Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
May 2014
From The Eponymous Pickle
Content Aggregation by Retailers
In Retailwire: Interesting thought, but also check out the comments at the link, which points out some problems. The piece points to this article. ' ... What do you think of the prospects of a central shopping/loyalty site…
From The Eponymous Pickle
You as an Idea Machine
The Ultimate Guide for Becoming an Idea Machine, by James Altucher. A long piece that looks to be worthwhile, just reading. Ideas are the fodder of innovation. " ... You have to come up with a new way of thinking. A new way…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Educating the Big Data Generation
In Fortune: Educating the 'big data' generation ... Classes—and even degree programs—focused on data analytics are cropping up all over the U.S. Behind them? Tech's largest companies.. " With some details about some companies…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Supermarkets and Social Media
In SupermarketNews:" ... Supermarkets should expand their online presence and include more recipes and meal ideas to connect with consumers beyond coupons and promotional offerings, writes Michael Sansolo, research director for…
From Putting People First
Renting isn’t lending: the ‘sharing economy’ fallacy
The sharing economy is a harmful misnomer, writes John Harvey, a researcher at the University of Nottigham. It conflates people who actually share with those who make money through collaborative consumption. “It is true that…
From Putting People First
When big data meets dataveillance: the hidden side of analytics
Among the numerous implications of digitalization, the debate about ‘big data’ has gained momentum. The central idea capturing attention is that digital data represents the newest key asset organizations should use to gain a…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
New Funding Opportunity to Support Early-Career CISE Researchers
The following is a special contribution to the blog from Farnam Jahanian, Assistant Director for the Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dear Computer and …
From My Biased Coin
ITCS 2015
I was asked to announce the call for ITCS. Here is a link to the call for papers, with the most important info:ITCS (previously known as ICS) seeks to promote research that carries a strong conceptual message (e.g., introducing…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Looking Back To Move Forward
I think most teachers do some introspection at the end of the school year about how things went for them. They think about what worked and what didn’t work so that they can make the next year better than the previous years. That…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Comparing and Contrasting Analytics Types
In Smart Data Collective: I have heard this debated a number of times. Descriptive, Predictive and Prescriptive. Some even add additional types, but I think this is sufficient. And adds a thought: " ... prescriptive analytics…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Taxing Enjoyable Work, and Uncanny Valley of Work Related Social Events
Taxing new things, like work satisfaction. I am sure this is all being thought of today. And how do we determine if something is fun, or just engineered to be? And can we can we get refunds for things that are just not enjoyable…
From Putting People First
Open government requires having the end user in mind
Simply making data available online isn’t enough – it needs to be created with the end user in mind, writes Jed Miller in The Guardian. “But online or off, the measure of a tool’s value is it usefulness to the people it is meant…
From The Eponymous Pickle
History and Re-Emergence of Artifical Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence appears to be starting to fuel a new industrial error. Here a nice history of the not too long ago emergence and recession of AI. Course I can give a much more detailed history of its industrial uses…
From The Female Perspective of Computer Science
Go Code Girl 2014: Impact Survey Results
This year's Go Code Girl event, which focused on programming with Python and the Raspberry Pi, was a great success. The impact surveys the girls filled in at the end of the second day really help illustrate this. The results…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
2014 Computing Innovation Fellows Workshop: Research, Innovation, Impact
The Computing Innovation Fellows (CI Fellows) project, was a program that granted short-term postdoctoral fellowships to help keep recent graduates in the field during the economic downturn. Between 2009 and 2011, 127 PhD graduates…
From Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP
Avoiding Monsters and Non-Monsters
A new insight into the structure of some exotic mathematical objects Karl Weierstrass is often credited with the creation of modern analysis. In his quest for rigor and precision, he also created a shock when he presented his…
From Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP
Avoiding Monsters and Non-Monsters
A new insight into the structure of some exotic mathematical objects Karl Weierstrass is often credited with the creation of modern analysis. In his quest for rigor and precision, he also created a shock when he presented his…
From The Eponymous Pickle
The NYT on Innovation
Mashable expands on the recent NYT Innovation article. Includes Mashable's takeaways. And a good summary of the challenges related. My only further thought would be that the Times is talking about the challenges today, not"…
From Schneier on Security
The Economics of Bulk Surveillance
Ross Anderson has an important new paper on the economics that drive government-on-population bulk surveillance: My first big point is that all the three factors which lead to monopoly – network effects, low marginal costs and…
From The Eponymous Pickle
A Laboratory for Innovation
In Innovation Excellence: Another interesting example of a corporate innovation lab. I have reported here many times on the value and direction of the idea. I like the emphasis on disruption, rather than as a means of just"…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Big Data Blog
Tina Groves of IBM has an interesting blog on Big Data, " ... leverages her 25 years in analysis, event processing and information-driven applications to lead the big data product strategy for IBM Business Intelligence. She…
From The Eponymous Pickle
On Comics and Story Visualization
Via Kevin Winterfield, A look at Scott McCloud's classic book on the comics. The sequential panel model of comics can be used as a means for storytelling a storyboard outline of an idea, often used as a communications approach…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Deep Brain Implants
Implant charging is a key need for deep brain implants. In Engadget. " ... Stanford researchers have figured out a way to wirelessly charge electronic devices that are deep inside your body. Currently pacemakers and nerve transmitters…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Strategies for a Digital Age
Recently connected to author David L Rogers. His new book: The Network is Your Customer: 5 Strategies to Survive in a Digital Age. See his site for more information and preview. Planning to read and follow with more later…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Wal-Mart and T-Mobile to Offer Tablets
In CNet: The idea has been pushed since at least 08. It is already being done by retailers in Europe. " ... Walmart and T-Mobile to offer tablets with free data plans .... The self-proclaimed 'un-carrier' is expanding its…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Google Let's you Program a Quantum Computer
Google simulates the programming of a quantum computer. Not create one, but simulate its programming. In ReadwriteWeb. Also, the D-Wave computer, developed by former colleagues, often covered here, is discussed." ... Quantum…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Winning Arguments
In Mind Hacks: On the Psychology of winning arguments. " .... How do you change someone’s mind if you think you are right and they are wrong? Psychology reveals the last thing to do is the tactic we usually resort to. ... "
From The Eponymous Pickle
Examples of Biological Swarms
A strikingly photographed piece on examples of animal swarms and their advantages. Recently broadcast on US PBS and available here. This does not address how we could mimic them, but gives examples of the use of biomimicry.…
From Computational Complexity
Review of People, Problems and Proofs By Lipton and Regan
(A version of this either already has or well appear in SIGACT NEWS book rev column.) A review of the blog-book PEOPLE, PROBLEMS, AND PROOFS by Richard Lipton and Ken Regan in the form of a blog. FIRST POST: OVERVIEW OFhere…
From Wild WebMink
Elections In Middle Earth
The Middle Earth elections are over and there’s a new alliance of elves and men in control, but all I can find on local TV is news of Tom Bombadil crushing Bilbo in Hobbiton. I’ve been watching the BBC, and every single item…