A 'go to' for the latest tech news

I always wonder which is the best place to see what is buzzing in technology. Traditional sources like nytimes.com, wsj.com, forbes.com all cover tech in detail but most news makes it to these papers only after they have been news for a while. Where can we hear about it when it is just a concept or an idea that is popular among techies? I stumbled across Hacker News following something mentioned in an article on Forbes.com. So far, it has proved to be a reliable source.

Who is a Data Scientist?

A data scientist is central to extracting facts and figures from large volumes of data. Apart from being able to find patterns from large data sets, the data scientist should be able to mine for the most important and business-focused parts and present it to business users from all levels of the enterprise. They are part geek, part story-teller and part graphic illustrator as they deal with algorithms, use narratives to explain their findings and make visual/graphic illustrations to communicate it all. Charles Roe tackles this question in an article published at Dataversity. Ray Rivera, Director, Solutions Management, Workforce Planning and Analytics, SAP has written a Forbes guest article on this very subject. He chooses to call data scientists 'analytical wizards'!

A look at the possibilities of R

Came across an article, written about three years back, talking about the possibilites of R. It is well written and touches on many of the striking features of R that makes it attactive to users.

Marriage of Cloud Computing and Big Data Analytics

The linkages between the power of cloud computing and big data analytics is increasing becoming stronger. Without the storage capacity and the cheap computing power offered by cloud, it would be virtually impossible for many companies to enage in the business of analyzing large volumes of data. This New York Times article explores how Amazon's web server provides cloud services to companies across the globe changing conventional business models, and also traditional company structures and resource utilization. A Forbes article explores another side of cloud computing, the changing skill set needed to be successful when using cloud computing power. The two articles indicate close ties between cloud and analytics, and it is clear that this relationship is likely to grow even more tighter in the future.

Storing Data on DNA

Today I read two posts on how huge volumes of data can be stored outside of conventional devices likes computer chips, drives and discs. One option that a Wall Street Journal article discusses is DNA. A research report in the journal Science reports that the a group of Harvard researchers translated the English text of an up-coming book on genomic engineering into actual DNA. The article can be read here. Another article in Forbes examines the issue of data storage and suggest storing data in bacteria and diamonds. These ideas are in preliminary stages and commercial applications are likely to be a long way off, but one thing is certain - the explosive growth of digital data is driving the development of alternatives storage solutions.

Data and analysis, the job engine of the future?

The growth of cloud computing and storage capacity has given rise to new capabilities in data analytics. This article in Forbes explores world-wide job growth in these areas.

Big Data on Campus

A nytimes.com article examines the how big data is being used by higher learning institutions to shape how students choose courses and classes. It sounded a bit too Orwellian for my taste. It is worth reading as a futuristic look into how big data and analytics shape our choices. Click here for the link.