WHY IT MATTERS: Digital Transformation

Full of data about the size of Amazon data centers (Amazon probably has close to 5M servers), the article describes how they are organized and hints at the networking issues they face. Very interesting and insightful.

Interesting. Is anyone actually using this?

Early in the 2000s, Google and other web companies forecasted that people would consume Internet mostly via mobile devices (leading in part to Google investing in Android).

In 2014, mobile took over desktop for browsing the web (http://cnnmon.ie/1saCX3b). In its state of Internet report (SOTI 1Q14 http://bit.ly/1saE1UI), this Akamai chart shows that people are not buying iPhones and other mobile devices as phone replacements but as desktop replacements. The chart also highlights the importance of ubiquitous mobile network availability, via cellular or wifi.

But contrary to home or office usage, mobile depends on public networks to give users access to the Internet. For now, private corporations (telcos) have been the only ones providing this essential service. Soon, governments should consider providing the wireless telecommunication networks as part of their infrastructure, in a similar way that they provide roads, sewer and aqueducs.

A very detailed and scientific explanation of semiconductors. Explained in straightforwards terms it remains a very technical article, not for the faint at heart. But if you really want to know what's inside your computer, phone, watch, TV, car, etc. then this is a very good overview... ;-)

I wrote about exoskeleton earlier this month http://sco.lt/8z0b1l but this invention makes me think of them in a whole new light where they not only decouple your forces but also allow you to stay still for a long time. Here they claim the skeleton can keep its position for 24 hours on a 6V battery.

Great mashup (no one says that anymore I know) of maps + traffic data + travel algorithms. 

6 key technology trends, explained to business managers by accenture.

Very interesting but how many companies actually invest in eye tracking studies... or leverage the knowledge that it brings?

Also worth reading

- Optimize Content Access by Leveraging Data Emerging from Eye Tracking Studies http://sco.lt/5BwTL7

- See Your Website with the Eyes of a First-Time Visitor: Peek http://sco.lt/7iskiH

I learned today in LaPresse+ that Associated Press now relies on software from Automated Insight to write its financial stories on corporate earnings. Stories are, for now, human verified before release but this soon will disappear.

Also of interest is that AI provides solutions to automate redaction of texts in multiple domains, from sports to website analytics (my picture above). I initially assumed this is along the same lines as the automated writing that the weather service has been using for years. But in fact it is not, as it appears to spit out text that appears to be written by a human, not by a machine. It draws from Big Data analysis to extract meaningful information that it then writes about. The AI website provides few examples that appear very "professional".

AI now advertises a "marketing" tool that specializes in the creation of marketing material. I assume this will mean more personalized "emails" in my inbox that will go beyond greeting me by name and also merge data that is global (the lettuce is on special this week) to the very personal (you should consider buying more fruits and vegetables and to encourage you we extend a 25% discount for the next 30 days on all our fresh produce section).

Whether this is good news or bad, I'll let you decide...