PolySpot Releases New Administrative Console
October 17, 2012
PolySpot’s latest video explains the features and functions of Version 6 of its Administration Console. With this latest release, PolySpot leapfrogs of the administrative interfaces available from many other vendors. PolySpot Information At Work includes a configuration and administration console that covers the entire process, from connector management to search service creation.
The company has provided a video demonstrating the uses of this new administrative console and detailing these high-value enhancement; for example, the ability to configure views with a click, modify the document view with a single click, and autocomplete.
PolySpot, leader in information access solutions, has released a brand new administration console as part of the company’s infrastructure component, Information at Work. Information at Work is a cost-effective component that can help users develop applications to access the information they need.
The updated console provides quick and easy-to-use intermodule navigation with new navigation menus and focuses on providing guidance during the workflow of configuration. Other features of the interface include:
PolySpot Silo Breaker: Distributed data extraction framework.
PolySpot Sense Builder: Dedicated, asynchronous structuring and semantic enrichment platform.
PolySpot SearchMart: Service based on PolySpot InfoWarehouse used to publish index-linked search services. Can be accessed via a range of different applications using an XML/HTTP API.
The video can be viewed here. We think the video demonstration is useful and worth checking out.
Andrea Hayden, October 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Sift Science Offers Faker Finder
October 15, 2012
There is no doubt that online fraud and fake reviews are a growing problem; Gigaom supplies “5 Ways to Sniff Out Online Fakers.” The article highlights the efforts of Sift Science, a new company co-founded by former Google software engineer Brandon Ballinger. In fact, six of the eight employees of the site-guarding startup are ex-Googlers.
Sift Science’s tool is built on the open source projects Hadoop, HBase, Avro and MongoDB. Customers can protect their sites, they say, by adding some Javascript code and using JavaScript Object Notation APIs to track user events. Writer Barb Darrow reports on her conversation with Ballinger:
“‘Based on user actions, we build a model of what a normal user would do on a site versus what a fraudulent user would do. We look at the time of account creation, the sequence of pages viewed. If they’re browsing around, they’re probably normal. If they set up an account and jump straight to a transaction, probably not,’ Ballinger told me by phone. But then again, they’re tricky. Sift Science found that someone who opens an account, then waits an hour before transacting is 7 times more likely to be fraudulent than the average user.
“The process is similar to Google Analytics in that Sift Science creates a history of user events and comes up with a score for each user that rates the likelihood that he or she is involved in fraud, he said.”
A beta trial of the software turned up some trends (the titular “5 Ways” to identify fraudsters). Fake accounts tend to be created late at night, for example. Also, these deceivers seem to use less current browsers and operating systems and really like Yahoo email. The geographic point of origin was also found to be significant.
We think Sift Science gives us a step in the right direction, but our question now is this: how can a search system differentiate valid research, verifiable facts, and “spin”? We’d love to see a few lines of code that can crack that one.
Cynthia Murrell, October 15, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Search Service Application for SharePoint 2013
October 9, 2012
When it comes to SharePoint, the search application has always been a tricky feature. For smaller companies, if programmed directly, it does the job perfectly, but for larger organizations a more robust solution for search was found in third-party software. Rather than turn to ISVs, these days many IT professionals are developing solutions in house to save on costs and to make a piece of software that does exactly what it needs. SharePoint Tutorial took the “do it yourself” approach for “SharePoint 2013 Create Search Service Application with PowerShell.”
The article teaches you the following:
“This guide shows you how to create a SharePoint 2013 Search Service Application using PowerShell and how this process differs from creating a SharePoint 2010 Search Service Application using PowerShell.”
PowerShell is the task automation framework from Microsoft. It uses command-line shell and other scripting languages for Windows. Its main function is to primarily allow IT professionals have greater access over the administrative function of Windows; mostly it uses cmdlets, which can be combined into scripts or executables.
The article walks the reader through steps on how to create a search service application by going through each step individually and explaining them with the use of screenshots. The coding examples are the real winner as they provide the real basis for understanding how to create the search application. Sometimes in the coding process it is easy to get lost and confused, but when a ready reference is available for help it makes the process all the easier to get through. If the coding examples, screenshots, and explanations are not enough to get you started, the article links to the SharePoint 2013 Resource Page. It is SharePoint Tutorial’s Web resource page that points to all their gathered knowledge on the new SharePoint 2013 deployment.
As SharePoint 2013 is still a new and its sea legs are still being tested and it is still being determined whether a homebuilt application to augment its out-of-the-box search capabilities. If we can follow the same pattern from other SharePoint versions, then a homebuilt, customizable solution is the way to go. The article starts IT professionals and SharePoint developers with a good starting point. The real test will come with longtime exposure to 2013, long enough to get all the bugs figured out.
Search Technologies can provide organizations worldwide with engineering and support services for SharePoint Search as well as other enterprise systems. The firm’s engineers can create PowerShell and other components to improve the performance and user satisfaction of any search and retrieval system. More information about Search Technologies is available at http://www.searchtechnologies.com/.
Iain Fletcher, Search Technologies, October 9, 2012
PS. Search Technologies is holding our first search meet up. Details are available at http://www.meetup.com/DC-Metro-Enterprise-Search-Network/ and http://goo.gl/P5oKY.
Free DataCleaner Download Available
October 6, 2012
We’ve found a free utility that might be useful to some of our readers. DataCleaner 3.0 is an open source data quality management tool from the European company Human Inference. The company describes the product here; the press release explains:
“In all modesty, we think that with DataCleaner 3 we are redefining ‘the premier open source data quality solution’. With DataCleaner 3 we’ve embraced a whole new functional area of data quality, namely data monitoring.
“Traditionally, DataCleaner has its roots in data profiling. In the former years, we’ve added several related additional functions: transformations, data cleansing, duplicate detection and more. With data monitoring we basically deliver all of the above, but in a continuous environment for analyzing, improving and reporting on your data. Furthermore, we will deliver these functions in a centralized web-based system.”
The solution is designed to continuously monitor, improve, and share data; at its core is their strong data profiling engine that analyzes data quality. The team incorporated many upstream improvements from dependent projects. A “completeness analyzer” points out records with incomplete fields, while enhanced search-replace and a text case converter help make analysis easier. Results can be exported into professional quality HTML reports. They have also, they say, built a user interface that is helpful and pleasant to use.
With offices in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, Human Inference uses natural language processing to build their data quality solutions. Their client roster includes some familiar names, like ING Financial, The New York Times, and logistics firm DHL.
Cynthia Murrell, October 06, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Easy XML Converter for Sale
September 23, 2012
Perhaps this is useful: Sofotex offers through its site an Easy XML Converter. The downloadable software runs $119, but there is a twenty day trial period. The product description reads:
“Easy XML Converter helps to convert XML files into a variety of formats. Easy XML Converter also has a help screen that tells you which tables (elements) that are related to each other. What you want to convert, choose from a tree view, select the desired columns that you want, making it very easy to set up. The converter also supports batch job. Paths and all conversion functions are set and stored in a schema, which you activate when you are in need of conversion of the XML file.Supported formats: Excel 2003 and 2007, Text, Access (.mdb), HTML and XML”
The page goes on to list these functions: the software can convert several XML files, then merge them into one output file; users can filter converted data; a detail view of the file allows the software to double as a handy XML viewer; and backup folders are available.
We haven’t given the converter a spin yet, but it could be useful if it works as advertised. If you think such a product could help you, try it out for about nineteen days, then decide.
Cynthia Murrell, September 23, 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
Wajam Plug In Offers Social Search Capabilities
September 13, 2012
The endless data users are providing to social networks via statuses and check-ins is being harnessed by a new search tool, Wajam. A review of the service, “Review: Wajam, a Tool for Searching Socially,” on Technology Review tells us how the approach works. Queries will yield results from related posts from your friends on different social networking sites. The free plug-in brings in up a pop-up containing this data and is also available in an iPhone app.
The review tells us more about the service’s capabilities:
“Wajam bests the big guys with its availability and flexibility. You can use it on all four major browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari), and it pulls up relevant social data on both the obvious websites and less-expected ones like IMDb, TripAdvisor, and Shopping.com. Once you sign up on the site and download the plug-in, your Wajam results show up as a pop-up on the page, sometimes with ads (although you can turn ads off in Wajam’s settings).”
Although the reviewer cites some kinks (sluggish, only works on 3G,) it’s easy to see this type of search becoming the norm because we tend to care about and value opinions and experiences of people we know. Companies like Google and Microsoft are also harnessing this data to personalize results and we are curious to see where social search will grow and improve.
Andrea Hayden, September 13, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Science Exchange Spearheads Reproducibility Initiative
September 3, 2012
Reuters recently reported on a new fact checker for scientific studies in the article “More Trial, Less Error – An Effort to Improve Scientific Studies.”
According to the article, After discovering that scientific literature, ranging from social psychology to cancer biology, is filled with false findings and erroneous conclusions, Science Exchange recently announced that it will be embarking on a “Reproducibility Initiative,” aimed at improving the trustworthiness of published papers.
This is how it works:
“The initiative’s 10-member board of prominent scientists will match investigators with a lab qualified to test their results, said Elizabeth Iorns, Science Exchange’s co-founder and chief executive officer. The original lab would pay the second for its work. How much depends on the experiment’s complexity and the cost of study materials, but should not exceed 20 percent of the original research study’s costs. Iorns hopes government and private funding agencies will eventually fund replication to improve the integrity of scientific literature.
The two labs would jointly write a paper, to be published in the journal PLoS One, describing the outcome. Science Exchange will issue a certificate if the original result is confirmed.”
I was shocked to learn that Bayer Healthcare reported that its scientists could not reproduce some 75 percent of published findings in cardiovascular disease, cancer and women’s health. If this initiative goes through it should be a huge benefit to the healthcare industry and scientists everywhere.
Jasmine Ashton, September 03, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
EntropySoft Offers SharePoint Users Aid
August 31, 2012
SharePoint is a big name in the semantics tech world, but unfortunately it is not a one-stop shop. For businesses who are trying to utilize SharePoint’s features, the not so savvy user might need to access the program information, making things complicated to say the least. The article, Search and Act in SharePoint explains how using extra tools like EntropySoft’s FAST Search makes for a better user experience:
“EntropySoft’s FAST Search for SharePoint and FAST ESP Connectors allow documents from external content repositories to be included within their indexes. This means users can securely search and find documents from these external ECM systems directly from the native search bar in SharePoint…Users can access document versions and metadata, and with the appropriate permissions, they can also edit meta data or delete versions.”
The solutions to some of SharePoints most pesky user issues definitely allows for a more enjoyable experience using the program. In an ideal world our BI technologies would be advanced enough that there wouldn’t be a need for extra tools like EntrophySoft’s Fast Search or their other child EntropySoft Content Hub SharePoint Edition, a tool that allows an easy to use single point of access – but, we will take what we can get.
Edie Marie, August 31, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
WAND Inc Makes Integration Plans with Nintex Workflow Official
August 30, 2012
Last week WAND, Inc announced its plans to integrate with Nintex Workflow. Wand, Inc is attributed to making search work better by the use of its various taxonomies and Nintex is the world’s leader in SharePoint Workflow. Separately they are powerhouses in their specific field and combined they seem to have a lot to offer each other. The article, WAND adds automatic tagging to Nintex Workflow sheds some more light on what this match up could mean:
“The DataFacet Automatic Annotation custom action for Nintex Workflow allows a user to automatically tag documents with taxonomy metadata as part of a workflow process. Users who have DataFacet and Nintex Workflow …will be able take advantage of this custom action to control when a document is automatically tagged and base conditional actions on those tags. Workflows can be configured to tag documents with any terminology that is stored in the SharePoint Term Store, including terms from any of WAND’s Foundation Taxonomies.”
If everything runs smoothly for these two, this seems like a decent match up that has some great potential. I think it is safe to say that we can be expecting some great things from these guys in the coming years.
Edie Marie, August 30, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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