Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
August 2014
From The Eponymous Pickle
Resilience and Data in the Supply Chain
In EBN: The need for what they call data maturity. Well, yes, absolutely, all the data and metadata needs to be 'mature'. But defining that can be a problem. Especially an issue for informally managed metadata. Good examination…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Complex Regulatory Environments
Have been examining Splunk (SPL) as it has been applied to a number of dynamic data problems. Impressed by it capabilities. Both for its search engine-like examination of data, and for creating processes for data mining. …
From The Eponymous Pickle
Watson Discovery Advisor
Continued interest in how IBM Watson will be applied to real business problems. There will be a demonstration today in NYC that we are following. Quite an interesting claim to be able find interesting patterns without direct…
From Schneier on Security
Hacking Traffic Lights
New paper: "Green Lights Forever: Analyzing the Security of Traffic Infrastructure," Branden Ghena, William Beyer, Allen Hillaker, Jonathan Pevarnek, and J. Alex Halderman. Abstract: The safety critical nature of traffic infrastructure…
From Putting People First
How EU leaders can listen to the views of their citizens expressed on Twitter
Vox Digitas By Jamie Bartlett, Carl Miller, David Weir, Jeremy Reffin, Simon Wibberley Report, 24 August 2014 ISBN 978-1-909037-63-2 Free download Over the last decade European citizens have gained a digital voice. Close to 350…
From Daniel Lemire's Blog
Though unrefereed, arXiv has a better h-index than most journals…
Google provides a ranking of research venue per domain. For databases and information systems, they provide the top 20 venues according to their h-index. As part of their assessment, they chose to include arXiv: a repository…
From My Biased Coin
Update on SOCG and ACM
I am happy to have an update on the SOCG/STOC colocation issue that arose last week. Or, better said, Jeff Erickson has an update, the short summary of which is that it looks like there has now been some very useful clarification…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Ad Targeting Based on Signal Strength
In Adage: Had not heard of this. A device-based hidden context detection in mobile. " .... Facebook Targets Ads Based on Cell Signal Strength ... Social Network Ramping Up Ad Efforts in Emerging Markets ... ". What other device…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Kraft Product Breakthrough Innovation
In K@W: Insightful thoughts about how innovation is important and essential in CPG. What drives it when you have lots of well known current brands? How should you invest? What is the meaning of a product category in this…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Transparent Solar Power
In IEEE Spectrum: Transparent tiles that can capture solar power? Work underway at Michigan State.
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Yet More Block Programming Languages
I saw this announcement on Facebook first but I probably just missed seeing it on the email list. At this stage I have to wonder why? Why more of the same? Do we really know that these languages work and if so for what definition…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Advances in BioChips: Organoids
In Wired: Overview of advances in biochips, chips that mimic the activity of the body, used for the development and testing of drugs. I note the term new to me: Organoids. We participated in several examinations of these…
From The Eponymous Pickle
On Seeking Patterns in Big Data
Interesting short case study using Porsche as an example. Examining the concept.
From The Eponymous Pickle
Social Hives for the Supply Chain
Concept term I had not heard of: " .... The age-old problem of disconnection in the supply chain can be eased through the use of social media, argues Tony Martins. He recommends powerful but somewhat informal "hives": "A hive…
From Schneier on Security
Security Flaws in Rapiscan Full-Body Scanners
Security researchers have finally gotten their hands on a Rapiscan backscatter full-body scanner. The results aren't very good. Website with paper and images. News articles and commentary. Note that these machines have been replaced…
From Putting People First
Service design toolkit
The toolkit for service design is an introduction to the methodology of service design. With a simple step-by-step plan it offers you a practical do-it-yourself guide. The kit contains workshop templates, posters, a manual and…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Smartstones on the Daily Show Tonight
Heard this somewhat late, but a startup I am connected with will be featured on the Daily Show tonight:Full information." ... Someone in our Smartstones "early bird" VIP community is going to be on the Jon Stewart Daily ShowDavid…
From Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP
Who Invented Pointers, Amortized Complexity, And More?
Some algorithmic tricks were first invented in complexity theory Andrey Kolmogorov, Fred Hennie, Richard Stearns, and Walter Savitch are all famous separately; but they have something in common. Read on, and see. Today I wish…
From My Biased Coin
New Article on arxiv on Equitability and MIC
We recently put on arxiv a new draft on "Theoretical Foundations of Equitability and the Maximal Information Coefficient". This is some follow-on work to a paper that appeared in Science a couple of years ago, where we introduced…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Data as a Natural Resource
In the recent ACM Bulletin:Matthias Kaiserswerth is Director of IBM Research - Zurich. ....How would you expand on your statement in a recent blog post that data is the new natural resource, and what implications does this development…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Netflix Big Data: The Golden Data
Piece on how Netflix uses big data analysis. To derive Golden Data. I like the term, but can it be effectively derived?" ... “It’s not as far away from the world of packaged goods or technology or services as you think… understanding…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Rotate the Cell Phones
One of the things I am working hard at this year is making things more clear to students. I want them to understand concepts and why they are important and useful. Of course one issue with teaching computing is that experienced…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
Working towards a Healthy Pipeline: Encouraging CS Undergraduates from U.S. Institutions to Consider Graduate School and Careers in Research
The following is a special contribution to this blog by CCC Council Member Ran Libeskind-Hadas and CRA Board Member Susanne Hambrusch, Co-Chairs of CRA-E. The CRA Education Committee’s (CRA-E) mission is to address society’s …
From Schneier on Security
Security by Obscurity at Healthcare.gov Site
The White House is refusing to release details about the security of healthcare.gov because it might help hackers. What this really means is that the security details would embarrass the White House....
From Schneier on Security
Eavesdropping Using Smart Phone Gyroscopes
The gyroscopes are sensitive enough to pick up acoustic vibrations. It's crude, but it works. Paper. Wired article. Hacker News thread....
From The Eponymous Pickle
NASA and Swarms
More by NASA on the use of swarms. Nice to see work of this type still coming out of the space agency. See the mention of the use of simulation methods to test the swarm operation. See my previous posts on the earthbound potential…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Unilever Data Visualization and Analytics for Business Process
Not very much detail, mention of Unilever connection to business process," ... In 2010, the company set itself the target of doubling its revenues in a decade or less – without doubling its costs. According to Greg Swimer, Vice…
From The Eponymous Pickle
TIVO Again
I was a very early user of the Tivo DVR system, used it until we were hit by lightning. I see they are now trying to pick up some of the legally nixed Aereo traffic with a wireless DVR system for users without Cable. They…
From Computational Complexity
A Deadly Side of Complexity
Better algorithms can lead to better medicine and save lives. Just today Tim Gowers discusses Emmanuel Candès' ICM Plenary Lecture, which among other things describes how Candès' work on compressed sensing leads to shorter MRI…
From Schneier on Security
The Problems with PGP
Matthew Green has a good post on what's wrong with PGP and what should be done about it....