Google News Archive Running (For Now)
April 7, 2014
The article titled Search 60 Million Scanned Newspaper Pages on Gizmo’s Freeware refers to Google’s abandoned project to digitize a bulk of newspapers for its Google News Archive (related to Google News.) That project went live in 2006 but since the announcement in 2011 that Google would not be adding more content, the site has been on and offline. In spite of this, the article notes,
“However, the results of its original efforts are still online, in the form of a searchable archive of 60 million pages from some of the world’s best-known newspapers (and some little-known ones too). The scans go right back to the 1800s, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the past. So if you’re into history, or just curious to see whether anyone you know was mentioned in a newspaper in recent years, head to http://news.google.com/newspapers and see what you can find.”
What they forget to mention is to do it now if you want to at all. Who knows how long it will be available? In the meantime, it offers an inexhaustible resource of oddities, human interest stories and history lessons from countless newspapers. If you are confused by the results, check out the Google support page, which has some instructions on searching for articles within a specific date range.
Chelsea Kerwin, April 07, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Open Review Brings Peer Review to the Scientific Masses
April 7, 2014
This seems like a step in the right direction for the world of academic publishing. ResearchGate News announces, “Peer Review Isn’t Working—Introducing Open Review.” We know that increasingly, papers based on shoddy research have been making it into journals supposedly policed by rigorous peer-review policies. Now, ResearchGate has launched a countermeasure—Open Review brings the review process to the public. The write up happily tells us:
“We’re excited to announce the launch of Open Review today. It’s designed to help you openly voice feedback and evaluate research that you have read and worked with, bringing more transparency to science and speeding up progress.
“With Open Review you can:
*Voice your feedback on the reproducibility of research.
*Request reviews of research you’re interested in.
*Discuss publications with the authors and other experts.
“All too often we’ve seen false findings printed in the pages of noteworthy journals while valuable research doesn’t make the light of day, and rarely is anything done about it. Open Review aims to change this. Recent events have highlighted the need for a new system for peer review, and Professor Kenneth Ka-Ho Lee and his team at the Chinese University of Hong Kong are taking the first steps.”
The piece goes on to discuss Professor Lee’s review, the first to be published under the new system. Lee and company analyzed a study published last January in Nature on a new (and more ethically neutral) method of producing stem cells for researchers. Unfortunately, the study contained egregious errors, and never should have made it into print. Elevated hopes were brought back to earth.
The write-up concludes with a call for input from scientists on how to improve Open Review (ResearchGate membership required to comment). ResearchGate was founded in 2008 to facilitate collaboration by scientists around the world. They emphasize a dedication to transparency; this project certainly embodies that goal.
Cynthia Murrell, April 07, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SiLK Package from LucidWorks Bundles Functionalities
April 7, 2014
We had heard that LucidWorks was trying to partner with the analysis firm Splunk. Now, though, PCWorld tells us that “LucidWorks Preps Solr Stack as Splunk Killer.” The new package, dubbed SiLK, is based on the Apache Solr search engine and incorporates open source analysis tools Apache Flume, LogStash, and Kibana. It is worth noting that, according to the company, LucidWorks employees make up a quarter of the open-source Solr’s core committers. Even so, this project seems to cry, “me too, me too!”
What was that about killing Splunk? Reporter Joab Jackson writes:
“LucidWorks says that using Lucene instead of Elasticsearch will allow an organization to aggregate and search across more data, Hayes said. SiLK is aimed at organizations that have anywhere from hundreds of gigabytes to terabytes of data to ingest daily.
“According to Hayes, SiLK can also provide some scalability advantages over the commercial market leader of log-data analysis, Splunk. Splunk charges, at least in part, based on how much data is being analyzed, which can add up when dealing with extremely large amounts of data.”
Available to subscribers of LucidWorks‘ Lucene services, SiLK also works with Apache Hadoop. LucidWorks is headquartered in Redwood City, California, and was founded in 2007 as Lucid Imagination. The company’s stated goal is to make open source search accessible and easy to learn.
Cynthia Murrell, April 07, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SharePoint Adds PDF Converter
April 7, 2014
One of the major complaints about SharePoint is that users often have to leave the platform in order to accomplish basic tasks. SharePoint is getting closer to complete, and Microsoft is making some needed improvements. However, add-ons are also filling an important role in improving the user experience. Virtual Strategy covers one addition in their article, “SharePoint Now More Killer With PDF Document Converter; It’s No Fool’s Joke.”
The article begins:
“Today, PortalFront Tru Apps announces a new ‘Convert to PDF’ feature in SharePoint, bringing SharePoint a step closer to maturity . . . Converting documents from Word (doc, docx), Excel (xslx), PowerPoint and other formats to PDF directly in SharePoint libraries was not possible. The app also allows batch conversion and supports many other file types to PDF.”
Add-ons have been the key to SharePoint satisfaction according to many experts. Stephen E. Arnold is one of those experts, and he puts his thoughts down on the Web site, ArnoldIT.com. He covers a lot of SharePoint news and has found that user experience is highest when customization is at its best. But since many organizations cannot fully support internal customization, add-ons are key.
Emily Rae Aldridge, April 7, 2014
Government Tackles Acquisition Inefficiencies
April 6, 2014
Given evidence like the vile backlog on veterans’ benefits and the still-operating paperwork bunker in Pennsylvania, one could be forgiven for suspecting that no one in government is even trying to bring our bureaucracy into this century. You may be surprised to know there is plan in place for at least part of the problem, as evidenced by the Integrated Award Environment: the Path Forward from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). That document, which looks suspiciously like a Power Point presentation converted to PDF, outlines the GSA’s recommendations for improving the federal government’s acquisition procedures.
Anyone interested in the details should check out the document, but the list of “our principles” summarizes the organization’s targets:
- Open (source code, data, APIs)
- Data as an asset
- Continuous improvement
- Effective user experience
- Measurable transactions
- Security is foundational
- Build value over maintaining status quo
The paper expounds on each of these points, defining the implications of each goal, a point or two on maintaining balance, and questions workers should ask themselves going forward. For example, the section on “Open” notes that users must balance the stability of, say, Oracle with the agility of open source solutions and security with openness. For the data-enthused among us, the section on “Data as an asset” reads:
“Accurate, timely, complete, and authoritative”
Implies:
*Significant effort to manage data quality; implementers must have data-oriented SLAs
*Change control of the data needs to be transparent
*Will follow the data->information->knowledge chain Implies
Balance:
*Our flexibility has to account for the strong change management of our data Balance
Ask ourselves:
*“How do we ensure that we are providing timely and accurate data?”
*“How are we enabling decision-making through use of our data?”
So, next time you’re tempted to think our government is doomed to be stuck in the 20th century, remember that some folks within the bureaucracy are on the case. Soon, it may be time for them to party like it’s 1999.
Cynthia Murrell, April 06, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
New York Public Library Posts Maps
April 5, 2014
The New York Public Library has a massive collection of beautiful maps, but instead of keeping them locked in an archive Motherboard reports, “The New York Public Library Releases 20,000 Beautiful High Resolution Maps.”
All of the 20,000 maps are available via open access. What is even more amazing is that the NYPL decided to release the maps under the Creative Commons CCO 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. If you are unfamiliar with a Creative Commons license, it means that users are free to download content and do whatever they want with it.
“Combined with its existing historical GIS program, the NYPL wants its users to engage with the maps, and allows them to warp (fitting together based on corresponding anchor points) and overlay the historic maps with modern geoweb services like Google and Open Street Map. Users can export WMS, KML files, and high-quality TIFFs. The historic map appears side by side with the modern maps, and users are invited to mark corresponding points on each, so you can overlay the historic map over the current day’s.”
Google Maps using old maps to explore the world of the past. It is yet another amazing use of modern technology and makes one wonder what people of yesterday would have thought about exploring their world via a small box.
Whitney Grace, April 5, 2014
Jet Reports and Targit Collaborate on Business Intelligence
April 5, 2014
A press release at PRWeb announces that “Jet Reports and TARGIT to Offer a Combined Business Intelligence Solution.” Apparently, some users of the resource management software Dynamics AX had taken it upon themselves to cobble together the BI and reporting functionality of Jet Reports with Targit’s BI and analysis tools for use with that Microsoft solution. Now, the article reports:
“Jet Reports and TARGIT have joined forces to deliver a Business Intelligence solution for Microsoft Dynamics AX that combines the most comprehensive and user-friendly ETL tool with the most intelligent and intuitive analytics front-end on the market. Jet Enterprise consistently delivers a data warehouse and OLAP cubes 80 percent faster than other solutions, while TARGIT is the most powerful tool available for presenting your data and analyzing all aspects of the business. For Dynamics AX users, this means not having to make a compromise between back-end or front-end capabilities. They can now have the best of both in one package.”
Interestingly, the idea for this software trinity comes not from the companies involved, but from the Dynamics user community. Jet Reports and Targit are wise to capitalize on the trend, and making the combined solution easier to use can only help sales.
Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Jet Reports maintains several offices around the world. Their products are built specifically to work with Dynamics products. Targit declares that their philosophy is rooted in respect for everyone with whom they work. The company is based in Hjørring, Denmark, but also has locations in Tampa and Boston. Some readers like to know that both companies hiring as of this writing.
Cynthia Murrell, April 05, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Pope Francis Embraces the Internet in Vatican Library Archives Digitizing Scheme
April 4, 2014
The gloriously irreverent article on Gawker titled Japanese Tech Company to Digitize Vatican Library Archives provides insight into the project undertaken by “the chilliest pope” Pope Francis of digitizing the Vatican library archives. The archives extensive collection of documents will cost over 20 million dollars to transfer, and the work has already been started by Japanese tech company NTT Data. The article mentions that this is not the first instance of Japanese company aiding the Vatican. There is plenty of work to keep NTT Data busy. The article explains,
“The goal is to make all 82,000 of the Vatican library’s manuscripts available for browsing from the darkest corners of our digital world without ever having to board a plane. Some of the first documents to become available include “copies of works of classical Greek and Latin literature and mediaeval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts.” Get your browsing fingers ready. Excitement abounds.”
Pope Francis has proved himself a more progressive pope by many of his actions, and this is a similar embrace of current cultural trends. Making the Vatican’s archives available to the general public sounds like a very democratic vision, contrasted with the stereotypical secretive atmosphere the Vatican is usually associated with. But is it all really progress? Perhaps that depends on the man himself.
Chelsea Kerwin, April 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
IBM Puts Watson to Work to Solve “African Grand Challenges”
April 4, 2014
The article on The Telegraph titled IBM’s Watson Beat Jeopardy, Now It Wants to Win Over Africa explores IBM’s decision to open their twelfth global research center in Nairobi, Kenya. This is the first IBM research center in Africa, and the work that the supercomputer will be put to is admirable. The article states,
“‘IBMers’ from across the planet and from Kenya will work to find solutions to Africa’s grand challenges across energy, water, transportation, agriculture, healthcare, financial inclusion, human mobility and public safety. In the last decade, Africa has been a tremendous growth story, yet the continent’s challenges, stemming from population growth, water scarcity, disease, low agricultural yield and other factors are impediments to inclusive economic growth.”
Certainly big changes are happening in Africa, and Nairobi is seen as the technological heart of Africa (or somewhat tritely as Africa’s version of Silicon Valley). How IBM’s Watson will be able problem-solve such “grand challenges” remains an exciting new enterprise. IBM has funneled over a billion dollars into Watson, as well as $100 million dollars into Project Lucy, a project linked to the African research center. Project Lucy is a ten-year initiative looking into solutions to African issues through the eyes of industry and the academy and other agencies. We can all only hope for the best, but as the article somewhat ominously mentions, “no one should ever take Africa for granted.”
Chelsea Kerwin, April 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
PageZephyr Search Application Saves InDesign User’s Search Headache
April 4, 2014
The article titled PageZephyr Search on Markzware offers a brief tutorial to PageZephyr Search, an OS X application that allows for the search and view of InDesign documents. The article’s audience is any InDesign user frustrated by the inability to search with a word or phrase from an InDesign document from years past. PageZephyr Search indexes all InDesign documents on the user’s PC to make them searchable. It can also highlight a selected word in a document, and copy a text to your clipboard to make it useable elsewhere. The article also offers this customer testimonial from book designer Matthew MacKay,
“PZ is a one trick pony-and that is a good thing, because it does one trick exceeding well. It saved me hours recently when I was trying to find a version of a three year old InDesign file. I am a book designer, and often receive chapters from other designers. When I need to find a file, I can fire up PZ, go make a coffee and come back and see the file ready for me to work on.”
McKay also points out that PageZephyr Search protects him from his own file naming system (or non-system, as it may be.) If you are interested in testing the service before purchasing it, the demo option might appeal to you. You can try the demo for 15 days and evaluate its usefulness before making a final purchase.
Chelsea Kerwin, April 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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