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TEDx Boston: Context is King, So Let’s Build Better Filters

I’m at TEDx Boston right now and having fun so far. The most recent speaker was Jodi Beggs, a behavioral economist and lecturer at Northeastern. She gave a great talk about how context matters and how the details in which an item is presented shapes how you think about it. How you taste wine depends on how much it costs, what your friends have told you about a musician impacts your taste for their music, etcetera.

This is all crucially important, and Beggs concluded by stating that she is bringing it all up in the hope that we might, with more awareness, be a bit more rational. And that’s a worthy goal. But we need to go further and build technology around these insights.

We need to build smarter filters that take these biases into account. Lots of online businesses — Yelp, Pandora, BostInno — function as filters in various realms. And those filters can be architected to help account for our biases, to shape context in a way that achieves the right goals.

A smart filter for music might seek to prioritize independent musicians, wine stories might include reviews done by blind taste tests, etcetera. Perhaps those are impractical; I’m not expert in either. But in the case of media (particularly political media), and the nasty problem of confirmation bias, we can experiment with smarter filters that help de-bias us.

I wrote about this for The Atlantic last year:

Context can affect bias, and on the Web — if I can riff on Lessig – code is context. So why not design media that accounts for the user’s biases and helps him or her overcome them? …

…as we design ever richer media experiences for the Web, we should pay attention to this kind of research and consider how we might create media that draws on it to counter our political biases. Our ability to reason is flawed in predictable ways. And as we increasingly link our social graph into our media experience, there is plenty of relevant data to mine for hints of bias. Why not improve our reasoning using cognitively sophisticated media?

You can read the whole piece for specific suggestions. My point now is to follow-up on Beggs’ great talk by pushing it a bit further. Technologists need to understand behavioral economics and the science of bias, and use that knowledge to build better filters.

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/06/22/tedx-boston-context-is-king-so-lets-build-bett...

How to Start (and End) a Relationship on Social Media

My friend — yes, it’s actually a friend, not a “friend” — has been seeing this guy for a few months, and I had asked to see pictures of him on Facebook.

“We’re not Facebook friends,” she quickly admitted. ”I think we’re in an undiscussed stalemate. Neither of us will add each other. It’s like who can hold out longer.”

It’s 2012. We’re constantly on our phones, Instagramming images of every meal we eat, tweeting about how miserable the MBTA is and checking in to all six bars we venture to on Friday night. Given all that, I find it extremely strange that you can’t Facebook friend someone you’ve been seeing for several months.

Which got me to thinking, when is an appropriate time to “friend” someone you’re dating? How about following them on Twitter and Foursquare? Then there’s the flip-side — what happens when you break-up? Do you cut all social media communication?

Ugh, 2012 is hard. I’m by no means an expert, but here are my thoughts on dating and social media.

Starting a Relationship

Twitter – Go ahead and follow them right away. Assuming you both have open accounts, your tweets likely won’t be filled anything too personal. If it’s kosher for your colleagues’ eyes, it’s OK for the dude or lady you met at the bar last week to see it, too.

Facebook – Facebook gets a bit more intimate. I’d wait a few weeks before friending them. Up pop the mutual friends. “Oh hey, how do you know my coworker Eric, too?” “Uh, I once dated him.” Yeah, awkward. Once accepted, they can then see your life in sometimes less-than-flattering images: senior prom pics, your obsession with your cat named Katniss, photos of you on the Cape with your ex-boo last year, embarrassing posts from Mom. You’re opening a lot of doors here with the new Timeline, Zuck.

Foursquare – Foursquare crosses into stalker zone. I wouldn’t add until you’re in a completely committed relationship with this person. I mean, you’ve got to leave some mystery in the relationship, right? You don’t need to know the exact minute they checked into Dunkin in the morning, and they don’t need to know that you had to stop at CVS to pick up tampons before meeting them for dinner.

LinkedIn – Whenever you remember to log on. Your forgetfulness may outlast your relationship. Carry on.

The Breakup

Twitter – Larry the Bird should be the first to go. Because Twitter doesn’t have a good filtering mechanism (who honestly uses lists?), their little avatar will continually pop-up in your stream at the most infuriating times, especially if you’re someone like me who tweets every 2.5 minutes. You don’t need to hear about their MBTA horrible commute this morning or how much they loved Buzzfeed’s latest list about disappointed cats. It’s torture. Unfollow.

Facebook – Unless it was a horrible breakup, there’s no need to de-friend. Luckily, Zuck-dawg must have had some miserable breakups, because Facebook now has the “unsubscribe” feature, which allows you to stop receiving updates from the ex in your newsfeed. But you can still stalk their profile to see if they’re hooking up with their neighbor you caught them eyeing at that party that one time. Win-win.

Foursquare – Tread carefully. Like I said earlier, Foursquare ventures into stalker category. “Oh, hey! I just randomly happened to bump into you a this Dunkin that I had absolutely no idea you were at! Why am I so out of breath, you ask? No, I didn’t just jog a mile across town to get here after I saw you check-in….”

LinkedIn – Leave it alone. If you’re concerned about your ex seeing your resume updates, you’ve got much deeper issues. Plus, you never know when you might need to sweet talk her into helping you land your dream job. She always did like truffles — don’t forget that.

Oh, and as for Pinterest, if you even allowed him to see your “My Future Wedding <3” board in the first place, you now know the reason for your breakup.

What are the conventions of social media and dating?

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/06/21/how-to-start-and-end-a-relationship-on-social-...

TV’s Biggest Highlights on Social Media This Year [INFOGRAPHIC]




With the 2011-2012 TV season behind us, networks are not only looking into ratings to gauge success, they're also diving into social TV statistics. Which series reigned supreme with the social media-wielding viewers?

Fox generated the most comments on Facebook and Twitter from September to May for primetime series programming and all series programming, with American Idol, Glee and The X Factor leading the charge online.

"Fox is clearly a leader in social TV," Bluefin spokeswoman April Conyers told Mashable. "But it's also interesting to note that when you expand beyond series-only to include sports and special events, CBS jumps to the top."

SEE ALSO: Summer TV Guide -- 20 Social S
Continue reading...

More About: american idol, celebrities, Entertainment, Facebook, Fox, GLEE, grammys, march madness, Music, pretty little liars, Social Media, social tv, the-voice, TV, Twitter, x factor

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/06/23/social-tv-highlights-2011-2012/?utm_source=fee...

Want to Learn More About iOS and Mac Development? Get Apple's WWDC Content for Free [Learn To Code]

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is known to most as a common release date for new products, but the week is primarily filled with sessions for developers to learn about new technologies and practices for creating apps for Apple's platforms. If you've been looking to start developing for iOS or Mac, Apple's posted videos of all these sessions to help you learn. More »


from Lifehacker http://lifehacker.com/5920608/want-to-learn-more-about-ios-and-mac-developmen...

Boomerang Calendar Turns Gmail into the Ultimate Event Planning Tool (and We’ve Got Invites) [Video]

If you use Google Calendar and Gmail, you know it can be tricky to flip back and forth between the two to check your availability and schedule appointments. Boomerang Calendar (from the makers of previously mentioned Boomerang for Gmail) fixes all of that by turning any mention of a time or date in your Gmail messages into a link you can use to add an appointment to your calendar. The links are veen highlighted red, yellow, or green so you can see if you're busy at that time, have an adjacent appointment, or free. Best of all, it recognizes natural language, and even corrects for time zone. More »


from Lifehacker http://lifehacker.com/5920357/boomerang-calendar-turns-gmail-into-the-ultimat...

Amazon Picks First Original Projects for On-Demand Video Service [VIDEO]




Amazon Studios -- the retailer's venture into the world of on-demand video -- announced its first four projects Saturday, including a handful of comedies and a children's program.

The comedies include an animated show about Hell, a "mockumentary" about the end of the world and another series about a magician's helpers turned arch-rivals. The children's show features a sheep named Buck with a penchant for high-speed driving.

SEE ALSO: Online Original Video: Amazon Studios Searching for Hit Series

The service will go head-to-head with other on-demand streaming platforms that have also been introducing original content, including Hulu and Netflix
Continue reading...

More About: amazon, amazon studios, Entertainment, hulu, netflix, on-demand, streaming, television, Video

from Mashable! http://mashable.com/2012/06/23/amazon-original-content/?utm_source=feedburner...

MBTA Gets Bailed Out By Beacon Hill Just in Time, Fare Increases Start July 1

Officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority won’t have to tack on additional fare increases beyond the 23 percent spike that will happen on July 1.

The state Senate voted in favor of a $49 million bailout bill to cover the remainder of the transit agency’s fiscal 2013 budget gap.

State officials made the vote on Tuesday night, following a long and somewhat tense debate on Beacon Hill.

The Senate voted 26-9 in favor of the proposal, which was submitted by Governor Deval Patrick and approved by the House of Representatives last week.

The money to bailout the T is a one-time fix, and will come from the state’s vehicle inspection fees.

The move allowed transportation officials to stave off additional service cuts and fare increases in order to fund the looming budget gap.

“I thank the Legislature for its continued partnership as we work to close the MBTA’s budget gap for fiscal year 13,” said Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Rich Davey in a statement following the vote.  “Quality public transportation is essential to getting people to and from work, expanding economic opportunity and fostering job growth across the Commonwealth. “

Davey said MassDOT and the MBTA are “committed to continuing to work with our legislative partners “ to find a long-term solution to the T’s ailing system and the state’s roads, bridges and highways.

“These measures will get us through the end of the fiscal year, but they are only a temporary solution,” said Senate President Therese Murray. “At the beginning of next year, we need omnibus legislation that looks closely at our road, bridge and transit systems.”

The bailout didn’t come without some backlash, however.

“This $51 million we came up with, to get them out of this year, could have gone back to our cities and towns in the form of local aid,” said Senator James Timility.

Michael Knapik, R-Westfield, referred to the move as a “hard pill to swallow.”

Prior to the vote, Senators swatted down a proposal to change the way the T handles its finances and operations.

Five state officials proposed a board reform to replace the current MBTA Board of Directors with a new Control Board.

The bipartisan proposal, if passed, would have allowed for “fresh voices” and “different talents,” to oversee the T’s daily operations, according to Senator Gale Candaras.

“There is widespread agreement that something needs to change,” said Candaras of the proposal.

As part of the package passed yesterday, the legislation also increases fare evasion penalties to $75 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and $350 for each subsequent offense.

The legislation also requires MassDOT board members to come up with a long-term transportation financing solution and deliver it to the state by December 31, 2012.

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/06/20/mbta-gets-bailed-out-by-beacon-hill-just-in-ti...

Infinitec updates Pocket TV to 1GB RAM, settles on final design and reaffirms October shipments

Infinitec updates Pocket TV to 1GB RAM, settles on final design and reaffirms October shipments

It's another wondrous success story from within the walls of Kickstarter, but honestly, meeting its funding goal was just the start for Infinitec. The outfit's second product, the Pocket TV, is well on its way to becoming a commercialized reality, but backers will be pleased to know that a few changes are being made in order to address some of the most frequently voiced concerns. For starters, the company's doubling the included RAM from 512MB to 1GB. We asked its founders why it'd make such a change, and were told that the boost in memory would enable "snappier performance" throughout, and ensure that it'll handle "the next versions of Android" when updates become available. Wise move. Contrary to the belief of many, such a decision requires more than a simple tweak on a purchase order; Infinitec will be redesigning the final product to look like the item pictured above, and it's bringing on staff in order to adhere to its original shipment month of October. Hungry for even more? There's a minty fresh hands-on video just after the break.

Continue reading Infinitec updates Pocket TV to 1GB RAM, settles on final design and reaffirms October shipments

Infinitec updates Pocket TV to 1GB RAM, settles on final design and reaffirms October shipments originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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from Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/18/infinitec-updates-pocket-tv-1gb-ram-final-...

Benchmarks for New 13-Inch MacBook Pro Beat MacBook Air, Previous MacBook Pro by 10-15%

Last week, Primate Labs summarized its Geekbench 2 database results for Apple's new MacBook Air and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, but did not address the 13-inch MacBook Pro as not enough data had been collected at that time.

But over the past week more data has come in, and the firm now shares its results which show the new 13-inch models are yielding approximately 10-15% higher Geekbench 2 scores than both the corresponding previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Pro models as well as the current 13-inch MacBook Air models against which they are directly competing.

The latest MacBook Pros offer a nice increase in performance over the previous MacBook Pros. Both the Core i5 and the Core i7 Mid 2012 13-inch MacBook Pros are over 10% faster than the equivalent Late 2011 13-inch MacBook Pros. Some of the increase is from higher processor speeds, while some of the increase is from the improved Ivy Bridge processor architecture.

The latest MacBook Pros also offer a nice increase in performance over the latest MacBook Airs. The Core i5 13-inch MacBook Pro is 10% faster than the Core i5 13-inch MacBook Air, while the Core i7 13-inch MacBook Pro is 15% faster (and $100 cheaper) than the Core i7 13-inch MacBook Air.

The popular Geekbench tool also provides a glimpse into the relative popularity of various models, and with the 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air coming in at the same base price points at both low and high ends, the frequency with which those machines appear provides an interesting perspective on how customers are deciding between the two lines.

At the low end, Primate Labs notes that the MacBook Air is showing up in the database twice as frequently as the MacBook Pro, suggesting that budget-conscious consumers are opting for the slimmer form factor of the MacBook Air as a primary factor in their decision-making. But the ratio is reversed at the high end, with the MacBook Pro appearing twice as frequently as the MacBook Air, as may be expected as the market shifts more toward professional users looking for high performance as their primary criterion.


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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page http://www.macrumors.com/2012/06/18/benchmarks-for-new-13-inch-macbook-pro-be...