UPDATE: Google buys ReCaptcha | official one
Original Blog
Continuing my curiosity with CAPTCHA's, I came across this amazing initiative here.
This project involves digitizing books using solved CAPTCHA's. Over 200 million CAPTCHA's (words) are decoded by real people everyday. So this novel idea involves using this effort to convert books into digital books. In the past we have used OCR (Optical reader) software. But OCR's are not accurate enough. Combining OCR + human intelligence with CAPTCHA's is a killer idea!
Similar efforts were implemented by Google to improve its image search results called 'Google Image Labeler'. But reCAPTCH project is taking social human intelligence to the next level.
What can be other ideas of using human effort to make meaningful contributions? Few ideas I can think of are - music tagging, video tagging, using spelling mistakes as a feedback to spell checkers.... What else? Any suggestions?
Related Blog: CAPTCHAS that make me feel illiterate
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Kai Fu Lee and doing web business in China
Last week Google China VP Dr. Kai Fu Lee left Google to start his own venture capital firm to back China based high tech innovation. Last year as a student at Carnegie Mellon University, I had a chance to listen to his interesting lecture on Google's China strategy. I highly recommend watching his full lecture to anyone who is interested in understanding China's technology landscape, and how it is different. He shared some very interesting observations like -
In China - people do not have access to Wikipedia!
It is belied that to be successful in China one needs to take long term view, Google fully understands this -
Finally, the way Chinese users view a search page is far different than the way americans do - here are the results of an eye tracking study of a Goole search page!
Here is the full lecture -
In China - people do not have access to Wikipedia!
It is belied that to be successful in China one needs to take long term view, Google fully understands this -
"We will take long term view in China, China has 5000 years of history and Google has 5000 years of patience in China" - Google CEO, Eric Schmidt
Finally, the way Chinese users view a search page is far different than the way americans do - here are the results of an eye tracking study of a Goole search page!
Here is the full lecture -
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Solving maths problems using Wolfram Alpha
Recently, I won a maths challenge (ok, I am kidding... but anyways), and the secret sauce behind my quick problem solving ability was - Wolfram Alpha.
Lets look at how it solves some complex high school maths problems -
1. Find LCM (least common multiple of 5, 21, 87) = LCM(5,21,87) = answer
2. Remember quadratic equations ? Lets give it a try, solve 3x^2 + 6x -15 = 35
3. Moving on - solving linear equations? Lets try to find values of x, y and z from following :
7x + 8y - 3z = 80, 2x - 3y + 4z = 35, 6x + 2y + 3z = 50 - here is the answer
4. Finally, (I was lost by this point) - remember chain rule for solving differential equations ? Lets try differentiating (4x + x ^ -5) ^ 1/3 and the answer (Tip: All steps included)
Btw, here is complete list of examples. Wish I had this cool tool when I was in school - and the case for not having one, and a smart get away.
Lets look at how it solves some complex high school maths problems -
1. Find LCM (least common multiple of 5, 21, 87) = LCM(5,21,87) = answer
2. Remember quadratic equations ? Lets give it a try, solve 3x^2 + 6x -15 = 35
3. Moving on - solving linear equations? Lets try to find values of x, y and z from following :
7x + 8y - 3z = 80, 2x - 3y + 4z = 35, 6x + 2y + 3z = 50 - here is the answer
4. Finally, (I was lost by this point) - remember chain rule for solving differential equations ? Lets try differentiating (4x + x ^ -5) ^ 1/3 and the answer (Tip: All steps included)
Btw, here is complete list of examples. Wish I had this cool tool when I was in school - and the case for not having one, and a smart get away.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Entrepreneurs
Last week two of my friends launched their own businesses - this blog is a tribute to their promising ventures -
My Carnegie Mellon friend Ankush Gupta - recently launched his venture Vigyaapan technologies - a targeted advertising product focused on leveraging social networks. Unlike most ventures of ad-targetting on social networks, Vigyaapan is building product based on social connections (network) formed over a "phone" network.. His venture was also featured under "top 10 hottest start ups" in India.
My high school friend Vipul Shah has also launched a very promising business - Trias Advisory - Firm aimed at providing financial advisory solutions. Vipul and his partners hold an MBA from reputed institutes and vital experience in wealth and financial management.
So, if you want to market your product, contact Ankush, or if you are rich and need a new and promising money manager contact Vipul. My best wishes to both these ventures...
My Carnegie Mellon friend Ankush Gupta - recently launched his venture Vigyaapan technologies - a targeted advertising product focused on leveraging social networks. Unlike most ventures of ad-targetting on social networks, Vigyaapan is building product based on social connections (network) formed over a "phone" network.. His venture was also featured under "top 10 hottest start ups" in India.
My high school friend Vipul Shah has also launched a very promising business - Trias Advisory - Firm aimed at providing financial advisory solutions. Vipul and his partners hold an MBA from reputed institutes and vital experience in wealth and financial management.
So, if you want to market your product, contact Ankush, or if you are rich and need a new and promising money manager contact Vipul. My best wishes to both these ventures...
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Miles Miles Miles
If you are a "semi frequent" flyer - or a frequent flyer but not really loyal to an airline - there is a good chance that you will end up with "miles" way away from 20000 or 25000 miles required to get your free round trip.. This is your dead beast - essentially of no use but the savings number. Recently I figured out a way to use this dead beast rather meaningfully -
It turns out we can subscribe to many news papers and magazines at relatively cheap miles! Here is a quick summary of what you can get for round trip miles that you have earned on your last NY-SFO flight...
I guess thats an impressive list - if you are one like me - who loves reading all these business articles - and specially in a print format this is a free treat with your dead miles - Enjoy!
(Btw, now you know secret behind my daily wall street - Also eventually no one is going to pay any money for this - you can read this case here)
It turns out we can subscribe to many news papers and magazines at relatively cheap miles! Here is a quick summary of what you can get for round trip miles that you have earned on your last NY-SFO flight...
Fortune Magazine for 12 Months (1200 Miles)
Forbes Magazine for 12 Months (1400 Miles)
Wall Street Journal (Daily) for next 8 Months (2600 Miles)
Barrons for 12 Months - (1200 Miles)
Your Local news paper for 2 Months (600 Miles)
Econmist (51) - 3100 Miles
I guess thats an impressive list - if you are one like me - who loves reading all these business articles - and specially in a print format this is a free treat with your dead miles - Enjoy!
(Btw, now you know secret behind my daily wall street - Also eventually no one is going to pay any money for this - you can read this case here)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Between friends and foes
(Don't they look similar?? :-)
As Google announced new OS this week, and Bing made advances - rivalry between two tech titans is getting interesting...
Picture Courtesy - WSJ and related article
As Google announced new OS this week, and Bing made advances - rivalry between two tech titans is getting interesting...
Picture Courtesy - WSJ and related article
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Trust and Fraud
Today, Bernanrd Madoff gets lifer for his gigantic fraud/ ponzi scheme that hammered US Financial system. Madoff's fraud was discovered only 6 months ago - and verdict is already out with 150 years of punishment.
Perhaps, what Madoff is to US, founder of Satyam - B Ramalinga Raju is to India. Satyam's fraud came in light around similar time as Madoff's, and he did exactly what Madoff did - took trust out of the system...
Looking back - Madoff is already convicted and is in jail, and as our Indian judicial system goes - matters are still under investigation, at least few light years away from final conviction...
Perhaps, what Madoff is to US, founder of Satyam - B Ramalinga Raju is to India. Satyam's fraud came in light around similar time as Madoff's, and he did exactly what Madoff did - took trust out of the system...
Looking back - Madoff is already convicted and is in jail, and as our Indian judicial system goes - matters are still under investigation, at least few light years away from final conviction...
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