Category Archives: Technology

IBM Establishes the Smarter Energy Research Institute to Advance the Utility of the Future

By Guest PostOctober 25, 2012Science, Technologyadvanced computation, algorithms, alliander, asset management optimization, business value, canada, dario gil, der, detroit edison, distributed energy, dte energy, dutch, energy distributor, Environment, future, giunc, global network, gridwise alliance, hydro quebec, ibm, ibm research, industrial research, innovation, integration, ireq, jean lessard, know how, market, mathematical sciences, michcon, Netherlands, operational, outage planning optimization, participatory network, patents, predictive analytics, renewables, research institute, resources, rob maathuis, situational awareness, smart grid, smarter energy, software, system optimization, transformation, usa, utility, vince dow, wide area

Hydro-Québec (Canada), Alliander (Netherlands) and DTE Energy (USA) Join as the First Members

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – 25 Oct 2012: IBM today announced the launch of the Smarter Energy Research Institute, a new industrial research collaboration model aimed at accelerating innovation across the global energy and utilities market. Hydro-Québec (Canada), Alliander (Netherlands) and DTE Energy (USA) join as the first members.

The Smarter Energy Research Institute is a new collaboration between corporate research and the energy and utilities industry to transform leading energy companies through the use of predictive analytics, system optimization and advanced computation to deliver better services to their customers. Combining IBM Research’s expertise in the areas of mathematical sciences, computer science and high-performance computing with the deep-power engineering and operational know-how of the participating members, the Institute will focus on five core innovation tracks to pursue joint research and where shared investments, knowledge and capabilities will benefit every member. Each company will identify and be active in up to two tracks that match their business and operational priorities. The areas include: (more…)

Commentary: John E. Savage – Cybersecurity Needed in the Public Domain

By Guest PostOctober 24, 2012Technology, Weaponsaramco, awareness month, cutting edge, cyber security, cyberattack, cybersecurity, defense, department, domestic industry, flooding attack, gas, global internet, john e savage, leon panetta, national, national level, october, oil, oil company, policy, President Obama, production, qatar, ras gas company, saudi arabian, secretary, shamoon virus, solution, state, Technology, united states, wang professor

President Obama designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. We asked John E. Savage, the An Wang Professor of Computer Science, to share his views on what can and should be done to ensure cybersecurity at the national level. Savage is active in cybersecurity from both a policy and technology point of view, having spent the 2009-10 academic year in the U.S. Department of State as a Jefferson Science Fellow.

In a major policy speech delivered last week, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta sparked a new discussion of cyberwarfare threats, warning that cyberattacks “could virtually paralyze the nation.” The three-part response Panetta outlined emphasizes new cyberwarfare capabilities in the Department of Defense, new policies and organizations across the federal government, and stronger partnerships between the government and international partners and domestic industry. (more…)

Archivist an Expert on All Things ‘Born Digital’

By Guest PostOctober 24, 2012Education, Technologyaims project, american archivists, anne hartman, archivists, born digital, cds, collection, digital archivist, digital form, digital material, digital object, dvds, floppy disks, forensic toolkit, format, library, mark matienzo, paper document, saa, society, yale university

No longer primarily paper documents, donations to the Yale University Library now also come in digital forms and formats — including floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, and flash drives. Archivists are faced with a new and challenging dilemma: how to preserve “born-digital” collections in a form that can be read by available technology and also saved in a way that will be accessible in the future.

At Yale Library’s Manuscripts & Archives department, Mark Matienzo, Digital Archivist, is helping to develop strategies to reclaim and organize information that was created within the past 20 years — on media that may be already becoming obsolete. (more…)

IBM Announces Student Winners of Watson Case Competition from Cornell University

By Guest PostOctober 23, 2012Technologyandrew rosenberg, cornell university, evan maclin, evidence based reasoning, ibm watson commercialization, noushin ashrafi, raja sooriamurthi, rhett weiss, watson case competition

Faculty award winners from Nine Universities Also Announced; Professors to Receive $10,000 Grants for Watson Curriculums

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – 23 Oct 2012: Cornell University and IBM today announced the winners of the second Watson Academic Case Competition. The contest helps students build skills in analytics, big data and cognitive computing by identifying new ideas for applying IBM Watson to solve societal and business challenges. (more…)

Skype for Windows 8 Unveiled

By Guest PostOctober 22, 2012Technologyaudio, im, new design, october 26, people hub, skype, skype live tile, start screen, video call, windows 8

Skype announces the new Skype for Windows 8, featuring sleek and modern design and available with the launch of Windows 8 on October 26.

Oct. 22, 2012 – Skype announced Skype for Windows 8 today, bringing together popular Skype features and the new design of Windows 8.

The release focuses on delivering an experience that is simpler, faster and easier to use. Skype for Windows 8 includes top Skype features like IM, audio and video calls. It also takes advantage of some of the new features and functionality of Windows 8 that put people front and center; including integration in to the People Hub, ability to pin favorite contacts as a tile for easy access and the Skype Live Tile that shows messages and notifications right on the Start Screen. (more…)

Microsoft Employees Raise $1 Billion for Communities Around the World

By Guest PostOctober 19, 2012Technology30th, alice kupcik, american, beat diabetes, Bill Gates, ceo, children hospital, chris gregoire, elisa, employee, foundation, giving campaign, greg graceffo, international, jon fine, king county, Mexico, microsoft chairman, microsoft corp., microsoft employee, milestone, national, oaxaca, red cross, redmond campus, seattle, state gov, steve ballmer, united way, us employee, us workforce, Washington, washingtonian, world vision

Microsoft commemorates 30th Employee Giving Campaign with CEO Steve Ballmer and Chairman and Founder Bill Gates.

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 18, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today commemorated its 30th Employee Giving Campaign and announced that U.S. employees raised $1 billion in cash since 1983 for approximately 31,000 nonprofits and community organizations around the world. CEO Steve Ballmer announced the milestone during a special town hall event at the Microsoft Redmond campus, which included Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Washington State Gov. Chris Gregoire.

“Today, I’m thrilled to announce that since our Employee Giving Campaign started in 1983, Microsoft employees have donated a total of $1 billion to more than 31,000 nonprofits around the world,” Ballmer said. “I’m incredibly proud of our employees, and this is truly a time to celebrate, not just because we’ve raised a record amount of funds, but also because together with our nonprofit partners, we have impacted and improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people.” (more…)

IBM Addresses Security Challenges of Big Data, Mobile and Cloud Computing

By Guest PostOctober 18, 2012Technologyaudit data, automate compliance, big data, brendan hannigan, cloud, cloud based, cloud computing, cloud security, cloudera, data security, Environment, flemish government, framework, hadoop, ibm, infosphere biginsights, initiatives, interoperability protocol, it risk, key management, kmip, management, mcbc, mobile, mobile security, multi perimeter, organization, platform, protect data, qradar, relational data, securit, security inhibitor, security intelligence, smartcloud, united states, wim martens

Largest set of security software capabilities announced to date

ARMONK, N.Y. – 18 Oct 2012: In a move designed to reduce the biggest security inhibitors that organizations face in implementing cloud, mobile and big data initiatives, IBM today announced a broad set of security software to help holistically secure data and identities.

IBM’s new software capabilities help clients better maintain security control over mobile devices, mitigate internal and external threats, reduce security risks in cloud environments, extend database security to gain real-time insights into big data environments such as Hadoop, and automate compliance and data security management. Along with IBM Security Services and IBM’s world-class research capabilities, this set of scalable capabilities supports a holistic, proactive approach to security threats spanning people, data, applications and infrastructure. (more…)

Beyond Bieber: Twitter Improves Student Learning

By Guest PostOctober 18, 2012Technologychristine greenhow, college student, communication practice, conversation online, education, educational forum, high schooler, higher grade, jeff grabill, justin bieber, lady gaga, literary practice, retweet, site, social media, Social networking, social practice, tweeting, Twitter, twitteracy

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Twitter, best known as the 140-character social-networking site where Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga chit-chat with fans, has become a new literary format that is improving student learning, a new study argues.

Christine Greenhow, assistant professor of education at Michigan State University, found that college students who tweet as part of their instruction are more engaged with the course content and with the teacher and other students, and have higher grades.

“Tweeting can be thought of as a new literary practice,” said Greenhow, who also studies the growing use of social media among high-schoolers. “It’s changing the way we experience what we read and what we write.” (more…)