The fallacy of big data and why we need even bigger data

The value of data is only as good as the information and insights we can get from it. The information and insights will help us make better decisions and give us a competitive edge. The promise of big data is that one could glean lots of information and gain many valuable insights. However, people often don’t realize that data and information are not the same. Even if you are able to extract information from your big data, not all of it will be insightful and valuable.

 

 

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USPTO Director Kappos delivers speech on software patents, the PTO and innovation

Director David Kappos

Director of the USPTO David Kappos delivered a keynote address last week  to the Center for American Progress that focused on software patents and the smartphone “patent wars.”  The speech is noteworthy for the Director’s strong defense of software patents. The entire speech is worth reading – here are a few excerpts to induce you to:

 

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World’s first “printable house” right around the corner

Eventually, everything will become a canvas.

Someone will make the world’s first ”printable house” within the next year. ”It might not be a very good house but it will go down in history,” says American futurist Thomas Frey, author of the prediction and a speaker at the Creative Innovation conference in Melbourne next week. ”Eventually, we’ll be ‘printing’ 30-storey buildings – and huge replicas of, say, the Statue of Liberty to put on top.”

 

 

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Your guide to offshore banks that may be right for you

The number of offshore banks where savers can keep their money and receive good rates is dwindling.

People trying to save are having a tough time at the moment.  It is very difficult to get a real return on savings because of low interest rates and relatively high inflation.  And there’s still the question of safety: the banking crisis which left millions of savers worrying about the security of their banks was only a few years ago.

 

The Future of the Visual Arts

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlLSzIuulmI[/youtube]

ABC’s Weekend Breakfast with Andrew Geoghegan

Futurist Thomas Frey:  On Nov 26-28th, I will be speaking at the Creative Innovations 2012 event in Melbourne, Australia. The theme of the conference will be “Wicked Problems, Great Opportunities! Leadership and courage for volatile times.”

 

 

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Will entrepreneurship save the country?

William Sahlman, professor of entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School

The U.S. economy is in a tough state, with mile-high deficits and slow growth in jobs. There are other countries that are pulling ahead, but some cling to the hope that startups and the spirit of entrepreneurship embodied in Silicon Valley could save the country. That’s one of the conclusions reached by a team of Harvard Business School professors who toured the valley this fall.

 

 

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Chinese e-commerce company had $3 billion in sales in just one day

Three billion dollars is almost triple the entire 2011 Black Friday sales of e-commerce sites in the United States.

The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba shocked the web last week with the news that its subsidiaries Taobao (like a Chinese eBay) and T-mall (like Amazon) sold a massive $3.06 billion in product in a single 24-hour period.

 

 

 

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Social media in the workplace – Is anyone actually working?

Everyone spends their time discussing the work they should be doing rather than actually doing it.

It seems like almost everyone is social today.  Every minute, Twitter users average 100,000 tweets, Facebook users post 684,478 pieces of content, Tumblr blog owners publish 27,778 new posts and Flickr users add 3,125 new photos. Facebook and Twitter are great tools for connecting and communicating with people in our social lives, or for brands communicating with customers, the real value of pure-play social tools as standalone applications within a business has yet to be proven.

 

 

 

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The world’s top cities for startups

Silicon Valley tops the list.

The world’s unquestionable leader in generating high-tech start-ups that launch new technologies that change the way we live and work is Silicon Valley. Many cities around the world have tried to emulate its success. But until recently, the data has been lacking to calibrate and rank how far they have come.

 

 

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.