Thoughts and Ideas: May 2019

Friday, May 31, 2019

N.S.A. Denies Its Cyberweapon Was Used in Baltimore Attack, Congressman Says

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/us/nsa-baltimore-ransomware.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
June 01, 2019 at 04:13AM

A stolen N.S.A. hacking tool was a component in a cyberattack on the city, people involved in the investigation have told The Times.

As China Takes Aim, Silicon Valley Braces for Pain

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/technology/china-trade-unreliable-entities.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
June 01, 2019 at 01:32AM

The tech cold war is heating up. U.S. companies that depend on the giant China market are preparing themselves for the fallout.

NASA Hires 3 Companies for Moon Deliveries

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/science/nasa-moon.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 31, 2019 at 08:10PM

The landers would be the first American spacecraft to touch down on the moon since the astronauts of Apollo 17 left in 1972.

Reid Hoffman: ‘You Can’t Just Sit on the Sidelines’

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/business/reid-hoffman-linkedin-corner-office.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 31, 2019 at 05:43PM

An early passion for science fiction and board games led to an influential career in technology.

The Week in Tech: Disinformation’s Huge Inaction Problem

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/technology/facebook-disinformation-nancy-pelosi.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 31, 2019 at 04:00PM

Almost everybody wants something done about disinformation. So why does it seem that nothing is changing?

China Plans a List of U.S. Firms to Block, in Answer to Trump

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/business/china-list-us-huawei-retaliate.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 31, 2019 at 02:36PM

Without disclosing details, officials say they plan to retaliate against those who blockade Chinese companies, in an apparent response to Huawei’s problems.

Are Likes and Followers the Problem With Social Media?

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/style/are-likes-and-followers-the-problem-with-social-media.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 31, 2019 at 12:00PM

Social networks built on public status markers are now starting to hide them.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Apps Purged by Apple Say It Holds the Key They Need to Get Back In

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/technology/apple-apps-privacy-api.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 31, 2019 at 02:40AM

Seventeen companies that make apps designed to fight iPhone addiction called on Apple to let them use technology that would resolve privacy concerns.

Uber’s First Earnings Report After I.P.O.: $1 Billion Loss

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/technology/uber-stock-earnings.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 31, 2019 at 01:21AM

The ride-hailing giant’s quarterly report raised questions about where the company would find new growth and whether it could ever make money.

Uber’s First Results After I.P.O. Show Slowing Growth and $1 Billion Loss

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/technology/uber-earnings-report.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 30, 2019 at 11:05PM

The ride-hailing giant’s earnings report raised questions about where the company will find new growth and if it can ever make money.

North Face Apologizes for Adding Its Own Photos to Wikipedia to Promote Its Brand

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/business/north-face-wikipedia-leo-burnett.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 30, 2019 at 09:48PM

The North Face said it was ending a campaign that took photos of its clothing and equipment at outdoor destinations and uploaded the branded pictures to Wikipedia.

For Its Next Trick, DeepMind Will Beat Us at Team Sports

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/science/deep-mind-artificial-intelligence.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 30, 2019 at 09:00PM

Chess and Go were child’s play. Now A.I. is winning at capture the flag. Will such skills translate to the real world?

Voices in AI – Episode 88: A Conversation with Ron Green

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/30/voices-in-ai-episode-88-a-conversation-with-ron-green/
May 30, 2019 at 03:00PM

[voices_in_ai_byline]

About this Episode

Episode 88 of Voices in AI features Byron speaking with Ron Green of KUNGFU.AI about how companies integrate AI and machine learning into their business models.

Listen to this episode or read the full transcript at www.VoicesinAI.com

Transcript Excerpt

Byron Reese: This is Voices in AI brought to you by GigaOm and I’m Byron Reese. Today my guest is Ron Green. Ron is the CTO over at KUNGFU.AI. He holds a BA in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin, and he holds a Master of Science from the University of Sussex in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems. His company, KUNGFU.AI is a professional services company that helps companies start and accelerate artificial intelligence projects. I asked him [to be] on the show today because I wanted to do an episode that was a little more ‘hands-on’ about how an enterprise today can apply this technology to their business. Welcome to the show, Ron.

Ron Green: Thank you for having me.

So let’s start with that—what sizes of organizations you see that are starting [to do] machine learning kind of projects?

Yeah, we’re seeing companies really at all sizes and all stages, meaning … really large companies, you’d be surprised, Fortune 500 level companies that may have some data science experience, but really looking to come up to speed and take advantage of a lot of recent advances in machine learning. So we work typically with two of what we call mid-tier companies, [those with] 100 million to maybe 2 billion of revenue, and we’re seeing really pretty much across the spectrum everybody moving into machine learning and AI.

But there has to be a lower end. I don’t think my dry cleaner is spinning up any projects with you?

No, absolutely.

What size of company should not even, I mean, they’ll use tools that have been built using it, but in terms of like… amassing their own data and doing their own development on it, what would be a small company [for which] probably, it doesn’t make sense for this one?

Yeah. Well, I mean at the lowest level, if you’re talking about some guy starting a company on their own, with… the open-source machine learning libraries that are out there, if you are trying to do something to let’s say use natural language processing as a part of your project, there really is no lower bound now. I mean, a couple of guys in a garage could take advantage of these techniques in an affordable way and integrate them into the product. I really don’t think there’s a lower bound.

So let’s walk through the life cycle of a project. I’m an enterprise with—let’s say a development department of programmers that maybe has 200 people. And I get the edict from the CEO that we need to do some of ‘that AI stuff’ that he/she is hearing a lot about. How do you start and identify places that the technology can be applied to?

We really have a methodology for that, and it’s pretty straightforward. You need a combination of a few things. You’ve really got to understand the business and the business objectives. If you just walk in and you start building technology for technology’s sake, you’re not helping anybody, but you’ve also got to marry that with an understanding of what data is available.

So you may have a really high-level important strategic initiative that you want to solve, but you don’t have the data. And we see that occasionally, and in those instances, it’s not the best outcome, but knowing sooner [rather] than later that you need to start collecting data, or you need to start augmenting or brokering your data, that’s a good thing to learn sooner than later. But lastly, you really need to understand what the state of the art is.

So you marry the business objective with the available data and the feasibility. Things are moving pretty quickly in a couple of fields, especially computer vision and natural language processing. So something that wasn’t even possible a couple of years ago may be possible now. And you look at the intersection, and we very much are – we consider ourselves sort of practical AI, in that we’re not interested in taking your two-year research projects.

We’re very much about building solutions today with the tools that are available today and getting them into production. And so we find an intersection of those three areas and try to typically move quickly, you know, have things completed within a quarter and live, so that companies can get a quick win under their belt and get confidence about moving into this space.

So critique an idea for me. Let me just throw a couple of random ones at you. So I’m a large company that has 10,000 employees and a long operating history. And what I want to do, and I’ve hired a bunch of people, and some people work out and some people don’t. And I have performance reviews that actually quantify how people are doing. And I say to you, here’s what I want to do: I want to take every resume that’s ever been submitted to us, [and] we’ve hired the person, and I want you to figure out – can you just help me predict the success of any given resume based on the all that hiring data and all that success or failure data?

Oh yeah, that’s a great one. We’ve never worked on a project exactly like that, we’ve done things that are pretty similar. So a problem like that, you’re dealing with a bunch of different kinds of data, you’re dealing with textual data; you may be dealing with categorical data, meaning information about where they graduated or what their degree was in; and you might even have numerical data, like, how long they work at a job or what their GPA was, things like that.

So a multi-modal problem like that is really ideal for a couple of different techniques. I would actually say that there’s a little bit of a secret in AI right now that a couple of techniques are dominating the field, and they’ve really boosted trees and deep learning models. And so trees are a little bit easier to work with initially, so I would take a stab at saying, “Let’s collect that data,” and let me back up and say that to solve a problem like this you would need a sufficient dataset, you would need thousands of instances of resumes and then the resulting hiring decision and performance information. But then you could quite readily build a system that would take in that text, take in the categorical data, take in the continuous numeric values, and essentially build a prediction system around those resumes of the predictive performance.

Listen to this episode or read the full transcript at www.VoicesinAI.com

[voices_in_ai_link_back]

Byron explores issues around artificial intelligence and conscious computers in his new book The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Nancy Pelosi Criticizes Facebook for Handling of Altered Videos

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/technology/facebook-pelosi-video.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 30, 2019 at 01:22AM

Ms. Pelosi said the company’s decision to leave up manipulated videos of her demonstrated how the social network contributed to Russian manipulation of the 2016 election.

French Rock Star’s Instagram Defeats His Widow in Inheritance Battle

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/world/europe/johnny-hallyday-instagram-will.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 29, 2019 at 07:54PM

If Johnny Hallyday, the “French Elvis,” was a United States resident, then his fourth wife stood to inherit his whole fortune. Social media evidence led a French court to rule otherwise.

Apps That Blast Out Crime Alerts Don’t Have to Rattle You

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/technology/personaltech/neighborhood-crime-apps.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 29, 2019 at 06:38PM

Neighborhood-watch networks are on the rise, even though crime is not. Here’s how to put the data into perspective.

On Migrant Journeys With WhatsApp and Google Translate

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/technology/personaltech/migrants-whatsapp-google-translate.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 29, 2019 at 04:00PM

Miriam Jordan, who covers immigration for The Times, says that migrants crossing the border often use WhatsApp and that Google Translate can break the ice.

How Fearless Are You in Your Analytics Journey?

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/29/how-fearless-are-you-in-your-analytics-journey/
May 29, 2019 at 03:00PM

Would you describe yourself as a risk-taker? Fearless? Would you even go so far as jumping out of a plane on the journey to digital transformation?

Me neither.

And yet, if you are a Chief Data Officer, you are a trail blazer. You are fearless in your belief in the power of analytics to improve business, even more so in a digital world. Data has always been important, but that value increases exponentially in a digital world with new ways to personalize customer experience, optimize the supply chain, and operate more efficiently.

The CDO role is still relatively new in the industry, developing only over the last five years in an almost thirty-year-old business intelligence and data warehousing market. Many of you have been in this role for less than two years. You may have risen to this role via the IT organization, perhaps as a BI director. Others have arrived via the line of business, recognizing the role of data in digital transformation efforts.

I have likened my joining ThoughtSpot to jumping out of a plane, unsure of whether or not I have a parachute or knowing for sure that I will figure out how to use it. My new boss didn’t agree with this analogy as he sees such an adventure as thrill-seeking. I, like you, have a vision for data and analytics to enable business success. I, like you, have a new role, a job description that we are shaping as we go but that is very much like that tandem skydiving instructor.

Rebel or Rule Follower?

I’m not thrill seeking. My life is exciting enough, thank you very much. And I’m risk averse. We know from Myers-Briggs’ personality assessments and resumes that most people in IT are risk averse too. Business people, on the other hand, are more willing to take risks, if the opportunity and potential gains justify the risks. In this way, I like the way Harvard University professor and author Francesa Gino describes these people as Rebel Talent. It’s not rule-breaking for annoyance or contrarian’s sake, but more for a passion in their work. Perspective and a need to see the world from a different view often drive their rebellion.

I’ve always thought of myself as a rule follower. Ditto for my daughter, who recently jumped out of a plane. Literally. Without permission. Yes, I wanted to kill her. Or ground her. Tough to do when she’s a college student and an adult. As a marine scientist, she had a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the sea from a different perspective while interning in Namibia. She described the first few seconds where you are indeed free-falling, and she held on to the tandem instructor with an enormous degree of trust.

No doubt, you as a CDO or potential CDO are doing the same. You are carving a new path within the organization that involves risk, trust, and change. There will be days when you feel like you are free-falling and you’d rather revert back to your comfort zone, maybe immersed only in existing technology or acting as the guardian of data. Don’t do it. It’s only when you combine technology while addressing culture change that you will get to that beautiful transformation. Culture is like your parachute. Failing to evolve and embrace it for any digital transformation effort will lead to disastrous results.

Five Fatal Flaws in Developing a Data-Driven Culture

Of the countless organizations I speak to each year, culture remains the toughest obstacle to becoming data-driven. Organizations have invested millions in first generation data warehouses and BI tools. Many are in the midst of modernizing their data strategies and analytics tools portfolios to include data lakes and self-service tools.

Unfortunately, too many business people see these efforts as more disruption for technology’s sake, with little alignment to what drives the business. Even when a transformation leader has painted a powerful vision of digital transformation, failing to adapt the culture to this vision can undermine those efforts to extract measurable value.

So what cultural stumbling blocks are holding enterprises back? Some of the biggest culture barriers:

Fear. Fear of failure and risk avoidance have as much to do with personality as with incentives. How can you possibly move the IT organization forward, when IT is historically- and still often- measured on least-cost to serve? Rewarding failures is rarely part of the measures of success, and yet, it is so necessary for innovation. As a leader in transformation, you must give permission for people to take calculated risks.
Distrust. Business stake holders have been disheartened with long-wait times to get any meaningful data from IT or a beleaguered BICC; they’d rather charge ahead on their own. Past promises of business-IT partnership have had mediocre success. Why should business people trust IT to guide them in this process? Further, some people fear sharing and improving access to data as it may be used for punishment rather than improvement. Experts in the BICC may distrust efforts to evolve to self-service analytics as just another way to get rid of them. Re-skilling and up-skilling traditional report writers to data storytellers must be part of the change management process to foster trust.
Individual Pride. Pride of ownership is an important trait when you are designing and building systems, but does the culture put the organization ahead of the individual when it requires shutting down such systems? This challenge of individual pride often prevents the BICC and IT from recognizing the value of so-called “shadow IT” groups. Sometimes a line of business can demonstrate a new way of leveraging data and analytics in a more agile way. Borrow and imitate the best ideas, no matter where they were incubated.
Preference for the Status Quo. Change is hard and a stress when people are just trying to keep up with daily demands. I do worry that the frenetic pace of change in the analytics industry is a challenge for most organizations to effectively absorb. But the pace of business demands greater agility. Customers can now churn at a click and a swipe. Fostering a culture that embraces change must start with thinking about “what’s in it for me,” or WIFM. If you are throwing technology out there without framing it in terms of how it will make life better for that individual, they will resist change. Beyond identifying the WIFM for the data-driven converts, recruit and reward people with a can-do-attitude who view change as an exciting opportunity.
Gut-feel. Do I really need to list gut-feel culture as a barrier? Indeed, it seems foreign to me to try to have any argument without data. If we debate climate change around the dinner table, I ask for the data. Gender pay gap? Show me the data. NFL draft choices and I ask about stats. I’m emotional and intuitive, but data grounds my arguments. I see, though, in movies like Moneyball or this NFL article how there are some hold outs that think a gut knows better. Maybe that once was true when most businesses knew their customers personally, but certainly not in a digital world. In this regard, only gut plus data knows better.

Ready, Set, Jump!

Culture is a hard, slow thing to change. Addressing these challenges starts with you, the fearless leader of transformation. Take a risk. Rebel against the status quo.

How do you walk the walk instead of just talking the talk? Here’s how to start:

Take a baseline. Assess the culture today and identify the biggest barriers.
Change incentives. Evaluate the incentives that undermine transformation. Are you evaluating people only for cost? Do you reward risk? Is time allotted for learning new skills?
Connect. Do you lead from a corner office or do you connect in the cafeteria, actively listening to concerns from people at all levels?
Mix up the people. Sometimes culture change does mean changing people, whether embedding change agents in new parts of the organization or hiring new talent. Your best people may not report directly to you but will be your champions sprinkled throughout the organization and whot share your view of the future.
Network. One industry veteran told me the role of the CDO will be an awful, uphill battle the next few years. Maybe. I know enough CDOs and analytics leaders who are loving their jobs and feel re-invigorated. If internal politics and organizational lethargy are getting you down, then network. Compare notes with other leaders to share the burden and secrets to success.

I’ll be right there with you on this journey.

Pokémon Sleep Wants to Make Snoozing a Game Too

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/business/pokemon-sleep.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 29, 2019 at 05:08PM

Pokémon Go got people walking for hours in the summer of 2016. Now, its makers want to make sleep the next frontier.

Your Kids Think You’re Addicted to Your Phone

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/technology/cell-phone-usage.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 29, 2019 at 11:29AM

While parents are, of course, worried about their teenagers’ phone use, that concern goes both ways, a new study found.

Huawei Ramps Up U.S. Legal Challenge, With the Media in Mind

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/business/huawei-us-lawsuit.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 29, 2019 at 08:20AM

The Chinese telecommunications giant has filed for summary judgment against the White House as it challenges limits against it via the courts and public opinion.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

As E-Sports Grow, So Do Their Homes

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/business/esports-arenas-developers.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 29, 2019 at 02:36AM

To provide fans with a richer experience, developers are creating arenas that are designed for pro gaming.

Huawei’s U.S. Restrictions Expose a High-Tech Achilles’ Heel for China

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/technology/huawei-china-us-trade.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 09:48AM

China is heavily reliant on imported computer chips, despite efforts to develop its own semiconductor industry.

Savior of G.M. Lordstown Plant, Hailed by Trump, Is a Corporate Cipher

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/business/economy/trump-gm-workhorse-lordstown.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 28, 2019 at 06:39PM

The electric-truck venture hailed by President Trump exists almost entirely on paper and would need $300 million to get the factory running again.

Food Delivery Apps Are Drowning China in Plastic

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/technology/china-food-delivery-trash.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 28, 2019 at 10:00AM

The noodles and barbecue arrive within 30 minutes. The containers they come in could be around for hundreds of years thereafter.

Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time Employees

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/technology/google-temp-workers.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 28, 2019 at 09:00AM

The tech company has long used contractors, but some employees worry that a growing reliance on them represents a shifting, less admirable work culture.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

How Convicts Ordered to Stay Offline Try to Slip Their Digital Leashes

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/26/us/computer-internet-restrictions-probation.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 26, 2019 at 12:00PM

A hacker and a sex offender share what happened when they sought to trick the probation officers monitoring them.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

In Baltimore and Beyond, a Stolen N.S.A. Tool Wreaks Havoc

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/nsa-hacking-tool-baltimore.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 25, 2019 at 07:33PM

American cities are being hijacked with an N.S.A. cyberweapon that has already done billions of dollars in damage overseas. The N.S.A. will say nothing.

A.I. Took a Test to Detect Lung Cancer. It Got an A.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/health/cancer-artificial-intelligence-ct-scans.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 06:14AM

Artificial intelligence may help doctors make more accurate readings of CT scans used to screen for lung cancer.

Google Changes Abortion Ad Policy

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/business/media/google-abortion-ads.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 12:48AM

Advertisers must be certified as providing or not providing abortions, and Google will include disclosures on ads about ending pregnancy.

New Coke Was a Debacle. It’s Coming Back. Blame ‘Stranger Things.’

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/business/media/new-coke-netflix-stranger-things.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 21, 2019 at 11:08PM

The creators of the hit Netflix series wrote the failed beverage into the coming season as part of a big marketing push. With memories of a 1985 backlash faded, Coca-Cola dug out the old recipe.

How Bettors in the Know Cashed In on ‘Game of Thrones’

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/us/game-of-thrones-predictions-betting.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 21, 2019 at 10:54PM

Though HBO went to great lengths to keep the finale secret until it aired, professional bettors saw clear signs that key details had leaked and were driving the wagering.

U.S. Tech Suppliers, Including Google, Restrict Dealings With Huawei After Trump Order

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/technology/google-android-huawei.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 21, 2019 at 06:17AM

The moves could hamstring the Chinese tech giant, escalating a cold war between China and the United States over technology and trade.

Amazon Faces Investor Pressure Over Facial Recognition

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/technology/amazon-facial-recognition.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 20, 2019 at 10:11PM

Shareholders are voting on whether to push the tech giant to examine the human rights and financial risks of the surveillance technology.

Kissing Babies, Loving Scrapple, Fighting Viral Hoaxes: ’20 Race’s New Routine

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/business/media/social-media-presidential-campaign-2020.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 20, 2019 at 08:55PM

When it comes to disinformation, all signs suggest the 2020 presidential campaign will make 2016 look like a mere test run, our columnist writes.

Tech Jobs Lead to the Middle Class. Just Not for the Masses.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/business/tech-jobs-middle-class.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 19, 2019 at 10:20PM

The great hope for people without a bachelor’s degree hasn’t yet spread beyond small-scale success stories.

Huawei Ban Threatens Wireless Service in Rural Areas

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/technology/huawei-rural-wireless-service.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 25, 2019 at 01:15PM

Many small carriers depend on inexpensive equipment from the Chinese company. Now they must rethink expansion plans, and perhaps replace existing gear.

Friday, May 24, 2019

Security Gap Leaves 885 Million Mortgage Documents Exposed

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/technology/data-leak-first-american.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 25, 2019 at 02:55AM

The data, collected by First American Financial Corporation, included hundreds of millions of detailed and personal financial records.

More Turmoil at The Markup, a Tech Site Still in Beta Mode

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/business/media/markup-tech-site-newsroom-departures.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 25, 2019 at 12:56AM

After the firing last month of the top editor, Julia Angwin, two other key members of the editorial team are out, said the site’s main donor, Craig Newmark.

Manipulated Pelosi Videos Spread on Social Media, With Help From Trump

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/us/politics/pelosi-doctored-video.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 24, 2019 at 07:38PM

Edited videos of the House speaker were widely shared online, pointing to the political chaos that digital manipulation is likely to cause in the future.

Huawei’s European Customers Are Put on Hold by U.S. Ban

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/business/huawei-us-china-europe-.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 24, 2019 at 05:55PM

They’re unsure how Android phones will keep working as Google and other companies assess a Trump administration order.

The Week in Tech: Geopolitics Are Shaping Your Next Smartphone

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/technology/china-tech-huawei.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 24, 2019 at 04:00PM

When President Trump took his latest swipe at Huawei, he set in motion a chain of events that could affect your next smartphone.

Thursday, May 23, 2019

SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites, Aiming for Internet From Orbit

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/science/spacex-launch.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 24, 2019 at 05:45AM

The payload of 60 satellites could be an important new line of business for the private rocket company.

What is the Best Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Solution for You?

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/17/what-is-the-best-hyper-converged-infrastructure-solution-for-you/
May 17, 2019 at 03:00PM

Last week I had a speech at a small workshop in Italy around hyper-convergence. It was a group of more than 20 end users, mid-to-large sized companies that were evaluating if hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) makes sense for their projects. In fact, only a few of them are already utilizing hyper-convergence, and some have special use cases for which solutions they have evaluated so far are too expensive or not flexible enough for their needs. Edge computing, for example, is pretty challenging for most HCI solutions.

That was an interesting discussion and I’m trying to take advantage of it for the slide deck I’m preparing for a webinar I’ll host next week here on GigaOm: “Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: Maximizing TCO and ROI”

I’m focusing the presentation on a few aspects that I consider fundamental to choose the right HCI solution:

One-size-fits-all does not exist when it comes to IT infrastructures. It is important to understand your real needs and proceed accordingly.
HCI is good for many workloads, but not for everything. An analysis of your needs (aka workloads) is fundamental to reach the right combination of functionality, efficiency, and cost in a solution that can effectively support the business.
Some of the benefits of HCI when compared to traditional infrastructures and the questions you should ask vendors when starting the evaluation process.

I’m oversimplifying a little here, but we will have an hour to go deep, and I’ll be joined by an HCI end user that will share how he made his evaluations, his experience with HCI and his expectations for the future. The session will be interactive, will include a few polls with results shared at the end of the webinar, and a Q&A session. And we will continue the conversation on social media later on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The research work I’m doing around HCI is also contributing to the publication of a new report about the key criteria for evaluating HCI. This upcoming report is part of a series of reports I’m writing to help end users identify the best infrastructure solutions for their needs. Stay tuned and watch GigaOm for these upcoming reports, the first of which is coming soon.

If you are interested in learning more about HCI and would like to better understand how to find the solution that can bring to your organization the best TCO (total cost of ownership) and the quickest ROI (return on investment), join us on May 23. Sign up to attend the webinar here!

Facebook Says It Is More Aggressively Enforcing Content Rules

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/technology/facebook-content-rules-data.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 23, 2019 at 08:58PM

The social media company, facing criticism from governments around the world, also offered evidence that its automated systems are improving.

Amazon Investors Reject Proposals on Climate Change and Facial Recognition

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/technology/amazon-climate-change-facial-recognition.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 22, 2019 at 10:14PM

The resolutions, voted on by shareholders, would have pushed the company to reconsider its societal impact.

Tech We’re Using: Taking Steps to Maximize Privacy While Covering the Lack of It

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/technology/personaltech/maximize-online-privacy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 22, 2019 at 04:00PM

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, an investigative reporter who has delved into issues of online privacy, is “under no illusions” that protecting our digital selves is fully possible.

Pinterest Posts Narrower Loss, but Falls Short of Wall St. Estimates

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/technology/pinterest-earnings.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 02:38AM

The digital pinboard company’s stock price tumbled in after-hours trading after its first earnings report as a public company.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

What is the Best Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Solution for You?

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/17/what-is-the-best-hyper-converged-infrastructure-solution-for-you/
May 17, 2019 at 03:00PM

I’m focusing the presentation on a few aspects that I consider fundamental to choose the right HCI solution:

One-size-fits-all does not exist when it comes to IT infrastructures. It is important to understand your real needs and proceed accordingly.
HCI is good for many workloads, but not for everything. An analysis of your needs (aka workloads) is fundamental to reach the right combination of functionality, efficiency, and cost in a solution that can effectively support the business.
Some of the benefits of HCI when compared to traditional infrastructures and the questions you should ask vendors when starting the evaluation process.

Unstructured Data Management, Where to Start

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/16/unstructured-data-management-where-to-start/
May 16, 2019 at 06:29PM

A few months ago I wrote a report about unstructured data management. And the introduction starts like this: “Unstructured data growth is hardly news anymore. In fact, the challenge is no longer exponential growth, which we are now accustomed to and have solutions for, but it is all about keeping data safe while giving access to users, applications, and devices distributed globally, as well as having control over it.”

Data storage has dramatically evolved in the last few years, and there are several aspects to take into account before planning for a data management strategy:

Unstoppable Data Growth – The reality is that we cannot stop nor contain data growth, especially when it comes to unstructured data. It is not only that the sources that can produce data are growing by the day with the increasing amount of devices at our disposal, sensors cameras, and so on. It is also about the fact that documents are richer, bigger and we keep them for a longer period of time. Regulations and never-delete policies don’t help either. $/GB of our storage infrastructures, both in terms of TCA and TCO are key to infrastructure and business sustainability.
Unpracticable Consolidation – We create data everywhere but, still today, for many organizations consolidating it in a single place is pure utopia. Sometimes this is about organizational issues, in other cases, it is more about connectivity constraints. No matter the case, the result is the same, file servers and NAS devices are installed everywhere or, at least, access gateways need to be close to the applications and users needing that data. As a result, infrastructure becomes more complex over time, it needs to be protected, secured and managed accordingly.
Edge-Core-Cloud – Core and Edge data storage are now joined by the cloud. This is an additional challenge, as well as an opportunity. In fact, it could add complexity to the picture, but if leveraged in the right way it can quickly become an opportunity for large savings as well as introduce enhanced data protection mechanisms and data management tools.

There are several ways to plan a data management strategy and tools to execute this as well. Some of them are more intrusive, while others have a minimal impact on the existing infrastructure. At the end of the day, data management all depends on the results you want to get, how quickly, and the resources at your disposal to start this type of initiative.

Do you want to know more?

On May 21 (12 pm CDT), I’ll be hosting a webinar with the title “Unstructured Data Management: A New Way of Fighting Data,” I’ll be joined by Krishna Subramanian (COO of Komprise) and we will discuss unstructured data management in all its aspects. The session will be interactive with polls and a Q&A session at the end of the presentation. We will discuss business and technical aspects of data management including, what it is, how to start, its benefits, the kind of savings you can get from it, and how it can impact the way you do business. Join us by registering here, the webinar is free but seating is limited.

Voices in AI – Episode 87: A Conversation with Sameer Maskey

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/16/voices-in-ai-episode-87-a-conversation-with-sameer-maskey/
May 16, 2019 at 03:00PM

[voices_in_ai_byline]

About this Episode

Episode 87 of Voices in AI features Byron speaking with Sameer Maskey of Fusemachines about the development of machine learning, languages and AI capabilities.

Listen to this one-hour episode or read the full transcript at www.VoicesinAI.com

Transcript Excerpt

Byron Reese: This is Voices in AI brought to you by GigaOm and I’m Byron Reese. Today my guest is Sameer Maskey. He is the founder and CEO of Fusemachines and he’s an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia. He holds an undergraduate degree in Math and Physics from Bates College and a PhD in Computer Science from Columbia University as well. Welcome to the show, Sameer.

Sameer Maskey: Thanks Byron, glad to be here.

Can you recall the first time you ever heard the term ‘artificial intelligence’ or has it always just been kind of a fixture of your life?

It’s always been a fixture of my life. But the first time I heard about it in the way it is understood in today’s world of what AI is, was in my first year undergrad when I was thinking of building talking machines. That was my dream, building a machine that can sort of converse with you. And in doing that research I happened to run into several books on AI and particularly a book called Voice and Speech Synthesis, and that’s how my journey in AI came into fruition.

So a conversational AI, it sounds like something that I mean I assume early on you heard about the Turing Test and thought ‘I wonder how you would build a device that could pass that.’ Is that fair to say?

Yeah, I’d heard about Turing test but my interest stemmed from being able to build a machine that could just talk, read a book and then talk with you about it. And I was particularly interested on being able to build the machine in Nepal. So I grew up in Nepal and I was always interested in building machines that can talk Nepali. So more than the Turing Test was just this notion of ‘can we build a machine that can talk in Nepali and converse with you?’

Would that require a general intelligence or are not anywhere near a general intelligence? For it to be able to like read a book and then have a conversation with you about The Great Gatsby or whatever. Would that require general intelligence?

Being able to build a machine that can read a book and then just talk about it would require I guess what is being termed as artificial general intelligence. That begs many different other kinds of question of what AGI is and how it’s different from AI in what form. But we are still quite far ways from being able to build a machine that can just read a novel or a history book and then just be able to sit down with you and discuss it. I think we are quite far away from it even though there’s a lot of research being done from a conversational AI perspective.

Yeah I mean the minute a computer can learn something, you can just point it at the Internet and say “go learn everything” right?

Exactly. And we’re not there, at all.

Pedro Domingo wrote a book called The Master Algorithm. He said he believes there is like some uber algorithm yet we haven’t discovered which accounts for intelligence in all of its variants, and part of the reason he believes that is, we’re made with shockingly little code DNA. And the amount of that code which is different than a chimp, say, you may only be six or seven mbps in that tiny bit of code. It doesn’t have intelligence obviously, but it knows how to build intelligence. So is it possible that… do you think that that level of artificial intelligence, whether you want to call it AGI or not but that level of AI, do you think that might be a really simple thing that we just haven’t… that’s like right in front of us and we can’t see it? Or do you think it’s going to be a long hard slog to finally get there and it’ll be a piece at a time?

To answer that question and to sort of be able to say maybe there is this Master Algorithm that’s just not discovered, I think it’s hard to make anything towards it, because we as a human being even neurologically and neuroscientists and so forth don’t even fully understand how all the pieces of the cognition work. Like how my four and a half year old kid is just able to learn from couple of different words and put together and start having conversations about it. So I think we don’t even understand how human brains work. I get a little nervous when people claim or suggest there’s this one master algorithm that’s just yet to be discovered.

We had this one trick that is working now where we take a bunch of data about the past and we study it with computers and we look for patterns, and we use those patterns to predict the future. And that’s kind of what we do. I mean that’s machine learning in a nutshell. And it’s hard for me for instance to see how will that ever write The Great Gatsby, let alone read it and understand it, but how could it ever be creative? But maybe it can be.

Through one lens, we’re not that far with AI and why do you think it’s turning out to be so hard? I guess that’s my question. Why is AI so hard? We’re intelligent and we can kind of reflect on our own intelligence and we kind of figure out how we learn things, but we have this brute force way of just cramming a bunch of data down the machine’s throat, and then it can spot spam email or route you through traffic and nothing else. So why is AI turning out to be so hard?

Because I think the machinery that’s been built over many, many years on how AI has evolved and is to a point right now, like you pointed out it is still a lot of systems looking at a lot of historical data, building models that figure out patterns on it and doing predictions on it and it requires a lot of data. And one of the reasons deep learning is working very well is there’s so much data right now.

We haven’t figured out how, with a very little bit of data you can create generalization on the patterns to be able to do things. And that piece on how to model or build a machine that can generalize decision making process based on just a few pieces of information… we haven’t figured that out. And until we figure that out, it is still going to be very hard to make AGI or a system that can just write The Great Gatsby. And I don’t know how long will it be until we figure that part out.

A lot of times people think that a general intelligence is just an evolutionary product from narrow. We get narrow then we get…First they can play Go and then it can play all games, all strategy games. And then it can do this and it gets better and better and then one day it’s general.

Is it possible that what we know how to do now has absolutely nothing to do with general intelligence? Like we haven’t even started working on that problem, it’s a completely different problem. All we’re able to do is make things that can fake intelligence, but we don’t know how to make anything that’s really intelligent. Or do you think we are on a path that’s going to just get better and better and better until one day we have something that can make coffee and play Go and compose sonnets?

There is some new research being done on AGI, but the path right now which is where we train more and more data on bigger and bigger architecture and sort of simulate our fake intelligence, I don’t think that would probably lead into solutions that can have general intelligence the way we are talking about. It is still a very similar model that we’ve been using before, and that’s been invented a long time ago.

They are much more popular right now because they can do more with more data with more compute power and so forth. So when it is able to drive a car based on computer vision and neural net and learning behind it, it simulates intelligence. But it’s not really probably the way we describe human intelligence, so that it can write books and write poetry. So are we on the path to AGI? I don’t think that with the current evolution of the way the machinery is done is probably going to lead you to AGI. There’s probably some fundamental new ways of exploring things that is required and how the problem is framed to sort of thinking about how general intelligence works.

Listen to this one-hour episode or read the full transcript at www.VoicesinAI.com

[voices_in_ai_link_back]

Byron explores issues around artificial intelligence and conscious computers in his new book The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity.

Hackers Are Holding Baltimore Hostage: How They Struck and What’s Next

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/us/baltimore-ransomware.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 10:31PM

Two weeks ago, attackers seized parts of the computer systems that run the city’s government. So far, it hasn’t given in to ransom demands.

Amazon Investors Reject Proposals on Climate Change and Facial Recognition

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/technology/amazon-climate-change-facial-recognition.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 10:14PM

The resolutions, voted on by shareholders, would have pushed the company to reconsider its societal impact.

Google’s Duplex Uses A.I. to Mimic Humans (Sometimes)

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/technology/personaltech/ai-google-duplex.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 09:40PM

In a free service, bots call restaurants and make reservations. The technology is impressive, except for when the caller is actually a person.

Taking Steps to Maximize Privacy While Covering the Lack of It

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/technology/personaltech/maximize-online-privacy.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 04:00PM

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, an investigative reporter who has delved into issues of online privacy, is “under no illusions” that protecting our digital selves is fully possible.

Siri and Alexa Fuel Sexism, U.N. Finds

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/world/siri-alexa-ai-gender-bias.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
May 22, 2019 at 06:53PM

Virtual helpers that come with female voices by default are perpetuating bias, a Unesco report argues.

Bits: The Week in Tech: Putting an A.I. Genie Back in Its Bottle

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/technology/san-francisco-facial-recognition.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 04:00PM

San Francisco demonstrated that technologies believed to be damaging to citizens’ well-being can be curtailed.

Qualcomm Violated Antitrust Laws, U.S. Judge Rules

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/business/qualcomm-antitrust-ruling.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 22, 2019 at 01:52PM

A judge found that Qualcomm, a giant in the computer chip industry, charged cellphone makers “onerous” fees for use of its patents.

Capitalism Camp for Kids

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/style/for-kids-comma-some-capitalism.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 22, 2019 at 12:00PM

Young people love socialism. Can a summer of indoctrination teach little Hermione and Khaleesi to love capitalism?

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Google Changes Abortion Ad Policy

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/business/media/google-abortion-ads.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 22, 2019 at 12:48AM

Advertisers must be certified as providing or not providing abortions, and Google will include disclosures on ads about ending pregnancy.

How Bettors in the Know Cashed In on ‘Game of Thrones’

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/us/game-of-thrones-predictions-betting.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 21, 2019 at 10:54PM

Though HBO went to great lengths to keep the finale secret until it aired, professional bettors saw clear signs that key details had leaked and were driving the wagering.

U.S. Restrictions on Huawei Expose a High-Tech Achilles’ Heel for China

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/technology/huawei-china-us-trade.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 21, 2019 at 09:43PM

China is heavily reliant on imported computer chips, despite efforts to develop its own semiconductor industry.

U.S. Restrictions on Huawei Expose a High-Tech Achilles’ Heel for China

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/technology/huawei-china-chips.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 21, 2019 at 06:31PM

China is heavily reliant on imported computer chips, despite efforts to develop its own semiconductor industry.

Remember New Coke? It’s Coming Back. Blame Netflix.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/business/media/new-coke-netflix-stranger-things.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 21, 2019 at 04:00PM

The creators of “Stranger Things” wrote the failed beverage into the coming season as part of a big marketing push. With memories of a 1985 backlash faded, Coca-Cola dug out the old recipe.

Monday, May 20, 2019

The New New World: As Huawei Loses Google, the U.S.-China Tech Cold War Gets Its Iron Curtain

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/business/huawei-trump-china-trade.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 20, 2019 at 09:12PM

The White House’s hard-line approach threatens to speed up the development of two technology worlds, further isolating one-fifth of internet users.

Trump’s Latest Move Takes Straight Shot at Huawei’s Business

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/technology/huawei-ban-president-trump.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 04:28AM

By restricting the Chinese technology giant’s ability to buy American components, Washington could hamstring Huawei’s operations worldwide.

SpaceX Delays Launch of Starlink Orbital Internet Satellites

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/science/spacex-launch.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 02:35AM

The mission is to be a test of the company’s ambitions to create a new line of business by connecting more parts of the world.

A.I. Took a Test to Detect Lung Cancer. It Got an A.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/health/cancer-artificial-intelligence-ct-scans.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 20, 2019 at 06:00PM

Artificial intelligence may help doctors make more accurate readings of CT scans used to screen for lung cancer.

Google Restricts Huawei’s Access to Android After Trump Order

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/technology/google-android-huawei.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 20, 2019 at 05:25PM

The move could hamstring the Chinese tech giant if it prevents the firm’s customers from getting the latest versions of services such as Maps and Gmail.

Google Restricts Huawei’s Access to Android After Trump Order

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/business/google-huawei-android.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 20, 2019 at 03:08PM

The move could hamstring the Chinese tech giant if it prevents the firm’s customers from getting the latest versions of services such as Maps and Gmail.

Amazon Faces Investor Pressure Over Facial Recognition

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/technology/amazon-facial-recognition.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 20, 2019 at 12:00PM

Shareholders are voting on whether to push the tech giant to examine the human rights and financial risks of the surveillance technology.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Mediator: Social Media Pollution, a Huge Problem in the Last Election, Could Be Worse in 2020

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/business/media/social-media-presidential-campaign-2020.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 20, 2019 at 02:49AM

As a candidate, Donald Trump promoted a mystery Twitter account that falsely portrayed a protester as an ISIS terrorist. Nothing stops him from doing it again.

Tech Jobs Lead to the Middle Class. Just Not for the Masses.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/business/tech-jobs-middle-class.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 19, 2019 at 10:20PM

The great hope for people without a bachelor’s degree hasn’t yet spread beyond small-scale success stories.

Friday, May 17, 2019

Hewlett Packard Enterprise to Acquire Supercomputer Pioneer Cray

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/technology/hp-enterprise-cray-supercomputers.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 18, 2019 at 02:19AM

The price was relatively small, but the deal may have a big impact on the race between the United States and China to build more powerful computers.

‘Knitting is Coding’ and Yarn is Programmable in This Physics Lab

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 11:31PM

For Elisabetta Matsumoto. knot theory is knit theory.

Amazon to Invest in Deliveroo, a Rival to Uber in Food Delivery

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/business/dealbook/amazon-deliveroo-invest.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 09:28PM

The $575 million investment strengthens one of the biggest overseas rivals to Uber’s food-delivery division, which the ride-hailing company considers a key business.

Facebook’s A.I. Whiz Now Faces the Task of Cleaning It Up. Sometimes That Brings Him to Tears.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/technology/facebook-ai-schroepfer.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 04:03PM

Facebook has heralded artificial intelligence as a solution to its toxic content problems. Mike Schroepfer, its chief technology officer, says it won’t solve everything.

Bits: The Week in Tech: Putting an A.I. Genie Back in Its Bottle

Violent Japanese Mascot That Tickled John Oliver Is Suspended by Twitter

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/world/asia/chiitan-mascot-john-oliver-japan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 07:33AM

The mascot Chiitan, modeled on a real-life otter, drew notoriety for violent stunts that delighted social media users and the HBO comedian.

Trump’s Latest Move Takes Straight Shot at Huawei’s Business

SpaceX Again Delays Starlink Internet Satellite Launch

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/science/spacex-launch.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 04:09AM

Elon Musk’s company will wait until next week to test its system that aims to provide high-speed internet all over the world.

Pinterest Posts Narrower Loss, but Falls Short of Wall St. Estimates

SpaceX Delays Launch of Starlink Orbital Internet Satellites

Matter: Scientists Created Bacteria With a Synthetic Genome. Is This Artificial Life?

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/science/synthetic-genome-bacteria.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 16, 2019 at 06:06PM

In a milestone for synthetic biology, colonies of E. coli thrive with DNA constructed from scratch by humans, not nature.

The Man Behind San Francisco’s Facial Recognition Ban Is Working on More. Way More.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/technology/facial-recognition-san-francisco-ban.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 16, 2019 at 04:26PM

Brian Hofer, a paralegal who drafted the ordinance, is pushing for anti-surveillance measures across California. He has already gotten more than two dozen approved.

How the Promise of a $120 Billion Uber I.P.O. Evaporated

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/technology/uber-ipo-price.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 16, 2019 at 04:23PM

Uber’s offering was supposed to be a crowning moment for the ride-hailing company. But it suffered setback after setback and ultimately resulted in pointed questions for all involved.

The New New World: In China, Some Fear the End of ‘Chimerica’

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/business/us-china-tariffs.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 16, 2019 at 01:09PM

As the trade war with the U.S. threatens to decouple the world’s two largest economies, some in China argue that the two sides benefit from the relationship more than they admit.

Condé Nast Sells Brides Magazine to Barry Diller’s Dotdash

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/business/media/conde-nast-brides-dotdash.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 16, 2019 at 07:42AM

Dotdash, once known as About.com, plans to scrap the 85-year-old publication’s print edition and keep most of the editorial staff.

Trump Administration Balks at Global Pact to Crack Down on Online Extremism

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/technology/christchurch-call-trump.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 16, 2019 at 01:34AM

Citing American’s free speech protections, the administration said it would not endorse the ‘Christchurch Call,’ which urges major online platforms to eradicate violent and extremist content.

Facial Recognition’s Many Controversies, From Stadium Surveillance to Racist Software

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/business/facial-recognition-software-controversy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 16, 2019 at 12:48AM

Privacy worries have long surrounded the technology. Here’s a look back.

Attention, Amazon Shoppers: Google Wants Some of Your Spending Money

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/technology/google-shopping-amazon-rivalry.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 15, 2019 at 09:31PM

Amazon wants to sell ads. Google wants to woo shoppers. Their ambitions are putting the tech giants on a collision course.

Alibaba Reports Slower Growth as U.S.-China Trade War Intensifies

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/technology/alibaba-earnings.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 15, 2019 at 08:52PM

The e-commerce firm became a giant by catering to China’s emerging middle class. But these are anxious times for Chinese consumers and businesses.

Tech Tip: How to Add Hollywood Special Effects to Your Videos

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/technology/personaltech/make-green-screen-video.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 15, 2019 at 04:00PM

With your smartphone, inexpensive software and a bit of cloth or paper, you can make your own “green screen” movies.

Tech We’re Using: Why Play a Music CD? ‘No Ads, No Privacy Terrors, No Algorithms’

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/technology/personaltech/music-streaming-cd.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 15, 2019 at 04:00PM

Streaming services have revolutionized the discovery of songs, but here’s why Ben Sisario, who covers the music industry, still likes to listen to compact discs.

New Zealand Seeks Global Support for Tougher Measures on Online Violence

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/12/technology/ardern-macron-social-media-extremism.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 15, 2019 at 12:34PM

In the wake of the terrorist attack on Muslim mosques, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is calling for a united effort against the biggest internet companies.

Uber Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees, Labor Board Says

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/business/economy/nlrb-uber-drivers-contractors.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 15, 2019 at 06:33AM

The National Labor Relations Board’s position is a setback for drivers who had hoped to join forces to push for better pay and working conditions.

Facebook Restricts Live Streaming After New Zealand Shooting

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/technology/facebook-live-violent-content.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 15, 2019 at 06:00AM

When 51 people were killed in New Zealand, the suspect broadcast it live on Facebook. The massacre led to a global call to combat the spread of violent content.

New Report Shows How a Pro-Iran Group Spread Fake News Online

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/world/middleeast/iran-fake-news-report.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 14, 2019 at 10:12PM

A research group at the University of Toronto has untangled look-alike websites and bogus news stories that appear to echo the Iranian government’s positions.

In Kidnapping Attempt, Uber Driver Told 2 Women ‘You’re Not Going Anywhere,’ Police Say

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/us/uber-driver-kidnapping-women.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 14, 2019 at 02:42PM

The driver, an assistant professor at a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University, was charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment.

HP Enterprise to Acquire Supercomputer Pioneer Cray

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/technology/hp-enterprise-cray-supercomputers.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 11:32PM

The price was relatively small, but the deal may have a big impact on the race between the United States and China to build more powerful computers.

New Zealand Seeks Global Support for Tougher Measures on Online Violence

Facebook’s A.I. Whiz Now Faces the Task of Cleaning It Up. Sometimes That Brings Him to Tears.

Bits: The Week in Tech: Putting an A.I. Genie Back in Its Bottle

Amazon to Invest in Deliveroo, a Rival to Uber in Food Delivery

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/business/dealbook/amazon-deliveroo-invest.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 03:41PM

The $575 million investment strengthens one of the biggest overseas rivals to Uber’s food-delivery division, which the ride-hailing company considers a key business.

What is the Best Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Solution for You?

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/17/what-is-the-best-hyper-converged-infrastructure-solution-for-you/
May 17, 2019 at 03:00PM

I’m focusing the presentation on a few aspects that I consider fundamental to choose the right HCI solution:

One-size-fits-all does not exist when it comes to IT infrastructures. It is important to understand your real needs and proceed accordingly.
HCI is good for many workloads, but not for everything. An analysis of your needs (aka workloads) is fundamental to reach the right combination of functionality, efficiency, and cost in a solution that can effectively support the business.
Some of the benefits of HCI when compared to traditional infrastructures and the questions you should ask vendors when starting the evaluation process.

The Ins and Outs of Knit Theory

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/science/math-physics-knitting-matsumoto.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 12:00PM

For physicist Elisabetta Matsumoto, “knitting is coding,” and yarn is a programmable material.

Violent Japanese Mascot That Tickled John Oliver Is Suspended by Twitter

Thursday, May 16, 2019

SpaceX Again Delays Starlink Internet Satellite Launch

Pinterest Posts Narrower Loss, but Falls Short of Wall St. Estimates

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/technology/pinterest-earnings.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
May 17, 2019 at 01:24AM

The digital pinboard company’s stock price tumbled in after-hours trading after its first earnings report as a public company.

Unstructured Data Management, Where to Start

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/16/unstructured-data-management-where-to-start/
May 16, 2019 at 06:29PM

Data storage has dramatically evolved in the last few years, and there are several aspects to take into account before planning for a data management strategy:

Unstoppable Data Growth – The reality is that we cannot stop nor contain data growth, especially when it comes to unstructured data. It is not only that the sources that can produce data are growing by the day with the increasing amount of devices at our disposal, sensors cameras, and so on. It is also about the fact that documents are richer, bigger and we keep them for a longer period of time. Regulations and never-delete policies don’t help either. $/GB of our storage infrastructures, both in terms of TCA and TCO are key to infrastructure and business sustainability.
Unpracticable Consolidation – We create data everywhere but, still today, for many organizations consolidating it in a single place is pure utopia. Sometimes this is about organizational issues, in other cases, it is more about connectivity constraints. No matter the case, the result is the same, file servers and NAS devices are installed everywhere or, at least, access gateways need to be close to the applications and users needing that data. As a result, infrastructure becomes more complex over time, it needs to be protected, secured and managed accordingly.
Edge-Core-Cloud – Core and Edge data storage are now joined by the cloud. This is an additional challenge, as well as an opportunity. In fact, it could add complexity to the picture, but if leveraged in the right way it can quickly become an opportunity for large savings as well as introduce enhanced data protection mechanisms and data management tools.

Do you want to know more?

Voices in AI – Episode 87: A Conversation with Sameer Maskey

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/16/voices-in-ai-episode-87-a-conversation-with-sameer-maskey/
May 16, 2019 at 03:00PM

[voices_in_ai_byline]

About this Episode

Episode 87 of Voices in AI features Byron speaking with Sameer Maskey of Fusemachines about the development of machine learning, languages and AI capabilities.

Listen to this one-hour episode or read the full transcript at www.VoicesinAI.com

Transcript Excerpt

Sameer Maskey: Thanks Byron, glad to be here.

Can you recall the first time you ever heard the term ‘artificial intelligence’ or has it always just been kind of a fixture of your life?

Yeah I mean the minute a computer can learn something, you can just point it at the Internet and say “go learn everything” right?

Exactly. And we’re not there, at all.

Listen to this one-hour episode or read the full transcript at www.VoicesinAI.com

[voices_in_ai_link_back]

Byron explores issues around artificial intelligence and conscious computers in his new book The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity.

Hardware as a Service – Resellers Becoming Managed Service Providers

Source: https://gigaom.com/2019/05/15/hardware-as-a-service-resellers-becoming-managed-service-providers/
May 15, 2019 at 04:33PM

In an effort to mimic the cloud, vendors, as well as resellers, are switching to subscription-based sales models for hardware and, according to the end users I spoke to, it sounds like it’s working out very well.

Last week Infinidat announced its – all-inclusive – pay-as-you-go subscription option for their Infinibox. They are not the first to do something like this. The Pure Storage Evergreen program was probably the first to hit the market a while back and has been praised for its characteristics and flexibility, but it’s definitely a good thing for Infinidat’s customers.

These kinds of programs are truly all-inclusive. In fact, they not only include hardware and maintenance but also unlimited system upgrades, migration services and so on. At the end of the day, it simplifies the procurement process, improves financial aspects of HW infrastructure management by reducing CAPEX (capital expenditure) in favor of OPEX (operating expenses), and provisioning is simplified as well.

Now that we live in an era of hybrid cloud infrastructures, this kind of approach helps organizations of all sizes to limit the friction between on-prem and cloud as well as traditional and next-gen IT environments.

Resellers are Becoming MSPs

What struck me the most about this idea of Hardware as a Service (HaaS) is that resellers in the field, here in Europe at least, are embracing this idea and making it theirs. More and more resellers are transforming their business and becoming MSPs (managed service providers), packaging their solutions in a cloud-like fashion and selling them as subscriptions.

To get a better understanding of this phenomenon, there are two questions that need to be addressed: Why? and How?

Why?

It’s actually quite simple. End users are finally understanding the cloud and they like the idea. Even the most conservative end users are experimenting with it. At the same time, small and medium enterprises love their relationship with local partners, however, the risk of resellers losing customers to the cloud is becoming higher by the day. Resellers are becoming more aware of this situation and are reacting accordingly.

How?

Many resellers are starting to propose solutions which come very close to what you can get from the vendors, taking advantage of their position and the flexibility they can get from it. You can think of them as cloud and hardware brokers. While most do not own a data center, they can access colocation facilities, cloud providers and whatever is necessary to build personalized solutions for their customers. They then are able to sell the entire package with the added value that comes from integration and the necessary services to make it work. The end user only needs to manage its applications and data, offloading most of the infrastructure issues to their partner.

It’s also very interesting to note that these kinds of solutions are very cost-competitive as well. In fact, resellers (or MSPs if you like) are very careful to purchase at the best price possible to be more competitive and improve their margin. Furthermore, this new subscription-based business model allows them to have more bargaining power with the vendors. In the end, they become the end user from the vendor’s perspective, so the final customer gets a solution and a partner, rather than just a bunch of products. Thus by changing their business model, resellers have access to a different economy of scale for their purchases. For example, a few days ago a reseller told me that he bought 1PB licenses of a SDS (software-defined-storage) solution and his team is now slicing it in 20, 30, and 100TB chunks for its customers. The vendor’s sales representative was happy to close a single 1PB deal, and now the reseller will be able to provide a very good $/GB to small customers while making higher profits.

And it’s not only about HW and SW, sometimes it’s also about the cloud. These reseller-MSPs can buy from large providers like Amazon, Google or Microsoft, but they can also choose to work with other providers like Wasabi, Backblaze or Packet, just to name a few, that can give them raw resources with better prices, more control over the stack, less lock-in and, white labeled solutions. Once again, it’s more about leveraging internal skills and the relationship with the end user to build something that is much more tailored, hybrid, perfectly aligned with users’ needs and very competitive from the economic and financial perspective.

Closing the Circle

The channel is evolving pretty quickly to adapt itself to the cloud era. Here in Europe at least, many resellers are switching to innovative business models to keep up with the times. The feedback I’ve received from the field in the last few months is very positive and end users love the idea of getting a cloud-like experience through their beloved partners.

Friday, May 31, 2019

Thursday, May 30, 2019

About this Episode

Transcript Excerpt

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Friday, May 24, 2019

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

About this Episode

Transcript Excerpt

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Monday, May 20, 2019

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Friday, May 17, 2019

Thursday, May 16, 2019

About this Episode

Transcript Excerpt

Resellers are Becoming MSPs

Why?

How?

Closing the Circle

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