Researchers Find Online Photos are Worth Much More than 1,000 Words

The next time you pull out your smartphone and snap a photo of a landmark to upload to Facebook, think about the broader implications: Not only are you sharing your experience with your friends, but you're contributing a small piece of data that could one day build a model of the world. Researchers David Crandall of Indiana University and Noah Snavely of Cornell University are developing algorithms to create models of patterns based on the vast troves of photographs uploaded to Facebook, Flickr and other photo-sharing websites each day. Not only can their models be used to build 3D representations of a place, but they can also shed light on the people who visit those places. "This analysis can also generate statistics about places, such as ranking landmarks by their popularity or studying which kinds of users visit which sites," Crandall and Snavely wrote in an article that was published last month in the academic journal ACMQueue. "At a more local level, we can use automatic techniques from computer vision to produce strikingly accurate 3D models of a landmark, given a large number of 2D photos taken by many different users from many different vantage points." Crandall and Snavely suggest that photo-sharing sites can be used to model human behavior at given points in time and history. The implications are huge for marketers and could offer an explanation as to why Facebook has made a recent push into expanding its photo and mobile offerings. There are, of course, limitations to the techniques, which will likely be overcome in time. Photo collections have an extreme scale and an unstructured nature, the researchers said; many different people take photos with many different cameras from largely unknown viewpoints, which complicates the ability to build the models. Building 3D Models The paper demonstrates how Crandall and Snavely were able to use 6,500 photos publicly shared on Flickr to build a computer-simulated reconstruction of Old Town of Dubrovnik in Croatia. The advantages of using social media are clear: Such models can be built at a relatively low cost and don't require costly site visits or surveys. The problem faced by the researchers is in developing algorithms that can extract useful data from the "noisy data" that flows through the typical API stream. Mapping the World Most photo-sharing sites allow users to share more information than just the photo; the time and date a photo was shot, the location and even the type of camera used can be collected. Already, the researchers have been able to put together a list of the most-photographed places in the world (New York, London, San Francisco, Paris and Los Angeles round out the top five) and the five most-photographed landmarks (the Eiffel Tower, Trafalgar Square, Tate Modern, Big Ben and Notre Dame).  But the data can reveal so much more, including what types of people visit those places. Beyond that, algorithms are being developed that can effectively map how people travel through highly photographed places like Manhattan: "We can infer a user's social network with startling accuracy based only on such patterns," the researchers wrote. "After observing that two people were at about the same place at about the same time on five distinct occasions, for example, the probability that they are friends is nearly 60%." To entice people to take more photos in places that aren't photographed as frequently as, say, New York or Paris, the researchers have been experimenting with gamification. One such effort known as PhotoCity allowed them to collect 100,000 photos of the Cornell and University of Washington campuses by offering points to players who took photos at specific places. "Imagine all of the world's photos as coming from a 'distributed camera,' continually capturing images all around the world. Can this camera be calibrated to estimate the place and time each of these photos was taken?" the researchers concluded. "If so, we could start building a new kind of image search and analysis tool - one that would, for example, allow a scientist to find all images of Central Park over time in order to study changes in flowering times from year to year, or that would allow an engineer to find all available photos of a particular bridge online to determine why it collapsed. Gaining true understanding of the world from the sea of photos online could have a truly transformative impact."  
http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Researchers-Find-Online-Photos-are-Worth-Much-More-than-1-000-Words-12999

10 Things You Should Tweet

There's a real etiquette to doing business in 140 characters. And unlike when you tweet as an individual, it means no random thoughts, photos of your last four meals, political rants, or too much information about your digestive issues, sex life, and drinking binges. Hopefully you already knew that. So what should you tweet? If you become a respected member of the Twitter community, you can throw in messages directly related to your products or services, but those need to be counter-balanced by tweets completely unrelated to your sales efforts. There is no single formula that is guaranteed to work, but here are 10 things you should try: 1. The "I found this amazing article I think you'd love" tweet: These are not direct plugs of your business, but links to articles that would be of interest to your target audience. If you sell health-related products, then link to news stories or tips on wellness. If you are a podiatrist, link to stories about marathons, hiking, etc. 2. The "there are human beings behind our brand name" tweet: These are tweets designed to humanize your company. Links to photographs of your employees, offices, celebrations, etc. remind your followers that you are the kind of people they'd like to do business with. 3. The "twitter-only promotion" tweet: Everybody loves a deal. By giving discounts or other benefits to your Twitter followers, you give them a reason to follow you and you get a captive audience for other business messaging. 4. The "promote our favorite charity" tweet: Remember, social media is social. We are all part of a greater community. If your business donates or is otherwise involved with a charity, use your Tweets to promote it. If your business doesn't have a direct relationship with a charity, pick one and use Twitter to promote it. 5. The "we're listening to you" tweet: Twitter is an amazing tool for customer service. If you fail to monitor what is being said about your company on Twitter you're making a huge mistake. Simply monitoring the messages and taking no action is a mistake, too. Only when you monitor and respond appropriately will you get the full value of Twitter as a customer service tool. This doesn't mean that you have to respond to every negative statement, but when there is a real issue or if a person has a specific question, you need to address it quickly and honestly. 6. The "sharing our great content" tweet: If you have a company blog, if you've written article or white papers, use tweets to link to your content. If you are a thought leader, an expert, or just have some unique thoughts or perspectives, tweeting is a great way to get your expertise in front of a large audience. 7. The "we're proud as hell" tweet: So your company has won an award, gotten a great review, garnered some major press or has a killer testimonial; don't be shy about using Twitter to broadcast the great news. 8. The "we found this to be hilarious and hope you do as well" tweet: While Twitter is a fantastic place to do business, the  compelling thing about it is that it's not all business. If visitors think you are just trying to sell them all the time, they will unfollow you or, worse, complain about you on Twitter. There's a lot of funny content on the Web, whether it's on YouTube, in The Onion, or on any number of humor sites. Sharing humor with your target audience (via links) not only humanizes your company, it gives your followers a reason to seek you out. 9. The "we are on top of industry trends" tweet: If your business is based on being on the cutting edge of your industry, show the world by providing links to the latest studies, trends, breakthroughs and advances. This serves the dual purpose of providing interesting content and proves to your audience you are serious about staying ahead of the curve. 10. The "none of the above" tweet: As you become a regular participant on Twitter, you will find unique ways in which Twitter works to deliver messages specific to your business. Twitter is all about being creative, useful and engaging. Utilize the specific talents, interests and strengths of your team to find a way to use Twitter to the best advantage of your business. As with any other marketing efforts, pay close attention to how your followers respond to you tweets. Which ones are getting positive feedback (retweets, etc.)? Which ones are being ignored? Which ones are getting you negative feedback? The answers to these questions might surprise you, so be prepared to tweak your tweets.
http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/10-Things-You-Should-Tweet-13006

Why Google’s Chromebox Is Better for Small Businesses Than Big Corporations

The business value of the recently unveiled Chromebox cloud-based desktop device from Samsung and Google is hard to calculate. Aimed at the enterprise, the Chromebox is really a better fit for the small business and retail sectors. The Chromebox's $329 price point and marketing seem to suggest that Google is making an enterprise play with the monitor-less ChromeOS device, trying to attract corporate shops with a one-time $150 lifetime support and upgrade plan and desktop-as-a-service functionality (DaaS) via partner nGenx. But is this really the right fit? Or would Chromebox - a device designed to be completely connected to the cloud and run all applications in a browser instead of natively in an operating system - find a more welcoming home in the small business space? The Security Issue For one thing, there are strong indications that cloud security is still a deal breaker amongst enterprise IT directors. A recent survey of 800 IT managers by Intel showed that even for private clouds, lack of control, data boundary configuration and the security of network packets rank as big hurdles blocking wider cloud adoption. Add compliance and business-process requirements on top of that, and enterprise adoption of Chromebox and similar devices might not be as simple as Google would want you to think. For smaller businesses, though, the risks may be more likely to be outweighed by the benefits. Living Without IT For instance, small businesses and retail stores often live without the benefits of a true IT staff. Computing decisions are often the bailiwick of the company nerd - or the sales people at the nearest big-box electronics store. And even when a smaller company has a dedicated IT staff, daily maintenance and upgrade cycles often delay implementation of longer-term projects or big-picture concerns, like disaster recovery. And that's where the Chromebox can make a difference. Results of the 2012 AT&T Small Business Technology Poll showed that "while nearly three-fourths (71%) of small businesses feel it is important to recover computer data in the event of a disaster, less than one-third (31%) use the Internet or computer network to send data to a remote location." Because data on the Chromebox is stored remotely on Google's servers, the risk of losing data plummets. Even if a particular Chromebox is lost or damaged, a simple sign-in to the same account with another device will instantly regain access to the data. SaaS and DaaS Addressing these kinds of concerns for small businesses is exactly where SaaS and DaaS could really shine. Always-on, always-updated software preconfigured and relatively unbreakable by staffers is a pretty attractive option for small companies. In fact, it may be the only way small businesses can leverage advanced technology without creating an expensive support infrastructure. The Chromebox is not quite there as a small business solution yet. That $329 price point remains too high (with the $150 support fee tacked on, it's higher than entry-level desktop PCs). And even though small businesses don't have as many compliance hoops to jump through, security is still just as big an issue for mom-and-pop stores as it is the enterprise. (Of course, most smaller shops aren't doing much about security on their own.) And many observers had similar hopes for the first-generation Chromebooks, but they didn't pan out. But as Chromeboxes become more affordable - and if Google can help customers establish secure Internet connections and adapt their business processes - Chromeboxes would be very useful small business/retail devices. The available Google application set with the capability to add Windows applications with the nGenx DaaS software would easily meet most of their needs. If Google could eventually add preconfigured setups (point-of-sale tools for a retail account or accounting software for a bookkeeper), it would be an even sweeter option. Even without configurations for specific uses, Chromebox and devices like it have a lot to offer small businesses without IT teams. With easily managed hardware, always-current applications and minimal setup needs, Chromebox could be a low-impact, high-result solution for many companies.  
http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Why-Google-s-Chromebox-Is-Better-for-Small-Businesses-Than-Big-Corporations-13022

Apple Wants to Blow Google Away With the New iOS Maps

Since 2005, the dominant maker of digital maps has been Google. Developers, companies and users rely on Google Maps to look up locations, see snapshots of the world and get turn-by-turn directions. Even Apple has always relied on Google Maps for its iOS products, such as the iPhone and iPad. That is no longer the case. Apple has created its own maps program for iOS and it is looking to blow Google out of the water. Apple is not only trying to replicate maps for iOS, it is trying to redefine it. Whether or not it has done so will be up for debate, but the new maps program demoed during Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference keynote today looks impressive. Siri, Apple's erstwhile digital assistant, has been integrated into the new product and can help you navigate or tell you how long it will be until you arrive at your destination. By integrating Siri into its own maps product, Apple has just created what will be one of the most popular hands-free mobile navigation systems in the world.  Apple's new maps will do just about everything you would expect from a maps application. It has turn-by-turn navigation, traffic view and crowd-sourced data with incident reports that can reroute information in case you get stuck. Just like Google Maps, Apple is building 3D renditions of cities and has a "Flyover" feature that will show an aerial view of buildings and landscapes.  Flyover is one of the most interesting aspects of Apple's new maps, as it can show the user a 3D rendition of certain structures. For instance, want to take a closer look at the Empire State Building? Pin it in Apple's maps and isolate it from the rest of the picture. Apple has built 3D models of cities across the world to feature in its new maps offering.  Apple's goal in creating a new maps application has several motivations. Foremost, it wants to cut Google out of the iOS experience, and one of the biggest ways to do so is to cut off access to one of Google's most important products. Apple has integrated Yelp into its maps and has a listing of 100 million local businesses in its maps product. By tying its maps to a database not controlled by Google, Apple is striking a blow right at the heart of Google's revenue source: local search, referral and advertising. Apple also wants to create a better-looking product than Google, and the first shots of Apple's maps show that it can challenge the search giant in aesthetics, especially with the 3D rendering and flyover.  In the end, all that Apple has really accomplished is replicating functionality that was already provided on all iOS devices. While Apple maps are interesting, they are not a groundbreaking development in the history of innovation. Apple's decision to create maps is all about business, not necessarily the users or the user experience. Apple has entered a market long dominated by other companies, such as AOL (which owns Mapquest), Nokia and Google. All of those companies make comparable services, and Apple, despite its best efforts, will have trouble making a product that will blow the incumbents out of the water. Maps plus Siri? Awesome-looking maps and 3D renditions? Great for Apple's marketing department but not exactly delivering a new era of innovation.  
http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Apple-Wants-to-Blow-Google-Away-With-the-New-iOS-Maps-13023

Cellphones, PC cause long-term sleep disorder

  Youths who heavily use  mobile phones  and  computers  run a greater risk of sleep disturbances, stress and affecting their mental health.  "Public health advice should, therefore, include information on the healthy use of this technology," says researcher  Sara Thomee  from the  Sahlgrenska Academy  at the  University of Gothenburg  in  Sweden .  Doctoral student Sara Thomee and her research colleagues have conducted four different studies looking at how the use of computers and mobile phones affects the  mental health  of young adults.  These studies, which included questionnaires for 4,100 people aged 20-24 and interviews with 32 young heavy ICT (information and communication technologies) users, reveal that intensive use of mobile phones and computers can be linked to stress, sleep disorders and depressive symptoms, according to a Gothenburg statement.  "We looked at the effects both quantitatively and qualitatively and followed up the volunteers a year on," says Thomee, who will present the results in her upcoming thesis.  "The conclusion is that intensive use of ICT can have an impact on mental health among young adults," says Thomee.  The studies reveal, for example, that heavy mobile use is linked to an increase in sleeping problems in men and an increase in  depressive symptoms  in both men and women.  "Those who find the constant accessibility via mobile phones to be stressful are most likely to report mental symptoms," says Thomee.  Frequently using a computer without breaks also increases the risk of stress, sleeping problems and depressive symptoms in women, whereas men who use computers intensively are more likely to develop sleeping problems.  "Regularly using a computer late at night is associated not only with sleep disorders but also with stress and depressive symptoms in both men and women," says Thomee.  A combination of both heavy computer use and heavy mobile use makes the association even stronger. One conclusion is that public health advice to young people should include information on how to use ICT in a healthy way.  "This means taking breaks, taking time to recover after intensive use, and putting limits on your availability," Thomee says. 
http://techgig.com/tech-news/editors-pick/Cellphones-PC-cause-long-term-sleep-disorder-13028

Introduction to FreeMarker Template (FTL)

FreeMarker is a Java-based template engine focusing on the MVC software architecture. Although it's mostly used for Servlet-based Web Application development, it can be used for any other kind of text output, such as generating CSS, Java source code, etc. Unlike JSP, it is not dependent on the Servlet architecture or on HTTP. Thus it [...]
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/viralpatelnet/~3/pq7YEPM0hTA/

AskVG’s “Aomei Partition Assistant Pro” Giveaway Winners List Announced

Hello everyone Its time to announce the giveaway winners. Recently we organized "Aomei Partition Assistant Professional Edition" giveaway: AskVG Giveaway We are glad to see that many AskVG readers found the giveaway useful and participated but we have only 30 free licenses to giveaway so following are the lucky winners which were selected... Read rest of this article at AskVG.com
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AskVG/~3/hNbQfzRGmnI/