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  feedwordpress 01:26:55 on 2014/04/07 Permalink
  Tags: appworld, bitcoin, Book Related ( 74 ), ELSE ( 30 ), facebook ( 44 ), flurry, Google ( 58 ), metadata, mozilla, nsa ( 7 ), Random, But Interesting ( 32 ), RoundUps ( 2 ), SRI   

  Else 4.7.14: So Much Information, Precious Little Insight 

  The post Else 4.7.14: So Much Information, Precious Little Insight appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  Reading over my picks from the past week, I noticed a strong theme – we’re using more and more apps, creating more and more data, but we’re not seeing the true value we might from connecting all the dots. Sure, the NSA is – and Facebook, Google, and other large platforms are as well. But imagine what happens when *we* get those insights?! A move from the center (big platforms) to the node (us) of the information ecosystem seems imminent…

  Apps Solidify Leadership Six Years into the Mobile Revolution – Flurry 

  Nearly three hours a day on our mobile phones (and we’re not talking). Most of that time we’re in “AppWorld” – not on “the open web.” That is a scary trend, to my mind. But I think it’s temporary. Or rather, I hope it is.

  Facebook Explores Anonymity Features – Re/code

  Turns out, as a service, you have to provide what people want. For the most part. Facebook is considering the impact of apps like SnapChat and Secret. Clearly, it’s not what the social networking giant *wants* – but perhaps this is a worm turning.

  NSA chief’s legacy is shaped by big data, for better and worse – latimes.com

  Indeed, if this outgoing NSA Director *missed* the big data revolution, he’d have been outgoing a long time ago…

  Google Tops Exxon Mobil to Become World’s 2nd Most Valuable Company – Mashable

  Apple is still #1. I wonder how long this will last, given Google’s ambitious push into entirely new markets.

  Don’t eat that! SRI built a calorie-counting food app that works via a photo snap — Tech News and Analysis

  Yes, I want this. Please. And please make it work with my Fuelband?!

  Surprise, surprise: my online metadata actually reveals where I’ve been – Ars Technica

  Startling to see how easy it is for someone with a few bits of digital information to figure out quite a lot more about us.

  Forget the Quantified Self. We Need to Build the Quantified Us | Design – WIRED

  Yes. I’ve been on about this for some time. Because of AppWorld, all these silos of data have yet to get to second and third-order insights. But we are starting to, slowly…

  Google Weighs a Plunge into Mobile Phone Services – The Information

  Most likley Google won’t do it the way the carriers are doing it. And I for one hope they go for it.

  The Mozilla Manifesto – Mozilla

  In light of the CEO controversy, worth remembering what it is about Mozilla that makes it unique.

  The Fifth Protocol – Startup Boy

  Because no edition of Else is complete without some thinking about Bitcoin.

  We Are the Builders of Tech Revolutions. Why Are They Still a Surprise? | Blog | design mind

  Reading this closely, and he’s talking about what I opened with – connecting all the dots…

  The post Else 4.7.14: So Much Information, Precious Little Insight appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  

  
   
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  feedwordpress 03:51:40 on 2014/03/31 Permalink
  Tags: 3d printing, ai ( 8 ), bitcoin, Book Related ( 74 ), ELSE ( 30 ), ethics, facebook ( 44 ), futurisim, Google ( 58 ), nsa ( 7 ), snowden ( 3 )   

  Else 3.31.14: Skulls, Bitcoin, AI, Souls, and Corporate Religion 

  The post Else 3.31.14: Skulls, Bitcoin, AI, Souls, and Corporate Religion appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  (image) If you’re a reader of this newsletter, you’re in elite company. Each week I chose ten or so stories from the score or so that I save to Evernote, and I annotate them after about three glasses of wine on a Sunday night. I make no pretense to be Jason or Dave, instead, this is a way to remember the most important stories of the past week through the filter of “the book.” And when I say “the book,” I mean That Project That Has Haunted Me For More Than Five Years But Is Increasingly Becoming Real. In other words, if you read this newsletter (or post), you’re a true fan of my work. And for that, I am thankful.

  This past week was full of gems. The New Yorker reminded us how poignant digital life can be. We struggled with the ethics of 3D printing, even as we reveled in its power to save lives. Oh, and then there’s the singularity, and protecting us from the same. An epic Facebook rant, more Bitcoin, more brain-twisters about who’s a person, alive, dead, or corporate, in our increasingly mashed up world. To the links…

  The Afterlife of Pia Farrenkopf : The New Yorker

  What happens if you die in your car, alone in your garage, and your bill pay (and some well-intentioned neighbors) keep the world thinking you’re alive? You still “exist” – and this certainly makes one think about what the word “exist” really means.

  Defending the World from Evil Robots – The Information

  There are thousands of high-end PhDs at Google and many other places who want to create AI capable of thinking like a human. Then there’s this small group – seven in total – worrying about what happens if it actually comes to pass. Yikes.

  The yet-to-be-defined Ethics of 3D Printing of Organs — Tech Talk — Medium

  What happens to religion when we can play God?

  Woman’s entire cranium replaced with 3D-printed skullcap – DVICE

  Never mind, we already are. And thank God for that.

  Facebook Joins Google In The Hunt For The Future – TechCrunch

  Or, put another way, we have more money than we need for our current business, so let’s play the odds on where it might all go.

  A Breakup Letter to Facebook from Eat24

  Then again, maybe the current business has a few cracks in it. OMG. Just read this. Just READ THE WHOLE THING. And tell me you don’t want to just watch this gif over, and over. And over.

  The Fierce Battle for the Soul of Bitcoin- Wired.com

  Long read. Worthy.

  I.R.S. Says Bitcoin Should Be Considered Property, Not Currency – NYTimes.com

  Short read. Topical.

  What will blow our minds in the *next* 30 years? -TED Blog

  Swallowing Shakespeare.

  It’s Time to Grant Immunity to Edward Snowden – Esquire

  Hard to disagree with the logic here. If Snowden has forced a President to change policy, he’s a whistleblower, not a traitor.

  Here’s what you need to know about the Hobby Lobby case – Wapo

  Are corporations “people” with “religious beliefs”? This is a VERY BIG QUESTION now before the Supreme Court. It matters, because, you know, these “people” are making…machines that ACT LIKE PEOPLE. Does your head hurt yet? Why not?!

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  The post Else 3.31.14: Skulls, Bitcoin, AI, Souls, and Corporate Religion appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  

  
   
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  feedwordpress 19:05:42 on 2014/03/10 Permalink
  Tags: aereo ( 2 ), bitcoin, Book Related ( 74 ), ELSE ( 30 ), gapingvoid, Google ( 58 ), news, policy ( 28 ), snowden ( 3 )   

  Else 3.10.13: Satoshi, Snowden, Google, And The Meaning of it All 

  The post Else 3.10.13: Satoshi, Snowden, Google, And The Meaning of it All appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  

  The past week spun with controversy and breaking news around many of our society’s most interesting conversations: The elusive founder of bitcoin was identified, or perhaps not, Edward Snowden popped up at SXSW (by video, of course) and submitted testimony to the EU, the Aereo case is on its way to the Supreme Court (and launched in Austin at SXSW, of course), and in the end, we all long for something more. To the links….

  The Face Behind Bitcoin – Newsweek The week’s most sensational story, which created a backlash worthy of the story’s claim.

  Google’s Game Of Moneyball In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence – ReadWrite If the future of everything is tied to how we manipuate information through algorithms, then it makes sense to get as many of the brightest minds on your team. Also from ReadWrite:  Google At SXSW: The Internet Is Accelerating Social Change On A Global Scale In which Chair Eric Schmidt and Ideas Director Jared Cohen opine on the role of technology in autocracies (uncertain it’s a positive force, this is a shift from early techno optimism, I’d warrant).

  Snowden Gives Testimony To European Parliament Inquiry Into Mass Surveillance, Asks For EU Asylum – TechDirt A nice overview of Snowden’s recent written testimony to the EU Parliament. Most interesting was his documentation of how the NSA plays one European country off the other to gain access to a plurality of data in each.

  The Aereo Case Isn’t About Aereo, But About The Future Of Cloud Computing And Innovation - Techdirt An interesting argument about the nature of property and media rights – much more is at stake than simply whether Aereo is in fact legal.

  Strictly algorithm: how news finds people in the Facebook and Twitter age – theguardian.com How do ideas find the public in the age of inscrutable algorithms? I find myself wishing for better tools to find good news stories – I’ve been using Circa lately and met with its CEO at SXSW. It’s a promising start.

  A vast hidden surveillance network runs across America, powered by the repo industry | BetaBoston If there’s a profitable way to tag something of value, it’ll get tagged. That’s the lesson behind this story on the automobile repossession industry, which most has tagged your car at some point in the past year or so.

  The question big data can’t answer: why? – FierceBigData Lots of data helps us understand how and what, but people are best at figuring out why.

  The Internet is ready for a new cultural shift. Discuss. - gapingvoid - Hugh senses a wave forming in the Internet seas, one that will value signal over noise. I’m all in favor, but this initial essay feels more like a plea than a formed idea; still and all, I agree.

  The post Else 3.10.13: Satoshi, Snowden, Google, And The Meaning of it All appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  

  
   
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  feedwordpress 18:09:34 on 2014/01/20 Permalink
  Tags: bitcoin, Book Related ( 74 ), ELSE ( 30 ), Google ( 58 ), interface, internet of things ( 4 ), nest ( 2 ), net neutrality ( 5 ), silk road, UI   

  else 1.20: “The future is much simpler than you think.” 

  The post else 1.20: “The future is much simpler than you think.” appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  This week we thought about the data in our homes, connecting the Internet of Things, and what’s next for the openness of the internet. As always, if you want to keep up with what we’re reading/thinking about on a weekly basis, the best way is to subscribe to the “else” feed, either as an email newsletter or through RSS. And tweet us links!

   

  Nest thermostat acquisition is Google’s home invasion — New Scientist
  Google’s $3.2B acquisition of Nest is all about staking a claim as the data interface into the home.

  Why Her Will Dominate UI Design Even More Than Minority Report — Wired
  Downplaying the dominance of screens and interfaces in the “slight future.” Also – Her was great for a lot of other reason that resonated with the themes we’ve been mulling over. Highly recommended!

  

  Theodore, and the disappearing interface of the “slight future.”

  Internet of Things: The “Basket of Remotes” Problem — Monday Note
  But to get to that “slight future” vision of seamless interactions with technology, we need to do a lot of work to integrate interfaces so that they begin to talk together, fixing the “Basket of Remotes” problem.

  This group just created a address book for the internet of things — GigaOM
  The Wireless Registry is trying to become the DNS or addressing system for connected devices. I, for one, am excited by the prospect of sending out a bat signal that declares my food allergies in a restaurant.

  The internet of bees could save our food supply — Quartz
  RFID sensors allow Australian scientists to study bees’ routine movements for clues to identify causes of Colony Collapse Disorder.

  Back to the Digital Drawing Board — New York Times
  Susan Crawford suggests that all is not lost with the latest net neutrality ruling—instead this is a chance to more clearly define internet service as a “common carriage.”

  Eagle Scout. Idealist. Drug Trafficker? — New York Times
  The Times has an in-depth profile on the man allegedly behind the Silk Road and a closer look at the libertarian ideals behind his vision for internet commerce.

  Big Data + Big Pharma = Big Money — ProPublica
  A closer look at the data markets for prescription habits and preferences shows us what is at stake with these kinds of emerging information asymmetries.

  The post else 1.20: “The future is much simpler than you think.” appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  

  
   
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  feedwordpress 18:28:32 on 2014/01/13 Permalink
  Tags: bitcoin, Book Related ( 74 ), data art, drones ( 4 ), ELSE ( 30 ), Google ( 58 ), hypothesis, machine learning, wearables   

  else 1.13: “Keep the instrument in its place” 

  The post else 1.13: “Keep the instrument in its place” appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.

  This week, we look at more applications machine learning, new wearables from CES, and some visions for the coming year. As always, if you want to keep up with what we’re reading/thinking about on a weekly basis, the best way is to subscribe to the “else” feed, either as an email newsletter or through RSS. And tweet us links!

  How Google Cracked House Number Identification in Street View  — MIT Technology Review
  Interesting details into the development of the neural network  that’s helping to identify distorted street numbers picked up by Street View images.

  

  Pinterest, Yahoo, Dropbox and the (kind of) quiet content-as-data revolution — GigaOM
  A nice rundown of the acquisitions that point to movement in machine learning and parsing of text and image content for consumer social platforms.

  Sony’s new Core fitness tracker will be the ‘heart’ of its wearable experience (hands-on) — The Verge
  Among the many wearables featured at CES, Sony is experimenting by drawing together activity trackers and life loggers, combining self-quantification and journaling features into one consolidated device and application combo.

  This Clear, Flexible Electronic Circuit Can Fit on the Surface of a Contact Lens — Smithsonian Magazine
  Flexible, printed circuits “one-sixtieth as thick as a human hair” are are the near-future of wearable sensors.

  Bitcoin’s Incredible Year — Forbes
  Kashmir Hill offers a thorough overview of the last year in bitcoin, which started in January valued at $13.50.

  Portraits From Clips and Bytes – NYTimes
  Interesting profile of data artist R. Luke DuBois who uses “technology to expose something about a subject that is not normally visible.”

  Where Do We Go From Here? 8 Hypotheses About Tech in 2014 — The Atlantic
  Alexis Madrigal has a nice take on the technoanxiety of the last year that has left us all a little skeptical and jaded. Happily, there are a lot of overlaps with where we have been focusing our attentions for the book.

  Big Data and Its Exclusions — Stanford Law Review
  Big data isn’t just about the privacy risks of inclusion by capturing data. This paper looks at who is excluded from an emerging data-driven ecosystem, and suggests a way to reconcile the data haves and have-nots with a “data antisubordination” doctrine.

  Machine envy — Aeon
  A nice history of science case for continued hypothesis-driven science, and the instruments that support it in an age of Big Data correlation.

  Please enjoy this video of dancing drones — Engadget
  Just for fun, watch this video of drones dancing like some retro-futuristic mash up of Daft Punk and Busby Berkeley.

  The post else 1.13: “Keep the instrument in its place” appeared first on John Battelle's Search Blog.