Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
October 2017
From The Eponymous Pickle
Another Invoke Review
Microsoft Expert looks at the Microsoft Cortana Invoke:
My week with Harman Kardon's Cortana-powered Invoke speaker
My "non-reviewer's review" of the Haman Kardon Invoke speaker that works with Cortana: A solid device, but still…
From insideHPC
Video: Silicon Photonics for Extreme Computing
Keren Bergman from Columbia University gave this talk at the 2017 Argonne Training Program on Extreme-Scale Computing. "Exaflop machines would represent a thousand-fold improvement over the current standard, the petaflop machines…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Big Tech Controlling our Minds
Podcast of interest.
A ‘World Without Mind’: Big Tech’s Dangerous Influence
Author Franklin Foer reflects on the dangers of losing ourselves in a society dependent on a handful of tech firms.
French philosopher Rene Descartes
It…
From Schneier on Security
Denuvo DRM Cracked within a Day of Release
Denuvo is probably the best digital-rights management system, used to protect computer games. It's regularly cracked within a day. If Denuvo can no longer provide even a single full day of protection from cracks, though, that…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Kroger Invests in New Tech
Followed Kroger for year, always had an impressive depth of tech use, not as much breadth. This and other efforts many be an example of new take.
Kroger unveils plan to invest in technology, store resets
“Restock” initiativeMark…
From The Eponymous Pickle
First Review of MS Invoke Assistant
Well hardly a full service Butler, but we know that they mean. Play music, order things and turn on the lights with your voice. Breaking the existing infrastructures will tough without a real killer functionality, and I don't…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Facebook Scours Posts and Comments
Facebook Tests Letting Marketers Scour Posts and Comments in Adage.
By Garett Sloane.
Facebook is experimenting with letting brands study people's posts and comments on the network in an effort to better inform their marketing…
From insideHPC
Call for Papers: Supercomputing Frontiers Europe 2018
The Supercomputing Frontiers Europe 2018 conference has issued its Call for Papers. The conference takes place March 12 – 15, 2018 in Warsaw, Poland. "Supercomputing Frontiers is an annual international conference that provides…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Computer Science Educator Interview Series Index (2017)
From time to time I like to highlight computer science teachers with virtual interviews posted on my blog. The first series was in 2013 (CS Educator Interviews: The Index ) and I decided it was time to start a new series in 2017…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Cortana Virtual Machine for Batch Machine Learning
This is not an open solution as I see it.
Cortana Intelligence and Machine Learning Blog
Announcing the Data Science Virtual Machine in Batch AI Service
Cortana Intelligence and ML Blog Team
by Paul Shealy, Senior Software Engineer…
From XRDS
On earthquakes, lakes and sensors
I live in Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world. As all large cities, it has its ghastly demons. I am willing to argue that the one lying below it makes it unique in the world — … Continue reading
The post OnXRDS…From The Eponymous Pickle
Intel and Amazon Partner on Voice Tech
Intel and Amazon partner on voice recognition tech
The Intel Speech Enabling Developer Kit is now up for pre-order.
By Timothy J. Seppala, @timseppala
Intel and Amazon are partnering to combine the former's silicon and smarts with…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
Computing Research: Addressing National Priorities and Societal Needs Symposium Livestream
This post features contributions from the upcoming Computing Research Symposium Intelligent Infrastructure for our Cities and Communities and Data, Algorithms, and Fairness panel members. On October 23-24, 2017, the Computing…
From insideHPC
Video: How R-Systems Helps Customers Move HPC to the Cloud
In this video from the HPC User Forum in Milwaukee, Brian Kucic from R-Systems describes how the company enables companies of all sizes to move their technical computing workloads to the Cloud. "R Systems provides High Performance…
From insideHPC
Comet Supercomputer Assists in Latest LIGO Discovery
This week’s landmark discovery of gravitational and light waves generated by the collision of two neutron stars eons ago was made possible by a signal verification and analysis performed by Comet, an advanced supercomputer based…
From insideHPC
HPC Connects: Mapping Global Ocean Currents
In this video from the SC17 HPC Connects series, Dimitris Menemenlis from NASA JPL/Caltech describes how supercomputing enables scientists to accurately map global ocean circulation. "ECCO-IcES produces increasingly accurate
…
From Schneier on Security
Security Flaws in Children's Smart Watches
The Norwegian Security Council has published a report detailing a series of security and privacy flaws in smart watches marketed to children. Press release. News article. This is the same group that found all those security and…
From insideHPC
Visualization in Software using Intel Xeon Phi processors
"Intel has been at the forefront of working with software partners to develop solutions for visualization of data that will scale in the future as many core systems such as the Intel Xeon Phi processor scale. The Intel Xeon Phi…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Intel Delivers Neural Network Chips
Intel delivers Nervana Neural Network Processor chips for AI workloads By Mike Wheatley
After pushing the concept of using Field Programmable Gate Arrays as accelerators for artificial intelligence and deep learning neural networks…
From The Eponymous Pickle
More on Bixby, AI on Appliances Everywhere
I was at the local Lowe's recently and saw some of their Smart Frig's. A sign mentioned assistant Bixby, but not that it was available there yet. But first time I had seen Bixby mentioned at all in a retail setting. They…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Forecasting Challenge
I had mentioned superforcasting again, was brought to my attention that they have had a hybrid competition under way for a while. Are looking for volunteers. Worth a look.
From Computational Complexity
The Amazon Gold Rush
Unless you have hidden under a rock, Amazon wants to build a second headquarters in or near a large North American city. Amazon put out a nice old fashioned RFP.
Please provide an electronic copy and five (5) hard copies…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Samsung Does 8 Nanometer
Samsung has the hardware. Will neural chips follow? Implications for Bixby?
Samsung leapfrogs Intel again with 8-nanometer chips
Working with Qualcomm, Samsung can "rapidly ramp up" to production.
By Steve Dent, @stevetdent in…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
CS Educator Interview: Michelle Lagos
Michelle Lagos serves on the CSTA Board which is how I first met her. She is currently an At-Large member. Several years ago she was the International Representative. She brings some interesting perspectives to board meetings…
From Computer Science Teachers Association
Learning computing with metaphors
Don’t think of an elephant! Now what are you thinking about? Of course, it’s an elephant. This sentence is the title of a book by George Lakoff, a contemporary linguist who makes that case that we frame our thinking with … Continue…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Samsung Announces Bixby 2.0 for IOT
Today announced Bixby 2.0 and SmartThings Cloud. Been following for a long to see what they might do with smart home appliances. They have the appliances in many homes that could be the platform. Even hear some hints of that…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Online and Amazon Continue Move Forward
With interesting data and comments on the topic by retail experts. And even with some classic retail help: Kohl’s opens Amazon shops in Chicago ....
Online and Amazon to grow more dominant over the next decade
By George Anderson…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
US Ignite Releases Video Showcase from the 2017 US Ignite Application Summit
US Ignite, a nonprofit whose mission is to push the creation of next-generation applications and services that utilize networking technologies to build smart communities, recently released a video showcase of select US Ignite…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Amazon Suggests Apartment Hubs
An you might take this beyond to other sectorizations, like retirement centers. And imagine using assistant leverage to extend this into every apartment. Other sectors?
Amazon Has a New Way to Get Stuff Into Your Apartment
The…
From The Eponymous Pickle
China IQ Test for Assistants?
Am somewhat skeptical about such tests, its not raw 'IQ" , but rather how well a system provides value in context. Still it will be interesting to see how such a system could be a starting point for assistance systems. Aiming…