Wapedia Makes Mobile Device Searching More Efficient
September 9, 2012
Mobile device searching can prove difficult, even with mesmerizing products such as Apple’s Siri. A good go-to resource to try when looking for information on your cell phone or tablet is Wapedia from Wikipedia. The mobile version of the well-loved free online encyclopedia makes standard Wikipedia pages viewable on smaller displays, reduces image sizes, and includes a search engine independent of Wikipedia servers. The Wapedia page tells us more about the technology:
“Wapedia offers the most recent version of every article, which is done by using a combination of a proxy-like behavior and a local article database. This combination provides both high speed and up-to-date articles and low load and traffic for the Wikipedia servers. The copying of data is one way, from Wikipedia to Wapedia, and so Wapedia does not offer the ability to edit pages. Edits must be made to the original page on the Wikipedia site, which propagate through to Wapedia over time.”
Versions for Apple devices, Android, and WebOS applications exist. This mobile solution injects adverts directly into the Wikipedia articles through HTML or in the applications. We think this search solution from the free-content giant is impressive and think other companies and app-developers should take note of the technology.
Andrea Hayden, September 09, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Google and Boingo Team Up on Mall and Airport Wi Fi
September 6, 2012
Microsoft used to pay people to search. Now Google pays to get people to connect courtesy of Google– Quite similar in our perspective. You see, Search Engine Watch reports that “Google Offers Free & Discounted Wi-Fi at US Malls, Airports.” The search giant is working with Boingo Wireless to offer free Wi-Fi access at eight malls and discounted access at sixteen airports. As you might suspect, there is a small catch: one must subscribe to Google Offers to take advantage of the program.
Writer Amanda Miller tells us:
“This June, Google partnered with Boingo Wireless to offer free Wi-Fi in six subway stations and more than 200 other locations in New York City. That program is scheduled to end September 7.
“Now, shoppers will be able to surf the web for free in select Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tampa malls, among other major city locations.
“In the airports selected, Google is offering 50 percent off a 24-hour Boingo As-You-Go wi-fi pass.”
See the write up for the list of airports Google and Boingo chose for their project. I wonder, though—if the subway venture has an expiration data, will this new arrangement similarly end at some point? Why bother if the initiative is not long term? It couldn’t be a cynical ploy to hook customers on a service they will later have to pay for, could it? Nah.
Cynthia Murrell, September 06, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Swizzling Android
September 5, 2012
When Amazon rolled out the Kindle Fire, I wondered if Amazon and Google were best pals. Amazon’s Kindle Fire worked with the Amazon download system and the programs worked on the Kindle Fire. We bought a couple of Kindle Fires and figured out that Amazon had used Android but veered into the wilds of the Amazon technical forest.
When I was in China, there were quite a few Android phones available. I had not seen most of these. I quite liked the four SIM devices which I wrote about in one of my for fee columns. (You can see most of these on my LinkedIn profile page, but you will have to go through a free registration process to see the list of write ups.)
Google has made Android open source, so variation, flavors, forks, and knock offs are part of the program. No big deal, I thought, because Google is a giant outfit, able to beat Oracle in court and stuffed with money and wizards.
Then I read “RoMOS Is Russia’s Take on Android OS, Shields Users from Google’s Prying Eyes.” Quite a headline, replete with innuendo in the phrase “Google’s prying eyes” and the SEO charged references to Russia and Android. Here’s the passage which caught my attention:
Unveiled at IFA in Berlin, the Russian Mobile Operating System or RoMOS reportedly mimics the look and feel of Android and works with Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System. The OS is scheduled to debut in tablet form by the end of the year, though RoMOS’ project manager says it can serve as a smartphone operating system, too. The main customers for RoMOS will reportedly be the country’s military, which has always had concerns about data collected by Google from Russian devices falling into US government hands.
Why not use Android and get with the Google program? My hunch is that the possibility of monitoring or some other security concern is not mere public relations baloney. Will other countries use Android in this way? Will a large US telco just follow in the footsteps of Russia and create a version of Android which is proprietary.
Walled gardens, despite the election rhetoric, are a major part of 21st century business strategy. Will these gizmos run the Android games, apps, and malware? Will these hypothetical devices connect to other networks?
One meaning of the word “fork” is “to pay.” Hmmm.
Stephen E Arnold, September 5, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
Smartphones and Travel Plans
September 2, 2012
Many forecasters expected that widespread adoption of smartphones would lead to a boom in mobile-based travel purchases. Now, citing a new study from eMarketer, OnlineMediaDaily informs us that “Travel Research Trumps Bookings on Smartphones.” Hmm. All is not lost, though, for those who would capitalize on the confluence (Google, perhaps?) The article also tells us where and when travelers are truly relying on their phones.
It seems that folks are using their smartphones to research and plan their travel, but when it comes to purchasing, the desktop still reigns supreme. There are a couple of reasons for this. Perhaps most importantly, many people are still uncomfortable making financial transactions through thin air. The nature of travel planning also plays a part—it is more complicated than filling a virtual shopping cart and clicking “check out.”
There is financial opportunity at the other end of that first flight, however; hotels and airlines are now finding ways to capitalize on the situation. Writer Mark Walsh tells us:
“Beyond travel planning and booking, the report also looks at the role of mobile in transit and once people reach their destinations. This is where smartphones come into their own, serving as digital Swiss Army Knives for travelers eager for information about their flights, car rentals, nearby restaurants, and checking into hotels. All that activity opens up new opportunities for travel marketers.
“Almost all travelers take their mobile devices with them, and 80% said they used them all the time while away, according to a Mobile Insights study this year, cited by eMarketer.”
And that is why Google will be buying more travel content. It is not search; maybe it can be considered search and proprietary content. Whatever they call it, Google is sure to find a way to tap into this revenue stream.
Cynthia Murrell,September 02, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Watson in Your Hip Pocket: Win TV Game Shows Anywhere, Anytime
August 29, 2012
Autumn is fast approaching, and it is time for IBM to wheel out the Big Berthas of its marketing campaigns. I spotted the story “IBM Creating Pocket Sized Watson in $16 Billion Sales Push.” The headline snagged my attention. First, it pointed out that the $100 billion services giant wants to generate $16 billion more. A goal can be useful. Second, one of the products which will help blast through this sales target is Watson.
Will IBM Watson pull a rabbit from a hat or wear a hat which looks like a rabbit?
I found this passage particularly interesting:
The next version, dubbed “Watson 2.0,” would be energy- efficient enough to work on smartphones and tablets. The challenge for IBM is overcoming the technical obstacles to making Watson a handheld product, and figuring out how to price and deliver it. Watson’s nerve center is 10 racks of IBM Power750 servers running in Yorktown Heights, New York, that have the same processing power as 6,000 desktop computers. Even though most of the computations occur at the data center, a Watson smartphone application would still consume too much server power for it to be practical today.
Okay. No problem.
The fact that a noted technology expert like Ray Kurzweil is passing along public relations output which flowed from IBM to Bloomberg to Mr. Kurzweil is instructive. The Bloomberg story is “IBM Envisions Watson as a Super-Siri for Businesses.”
Several observations:
First, Watson won a game show. I questioned the credibility of a machine victory particularly when game shows are produced. The good old days of College Bowl on which I appeared in the 1960s were live. Today’s game shows are subject to lots of work by men and women in edit booths. I was okay with the stunt, but did it sell Watson? I don’t know.
Second, I called attention to IBM’s assertions that Watson would rework health care. You can find those write ups—“IBM Watson in Health Care,” “IBM Watson Still Chasing Health Care,” and “IBM Public Relations Chugs Away on Watson and Health Care”—in Beyond Search’s archive. I have lost track of Watson’s revolutionizing medicine.
Third, I have been skeptical about IBM’s claims that Watson slices, dices, and performs various works of retrieval magic in an affordable manner. The most recent analysis of Watson appears in my discussion of Watson in a monograph about open source search which is in press at this time. The full megillah will be available from IDC, the giant consulting firm, in the fall. You can get a taste of what we do at this link: LucidWorks Profile. Let me say that Fancy Dan systems are difficult to make into profitable businesses of the magnitude of IBM’s $16 billion. Autonomy was about a $1.0 billion when it was sold to Hewlett Packard. I mention this as a point of reference only.
Third, the voice search thing is viewed as one of the next big Star Trek things for big companies to do. The challenges, however, are intriguing. There is the issue of accents. There is the issue of ambient noise. There is the issue of a lousy phone due to the owner’s dropping it or spilling a smoothie on it. There is the issue of computational horsepower. There is network latency. There is confusing strings of speech which, if you consider your conversation with a colleague, is full of fits and starts and direction changes. There is the issue of lousy hardware in an automobile’s “smart” dashboard. You get the idea.
Will Watson slam dunk voice search? In demos, Watson will be impressive. In the real world, it may perform as the system did on Jeopardy.
Stephen E Arnold, August 29, 2012
Sponsored by Augmentext
Our Mobile Phone Wonderland
August 25, 2012
Here is where hype and over-the-top marketing collide with reality. Cell Phone Digest reports that “Pew Research Reviews Mobile Phone Problems.” Reporting on a recent survey from the Pew Research Center, the article states:
“Even though mobile technology often simplifies the completion of everyday tasks, cell phone owners can also encounter technical glitches and unwanted intrusions on their phones. In an April 2012 survey, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project assessed the prevalence of four problems that cell owners might face.”
The four problems: dropped calls (72% experienced them), unwanted sales calls (68%), spam texts (69% of texting users), and slow download speeds (77% of those who go online with their phones). The survey found that smartphone users experienced these problems more than those with phones of average intelligence.
The write up notes that, though the study was not structured to measure illegal cell phone marketing, the amounts found imply a lot of that is going around. The article reminds us to look into the National Do Not Call Registry if we wish to reduce the number of marketing calls and texts we receive.
Researchers suspect that our levels of dissatisfaction are the result of technology that has not been able to keep up with our expectations. Could less-than-completely-honest advertising have anything to do with that? Nah, that can’t be it.
Cynthia Murrell, August 25, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Dedicated iPad Content is No Media Savior
August 25, 2012
It seems that content tailored to the iPad is not the panacea media outfits hoped it would be. Gigaom examines the (lack of a) trend in “HuffPo, The Daily and the Flawed iPad Content Model.”
It has been just over a month since The Huffington Post launched their paid iPad content service, and already the site announces it is reducing the price. To zero. Meanwhile, News Corporation‘s dedicated iPad division The Daily has sharply reduced its staff and, it is rumored, may be on its way out altogether. What’s happening? Is the iPad not the savior of news organizations?
Writer Matthew Ingram suspects the culprit is the very way users have come to access media online. He explains:
“Whether media companies like it or not (and they mostly don’t), much of the news and other content we consume now comes via links shared through Twitter and Facebook and other networks, or through old-fashioned aggregators — such as Yahoo News or Google News — and newer ones like Flipboard and Zite and Prismatic that are tailored to mobile devices and a socially-driven news experience. Compared to that kind of model, a dedicated app from a magazine or a newspaper looks much less interesting, since by design it contains content from only a single outlet, and it usually doesn’t contain helpful things like links.”
This viewpoint, though probably correct, seems to leave little hope for traditional publishers who strive to make it in today’s media landscape. Ingram acknowledges that a couple of organizations who already had a very strong brand, like the New York Times, and some that target niche audiences are doing well. For the field as a whole, though, fresh ideas are desperately needed.
Cynthia Murrell, August 25, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Tableau BI App Now Available for Android Tablets
August 15, 2012
Tableau version 7.0.6 includes Android functionality, according to “Tableau Software Expands Mobile Business Intelligence Capabilities with Support for Android” at the San Francisco Chronicle. The press release explains:
“The native Android application will provide Android users with touch-optimized controls for dashboards, including filters, pinch and zoom and dynamic scrolling. It will also allow users to browse the content on Tableau Server right from their Android tablet device.”
The BI consultants at I.T. firm InterWorks got to test drive the beta version, and were happy with the results. Their James Wright declares:
“Presenting business intelligence via a Tablet really breaks the mold and completely reframes expectations. The user expects, and receives, a fully interactive experience that transcends the traditional BI approach of ‘Sit and Stare.’ I never walk into a new client or training session without a Tablet.”
That’s a very good point. A version with touch-aware support for the iPad was released last year. No word yet on a version for the Surface. Hmm.
Last year Gartner and IDC rated Tableau Software as the world’s fastest-growing business intelligence company. The enterprise grew from a Department of Defense project, pursued at Stanford University, that sought to increase folks’ ability to analyze information. Founded in 2003, Tableau is headquartered in Seattle, WA, and has four other offices sprinkled through the US and Europe.
Cynthia Murrell, August 15, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Google Now May Make Android 4 1 a Siri Killer
August 14, 2012
The Android Does blog recently posted an interesting write up on what Google knows about people in the article “Google Now: One Step Closer to a Star Trek Future.”
According to the article, Google has some futuristic plans for the next wave of Android products that will allow devices to perform searches and tasks when circumstances prompt it, rather than when a stated query or command does.
The new tool that allows for this is called Google Now and it aims to make the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) a fierce competitor of Apple’s Siri.
When explaining Google Now, the article states:
“Google Now is more than an assistant; it tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, when the next train will arrive as you’re standing on the platform, or your favorite team’s score while they’re playing. And the best part? All of this happens automatically. Cards appear throughout the day at the moment you need them. I don’t know about you but the possibilities from here are pretty exciting; let us know what you think in the comments.”
Google Now will make Android 4.1 by far the most technologically advanced smartphone personal assistant to date. But are smartphone users ready for technology to be one step ahead of us at all times?
Jasmine Ashton, August 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Neofonie Technology Underpins Labdoo
August 10, 2012
Neofonie GmbH, based in Berlin, Germany, is a long-term player in search; the company has been in the market since 1998 and created the early German search engine fireball.de. Their technology is now being used at Labdoo.org, home base for the Labdoo project, a 501(c)(3) organization. The project’s About page explains its goals:
“A laptop is a door to education, providing children free access to open source education tools and electronic books through the Internet.
“In the richer countries, every year more than a hundred million laptops are replaced by new ones. This number continues to increase, yet most of the children in the poor regions of the world still lack access to education.
“The goal of Labdoo is to use grassroots, decentralized, social networking tools to efficiently bring excess laptops to the children in the developing world without wasting additional Earth resources.
“Join Labdoo and use the social network tools to bring a laptop to a child!”
A worthy cause, to be sure. Though the project won’t be officially launched until early next year, its Web site is up and running. The organization encourages visitors to use its tools to build their own “mini-missions and hubs.” Doing so, it emphasizes, will help further the development of their platform.
Neofonie began as an offshoot of the Technical University of Berlin. They make it a point to meet, and to innovate beyond, market demands. The company produces enterprise search as well as portal and vertical search products for both Web solutions and mobile apps.
Cynthia Murrell, August 10, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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