Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
January 2014
From The Eponymous Pickle
Disruptive Pricing in Consumer Products
In Progressive Grocer, some thoughts on the complexity of this decision process. SOunds like better analytics is needed, with lots of leverage available." ... If you ask most consumer products executives what their single biggest…
From Computer Science Teachers Association
CSTA Wisconsin Team Takes on Certification
Wisconsin is one of the few states to have a distinct license that is required for teachers of computer science courses in high schools. This license, created in the 1980s, helped Wisconsin develop a strong cadre of computer …
From The Eponymous Pickle
Data Driven Marketing to 4.8 Billion People
Recently in the Teradata Blog, contains an excellent explanatory video by Tim Butler of P&G. Another great example of the digitization of marketing in CPG.The linked article contains lots of additional detail information about…
From Schneier on Security
Friday Squid Blogging: Squid-Shaped Dog Toy
Just the thing.
From Schneier on Security
NSA Documents from the <i>Spiegel</i> Story
There are more source documents from the recent Spiegel story on the NSA than I realized. Here is what I think is the complete list:
From Schneier on Security
NSA Exploit of the Day: IRONCHEF
Today's item from the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group implant catalog is IRONCHEF:
IRONCHEF (TS//SI//REL) IRONCHEF provides access persistence to target systems by exploiting the motherboard BIOS and utilizing …
From The Eponymous Pickle
IBeacon Tech at CES
Interesting CW report from CES. Currently looking at iBeacon and similar techniques for data rich opportunities leveraging location. The presentation there includes a scavenger hunt using the technology. " ... The thing…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Data Mining Techniques that Create Business Value
Nice summary of common techniques. For a good start, review your business and decide which of these discoveries would give the most value. Their definition: " ... Data mining is a buzzword that often is used to describe the…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Where is the Internet Going?
In the NYT: So where is all this going? Thoughtful piece including an interview with Vinton Cerf, now with Google and DARPA, Internet Pioneer. We worked with him a number of years ago. I am sure he too would have not guessed…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Software Engineering (Draft)
This may well be of interest to people who like software engineering.
A draft of "Software Engineering 2013: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Software Engineering" is now available for public review…
From Schneier on Security
Cost/Benefit Analysis of NSA's 215 Metadata Collection Program
It has amazed me that the NSA doesn't seem to do any cost/benefit analyses on any of its surveillance programs. This seems particularly important for bulk surveillance programs, as they have significant costs aside from thepaper…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Choosing Your Regression Variables
A nice simple topic that often comes up. How exactly to you choose which variables to use when seeking to find a relationship using regression? Such models are often as much about what we do not include, as about that which…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Simple Language for a Creative Culture
Three simple words: "How Might we? " Positive words for creativity. Good, very simple thgought, " ... Use Language to Shape a Creative Culture - Tom Kelley and David Kelley - Harvard Business Review (Requires registration)…
From Geeking with Greg
Quick links
What caught my attention lately:
From Schneier on Security
NSA Exploit of the Day: DEITYBOUNCE
Today's item from the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group implant catalog is DEITYBOUNCE:
DEITYBOUNCE (TS//SI//REL) DEITYBOUNCE provides software application persistence on Dell PowerEdge servers by exploiting the …
From Daniel Lemire's Blog
Life is sweeter than you think in 2014…
Jokingly, Rao pointed out that Americans are starting 2014 with an optimistic outlook: (…) it’s tough, but let’s just write off polar bears and groundwater pollution from fracking already and move on. (…) But life is even sweeter…
From Computational Complexity
Two cheers for the Pardon ot Turing. But not three.
As I am sure readers of this blog know Alan Turing was prosecuted for homosexuality in 1952, forced into hormone treatment, and committed suicide in 1954 (I had always heard that that was WHY he committed suicide though the …
From The Eponymous Pickle
Virtual Reality Shopping
A long time experimental area in our enterprise. Starting with Blackberry phone alerts, then on shelf displays, then cart mounted tablets. The insertion of online shopping dynamics have changed the context. Are we ready for…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Adaptive Reasoning and Human Problem Solving
Brought to my attention. Solicitation by IARPA still open. Below the synopsis. Agree strongly that this is a big topic. Its about the data, AND finding new ways to make it useful in the business process solving context. That…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Linking Wearables and Augmented Reality
The vendor Metaio is speaking and displaying at the upcoming Consumer Electronics show. The link between wearables and AR is obvious. Particularly interesting is the mention of maintenance applications, which we explored for…
From Putting People First
Using ethnography to build internet freedom tools for real people
In our new dystopian world of pervasive surveillance, most people are at a loss what to do. The tools that allows us to maintain a semblance of privacy are really, really hard to use. Most of us won’t even try and just accept…
From The Eponymous Pickle
EEG from an iPhone
Doing an electro encephalogram reading on your smartphone. The number of mobile smartphone sensor applications is growing. The picture shown in the article in CNet is absurd. " ... Neurocam is an iPhone and EEG headband…
From Putting People First
[Book] Hooked
Hooked: A Guide to Building Habit-Forming Technology By Nir Eyal Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Released: December 2013 Pages: 154 [Amazon link] Why do some products capture our attention, while others…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Predictions on the Future of Databases
In GigaOM: Very informative view:Michael Stonebraker has helped create a lot of database systems and has lots of thoughts about where the industry is headed. Oracle, SAP, NoSQL, NewSQL — they all have a place if they play their…
From Schneier on Security
"Military Style" Raid on California Power Station
I don't know what to think about this:
Around 1:00 AM on April 16, at least one individual (possibly two) entered two different manholes at the PG&E Metcalf power substation, southeast of San Jose, and cut fiber cables in the…From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Girls Who Code - Expanding in 2014
Girls Who Code is a wonderful summer immersion program for girls interested in computing. In its first year, Girls Who Code worked with young women from New York City’s five boroughs. In 2013 the launched programs in New York…
From Putting People First
[Book] Design for Behavior Change
Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics By Stephen Wendel Publisher: O’Reilly Media Released: November 2013 Pages: 400 [Amazon link] A new wave of products is helping people change their behavior…
From updated sporadically at best
2014 is the Year of Laughing like Kafka
This year, I'm trying this trend where I have a theme instead of a resolution. And this isn't just because I broke all of my concrete resolutions by April of last year... For 2014, the theme is to laugh like Kafka. Franz Kafka…
From Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP
Predictions For The New Year
For 2014, that is Cropped from Guardian article. Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all times—he wrote or edited over 500 books. In his Foundation series a mathematician finds out that the future can be predicted…
From Wild WebMink
2013 in review
WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 27,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert…