Big Data: Stop Focusing On Size
It’s not the size of your data, it’s what you do with it, says IBM analytics executive
15 March 2013 – Rich Rodts, who manages IBM’s analytics academic programs, often finds himself discussing big data with family, friends, clients and business partners, including representatives from top universities across the U.S. ”There really is no wrong definition of what big data is,” Rodts told InformationWeek in a phone interview. “I like to explain big data as taking a vast amount of information and being able to distill it in a way that can be consumed and acted upon.”
A common definition that’s often overused is one that focuses solely on the vast quantities of data being created, said Rodts, who offered an alternative view. Big data, he said, “paints a picture” of a human being, including the often mundane tasks a person completes through the day: using an ATM, paying bills or buying movie tickets online, taking public transportation, and so on. “Each one of those things creates a unique data point,” said Rodts. “One that points back to me as … Read more
Live from the Mobile World Congress: some initial thoughts, take-aways
5 March 2013 – I stayed in Barcelona for a few days after the event to unwind and just enjoy the city. And quite frankly after 75,000+ attendees (and potential clients), over 1,500 exhibitors, 30+ educational sessions and presentations, 220 business cards and BUMP contacts to sort through … I am whipped. I will have a more detailed analysis in a few weeks but to start while some of this is still fresh:
1. If there was one major take-away this year it was that “Mobile First” is, like, soooo last year. We have moved to “Mobile Only” in such an amazing short period of time. Mobile is more than just the latest step forward in tech innovation; mobile is fundamentally reshaping operating models, business models and marketplaces. It’s not sufficient to think “mobile first” anymore. The postdigital future begins with “mobile only.”
2. From a hardware perspective, key launches centered on devices like the Samsung Note 8.0 tablet computer, Huawei’s Ascend P2 smartphone, which at speeds of 150Mhz the Chinese technology giant claims is the fastest in the … Read more
The film business moves from Hollywood to Asia
The 63rd Berlin film festival (also called the Berlinale) opens today and we are now on a rather comfortable TGV heading to the event. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. With around 300,000 tickets sold and 500,000 admissions it is considered the largest publicly attended film festival worldwide. Up to 400 films are shown in several sections, representing a comprehensive array of the cinematic world. Around twenty films compete for the awards called the Golden and Silver Bears.
The festival opens with a gala screening of Chinese director Wong Kar Wai’s martial arts epic “The Grandmaster” about the mentor of kung fu superstar Bruce Lee. Wong, who is also leading the Berlinale’s jury this year, is using the event as a launch pad for the film’s worldwide release which has opened in China to rave reviews and a box office bonanza. The film, whose original two-hours-plus length has been chopped slightly for the world market, stars Hong Kong heart-throb Tony Leung, who became an international star in Wong’s 2000 hit … Read more