Category: random

  • Big Data and Smart Assets: 6 Tech-Enabled Business Trends to Watch

    Big Data and Smart Assets: 6 Tech-Enabled Business Trends to Watch

    The business world is evolving at a fast rate. There is an emergence of amazing internet technologies that are shaping how businesses are operated. Some of the common features include improved communication, smart ways of handling data, enhanced customer interaction, production of better products and excellent marketing strategies among many others.

    If you are in business today, you cannot afford to be left behind. However, you have to be on the lookout to identify the current tech-enabled trends and embrace them as well. This is why we have prepared the 6 common trends to watch. Read on to learn more.

    Broadening the Network

    The web has opened up all boundaries, and businesses can now work from a larger platform. This includes both in looking for customers and labor services. In addition to focusing on the internal workforce, they can outsource some of the services to other experts all over the world. Tapping into a broader talent pool enables the businesses to save money while getting the most professional services for an overall improvement.

    Big Data Experimentation

    No business would like to be left behind as far as engaging in smart ways of doing business are concerned. Therefore, there is continuous experimentation with big data until they find a solution. Experts are now saying that businesses have turned into full-time laboratories. Some sell their successful ideas and big data solutions to others.

    Increased Use of Internet of Things

    The internet of things (IoT) is now a popular solution that businesses are adopting. Some do not even know that they are already using it. But if you look at the automation of services, production and all other technologies that are enhancing businesses, you will understand that it is not possible to live without these things. According to experts from ActiveWizards, more and more businesses are adopting smart ways of doing business through software and applications that automate services.

    Safer Data Storage

    As companies and businesses interact with a large amount of data, they need safer and better storage facilities for the data. Most of them are now relying on powerful servers that are protected in rooms with enhanced security. Cloud backup is also becoming the norm because it can come in handy when servers crash. People can also access the data from various remote places.

    Smart Business Models

    Technology is also leading businesses to develop better business models. Some are adopted from the outside while others are internal. Unique business models that have taken advantage of technology have a major potential to improve the business. Recently, experts in business and technology have noted that these models are smarter with automation and the use of other technological capabilities to succeed.

    Tech-Guided Customer Interactions

    The ways that businesses interact with their potential and loyal customers have significantly improved. They now use software that can filter out the particular needs of customers before sending customized marketing campaign messages and newsletters. They can also obtain information from various databases to learn the exact trends of customers and focus on serving them in a better way. It is true to note that technology has changed the world of business completely. These trends are evidence of this.

  • How Parents Can Make the Internet Safe for Kids?

    How Parents Can Make the Internet Safe for Kids?

    The internet was invented and introduced as a source to connect people. It was primarily used for business purposes, news and making the world as global village. But as social media sites were launched, the use of internet became really dangerous and serious. Many children and kids have lost their lives due to the internet and social sites.

    There are many potential risks and dangers of the internet for teens. The use of internet is not bad but the purpose should be safe. It can risk your life if you are serious about your safety and take most care in the use. We are going to discuss the risks and dangers of internet for the kids and then the measures parents can take to protect their children.

    Potential Risks of Internet for Children

    As said earlier there are many dangers of the internet for teens and children and some of these are given below.

    Cyberbullying

    Kids spend most of their time on social sites and dating apps when their devices are connected to the internet. On social sites, bullying is rife and many teens have suffered badly. They are exposed to the predators as well as bullies who are the bad guys of the internet. A few teens suffered the most when they were bullies on social sites and other apps. They even committed suicide.

    Body Shaming

    You might have seen many teens share their photos and images on the internet. They get harsh comments, body shaming remarks and are discouraged. The senior people who bully others also try this with the teens. When children are bullies and body shamed, they lose their self-confidence and it hurts them really bad. Teens can do nothing about it but the parents can take measures to protect them online as well as offline.

    Adult Content

    On the internet, you will find every type of content. Facebook, Instagram and such other sites are full of adult content, body images and explicit images that teens should not view. But as everyone shares and teens view them, you can’t prevent the impact. Rather such content can be reduced and hidden from the newsfeeds of the children.

    Private Information Sharing

    Most of the teens and kids share too much details and personal information on the internet. The social media apps and other apps track the users all the time and they have access to the location. Apart from that, teens put their images and family photos. They share locations when they go to eat out and at any other place. This makes them vulnerable to predators.

    What Should Parents Do to Make Internet Safe?

    Parents can do a number of things to make the internet use safe for their teens and kids. They should keep check on them. Following are some important measures parents should take in this regard.

    Screen Time

    First, the parents must monitor the use of devices. They should restrict the use of internet as well as phones for the teens. There should be a time limit when they will use the internet and devices. This will help parents keep the kids away from internet and social sites all the time. They should be given phones when they have done their homework, study and are free.

    Encourage Playing

    With this, the parents should divert the attention of their children. They should be encouraged for games and outdoor activities. They should be allowed to go out and play with friends. This will be really helpful to keep children away from the internet and encourage good activities.

    Use Parental Control

    Now, most of the computers and phones come with parental control feature. This allows parents to create a separate account on the devices for teens. All the adult, porn and social sites are restricted. Parents should also check what their teens have been doing on their phones. They should educate kids about online safety and the dangers of social media as well as internet.

    Get a Monitoring App

    If parents still feel they need to keep eyes on the children, they can use Android spy software. This kind of app is really useful for monitoring teens, tracking their internet and social media activities, restrict content, check screens, view instant messengers, track locations and do a lot more. Parents will feel better and relaxed with a parental control app.

  • How to be Prepared While Holidaying in Hurricane Country

    How to be Prepared While Holidaying in Hurricane Country

    Going on vacation during hurricane season can be intimidating. You may have a lot of worries and confusion about how to travel with the prospect of being caught in the middle of a severe storm. If you’re on a trip and there’s a risk of a hurricane, here are some guidelines that will help you be ready for the worst.

    Keep an Eye on the Forecast

    It’s always a good idea to stay tuned to the current news while on your trip so you can be aware of any incoming storms. You can use a weather app on your phone or use a lighting detection system to stay informed of weather patterns. Check the seven- or ten-day forecast before your trip too so you know if you need to be extra prepared.

    Use Carry-On Bags Wisely

    If you’re flying during your trip, your flights may get delayed or even canceled. This can result in you getting separated from your checked bags. This is why you should pack some essential items in your carry-on luggage.

    Develop an Emergency Plan

    Creating a plan is crucial, especially if you’re traveling with a group. Determine how you will communicate with one another and where you will meet in case of a hurricane. Make sure everyone knows how to get to the meeting area.

    Pack a Hurricane Kit

    Be sure to take these items with you:

    • Radio
    • Food
    • Water
    • First aid kit
    • Flashlight

    These basic survival items may save your life in the worst of situations.

    Sign Up for Weather Alerts

    You can rely on a weather station to provide you with 24/7 storm tracking and a local emergency siren. This gives you a detailed look at how hurricanes develop and give you sufficient time to leave the area if necessary.

    The thought of a hurricane may be scary, but follow these tips and you’ll be ready.

  • The History of the Word ‘Hack’ – by Wrike project management tools

    The History of the Word ‘Hack’ – by Wrike project management tools

    Infographic brought to you by Wrike tools for managing projects

    The History of the Word ‘Hack’ - by Wrike project management tools

  • Firefox: How to get playback speed options in YouTube?

    Firefox: How to get playback speed options in YouTube?

    Recently I was asked a question on Quora –

    Why does the option to play YouTube videos at 2x speed appear in Chrome and not Firefox?

    So I started to investigate the reasons why didn’t such an option exist while playing YouTube videos in Firefox.

    Soon I came to the conclusion that it was just because of the difference in HTML5 developement on part of Firefox and Chrome.

    Opera and Firefox do not include H.264 video support in their HTML5 implementation. They are throwing their support in for Ogg Theora. Youtube currently does not have Ogg Theora encoded videos, and may never. Apple is backing H.264 to be the standard for HTML5 video, and Google is backing both.

    So here’s how you can get the playback speed options while playing YouTube videos in Firefox

    Go to YouTube/html5 and “Request the HTML5 player.”
    youtube

    This should help you change the playback speed for most of the supported videos!
  • Want to share big size data ? Here’s how.

    Want to share big size data ? Here’s how.

    Do you want to share large size files over internet and facing problem? Mostly there are two ways – you can attach file in email attachment but sometimes files are too large send through email, else simply upload them to file hosting websites and share their download links.

    urdgsl

    HJ-split : Mostly Web email services like Gmail and Outlook allow you to send files up to 25 MB in size. You can use HJ-split utility to break file into parts of 25 MB and send them using email. Recipient can restore file by joining them.

    Further are few best online storage services:

    Microsoft OneDrive : lets you upload single files up to 2 GB in size while the individual size limit is 1 TB (yes 1000 GB) in the case of Google Drive. For even bigger files, you can use Dropbox – here the files have no size limit if you upload them to Dropbox through the desktop application.

    WeTransfer : WeTransfer is a cloud-based file transfer service based in Amsterdam designed to send small to large files. WeTransfer users can send files up to 2GB in the free version for time period of 7 days.

    JustBeamIt : using this peer-to-peer app for file transfers can be done between your computer and the recipient’s computer directly. JustBeamIt website will instantly create a shareable download link.

    Infinit : is another impressive desktop application to share your large size files available for both Windows and Mac platform. All you have to do is drag the file on to the Infinit app, choose any recipient from your contacts and the transfer will begin once they accept the incoming file request. Its best feature is it support resumable download.

    SpiderOak : SpiderOak online backup tool to back up, share, sync, access and store data using an off-site server. accessible through an app for Windows, Mac and Linux computer platforms, and Android, N900 Maemo and iOS mobile platforms. SpiderOak uses encrypted cloud storage and client-side encryption key creation
    SpiderOak offers two account types, a free 2 GB version and a paid subscription for capacity above the free account limit. Users can also create a referral link, and each time the link is used to sign up for an account, an extra 1GB will be allotted to both accounts. The maximum account size that can be attained in this manner is 10GB.

    Skype drive: app can also be used for sending documents, photos, videos and other large files of any format to your Skype contacts. Just initiate a chat session or a audio / video call with a contact and choose the Send File option to initiate a transfer. The service imposes no limit to the size or number of the files you can send or receive using Skype and since it is peer-to-peer, no centralized server is needed for the file transfer.

    OwnCloud : Files and other data (such as calendars, contacts or bookmarks) can also be accessed using a web browser without any additional software. Any updates to files are pushed between all computers or mobile devices connected to a user’s account. File storage in conventional directory structures or via WebDAV
    Impressive Features like Encryption of user files, support different Operating systems, music streaming, online file viewer,etc

    SugarSync: Access All Your Files. Anytime. Anywhere.
    SugarSync stood out for one reason: It let you choose any folder on your computer to back up to the cloud automatically. sugarSync switched to a paid-only model, killing off its free 5 GB plan. SugarSync’s paid plans start at $7.49 per month or $75 per year for 60 GB of storage. Existing users won’t get to keep their free plans, but SugarSync is offering a 75-percent discount on its basic plan.

    Tonido :
    Access and Share ALL your files, photos, music and videos on your PC (Win, Mac or Linux) from anywhere using Tonido Desktop Software. Access, Sync and Share ALL your docs, photos, music and videos on USB and SATA drives using a TonidoPlug. On-Premises file storage, mobile access and sync solution for your business using FileCloud

    SparkleShare :
    SparkleShare creates a special folder on your computer. You can add remotely hosted folders (or “projects”) to this folder. These projects will be automatically kept in sync with both the host and all of your peers when someone adds, removes or edits a file.
    Great

    • Frequently changing project files, like text, office documents, and images
    • Tracking and syncing files edited by multiple people
    • Reverting a file to any point in its history
    • Preventing spying on your files on the server using encryption

    Not so great

    • Full computer backups
    • Storing your photo or music collection
    • Large binary files that change often, like video editing projects

    Team Drive :
    The software is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android and IOS with four account levels: Free, Personal, Professional and SecureOffice. Each account starts with 2 GiB of free cloud storage but can be upgraded either for free via a customer referral program (an additional 250 MiB per referral and up to 10 GiB total) or via upgrade packages.

  • Moto 360 : The new Smartwatch by Motorola

    Moto 360 : The new Smartwatch by Motorola

    moto360

    The new Moto 360 is what smart watches should be. It’s something beautiful, big & most importantly it matches the expectations of a wristwatch.
    Moto 360 is come up with unique circular design . When you see it, you see something familiar with intriguing qualities, not some gadget that happens to fit on your wrist. The Moto 360 strikes a stunning pose on your wrist, particularly in its stainless steel (as opposed to black) garb. Fit and finish of the devices we saw was top notch. The chamfered edges of both the glass covering the screen and that metal housing lend it a luxurious look and feel, and the thick, split leather strap is premium, too.

    The Moto 360 won’t go on sale until later this summer, and Motorola hasn’t announced a price. The unit I tried out at Google I/O was locked in retail mode, basically showing only sample cards but still interactive. I could swipe and tap on the notification cards, but they weren’t “real.”

    Moto-360

    The circular notifications worked just like the ones on the near-identical LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live except there, you know, circles. Danger’s part of the game is when you’re fashion-forward.

    And its fashion that makes the Moto 360 such a sensation. While the Android Wear smart watches from Samsung and LG are cute gadgets, Motorola’s smart watch is a piece of technology you covet. In that way it reminding me of what I felt when I first touched an iPad: It may do some useful things, but the feeling of desire went beyond having a convenience. What I wanted was a trophy.

    Like LG and Samsung, Motorola had the 360 running a demo mode of Android Wear, so we couldn’t get a feel for how the watch actually will work. That said, Motorola’s on its way to proving that sometimes, it’s not hip to be a square !

  • Moneyball – IPL 2014 edition

    Moneyball – IPL 2014 edition

    moneyball

    The world of sports throws open two questions to statisticians:
    1) Given a budget constraint, how competitive can a team be?
    2) If a certain level of competency is needed in a team, then what is the minimum budget?

     

    The original ‘Moneyball’

    Moneyball, a Hollywood movie starring Brad Pitt, tried to address these questions (especially the first). It reflected the methods used by Oakland Athletics baseball team in 2002. It transformed the world of baseball by discarding the popular belief that scouts’ experience and intuition are the only tools for valuing players. The movie introduced various performance measures for players. Notable among them was the on-base percentage (OBP), which was used by the team to value players. This method was very successful; Oakland Athletics finished first in the American League West with a record of 103-59. The team also enjoyed a record 20 game winning streak in the American League.

     

    Analytics in cricket

    Sachin 241*

    This wagon wheel shows Sachin’s 241* at the SCG in 2003-04. Tendulkar was in bad form before this innings, with scores of 0, 1, 37, 0 and 44. He was dismissed several times driving at wide balls outside his off stump. In this innings he managed to score most of his boundaries in the leg side. It is considered as one of the most disciplined innings by a batsman.

    Batsmen like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, etc. try to learn from their mistakes. Modern batsmen practice against bowling machines by setting appropriate line and length. Andrew Strauss’s innings against Shane Warne in the Ashes Test Series 2005 is one such example. However, these applications are not possible unless the target (self or opponent) is carefully studied. Such studies involve the use of analytics.

     

    Analytics in IPL 2014

    “With SAP’s solutions, we gained a multi-dimensional analysis of every player and were able to devise a playing 11 that had the maximum chances of winning the tournament. During the game too, SAP’s solutions helped us strategize better and provide a great experience to our fans”

    – Venky Mysore, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kolkata Knight Riders

    “The business of sports and entertainment is at an inflection point with new technologies driving significant changes to the business and creating vast amounts of qualitative and quantitative data. SAP solutions help sporting organizations turn data into action to gain a competitive edge by increased player availability, reliability, readiness, and performance. KKR’s victory in the seventh edition of the IPL is the perfect confluence of team strategy, player performance, and the use of insights from SAP to drive immediate action towards the team’s victory”

    – Anirban Dey, Managing Director, SAP Labs India

    Recently, Kolkata Knight Riders, in an effort to gain competitive advantage over its opponents, used analytics to produce a winning combination. They used SAP Auction Analytics to objectivize their selection. This tool used design thinking and predictive analytics capability of SAP HANA through live dashboard, which helped KKR to derive intelligence on players. SAP Auction Analytics, SAP Game Analytics and SAP Lumira enabled them to value players, derive post-game analytics after each game and derive fan engagement. SAP Lumira provided statistics to fans on how KKR performed over the course of the tournament. SAP Game Analytics pointed out strengths and weaknesses of each player in the tournament and helped in building strategies to conquer their opponents.

  • Welcome the Whyd’s new streaming App That Saves Songs from across the Web

    Welcome the Whyd’s new streaming App That Saves Songs from across the Web

    whyd_main

    The new music start up  just launched its social music streaming iOS app. This app provides a centralized music streaming service by pulling songs from other platforms around the web. Providing its users to play and share nearly any song almost instantly.

    Whyd-app.jpg

    The app functions similarly like the company’s web-based social streaming service which is first launched in 2012. Allowing users to collect and share songs culled from other streaming services, including SoundCloud, Vimeo, YouTube and Spotify without leaving the app.

    “The significance might be lost on some people, who just assume that everything should also come in app form,” the company wrote in a blog spot.


    2

    After creating a profile the app search for individual songs or playlists created by other users. You can simply stream songs individually or collect tracks into playlists of your own, which get shared on your profile. In this app tracks load surprisingly quickly. Most search results come from more indie-centric sources like Soundcloud and music blogs, meaning that even more obscure tracks are easy to find.

    After making the web version of its service available to the public after an extended closed beta the Paris-based start up raised $700,000 in funding.

    Whyd claims it is already working on an Android app, but Windows Phone users “might have to wait a little bit longer.”

  • Issues with use of Statistics in ‘Big Data’ Applications

    Issues with use of Statistics in ‘Big Data’ Applications

    bigdata

    Big data often contains data sets with thousands of variables, which increases the time complexity of variability reduction methods such as regression.Quantity of Data

    Regression – basics:

    Firstly, let us try to understand the uses of regression. Let us consider simple linear regression with two independent variables (say x1 and x2) and one dependent variable (say y). Let us assume that we have 20 observations. Instead of using linear regression, one can estimate the value of y using past values of y. One way is to use Fourier series expansion and finding out derivatives of order 1, 2, 3, … However, this is not efficient because the variance of the estimate is higher than that of the estimate in linear regression. Moreover, changes in x1 and x2 occur before changes in y and there is a cause-effect relationship between them (leading indicators). Hence, it is better to use linear regression to predict y.

    The hypothesis can be written as: Linear Regression - Hypothesis

    The objective is to minimize sum of squares of errors in the hypothesis estimates. This can be written as

    Cost Function - Linear RegressionDifferentiating with respect to θ0, θ1 and θ2, we get the normal equation which can be written in matrix notation as:

    Linear regression is not stable under all cases. There is a special case called multicollinearity in which all the variables will be statistically significant, but the solution changes drastically with changes in data points. To avoid this, we need to form a contingency table, which shows the relationship between x1 and x2. A 2×2 contingency table looks like:

    2×2 Contingency Table

    In case of multicollinearity, the sum of elements near diagonals (either main or sub) will be much higher than the sum of elements in the other cells. It is essential to perform this check before going for linear regression in order to ensure stability. There are standard methods to remove multicollinearity, but they are beyond the scope of this article.

     What is different in big data?

    Big data contains thousands of variables, which leads to a mxm contingency table, where m is very large. The biggest problem in this case is that not all thousand variables can be measured simultaneously. The proportion of variables measured decreases with increase in number of variables. In case of big data, the proportion of populated cells in contingency table is close to 0. Also, number of observations is very large, thus increasing the time complexity of inversion of XTX (mxm matrix).

     A statistician’s view:

    The popular feeling among analytics professionals is that big data cannot be handled. However, this is not true. It is true that the space complexity of big data cannot be reduced, but the time complexity can be reduced using algorithms and parallel computing [i.e. operations such as inverting (XTX)mxm]. Numerical computations methods have improved over time and can be used to cope with the increasing volume of data. However, the problem of sparseness of contingency table still remains due to unavailability of simultaneous measurement tools.

    In short, the problem is not with the volume of the data; it is with the unavailability of right kind of data.