Whats The Name Of That Song?
June 6, 2014
It is a situation we have all faced. We are watching our favorite program, and then suddenly a song starts to play in the background. As the song emphasizes the action on screen, we have trouble identifying it. A smartphone might not be handy with a song recognition app and by the time it is downloaded the song is over. What do you do then? Beyond the obvious of rewinding (if you have that option), be glad that the Internet has a solution. LifeHacker tells us that “TuneFind Tells You What Songs Are In TV Episodes And Movies.”
There is now an entertainment database for everything online. TuneFind allows users to browse and search to find that song stuck in your head.
“TuneFind’s library is pretty extensive for both TV shows and movies. You can browse by shows, movies, and artists, but you can also browse by what’s popular. It’s pretty cool to see what other users have been searching for the most over the last week, month, and year. For TV shows, the selection goes back a ways, but nothing from the early 90s and earlier seems to be present. I’m probably wrong, but the earliest I could find was 1999’s excellent Freaks and Geeks. For movies the reach back is about the same.”
TuneFind works the same as other online databases and the content is extensive considering it goes back to 1999. If you also see something an actor’s worn on TV, you’ll also enjoy WornOnTV. Does anybody sense the next wave of advertisement and MTV?
Whitney Grace, June 06, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Bad News For AI
June 6, 2014
If you want to download your brain into a computer and be immortal, there is bad news for you. According to Medium, a “Mathematical Model Of Consciousness Proves Human Experience Cannot Be Modeled On A Computer.” The article states that consciousness has been a taboo word in the scientific community. Neuroscientist Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin has a theory that says consciousness cannot be broken down. There are other consciousness theories out there, but Tononi’s approach is different:
“What makes Tononi’s ideas different from other theories of consciousness is that it can be modeled mathematically using ideas from physics and information theory. That doesn’t mean this theory is correct. But it does mean that, for the first time, neuroscientists, biologists physicists and anybody else can all reason about consciousness using the universal language of science: mathematics.”
Phil Maguire and a team at the National University of Ireland tested Tononi’s theory and collected data on consciousness. Maguire and his team discovered that while they can pinpoint a single experience, i.e. smelling, and a single instance of that experience, they cannot replicate the experience exactly. Sure, they can capture a human smelling, but there are so many other experiences going on in the brain other than just smelling that it can’t be pinned down.
In other words, the brain cannot be compressed without losing information. The brain is so complex that ALL its processes cannot be mapped out. This new theory will not stop scientists from trying, but it does contribute to the bigger understanding how to make machines replicate human thought patterns. Computers will never be human, but at least the idea will always make a good plot for science fiction.
Whitney Grace, June 06, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Possibilities for Solving the Problem of Dimensionality in Classification
June 5, 2014
The overview of why indexing is hard on VisionDummy is titled The Curse of Dimensionality in Classification. The article provides a surprisingly readable explanation with an example of sorting images of cats and dogs. The first step would be creating features that would assign values to the images (such as different color or texture). From there, the article states,
“We now have 5 features that, in combination, could possibly be used by a classification algorithm to distinguish cats from dogs. To obtain an even more accurate classification, we could add more features, based on color or texture histograms, statistical moments, etc. Maybe we can obtain a perfect classification by carefully defining a few hundred of these features? The answer to this question might sound a bit counter-intuitive: no we can not!.”
Instead, simply adding more and more features, or increasing dimensionality, would lessen the performance of the classifier. A graph is provided with a sharp descending line after the point called the “optimal number of features.” At this point there would exist a three-dimensional feature space, making it possible to fully separate the classes (still dogs and cats). When more features are added passing the optimal amount, over fitting occurs and finding a general space without exceptions becomes difficult. The article goes on to suggest some remedies such as cross-fitting and feature extraction.
Chelsea Kerwin, June 05, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Bell Labs’s Journals Available Online Through Alcatel-Lucent and IEEE
June 5, 2014
The abstract titled Bell Systems Technical Journal, 1922-1983 on Alcetal-Lucent provides some insight into the workings of Bell Labs over the years. Alcatel-Lucent partnered with IEEE to make the journals accessible. While the search aspect may be so-so, the content provided is excellent, all the way back to the first issue in 1922. The article offers this summation of the historical importance of Bell Labs,
“Bell Labs is the source of many significant contributions, of course, in the area of telephony, but also in memory devices, imaging devices, system organization, computers and software technology, as well as acoustics, optics, switching, transmission, wireless and data communication. New principles, new materials, new devices, and new systems from Bell Telephone Laboratories resulted in new industries, hundreds of new products, and thousands of new jobs. The invention of the transistor in 1947, and subsequent advances … ultimately enabled the digital world.”
For those interested in the history of innovation and the foundations of the current era of technology, this compilation of Bell Labs’ journals provides a wealth of interesting articles and papers. Besides influencing the evolution of the telephone, Bell Labs also contributed to the formation of new industries in the areas of memory devices, computers and software, system organization and many others.
Chelsea Kerwin, June 05, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SharePoint and Web Content Management
June 5, 2014
Web content management capabilities were added to SharePoint in 2007, but the jury is still out on whether or not they are sufficient. KMWorld turns their attention to this important topic in the article, “SharePoint 2013: Does it finally crack the code of WCM?”
The article begins:
“With the advent of SharePoint 2013, it’s time to reassess functional improvements, and evaluate whether Microsoft has truly expanded the product’s target scenarios for Web publishing. Below I’ll describe the implications for changes in SP 2013 in some key areas: architecture, development, content authoring, and visitor engagement.
There’s more to add, of course. For a complete evaluation and competitive comparison, you can consult Real Story Group’s Web CMS Report. But these four categories will give you a decent sense for where Microsoft has gone with respect to WCM.”
The author then goes on to detail the progress that has been made in regards to WCM and explain how to get the most out of your implementation. He does admit several times that the process is a bit clunky. Another useful resource is the SharePoint feed on ArnoldIT.com. Stephen E. Arnold is the man behind the scenes and has devoted his life’s work to covering all things search. Keep an eye on his content for the latest SharePoint tips and tricks.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 5, 2014
Google Maps Causing Frustration in Users and Developers
June 4, 2014
The article Google Maps Has Forsaken Us on TechCrunch details the piling anecdotal evidence against Google Maps. The article is nostalgic for an easier time (before Google upgraded) when searching Google Maps for a given location returned the location desired. Something happed when the latest version was released, and it wasn’t good. New search guidelines that are unknown to users make it more difficult rather than more intuitive (for example, having to specify the country.)
“I suppose one possible culprit is Google’s increasing use of large-scale distributed deep networks. (PDF) Such networks are, by their nature, black boxes whose outcomes cannot be traced to any particular algorithm or line of code. Maybe I’m just unlucky enough to be an outlier who keeps running into anomalous outcomes, which have actually improved for the vast majority of users. Maybe. But I doubt it.”
The article lists a few instances of reported bugs and issues that Google has yet to address. One dates all the way back to 2009, a report by a developer having trouble with his or her Android. The article makes some outlandish guesses as to what is going on with Google Maps, but ultimately comes to the conclusion that it is a mysterious multi-billion dollar company with mysterious ways.
Chelsea Kerwin, June 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Chinese Based Baidu Under Fire
June 4, 2014
Baidu has dominated the Chinese search space since its inception, but it appears there may be trouble in the water. Baidu is facing competition and is not handling it well. In “Shenma Search Engine Looks to Take on Baidu,” the article describes how a new mobile search engine is already taking a share of the Baidu market:
“The mobile search engine jointly launched by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and UCWeb Inc will host 200 million users by the end of this year and will be a major challenge to Baidu Inc’s dominance in the online search market . . . Shenma currently has around 100 million users. On Monday, Yu accused Baidu of unfair competition. He said Baidu briefly put Shenma on a black list earlier this month and advised Chinese Web users not to download it.”
And the charges or allegations of unfair business practices continue. In “UCWeb Head Slams Baidu for Alleged Business Interference,” Shenma execs claim that Baidu went as far as to tamper with its product:
“Yu Yongfu, chief of Beijing-based UCWeb Inc, a major mobile browser provider backed by Alibaba Group Holding, directed his fire at the country’s dominant search engine Baidu on Monday, accusing Baidu of having maliciously tampered with its browser and search engine following UCWeb’s recent launch of a mobile search engine.”
In a country not exactly known for its embrace of fair and free market competition, the fight over China’s Web space is heating up. Keep an eye on the battle, as China’s ability to maintain free market Web search could be a harbinger for other areas of China’s market.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 04, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Vurbs Contextual Search Engine
June 3, 2014
The Internet search model we are all accustomed to is simple: a keyword search retrieves a page full of links. More relevant links are supposedly toward the top of the list. But it seems that the paradigm may be shifting. Vurb is launching a new way to look at search, and it is discussed in the story, “Vurb’s Contextual Search Engine Blows Away Those Stupid Lists Of Links.”
The article sums it up:
“Search is outdated. Google steers you to right section of the library, but doesn’t answer your question or compile that answer with others to help you make a decision. Luckily, today Vurb is launching its reinvention of search results in the form of a web and mobile contextual search engine. Rather than forcing you to do multiple searches in different tabs, Vurb collects all the relevant info on one page and preserves your path in a saveable, sharable stream.”
Mobile and desktop, Vurb organizes search results across web apps and packages them in a pleasing visual manner. But the jury is still out on whether or not it can drill down far enough to find meaningful answers to questions. And while services like Vurb can push the envelope on what users demand out of traditional search, it is not yet time for the up-and-comers to unseat the giants.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 03, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Free Trial of X1 Enterprise Client
June 3, 2014
X1 is offering a free fourteen-day trial of their desktop search engine, X1 Enterprise Client. Read more in the sneak preview:
“X1 Enterprise Client is a desktop search engine that automatically indexes files, email messages and contacts on your computer and returns instant results for your keyword searches. The results are organized in a tabbed interface, sorted by file type and provide a quick preview for most common file types including images, PDF files, Office files, ZIP files and many other formats. You can directly interact with the results by replying to emails, sending messages to contacts, opening files, playing music and also send any file as email attachment with the click of a button.”
This product could be a good investment for those who are not exactly careful as they label, name, and store files. Effective keyword search is the most useful tool in light of bad or nonexistent indexing. If you need a little more search in your workflow, and you do not want to be the one to impose the order, a solution like X1 Enterprise Client might be worth considering.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 03, 2014
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
SharePoint Videos Debuts Visual SP
June 3, 2014
A good support system is important to those who are responsible for implementing or maintaining a SharePoint infrastructure. Some users turn to SharePoint-Videos for professional SharePoint education and support delivered through online and DVD-based courses. In their latest offering, SharePoint-Videos unveils an on-demand help system. Read more in the press release, “SharePoint-Videos Debuts VisualSP, Enterprise Edition, an In-Context, On Demand Help System for SharePoint with Usage Analytics.”
The release begins:
“SharePoint-Videos has added an Enterprise Edition to its suite of VisualSP™ help systems for SharePoint. This product includes all of the features of the Express version of VisualSP, together with metrics on actual usage of the VisualSP system by SharePoint users at either the farm, web application, or even site collection levels. The usage information, which can be viewed by the day, or by the week, or even by the month, includes a set of metrics, which are each compiled from a count of clicks on the VisualSP ‘Help’ tab on the SharePoint ribbon.”
This kind of support is essential, and it is important to find the format that best suits your organization. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of covering all things search, including SharePoint. He shares his findings on ArnoldIT.com and his SharePoint feed is full of tips and tricks that benefit SharePoint users at all levels.
Emily Rae Aldridge, June 3, 2014
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