Google Maps: A Reaction to the Apple Reality
June 23, 2012
Short honk: Apple is doing its own mapping service. Google was shown the door. Apparently the competition has sparked some conversation within Google. In “Lower Pricing and Simplified Limits with Google Maps API” Google is adjusting. Lower prices are good. But the simplification is the interesting point. Google’s sales reps talk about “simple”, but the reality is that Google is a complex outfit with complexities in most nooks and crannies. Simple is easy to say but tough to do; for example, integrate the Google Search Appliance with some of Google’s whizzy new mapping services.
Stephen E Arnold, June 23, 2012
Sponsored by Polyspot
Sponsored Content: Facebook Hits a Snag
June 22, 2012
The SEO (search engine optimization) crowd thought it had a winner with sponsored content. Pay Facebook money. Crank out some verbiage. Watch those clicks come tumbling along. What seems to be tumbling are Facebook ad opportunities. “Problems for Monetization: Lawsuit Forces Facebook to Let You Opt Out of Sponsored Story Ads” suggests a “stumbling block.” Was Facebook assuming that its “members” would ingest advertising as news without complaint? Personally I enjoy advertising centric editorial content. I used to work at a newspaper and then a big magazine company. The advertorials were often labeled. Sure, tiny type was used, but if you looked, you would see the words “Sponsored by…” or “A message from …” or a similar statement. I flipped through a slick travel magazine in the doctor’s office and it looked to me as if most of the editorial content was sponsored. But I may be overly sensitive.
Here’s the passage I noted:
For those less familiar with Sponsored Stories, when a Facebook user interacts with a business, such as by Liking a Page or Page’s post, using an application, or checking in to a physical business, that business can pay to have the news feed story that could normally appear be shown more prominently or frequently in the web and mobile news feed, or in the ads sidebar to friends. Because they seem like organic content, and feature the faces and names of friends as an automatic trusted referral, they’re clicked more often and are more influential on viewers than traditional ads.
Even the lingo is from the Land of SEO. Example: “Organic” just like beets and carrots from the farmer down the road here in Kentucky.
An alleged advertorial. Source: http://pdfcast.org/pdf/writing-sample-advertorial
Sponsored content is a very big deal. The reason is that consumers tune out ads. Do you remember the commercials which run in motion picture theaters before the show starts. I don’t. I play with one of my electronic distraction devices. On a desktop computer’s big screen, there is enough real estate to stuff a range of ads to lure the surfer. On a mobile device, the ads are really annoying. So how does one pump up the click throughs? Easy. Sponsored content that is shaped information.
Shaped information is tough for some people to identify. To get a sense of the challenge, check out A 50 Year History of Disinformation by Peter Viemeister. As a result, the content is consumed and according to information in the article cited above, performs “much better than traditional ads.”
What’s the fix?
Some are harsh. Facebook users can elect to turn off the ads. Yikes, bummer. Others can be sidestepped such as a provision to have users under 18 “represent they have received parental consent.”
Here at Beyond Search we label sponsored content, which generates questions. People reading Beyond Search wonder why a company like Polyspot would sponsor a story about search. Well, Polyspot is in the search business and we are covering topics germane to Polyspot’s interests. No big surprise.
Search the Impossible Search
June 22, 2012
The concept of “virtual documents” will be a familiar one for many search engine professionals. Simply put, it means assembling an indexable record in a search engine from constituent parts that otherwise exist in different places. A recently posted staff blog on Search Technologies’ Web site provides an excellent example of how virtual documents can directly address a business need.
The perspective of the searcher is often not well served by existing content structures.
The “people search” issue described by the article is a common one, and the case study shown clearly illustrates the value of virtual documents.
Read on at Virtual Documents, Search the Impossible Search.
Iain Fletcher, June 22, 2012
Sponsored by Search Technologies
Document Previews: Necessary but Tricky in Some SharePoint Installations
June 22, 2012
Users find laundry lists of results a necessary but sometimes hard to use way to pinpoint needed information. Users looking for a PowerPoint presentation want a way to spot presentations without browsing, opening, scanning, and repeating the process. One feature of SharePoint is its document thumbnail and preview function. Instead of a list of text results, SharePoint can display search results with a thumbnail image of the document. Users can quickly identify a document type, which allows a research task to be accomplished more quickly.
There is, however, one challenge in some SharePoint installations. According to the document Office Web App & FAST Search Document Thumbnail and Preview scenarios, many users found document previews and thumbnails to not show up in FAST search results for SharePoint 2010. Microsoft acknowledges:
“Document Previews do not work with Claims Based Authentication and is a known limitation with the Product.”
Microsoft’s knowledge base article provides a number of ways to resolve the problem. But what does a SharePoint administrator do when a third party application is part of the mix? The SharePoint licensee needs immediate access to deep expertise with both SharePoint and Fast search are required to ensure that system performance and functionality are maintained at a high level.
Comperio, one of the world’s leading firms in Fast search engineering and consulting, can resolve preview issues quickly. Comperio’s engineers have in-depth experience with both SharePoint and Fast search. If you want to tap document previews using Microsoft’s native functions or employ third party software from firms such as BA Insight (www.bainsight.com), Comperio delivers. Comperio combines experience and technical expertise for leveraging Fast search within SharePoint. For more information about Comperio, visit the firm’s Web site at www.comperiosearch.com.
Jennifer Shockley, June 22, 2012
Sponsored by Comperio
Connotate Comments on Data Scraping
June 22, 2012
There are a variety of different ways for businesses to store and manage their date. The recent Connotate blog post “Don’t Miss Out on Key Information With Data Scraping Solutions” regarding the company’s shifting positioning from smart agents to smart agents plus data scraping.
Data scraping is a technique in which a computer program extracts data from human-readable output coming from another program. According to the post, data scraping tools allow businesses to stay ahead of their competition by finding and collecting information online that can be housed in an internal database or shared with customers and employees. Data scraping technology helps businesses better understand your customer’s needs.
The article states:
“Things like current prices on travel or directories of doctors and other resources can help you give complete information to your customers so they continue doing business with you. When you work with Connotate, you can get the scraping solutions you want that will work the way you need them to.”
After reading this post, I’m interested to know, does data scraping suggest pulling content from web pages which have been set up to make it less easy to copy content?
Jasmine Ashton, June 22, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Critical Patches Fend off Microsoft Active Attacks
June 22, 2012
Internet Explorer has long been a vulnerable target to cyber attacks, malware and the like, but Microsoft has just announced a large batch of patches in order to address vulnerabilities across a wide variety of their software offerings. ComputerWorld UK provides a complete breakdown in, “Microsoft Patches 26 Bugs, Warns Users of Active Attacks.”
Giving attention to all of the vulnerabilities, the author reports on what may be the most critical update, the one in need of adoption first. He quotes Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Security:
‘Certainly, [MS12-036] makes it to the top of the worrisome list,’ said Storms. That update, also rated critical, patches just one vulnerability in the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), a Windows component that lets users remotely access a PC or server. RDP is frequently used by corporate help desks, off-site users and IT administrators to manage servers at company data centers and those the enterprise farms out to cloud-based service providers.
Implications for those organizations that use Remote Desktop Protocol in any manner in their infrastructure, but especially in their enterprise SharePoint deployment, are obvious. There is need for concern and quick action in order to plug the security gap. However, it’s also reported that oddly, the updates must be manually downloaded.
The author continues:
All of the patches must be downloaded manually from Microsoft’s Download Center. They’re not served up through the usual Windows Update service or the enterprise-grade Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) software.
It seems that such critical updates, especially for those who use ubiquitous SharePoint, would be made more readily accessible and users would receive prompt notification.
For enterprises that are concerned about their security needs, consider a smart third party solution like Fabasoft Mindbreeze. Smaller and more agile, these companies can devote greater attention to security needs. Additionally, in the interest of being fair, Microsoft is always going to be a target for malware and viruses because of its sheer size. It is truly a huge target. However, adding Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise to an existing SharePoint infrastructure will not only make the whole enterprise more secure, but also more easily accessible.
Read more about the security adherence of Fabasoft Mindbreeze, including relevant ISO standards. Just one example is as follows:
ISO 27001: The ISO standard 27001 is a worldwide recognized standard for the evaluation of the security of IT environments. For customers the certification means the adherence to clearly defined technical and security-based standards regarding all IT and business processes as well as all the company’s confidential information.
Sometimes bigger is not necessarily better, and this is one instance in which it definitely proves true. Move away from Microsoft, the major target of viruses and malware, and move toward a more agile, more secure solution. Fabasoft Mindbreeze Enterprise, and the whole suite of Mindbreeze products, can not only ease your security concerns, but also provide a more satisfying user experience.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 22, 2012
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Traditional Approaches to Data Management No Longer Relevant
June 22, 2012
For decades now only the largest, most affluent companies in a handful of industries had access to product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions. That has slowly been changing, though, with advances in technology including cloud technology. A recent Ten Links article, “IMAGINiT Earns Autodesk PLM 360 Specialization”, announces that Autodesk PLM 360 has joined with Rand Worldwide to offer non-traditional PLM solutions, hopefully hitting a greater audience.
The article explains the goal of the union:
Traditional PLM solutions have been cumbersome, and have required expensive customization and implementation phases. Autodesk’s cloud-based PLM 360 solution creates a highly flexible platform that eliminates the challenges associated with IT infrastructure and hardware requirements.
Other companies are also pursuing non-traditional approaches to PLM. At the root of any PLM solutions is data management. Inforbix, a respected leader in the PLM solutions industry, focuses on new data management solutions when creating their software. They strive to help their customers find, reuse and share product data believing that at the heart of any PLM solution should liberate a company’s data without breaking the bank. As more companies realize the potential of PLM we expect leaders like Inforbix to increase in popularity and others to realize the benefit in thinking outside the box.
Catherine Lamsfuss, June 22, 2012
Google Engineer Opines about the Advancement of Search
June 22, 2012
Google has been putting out a lot of PR about search. Is the company worried it is losing its edge? The latest example comes from BBC News in “The Future of Google Search: Thinking Outside the Box.” Like most recent Google-centered articles, this one discusses ways in which the engine is attempting to “become more intelligent.” Maybe they should team up with Watson.
BBC Tech reporter Leo Kelion spoke to Google’s search chief Amit Singhal, and the write up includes a video snippet. I was happy to hear Singhal insist he does believe personalized results can go too far; he maintains that “there’s a lot of value in serendipity.” It is good to know the head of Google search can see that. He also maintains that there is a big division between the company’s search team and its sales team. Google search serves the users first, he says. Could it be true?
Neither of those points directly address the improved IQ issue, though. The Knowledge Graph initiative, announced last month, is the hot topic right now. It is Google’s latest attempt to coax search into understanding real-world things and their relationships. The project got its start with the acquisition of Freebase, which had devised a unique way to represent things in memory. Though that company had categorized only a tiny number of entities by Googley standards, Singhal’s team has been expanding its knowledge and adding interconnectivity.
When asked whether this system is closer to the way humans understand things, Singhal emphasized that we still don’t completely comprehend our own brains. However, he said, this system will feel closer to the way we work. “Feel”? Now we’re getting into some murky territory. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. Do they have a psychologist on the team, I wonder?
On the subject of personalization, Singhal’s team is walking the line between being helpful and being invasive. He cautions us to avoid confusing personalization, which uses harvested information about the user personally, and context, which supplies results based on things like what language you’re using and where you are. I do appreciate being served names of restaurants near me when I’m hungry, for example. It doesn’t help to know there’s a great sandwich joint on the other side of the Earth, at least not in the stomach-growling moment.
Kelion brought up another much-discussed Google issue—those glasses. Ah, the glasses! Specifically, he cited that project as an example of how search may be moving away from typing into a text box toward situational results. Singhal confirmed that situational information will continue to play a growing role, most likely not confined to search functionality. He shares a charming example—he would like it if his technology could remind him to call his son when he has a free block in his schedule. It seems he would like to make an old-school secretary out of his smartphone. Bet it would make a terrible cup of coffee, though.
When asked about the future, Singhal shared this:
“What excites me tremendously these days is the connectivity and the mobility that the future world will have, which we are already seeing emerge through smartphones. I have the power of thousands of computers in my pocket – because when I type a query [into a handset] it really takes thousands of computers to answer that query. So we are sitting at this wonderful junction where various technologies are ripening: mobile technologies, networks, speech recognition, speech interfaces, wearable computing. I really feel that these things put together will give us products five years from now that will change how you interact with computers. The future will be very exciting once you have a wearable computing device. It kind of changes how you experience things.”
It only takes looking back a few years to verify the truth of that statement. All in all, this interview is an interesting perspective from a tip-top insider. A good read for anyone following future of search.
Cynthia Murrell, June 22, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Cyber Showdown in the Social Media World
June 22, 2012
There is a cyber-showdown in the social media world and Google’s pulling a glass gun on Facebook. The big G may not ever be the social networking sheriff, but according to Pictures and vision, their new speak and see project might land them a deputy badge.
The networking weapons are fully loaded and:
“So the titanic showdown between Facebook and Google might not be the News Feed vs. Google+ after all. It might be Facebook Camera vs. Project Glass.”
“In truth it’s pictures and vision. Facebook users will continue to upload a significant fraction of a billion photos every day. With luck, Google will get something going with Glass. These things can thrive side by side. If Google is truly successful, POV images and video clips will start showing up on Facebook, too. Everything mixes and merges.”
The Facebook Camera has some shiny bullets, like sharing multiple photos at once, quick edits and ease of access. However, you can’t get better ease of access than Project Glass glasses. The voice command to search, share, message and retrieve provides a hands free convenience that people love.
Many Facebooker’s get accounts to see photos, videos and updates of their friends and family with users uploading over 250 million images daily. Glass just provided them with the possibility of a ‘first person shooter’ perspective on new feeds. The irony is these two duelists complement one another in the end, while delivering an interesting approach to visual search and retrieval. We’re giving Google’s mortician the day off on this one.
Jennifer Shockley, June 22, 2012
Do Google and Microsoft Really Understand the Web?
June 22, 2012
We humans are difficult for search engines to understand. For example, try this query: “terminal”. Okay, which is it, airplane terminal, bus terminal, computer terminal? You get the idea. Ars Technica explains “How Google and Microsoft Taught Search to Understand the Web.”
Journalist Sean Gallagher and associates picked the brains behind two of the Web’s biggest search engine projects, Google‘s Knowledge Graph and Microsoft‘s Satori. Both are efforts to move search from matching strings of text to connecting the dots of meaning. The result is an in-depth explanation that any search professional should become familiar with. The article informs us:
“The efforts are in part a fruition of ideas put forward by a team from Yahoo Research in a 2009 paper called ‘A Web of Concepts,‘ in which the researchers outlined an approach to extracting conceptual information from the wider Web to create a more knowledge-driven approach to search. They defined three key elements to creating a true ‘web of concepts’:
- Information extraction: pulling structured data (addresses, phone numbers, prices, stock numbers and such) out of Web documents and associating it with an entity
- Linking: mapping the relationships between entities (connecting an actor to films he’s starred in and to other actors he has worked with)
- Analysis: discovering categorizing information about an entity from the content (such as the type of food a restaurant serves) or from sentiment data (such as whether the restaurant has positive reviews).”
These ideas are still mostly unrealized, but Google and Microsoft are both beginning to make progress. Entity extraction itself is not new, but the database scale and relationship building of the current approaches are. Both companies’ entity databases are non-traditional. They are graph databases that map relationships between users and activities, much like Facebook’s Open Graph.
“Entities” have become complicated bundles of information. Each contains a unique identifier; a collection of properties based on the attributes of the real-world topic; links representing the topic’s relationship to other entities; and things a user searching for that topic might want to do. The article compares and contrasts how each company collects and manages these dossiers. One difference lies in each system’s UI—Google’s seems more about answering questions, while Bing’s new front end appears to facilitate taking actions.
Both Knowledge Graph and Satori give the user ways to help in the first results list, by narrowing the search or pointing the engine down the correct path. This sort of direction is still essential, since neither company is anywhere close to making seamless and accurate semantic search a reality. Both engines still have holes, and are already fighting lag from their growing data bases. And that’s just while working with just English! The article concludes:
“When other languages are added to the entity extraction language processing of the search engines, the number of entities and relationships they have to manage is bound to explode, both in terms of number and complexity. To truly ‘understand’ the Web, Knowledge Graph and Satori are going to have to get a lot smarter. And they’re bound to push the bounds of semantic processing and computing forward in the process, as bigger and bigger graphs of knowledge are shoved into memory.”
It seems that natural language search worthy of a futurist’s dreams is still years away. This article is a great window into the baby steps being made right now by two of the Web’s biggest crawlers.
Cynthia Murrell, June 22, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
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