StOCNET is an open software system for the statistical analysis of social networks using advanced statistical models. StOCNET provides a platform to make a number of statistical methods, that previously were privately owned, available to a wider audience. The distinguishing feature of the methods included in the StOCNET system is that they are based on explicit probability models for networks.

StOCNET

Here's Ed Felten:

Last week I spoke on a panel called “The Paradise of Infinite Storage”, at the “Pop [Music] and Policy” conference at McGill University in Montreal. The panel’s title referred to an interesting fact: sometime in the next decade, we’ll see a $100 device that fits in your pocket and holds all of the music ever recorded by humanity.

This is a simple consequence of Moore’s Law which, in one of its variants, holds that the amount of data storage available at a fixed size and price roughly doubles every eighteen months. Extrapolate that trend and, depending on your precise assumptions, you’ll find the magic date falls somewhere between 2011 and 2019. From then on, storage capacity might as well be infinite, at least as far as music is concerned.

This has at least two important consequences. First, it strains even further the economics of the traditional music business. The gap between the number of songs you might want to listen to, and the number you’re willing and able to pay a dollar each to buy, is growing ever wider. In a world of infinite storage you’ll be able to keep around a huge amount of music that is potentially interesting but not worth a dollar (or even a dime) to you yet. So why not pay a flat fee to buy access to everything?

Infinite Storage for Music

Engineers call it 'crowd farming.' If it works, you could help power city lights just by taking a stroll.

Power harnessed one step at a time

Several papers of interest here:

The Netflix Prize
James Bennett and Stan Lanning

Improved Neighborhood-based Collaborative Filtering
Robert M. Bell and Yehuda Koren

Variational Bayesian Approach to Movie Rating Prediction
Yew Jin Lim and Yee Whye Teh

On the Gravity Recommendation System
Gabor Takacs, Istvan Pilaszy, Bottyan Nemeth, and Domonkos Tikk

Full text is available for all.

KDD Cup 2007

"Dual reality" is the concept of maintaining two worlds, one virtual and one real, that reflect, influence, and merge into each other by means of deeply embedded sensor/actuator networks. Both the real and virtual components of a dual reality are complete unto themselves, but are enriched by their mutual interaction. The dual reality Media Lab is an example of such a dual reality, as enabled the Plug sensor/actuator network that links our actual lab space to a virtual lab space in the Second Life online virtual world.

Dual Reality Lab

Intel Mash Maker is an extension to your existing web browser that allows you to easily augment the page that you are currently browsing with information from other websites. As you browse the web, the Mash Maker toolbar suggests Mashups that it can apply to the current page in order to make it more useful for you. For example: plot all items on a map, or display the leg room for all flights.

Intel Mash Maker learns from the wisdom of the community. Any user can teach Mash Maker new mashups, using a simple copy and paste interface, and once one user has taught Mash Maker a mashup, this mashup will be automatically suggested to other users. Intel Mash Maker also relies on the community to teach it about the structure and semantics of web pages, using a built in structure editor.

Intel Mash Maker: Mashups for the Masses

Mozy was recently discussed here, so this may be of interest.

EMC Corp. (EMC) has reportedly bought American Fork, Utah-based Berkeley Data Systems, the company behind online backup service provider Mozy, for $76 million.

The rationale behind EMC buying Mozy is still unclear. But it should be a warning signal for dozens of online storage startups that are trying to get our attention. Perhaps it is time for them to start accepting whatever offers they can get — fast.

Mozy Acquired By EMC For $76 million

That’s quite an exit for Mozy - $76 million on just $1.9 million raised. Rumors circulated a year ago that Mozy was close to being acquired by Google for significantly less than this. The company eventually passed on the deal, which must have been a tough call. They clearly made the right choice in waiting.

Holy Mozy!

Is the United States in danger of losing its competitive edge in science and technology?

In response to this concern, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness asked RAND to convene a meeting, held on November 8, 2006, to review evidence presented by experts from academia, government, and the private sector. The papers presented at the meeting addressed a wide range of issues surrounding the United States' current and future S&T competitiveness, including science policy, the quantitative assessment of S&T capability, globalization, the rise of Asia (particularly China and India), innovation, trade, technology diffusion, the increase in foreign-born S&T students and workers in the United States, new directions in the management and compensation of federal S&T workers, and national security and the defense industry.

These papers provide a partial survey of the facts, challenges, and questions posed by the potential erosion of US S&T capability.

Perspectives on US Competitiveness in Science and Technology

Jottit makes getting a website as easy as filling out a textbox.

This could be useful.

Jottit

In this Special Edition, I sat down with Cullen Jennings out at VoiceCon San Francisco in August 2007 to talk about SIP security. Cullen had just co-presented with Eric Rescorla a 3-hour tutorial on SIP security and in this interview we covered an overview of the topics covered in that session, such as:

* challenges in encrypting SIP signaling (forking, early media (including what it is))
* proposed methods of encrypting voice/media, including ZRTP and DTLS
* SIP identity
* SIP outbound, a proposal for helping SIP signaling work across firewalls
* certificate management in SIP
* future security issues of concern within SIP

I believe you will find it both a very educational and interesting interview that will help explain some of the various areas of SIP security.

The VoIP Security Podcast:: SIP Security