Beta of Open Source LogicPull Available
January 13, 2014
Here is an open-source solution for the search crowd: check out the beta version of LogicPull, available at GitHub, for some content magic. The tool lets one create advanced interviews for end users, then feeds their answers to document templates.
The description elaborates:
“LogicPull was initially developed to save time and money creating the many legal documents needed for a court proceeding. It has since expanded to handle the assembly of PDF, DocX, RTF and XML documents for any project. It is a cloud based automated document assembly service. We give you the tools to quickly create an advanced question and answer interview to be completed by an end user, which in turn creates an answer set to be combined with a template to produce documents.
*Multiple Document Formats Supported
*Create Complex Branching Logic
*Keep your Data and Documents in the Cloud
*Save Progress on Client Interviews
*Attach Custom Templates to Guided Interviews
*Preview your Work Before it Goes Live
*Send Processed Documents Automatically”
Naturally, the GitHub entry lists system and software requirements for running LogicPull, as well as a links to demos, an installation tutorial, and an article on building the solution logically. You can also look through the FAQs, known issues, envisioned improvements, and other key info. One point to note: in order to use the full version of LogicPull, one must register. However, at the time of this writing, the site is a victim of its success—so many folks have registered recently, that sign-up is currently disabled. Let us hope it will re-open soon.
Cynthia Murrell, January 13, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Latest PhraseExpress Packed with Updates
January 8, 2014
When searching, chatting, or writing an important email, do you ever wish you had an auto-complete function for phrases? PhraseExpress 10 is the latest iteration of such a tool, and this version has many new features. We get the rundown from betanews‘ “PhraseExpress 10 Debuts Phrase Searches, Outlook Add-In, Input Validation.” For example, users can search within a popup window for a desired phrase, even if the source is in a subfolder.
The article also specifies:
“Display performance is up to ten times faster; bread crumb navigation and scroll wheel support improves navigation; an option to highlight key phrases in color ensures they’re easy to spot; and new customization options mean you can tweak the menu font, size, and more.
Formatted text has been extended with the option to add interactive WYSIWYG formats, including input fields, dropdown menus, date pickers and checkboxes. User input can be validated to reduce the chance of errors, and macros now work in formatted phrases, too.
The new PhraseExpress Enterprise edition includes an Outlook add-in which analyses incoming mails, then offers intelligent auto-complete suggestions based on their context. At its simplest this might just automatically greet the sender with the name used to sign off their email, but it can also provide tailored responses to particular keywords (a product name, say).”
Writer Mike Williams goes on to note improvements to the data-import and phrase-creation processes. There are also SQL Server support and simplified licensing. First released in 2002, PhraseExpress is a product of Bartels Media. Launched in 1997, the small company makes its home in Trier, Germany.
Cynthia Murrell, January 08, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Shopping For Business Intelligence
January 5, 2014
There is not an Amazon equivalent for organizations in the market for business intelligence tools. They must rely on conducting their own research to find the best tool to suit their needs. Why has not one of the world’s IT experts taken the time to aggregate all BI reviews, software specifications, and other relevant information into one source? Oh, wait, someone did! Software Advice is a Web site where people can read about business intelligence software and select the proper tool for their organization. In the article, “Compare Business Intelligence (BI) Software Tools” there is a rundown of the top ten most recommended business intelligent systems along with an explanation about how there is a growing need for BI software to analyze data and give a user friendly interface.
There are three main ways BI software is used: data management, data discovery, and reporting tools. What and how the organization wants to use the data shapes the type of the software they need to buy. Another consideration is to figure out what type of buyer you are:
“Business users and departmental buyers. This group of buyers favors small data discovery vendors and BI tools over the big traditional BI systems. Ease-of-use and fast deployment are more important than in-depth functionality and integration. They are usually business users rather than IT staff.
IT buyers. Traditional buyers are more focused on functionality and integration within their information infrastructure stacks or other enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. Integration across different entities and departments is usually more important than ease of use.”
Then there are the current marketing trends. These shift from year to year, but the ones on people’s radar are: mobile BI applications, SaaS, business users outnumbering IT staff, big data, and in-memory processing.
Software Advice offers consultation services to organizations in the market for a BI solution. As of writing this article, they have helped 159,561 companies in eight years. The initial consult is free as is the general information, but there are going to be fees somewhere. Software Advice selling technique is analogous to a personal shopper.
Whitney Grace, January 05, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
WikiSummarizer Makes Charts Fun Again
January 4, 2014
Instead of having to read an entire Wikipedia entry or Web site, there is a neat Web tool that aggregates all of the information and displays it in a neat, interactive chart. The WebSummarizer was developed by Context Discovery Inc. to create summaries from Web pages, documents, and plain text. The tool sifts through the information on a Web site and pulls out the most relevant and important information, and then displays it as a visual summary with interactive content maps. Users can download the selected information and export it to a variety of programs such as content managers, databases, and word processes.
Along with the WebSummarizer is a WikiSummarizer that uses the same software to summarize Wikipedia articles. Wikipedia is a vast resource and the entries are more in-depth than a typical encyclopedia or book can provide. It boils down to more reading time, but WikiSummarizer highlights all of the essential information and saves time.
Both summarizing tools offer the following features:
1. “Summarize web pages, documents and plain text to convert long content into essential interactive structured outlines and Visual Summaries
2. Download the summaries as structured text to speed up your research, publishing, learning and blog writing
3. Download the summaries as Visual Summaries – “A picture is worth a thousand words”- to enable absorbing large amounts of information quicker
4. Download the summaries as mind maps to wide range of your favorite mind mapping application
5. Take notes – quickly collect topics and sentences from all contextually relevant sources such as websites, documents and Wikipedia Knowledge Base
6. Speed-up reading by condensing each article to the essential keywords and contextual summaries
7. Make a long story short – the summaries headline most important sentences and the relationships between topics giving instant information capsules”
It is a lark to play around with the chart functions and displaying the information in different ways. Each option reveals new facts and is almost as fun as playing six degrees of Wikipedia. Be aware that all of the summaries are automated, so it is wise to review the information before extensive use.
Whitney Grace, January 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Free White Paper on Free Visual Tools
January 3, 2014
We recently found a free white paper on free visual tools that can present your information in a free-flowing form. These visual tools offer a way to spice up information presentation. The article, “Guide comparatif des outils gratuits de cartographie de l’information” located at Les Infostrateges summarizes a white paper about five inventive ways to display information. For our non-French speaking readers, the title roughly translates to “Comparative Guide On Free Mapping Information Tools.” The white paper is located here and like the press release it is in French, but thanks to Google translate (forgive the awkward wording) we can tell you it provides insights into mapping information:
“Mind mapping is an intuitive tool, easy to use: one can find information akin to an exploratory journey in a given field of knowledge. Indeed, the fields of application of the mapping are many and varied. Ease of design heuristics patterns as their plasticity are also an asset in an educational process of knowledge transfer: the graph as illustration facilitate the appropriation of messages.”
Five information mapping tools are described:
FreeMind-a free mapping software with a 1960s peace and love approach to information mapping.
XMind-a more professional tool supposed to help guide your brainstorming.
Mindomo-comes off as more of a start-up and it costs money, so not exactly free.
Mind42-takes the social media approach and is like Reddit for mind mapping.
SpicyNodes-Unlike the others the maps move on this one.
It is surprising that mind mapping has not caught on with the social media world. It could easily be developed into an app for people to connect their related interests and ideas in a large social network. Pictures and short comments could be uploaded. It would be like a combination of Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Whitney Grace, January 03, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Metalogix Provides Solution for SharePoint and Exchange Data
January 2, 2014
SharePoint and Exchange both contain huge amounts of data, and getting them to work together at maximum efficiency can be a great challenge. ZDNet offers a solution to this scenario in their latest article, “Metalogix Liberates SharePoint and Exchange Data.”
The article begins:
“SharePoint and Exchange are both complex products. While the multiplicity of setting and options makes it possible to adjust their operations to address an organization’s requirements, it also makes it difficult for organizations to pick up and move their data to take advantage of cloud service offerings or to migrate some or all of their data to different on-premise solutions.”
Metalogix says they have this problem covered:
“Metalogix pointed out that their products address the requirements IT decision-makers have to maintain tight management control of their content, security for that content and support a mirrored environment for higher levels of reliability.”
And while Metalogix may or may not be the right product for your enterprise, it is worth following a news source that gives you the latest on SharePoint, as well as tips and tricks. Stephen E. Arnold of ArnoldIT.com, as a longtime leader in search, follows the latest in enterprise search, including SharePoint. Research proves that organizations that get the most of their SharePoint installation are those that customize and continue to tweak. Stay tuned for ways to optimize your installation.
Emily Rae Aldridge, January 2, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Plagiarism Trackers
December 27, 2013
With the Internet it is easier than ever to plagiarize by either stealing or buying someone’s work. The Internet is a double edge sword, however, because there are tools available to people to check a work for veracity and originality. Unless you are a teacher or in some form of academia, you might not be aware of the Web sites that are plagiarism checkers. Through our own research, we have complied a list:
Dustball—A trusted checked since 2002.
Plagiarism Detect—Useful but has problems when Bing changes its API.
Small SEO Tools Plagiarism Checker—A simple free checker.
Plagiarisma—Available in different languages with other useful features and downloadable apps.
Copyscape—Has the unique feature, Copysentry to allow users to monitor plagiarism on the Web.
Plagium—Like many of the other checkers, but has a beta version to check social media.
There is an expression that says, “there are no original ideas anymore.” New ideas spring up all the time, but it takes a lot more work to create something new than it does to make something from scratch. Plagiarism does not benefit anyone, especially the stealer. Use the plagiarism tools to improve your work quality and come up with something new.
Whitney Grace, December 27, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Doctor Autonomy I Presume
December 20, 2013
HP is putting Autonomy in a pith helmet and sending them to the jungle, according to ZDNet,’s article “HP’s Earth Insights Deploys Big Data Tech Against Eco Threats.” HP has transformed big data into an ecology tool. Vertica, HP’s big data technology is helping ecologists detect risks to endangered species. The new endeavor is called Earth Insights and it is a joint venture between Conservation International-a non-governmental group. Earth Insights speeds up the analysis of environmental data with the addition of being in real-time and with better accuracy.
HP is also using this opportunity to show off its product line and its applications for different fields. The company is proving that big data is not only reserved for the retail and business sectors, but science can take advantage of its potential as well. The entire project uses Vertica, Hadoop, and Autonomy IDOL to analyze the 1.4 million photos, climate measurements, and three terabytes of biodiversity information from cameras and climate sensors.
“The results of the analytics will be shared with protected area managers, as well as with governments, academic institutions, non-governmental bodies and the private sector, so that they can act to protect threatened wildlife and develop policies to address threats to habitats. According to the company, the project is already yielding new information indicating declines in a significant number of the species monitored.”
Technology is seen as an opposing force to nature, but in this case technology is being used to preserve nature. It reminds me of how a Brazilian tribe used Google and an Android phone to save their home in the Amazon.
Whitney Grace, December 20, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Digital Reasoning Unleashes Human Analysis to the Cloud
December 8, 2013
Digital Reasoning has built its reputation by providing products that automate the understanding of human communication. One could say they put the humanity in technology. Digital Reasoning has taken its technology to a “higher” level says Broadway World, “Digital Reasoning Debuts Cloud Version Of Its Machine Learning Platform That Analyzes Human Language, Set Sights On Data Scientists.” The Synthesys Machine Learning Platform will be released on the AWS Marketplace and will be available as Synthesys Cloud.
Digital Reasoning hopes that by putting the Synthesys Cloud on AWS Marketplace will allow its clients to process and analyze larger amounts of unstructured data faster and more efficiently. It will also offer a large number of benefits to data scientists:
- “Rather than spending time on IT tasks such as installing and configuring various hardware and software components, users are able to launch a Synthesys cluster with just a few clicks allowing them to focus on uploading, analyzing and exploring data.
- Synthesys simplifies the parsing of human language data such as Web content, documents, emails and other electronic communications into semantically rich structures (i.e. entities, facts and relationships) so that data scientists do not have to be subject matter experts in Natural Language Processing (NLP).
- Synthesys Cloud offers initial support for 3rd party query tools such as Apache Hive, which gives users power and flexibility to explore and visualize Synthesys output.
- Synthesys Cloud on the AWS Marketplace makes it easy and affordable for any budget to pay-as-they-go by taking advantage of low hourly billing rates and the ability to combine Synthesys with other AWS offerings.”
This company stresses how Synthesys Cloud is an amazing, new tool for data scientists. However, it offers separate reasons as to why it is beneficial for other clients as well. Is the company thinking that business professionals will approach the software differently than data scientists?
Whitney Grace, December 08, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Vizit Announces SharePoint 2013 Enhancements
December 2, 2013
There is a growing landscape of SharePoint add-ons that provide increased functionality as well as ease of use. Vizit throws its name into the ring with their new release of Vizit Essential. PR Web offers the latest in their article, “Vizit Announces Essential SharePoint 2013 Enhancements.”
The article begins:
“Vizit a leading provider of solutions that enhance SharePoint usability, search, and document reviews announces improved PDF, Email, and SharePoint 2013 Document Library support for its leading SharePoint add-on solution, Vizit Essential™. Vizit continues to build on its legacy of making SharePoint more usable through efficient file previewing and viewing by adding PDF bookmarking support to Vizit Essential.”
There is a definite market for add-ons such as the one offered by Vizit. As SharePoint increases its scope and breadth, customers have to look elsewhere for customization and depth. It is an old rule that you cannot be all things to all people. But SharePoint serves as a good base and customers are increasingly comfortable looking elsewhere for special needs. Steven E. Arnold is a longtime leader in search and a SharePoint watcher. His Web service, Beyond Search, is a good way to track the latest in all things enterprise search, including new add-ons.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 2, 2013