Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
July 2014
From Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP
The Cantor-Bernstein-Schröder Theorem
And whose theorem is it anyway? Georg Cantor, Felix Bernstein, and Ernst Schröder are each famous for many things. But together they are famous for stating, trying to prove, and proving, a basic theorem about the cardinality…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Pepsi Spire: Late Stage, on Shelf Customizaton.
We saw early versions of Coke's Freestyle machine, an example of fashionable late stage drink differentiation that is now common in the marketplace. An example of good engagement, provided by on site customization, but how profitable…
From Computational Complexity
How NOT to bet
(True Story, but names are changed for no good reason.) Alice, Bob, and Carol are betting on who will be the Republican Nominee in 2016. Alice bets on Jeb Bush. Alice's reasoning is that in the past the Republicans always …
From Schneier on Security
The Fundamental Insecurity of USB
This is pretty impressive: Most of us learned long ago not to run executable files from sketchy USB sticks. But old-fashioned USB hygiene can't stop this newer flavor of infection: Even if users are aware of the potential for…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
Social Therapeutic and Robotic Systems (STARS) Lab: a Computing Research in Action Showcase
The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is releasing its fourth segment in the Computing Research in Action Series. Researchers at Mississippi State University are studying human-robot interaction − how people respond to robotic…
From Putting People First
The importance of user-focused research in medical device design
“The human factors activities that deliver safety and effectiveness [in medical devices] do not necessarily deliver a good user experience or, ultimately, a good product,” argues Martin Bontoft in MDDI. In fact, he writes, “some…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Who is the Employer?
In Retailwire: This leads to some 'unintended' consequences for small business, franchises and drives litigation. The comments also have some good points. Is McDonald's a 'joint employer' with its franchisees?
From The Eponymous Pickle
A Closer Look at Crowdsourcing
Crowds are biased. So what does that mean for crowdsourcing? In HBS Working Knowledge: " ... At the Open and User Innovation Workshop, several hundred researchers discussed their work on innovation contests, user-led product…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Gamifying Intelligent Digital Signage
A concept we looked at in the innovation centers. How do you engage with participants in alternative contexts? Here, from RMG Networks. A thoughtful white paper on the integration of gamification concepts with digital signage…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Mistakes Futurists Make
Often collaborator Steve King in his Small Business Lab's Blog. A must to follow. Never considered myself a futurist, but an innovator connected to short term understanding of needs and emerging technology solutions. Some…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Future Proofing the Supply Chain
Procurement futures considered: " ... Sustainable sourcing and procurement are key factors in "future-proofing" or protecting supply chains against future problems. Sustainable sourcing helps reduce procurement delays, improve…
From Schneier on Security
Debit Card Override Hack
Clever: Parrish allegedly visited Apple Stores and tried to buy products with four different debit cards, which were all closed by his respective financial institutions. When his debit card was inevitably declined by the Apple…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Walmart Labs Buys Luvocracy
In RetailWire: " ... Yesterday, Walmart Labs announced it had acquired Luvocracy, an online community that helps members find products based on the recommendations of family, friends and other influencers. Members can then make…
From Apophenia
Goodbye Avis, Hello Uber
Only two hours before the nightmare that would unfold, I was sitting with friends sharing my loyalties to travel programs. I had lost status on nearly everything when I got pregnant with my son (where’s parental leave??), forcing…
From Daniel Lemire's Blog
Predicting your future performance
The Matthew effect says that “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”. With this sole principle in mind, you would think that the future is easily predicted. Whoever is rich or famous today is going to be rich or famous…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Tell a Great Story
In the HBR: Very good piece on story telling in business. I have covered this here many times, including pointers to some of my colleagues that were experts, both internally and externally on this method. The idea has become…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Learning to Operate with Wearables
In Engadget: Another example of the potential use of Google Glass like wearables for augmentation. Learning operating room procedure. Hands free and augmenting training that contains visual and highly tacit support for process…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
The Berkeley Center for Law & Technology and Microsoft have released an RFP for Research on the Implications of Open Data
In 2009, President Obama issued a Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government. That memorandum has been followed by additional memorandums and Executive Orders resulting in the Open Government Initiative. As a result of …
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
Farnam Jahanian’s tenure at NSF comes to an end
July 31, 2014 marks Farnam Jahanian’s final day as Assistant Director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). In this position, which he has held since February 1,…
From The Eponymous Pickle
IdeaConnection Re Connect
It has been a long time since I talked to them, but just reviewed their offerings. A nice idea, whose newsletter is always worth examining for innovative ideas. " ... IdeaConnection gives you access to a worldwide network of…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Internet of Everything Discussion
Cisco sponsored a panel discussion yesterday that I was pointed to. Still, not sure I agree with the differences between the use of the term versus using 'Internet of Things', but do see what point they are are attempting to…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
The Troubles with Tutorials
The first thing I ran into with regards to programming tutorials last week was this tweet and accompanying image.
99% of #programming tutorials on the web pic.twitter.com/lnU08BjBgC
— Jonathan Shariat (@DesignUXUI) July…From The Eponymous Pickle
Quid
Quid. Just pointed to. An augmented way for people to interact with information?
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
New Look for CRA Unveiled at the 2014 CRA Conference at Snowbird
We are proud to announce the launch of a new brand for CRA and its committees. As the impact of CRA’s activities are becoming more widely recognized and valued across our industry, we decided to develop a new brand identity that…
From The Eponymous Pickle
CGT Execs Admit Lack of Digital Knowledge
Based on a survey in CGT . Not universally, but I would generally agree. In particularly regarding digital innovation. " ... The Consumer Goods Forum and KPMG International released the findings of their annual Global Top of…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
CCC at the 2014 CRA Conference at Snowbird
The biennial CRA Conference at Snowbird took place last week for Chairs, Department Heads, and Lab Directors from across North America. Nearly 300 people gathered to participate in sessions ranging in topics from issues in government…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Need for an Open Source Internet of Things
About an open source IOT. In CWorld. what we said all along in the RFID world, its careful establishment of standards." ... The only limit to the Internet of Things isn't imagination or technology. It's the vendors. Will your…
From Schneier on Security
The Costs of NSA Surveillance
New America Foundation has a new paper on the costs of NSA surveillance: economic costs to US business, costs to US foreign policy, and costs to security. News article....
From The Eponymous Pickle
Machine Learning Mastery
Jason B has a blog on machine learning. Good introductory piece: Why Machine Learning Matters.
From The Eponymous Pickle
Mass Marketing Days are Limited
A look at the future of mass marketing. " ... Mass marketing no longer resonates with today's consumer and it must be replaced by one-on-one marketing with dedicated focus on pre-shop behavior, says Frito-Lay’s senior vice…