Palantir Explained
December 28, 2010
The Stanford GSB So Speaks Blog gives us details about “Shyam Sankar of Palantir Technologies at the GSB.” Palantir is company focused on counter-terrorism within and by using the digital environment. It’s better explained by this video. If you’ve ever seen an episode of NCIS, this is type of program they use to help them catch the bad guys. Apparently, four engineers developed Palantir within a week and the company was founded by the same team as PayPal—used by many EBay aficionados for secure business transactions. They’ve also invented a new buzzword: intelligence augmentation (IA).
“Palantir focuses on IA, rather than AI (Artificial Intelligence). Sankar mentioned a theory on AI stating that AI will continue to be “around the corner in 10 years” in perpetuity. As a result, Palantir focuses on augmenting the intelligence we already have.”
Palantir appears to be a superhero like program, but they are involved in a legal squabble. I may need intelligence augmentation to figure out who’s on first in that matter.
Stephen E Arnold, December 28, 2010
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A Warm Solr Goodie
December 28, 2010
Expanding on the open-source Apache Lucene search software, the Apache Solr project adds another layer of customizable capabilities (see http://lucene.apache.org/solr). As Jayant Kumar puts it in his December 12 blog article, How to Go about Apache-Solr:
“Definitely solr provides an easy to use – ready made solution for search on lucene – which is also scalable.”
Kumar also points out that, when it comes to importing data, Sphinx users have an advantage: they don’t have to write code in order to port data. He also assures us that Solr’s use of ah http interface is no reason to avoid it.
This article is a useful write-up worth adding to your Solr reference library. It provides detailed instructions for installation, configuration, indexing, and importing data using this valuable resource.
Cynthia Murrell, December 28, 2010
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Google TV: Two Views
December 27, 2010
“First Impressions: Google TV Delights” is a positive discussion of Google TV. The story states: “I’m dumbfounded by how good Google TV is right now.” You must read the original write up in Beta News.
For Beta News, Set up did not pose a problem. Integration with various digital content services such as “AT&T U-verse features, the TV and Google TV” worked fine. The interface was fine. The Google search was excellent, and there was content available from Netflix. In short, no problemo.
That is in sharp contrast to the implications about the success and usability of the device in “Google TV Forces Logitech to Delay Revue Set-Top”. The article asserted:
Delays are hitting Logitech’s Revue, a set-top box that some have called an active competitor to the Apple TV. But it’s not Logitech’s fault – rumors are circulating that Google itself has stepped in and asked the company to suspend production, in the hopes that the company can finish tweaking its Google TV software by the time the new expected shipping date of January 2011 rolls around.
Conflicting opinions abut technology products are nothing new. What is interesting is that Google seems to be pushing products into the marketplace and then scrambling to address issues or “explain” that there is no problem.
If there are glitches in the product, search functionality may not be enough to position Google TV as a better option than a competitor’s solution. Assume Google “gets it right” on the second or third try. Does this approach to product development make it even more clear that Google has become more like Microsoft?
I hope that 2011 returns Google to the NASCAR winners’ circle. Ads continue to be Google’s main business and missing out on the rich media revolution may concede time, mind share, and ad revenue to other firms. Apple comes to mind as one competitor who has an ecosystem advantage. But the Netflix momentum cannot be ignored. Then there are dozens of other “real” media companies chasing the pot of gold that seems to be anchored in motion pictures, user created videos, and the avalanche of rich media in digital form.
Will Google TV be another sector in which the assumptions that worked in Web search are not applicable? What happens if Facebook gets into rich media?
I am not a TV oriented person. The success or failure of Google TV means little to me. But TV may be a content domain where Google cannot afford to take a back seat to certain competitors. In my opinion, the methods that worked in Web search may have less traction in the rich media space. Google may have to start January 2011 with a new set of studded snow tires.
Stephen E Arnold, December 27, 2010
Freebie.
Free Visio Stencil Art for SharePoint Planning
December 27, 2010
Why get lost in design search architectures when you could reference a map? Microsoft recently released a handy collection of Visio shapes created specifically for generating diagram models of server deployment. These shapes prove useful for the Microsoft 2010 versions of Office, SharePoint Server, Project Server, Search Server and SharePoint Foundation.
It only takes seconds to grab this 1-MB .zip file from the website and extract its contents into your Visio shape folder. The system requirements and download instructions are clearly posted on the webpage, making the whole process a snap. Microsoft was even thoughtful enough to provide several examples of sensible ways to employ the custom shapes; the IT pro content publishing team put together a smattering of SharePoint Server and Office 2010 technical diagrams as guidelines. Now your own SharePoint installations can quickly become a matter a record, making following the path easier in the future.
Sarah Rogers, December 27, 2010
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Does Audience Size Matter in Digital Media?
December 27, 2010
“CBS Audience Five Times Bigger Than Facebook” reports that despite the social network’s internet dominance, that plain old ordinary television still has a much wider viewership. My favorite snippet from the article: “If Facebook was measured as a TV network, it would be comparable in size to PBS. PBS? Yes.”
But don’t relegate FB to the margins just yet. PBS, and CBS, and even ABC and HBO do not have the targeting that social networking does. Television ads are still passive, business to customer one-way interactions that DVRs have started to make obsolete. Even product placement within shows is still throwing it at the wall and seeing what sticks. Facebook, on the other hand, is built around targeted ads and interactions that pull rather than push. Facebook is hipper, sleeker, and infinitely more personalized than television. Five times bigger, sure. Five times more successful? No way.
Alice Wasielewski, December 27, 2010
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Win 7 Phone: Mobile Search Handicap for Microsoft?
December 27, 2010
The Windows 7 phone does not seem to be the sales barn burned some hoped it would be. If the sales estimates are on target, one wonder why. The Mobilesplease blog recently had a post about this specific issue titled: “Why Aren’t Windows 7 Phones Selling?” From the onset the article declares that the Windows 7 phone is a nifty gadget and purchasers are happy with it.
“So what’s the problem? Why aren’t these phones selling? To reiterate, there’s nothing wrong with them, but apart from Xbox 360 compatibility there’s really nothing that you haven’t been able to get on an iPhone, Blackberry or Android phone for the last year.”
The Windows 7 phone only offers a generic handset, which doesn’t impress buyers. The biggest factor, however, is that Windows just isn’t cool anymore. It’s true they have a niche in the videogame market with the Xbox 360, but their marketing of the Windows 7 phone has been the exact opposite of what they’re doing for the videogame console. Microsoft will find some way to market their phone, though. Windows Mobile has been on the market for years, though that wasn’t much of a success either. Microsoft just needs to figure out how it can become cool in a market controlled by the iPhone and Droid. The article suggests renaming the Windows 7 phone, the XPhone.
Whitney Grace, December 27, 2010
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Attivio Endorsed by MIT
December 27, 2010
Analytics help to provide a competitive advantage says a new research report co-sponsored by Attivio, Inc. . The free publication (registration is required), authored by MIT Sloan Management Review was announced via a press release, “Attivio Announces Availability of MIT Sloan Management Review Report, ‘Analytics: The New Path to Value’” on Attivio’s Web site.
Based on a study of 3,000 executives and in-depth researcher interviews, the document predicts that analytics will be a focus the next two years—helping to differentiate top business performers. Michael Hopkins, editor-in chief of the MIT Sloan Management Review states, “Top performers approach business operations differently from their peers. Specifically, they put analytics to use in the widest possible range of decisions, large and small.”
Additionally, the research indicates that analytics should be closely linked to strategy and process to have the most value. This can be achieved with a unified approach to analyzing business data—one of Attivio’s specialties and a way to position themselves as a valuable partner in the analytics market.
Third party endorsement is important. Our question, “Is this a marketing play or something for those on a tenure track?” MIT certainly trumps a write up by a mid tier consulting firm in our view.
Christina Sheley, December 27, 2010
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Content Tagging Costs
December 27, 2010
We read an interesting blog post called “The Search for Machine-Aided Indexing: Why a Rule-Based System is the Cost-Effective Choice.” Information about the costs of indexing content using different methods is often difficult to locate.
The article provides some useful information; however, I always verify any dollar estimates. Vendors often do custom price quotations, which makes it difficult to compare certain products and services.
Here’s the passage that caught my attention:
The database company manager could not give an exact figure for what their final actual costs were for purchasing Nstein; however, she did state that it was “not cheap.” She admitted that it was more expensive than all of the other MAI software products that they considered. (A press release from Nstein reported that the deal was worth approximately $CAN 450,000). When asked about staffing requirements, the manager estimated that it took the time of five full-time indexers and two indexing managers about a “month or so” at first. She added that there is a need for “constant” (she then rephrased that to “annual”) training. The investment company manager preferred not to discuss the actual implementation costs of Nstein, as there was a good deal of negotiation with non-cash assets involved. (A press release from Nstein of March 14th, 2002 reported that the deal was a five-year deal valued at over $CAN 650,000).
I downloaded this write up and tucked it in my Search 2011 pricing file. One never knows when these types of estimates will come in handy. I noticed on a LinkedIn threat relating to enterprise search that a person posted prices for the Google Search Appliance. I did a bit of clicking around and tracked down the original source of the data: SearchBlox Software. The data on the chart reported prices for the Google Mini. When one explores the US government’s price list for Google appliances that can handle 20 million documents which is a count encountered in some search applications, the cost estimates were off by quite a bit. Think in terms of $250,000, not $3,000.
I use whatever pricing data is available via open source research, and I know that hard data are often difficult to locate. The “appliance” approach is one way to control some costs. The “appliance” is designed to limit, like an iPad, what the user can do. Custom installations, by definition, are more expensive. When rules have to be created for any content processing system, the costs can become interesting.
Stephen E Arnold, December 27, 2010
Freebie, although Access Innovations has bought me one keema nan several weeks ago.
Google and Agility
December 26, 2010
Short honk: I read in Apple Insider this article: “22 Months after Announcement, Google Latitude App Comes to Apple’s iPhone”. Well, the title covers it.
My question: “Is this an example of Google’s agility?” or “Is this an example of Apple’s bureaucracy?”
The delay reflects poorly on both of these tech giants.
Stephen E Arnold, December 26, 2010
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India and What Tech Will be Hot in 2011
December 26, 2010
Take a look at what’s hot in 2011 for India
Curious about the future state of India and technology? Read The Hindu’s article about, “What’s in Store for Technology in 2011?” and you’ll fell fairly confident about what’s in store for the subcontinent.
iPad won’t be the only tablet on the market anymore. Many companies have their own tablets in development that may prove to be cheaper and fix the iPad’s shortcomings. Apple, though, might give the their tablet a newer, younger sibling. Social networking is also changing. Google is trying to cash in on some of Facebook’s success, by creating their own social network: Google Me.
Cloud computing is spreading quickly too. The reasons are accessibility, cost, and backups. All these problems are solved by storing information in clouds. Big changes in data storage are coming too. “Think big and fast in 2011. Traditional mechanical hard drives will be available in 3-terabyte (TB) capacities and larger — and at prices that will be budget-friendly.”
Also mentioned are faster Internet networks, new smartphones to rival the big names, and improved USB standards. The thing to remember about reading this article is that these upgrades won’t happen only India, but the rest of the world as well.
Whitney Grace, December 26, 2010
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