to keep the system on track.
The problem is anchored in humans: Their knowledge, their ability to prioritize search related tasks, their willingness to learn. Net net: Software is not getting much better, but it is prettier than a blinking dot on a VAX terminal. Better? Nah. Upset? Nope, there are distractions and Facebook pals to provide assurances that everything is A-OK.
Stephen E Arnold, September 17, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
SharePoint 2013 of Little Consequence for the End User
September 17, 2012
For all of the buzz surrounding the release of SharePoint 2013, there may be little to no immediate impact for the actual end user. Developers and enterprise search bloggers are highly anticipating the full release as well as the SharePoint conference in November. However, Mark Miller at CMS Wire argues, “Why SharePoint 2013 Isn’t for You,” in his most recent article.
Miller states:
There is the marketing coming out of Microsoft, but the Man-on-the-Street conversation is mainly from developers and IT Pros who are talking to each other about how to set it up, how to optimize it, how it is different from 2010. This has absolutely nothing of relevance for people using SharePoint on a day-to-day basis. The day-to-day talk is a distraction to SharePoint end users. In general, the users are not interested in the technology, they are interested in the solutions the technology can provide . . . We had the same type of situation after the release of SharePoint 2010. At that time, I took the same position: It’s going to take two to three years for SharePoint 2013 to become relevant to the daily user.
So for users who need a better interface now, what is to be done? One option gaining acceptance and popularity is the addition of a third-party solution. Vendors such as Fabasoft Mindbreeze offer a suite of solutions to maximize enterprise search and overall functionality. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise can be added to an existing SharePoint infrastructure to add the values of quality, usability, and style. It takes a long time to turn a big ship, and SharePoint is definitely the biggest ship on the market. Therefore, many organizations will benefit more from the intuitive infrastructure and agility of a smart third-party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Bottlenose Offers Real Time Social Media Search
September 17, 2012
Venture Beat recently reported on the new social media search engine, Bottlenose, in the article, “Move Over Google, Bottlenose Launches Search Engine for the ‘Now’ Era.”
According to the article, Bottlenose has spent the last two years perfecting its advanced solution. It is search for social networks and aims to organize the world’s attention by creating a filter that finds, sorts, and organizes the social updates of the greatest importance, as they happen, around any given query.
When explaining how it works, the article states:
“Bottlenose, which runs atop a javascript and HTML5 platform, spits out a “Now” page for every query that includes top stories, trending topics related to the subject, trending people, images, recent links, and fresh comments from social networks. Spivack likens the pages to Wikipedia entries, except that Bottlenose pages are automatically edited based on what the crowd is sharing. The pages will also appear in search engines, exposing Bottlenose’s brainpower and its ever-changing pages to the traditional searchers of the world.”
While Bottlenose has a lot to offer, it is going to take a lot to convince consumers and professionals that it offers more than just the run-of-the-mill search experience.
Jasmine Ashton, September 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SharePoint 2013 Misses Opportunities
September 14, 2012
Chris Wright at Beta News adds to the buzz of the SharePoint 2013 Preview with is piece, “SharePoint 2013 is a Missed Opportunity.” After saying that a few of the surface updates are useful and intuitive, Wright gets to the heart of why SharePoint 2013 is ultimately a disappointment:
I work with lots of end users of SharePoint. What I would have liked to see, and what they needed, is much more focus on the user interface and the feel of SharePoint in this new version. There are some very powerful features in SharePoint, like Views on lists and libraries, but end users find them difficult to use and configure — if they find them at all. Even a simple thing like adding rich content to a page is a lot harder than it should be. The text editor tends to have a mind of its own, and this issue so far remains in the new version.
Followers of the SharePoint world and blogosphere will recognize this complaint against the feel of SharePoint as the number one recurring issue. Many organizations, particularly small to mid-size ones, are turning to smart third-party solutions to increase the feel of their SharePoint infrastructure without the painstaking SharePoint customization process. We like Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise for just this reason. Although it can stand alone, adding Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise to an existing SharePoint infrastructure immediately adds style, ease of use, and efficiency without a huge investment in other resources.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
FindTheData Is a Useful Resource
September 14, 2012
We’ve come across an interesting research tool. LifeHacker tells us that “FindTheData Compares Tons of Data Side-by-Side, Is a Research Gold Mine.” Writer Melanie Pinola explains:
“FindTheData is an incredibly cool tool for comparing all kinds of information—from job salaries to auto fuel economy to celebrities’ heights and weights. The web app parses data from all kinds of public databases and other sources to deliver all these facts.
“FindTheData is part of the FindTheBest family of comparison sites. While FindTheBest compares dozens of categories to help you make better decisions (e.g., pick the best college), FindTheData is more of a research/reference tool.”
Like FindTheBest, FindTheData is organized by categories like Business & Economy, Education, and Society, to name just a few. Users can filter results, do side-by-side comparisons, and delve into details. Pinola does caution us that, once we start exploring the data, it might be difficult to stop.
FindTheBest (the company behind both sites) prides itself on presenting information free from any marketing influence. They pull their data from public databases, primary sources and experts. I really like the way they present the information—clean and easy to reference. Also, the tools for refining a search are intuitive—always a huge plus in my book. I have to say Pinola is correct; I could waste a lot of time at either of these sites.
Cynthia Murrell, September 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Intel and Server Giant Decline: The Knock on Effect for HP
September 13, 2012
I don’t pay any attention to the chip and chip set world. However, after I read “Intel Confirms Decline of Server Giants HP, Dell, and IBM,” I thought about the knock on effect. The idea is that one action strikes another object. Sometimes the nudge is a plus. Other times the bonk breaks something.
The article asserts, “Some of the biggest server buyers are cutting out the big-name middlemen.” Google gave credence to the method, and I as said in The Google Legacy in 2003-2004, Google has pointed the way to what is now a much broader shift from brand name servers to white boxes and commodity devices.
If HP slips in high end hardware sales, the company has to generate new revenue. If the revenue growth is lackluster, then HP will have to terminate more people or squeeze other operating units to generate more revenue. EDS has been a disappointment. There is not much information about how Autonomy is performing. What I think of when I hear about “HP Autonomy” is the $10 billion paid for the search and content processing business. Some of the key executives have departed from Hewlett Packard.
There are quite a few search and content processing options available today. I am not sure how quickly HP can scale Autonomy’s revenue to make up for the alleged decline in server revenue and the investment in Autonomy. In short, HP may have to look for ways to cut costs associated with certain lines of business and find a way to sell high value services to existing Autonomy licensees and customers.
Fascinating shift, if the decline is accurate.
Stephen E Arnold, September 13, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
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