Each paradigmatic shift in the workspace has always been accompanied with a restive period in human history. In the early 19th century, as the first Industrial Revolution took root in the UK, and mechanisation came to replace the predominantly agrarian economy, a group of workers took to violent protests smashing machines that deprived them of… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Big Data
The Brutal Fight to Mine Your Data and Sell It to Your Boss
HiQ is a “people analytics” firm that creates software tools for corporate human resources departments. Its Skill Mapper graphically represents the credentials and abilities of a workforce; its Keeper service identifies when employees are at risk of leaving for another job. Both draw the overwhelming majority of their data from a single trove: the material that is… Read more »
Data is not the new oil
The Economist, a venerable British weekly newspaper recently said of data: “A new commodity spawns a lucrative, fast-growing industry, prompting anti-trust regulators to step in to restrain those who control its flow.” Never mind that data isn’t particularly new (though the volume may be) – this argument does, at first glance, have much to recommend… Read more »
The most in-demand job title at companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon
Jobs at tech companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook are the most sought-after roles around. But what type of employees are these companies looking to for? Data analysis site Paysa looked at over 8,200 job posting and over 70,000 resumes at tech companies worth $10 billion or more to find what roles they are hiring for the most. Source: CNBC Date: September… Read more »
Facebook Servers
Although from 2013, this video does a really good job of taking you inside one of Facebook’s datacenters, and brings up all the issues that arise when you have to build and manage a datacenter Source: Facebook Date: May 11th, 2017 Link to YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d2JyaW9X34 Discussion 1) What are some of the physical security issues that Facebook… Read more »
You Could Soon Print Out Simple Electronics With Your Deskjet
COMPUTERS USED TO require entire buildings to operate. Now they fit in our pockets. Similarly, factory-size electronics manufacturing is approaching a contraction. Want proof? Look at that $50 printer on your desk and imagine, instead of using it to spit out a hard copy of that thank-you note, that you used it to print some… Read more »
Why your car servicing costs could be about to rise
An almighty row has broken out over who should have access to all the data new cars generate. Manufacturers want to have control of it all, but independent repair shops, fleet operators, insurance companies and anyone else who could benefit from this data, argue that this would be blatantly anti-competitive. Source: BBC Technology News Date: March 1st,… Read more »
Uber to share data to help ease city congestion
Uber is launching a website outlining how its cars move around cities, in an effort to appease city authorities who have long called for more data sharing. It will provide data on dozens of cities from next month. Uber’s transportation data could help cities to improve traffic flow. The controversial app-based taxi service had previously… Read more »
Microsoft’s Old-School Database Was the Surprise Software Hit of the Year
DON’T CALL IT a comeback, but Microsoft’s database software may be seeing a resurgence. According to research conducted by the Austrian consulting company Solid IT, Microsoft SQL Server’s popularity grew faster than any other database product the company tracked on its DB-Engines site during 2016. Source: Wired Magazine Date: January 4th, 2017 Link: https://www.wired.com/2017/01/microsofts-old-school-database-surprise-software-hit-year/ Discussion 1) You might… Read more »
Facebook’s Race-Targeted Ads Aren’t as Racist As You Think
IN LATE OCTOBER ProPublica released a scathing investigation showing how Facebook allows digital advertisers to narrow their target audience based on ethnic affinities like “African-American” or “Hispanic.” The report suggested that Facebook may be in violation of federal civil rights statutes and drew parallels to Jim Crow Era “whites only” housing ads. Source: Wired Magazine Date: November… Read more »
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