An artist named Theo Kamecke came up with a great idea for old circuit boards.  Below if my favorite.  Follow the link to see more!

http://www.theokamecke.com/main.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theo_kamecke/show/with/3496831683/

A while ago I read an article in the New York Times Four Nerds and a Cry to Arms Against Facebook which talked about the new privacy aware, personally controlled, do-it-all, open source social network called Diaspora.  I thought the idea was interesting, and it seemed inevitable.    So many people thought it was a great idea that they were able to raise $200,000 from online contributors (even from Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook.)

They are now looking to launch the site Sept. 15. I am looking forward to seeing what the response is going to be from the public. 

Down the River, Into your brain

Mr. Braver, a psychology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, was one of five neuroscientists on an unusual journey. They spent a week in late May in this remote area of southern Utah, rafting the San Juan River, camping on the soft banks and hiking the tributary canyons.

It was a primitive trip with a sophisticated goal: to understand how heavy use of digital devices and other technology changes how we think and behave, and how a retreat into nature might reverse those effects.

Have you ever wondered what the affects of technology have on our brains?  What happens to us by being constantly connected to cell phones, lap-tops, TVs, etc.?  A group of scientists took a trip into nature to escape technology and examine the affects that it may have on our brains.  I found it an interesting article, and food for thought.  Any thoughts?

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/08/15/technology/1247468505114/down-the-river-into-the-brain.html

An interesting Times article on the new Spy thriller Rubicon which deals with the darker world of BI and Data Mining.  Private Spies: Rubicon Make 24 Look Sunny

Interesting look at Predictive Analystic Projects.  101 Ways to Sabotage Your Predictive Analytics Project

“The strategic approach and project design for predictive analytics is substantially different than the other areas of business intelligence. Unlike a data warehouse design, which is similar to an engineering project, predictive analytics and data mining are a discovery process. And while several consortiums have standardized formal processes to accommodate discovery and iterative process, the practice remains riddled with common pitfalls.

As we turn our attention to the most popular and impactful barriers to successful predictive analytics projects, you’ll recognize a common theme: they are all strategic. That doesn’t mean that tactics and methods are not impactful. There are many cases where incremental improvements in performance will realize substantial returns. But working on the slight edge of being a faster sprinter can work against you if you’re running in the wrong direction.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25privacy-t2.html

• What will happen too all our online photos, status updates, Twitter posts and blog entrys?  Will this be the new data used by the BI world? 

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