At http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120926094546.htm

Computers Match Humans in Understanding Art

ScienceDaily (Sep. 25, 2012) — Understanding and evaluating art has widely been considered as a task meant for humans, until now. Computer scientists Lior Shamir and Jane Tarakhovsky of Lawrence Technological University in Michigan tackled the question "can machines understand art?" The results were very surprising. In fact, an algorithm has been developed that demonstrates computers are able to "understand" art in a fashion very similar to how art historians perform their analysis, mimicking the perception of expert art critiques.

n the experiment, published in the recent issue of ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, the researchers used approximately 1,000 paintings of 34 well-known artists, and let the computer algorithm analyze the similarity between them based solely on the visual content of the paintings, and without any human guidance. Surprisingly, the computer provided a network of similarities between painters that is largely in agreement with the perception of art historians.

The analysis showed that the computer was clearly able to identify the differences between classical realism and modern artistic styles, and automatically separated the painters into two groups, 18 classical painters and 16 modern painters. Inside these two broad groups the computer identified sub-groups of painters that were part of the same artistic movements. For instance, the computer automatically placed the High Renaissance artists Raphael, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo very close to each other. The Baroque painters Vermeer, Rubens and Rembrandt were also clustered together by the algorithm, showing that the computer automatically identified that these painters share similar artistic styles.

The automatic computer analysis is in agreement with the view of art historians, who associate these three painters with the Baroque artistic movement. Similarly, the computer algorithm deduced that Gauguin and Cézanne, both considered post-impressionists, have similar artistic styles, and also identified similarities between the styles of Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Giorgio de Chirico, all are considered by art historians to be part of the surrealism school of... ( more at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120926094546.htm )

At http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120926133115.htm

Biologist Discovers Mammal With Salamander-Like Regenerative Abilities

African spiny mouse specimen collected in the field near Nairobi Kenya. (Credit: Photo by Ashley Seifert)

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) — A small African mammal with an unusual ability to regrow damaged tissues could inspire new research in regenerative medicine, a University of Florida study finds.

For years biologists have studied salamanders for their ability to regrow lost limbs. But amphibian biology is very different than human biology, so lessons learned in laboratories from salamanders are difficult to translate into medical therapies for humans. New research in the Sept. 27 issue of the journal Nature describes a mammal that can regrow new body tissues following an injury. The African spiny mouse could become a new model for research in regenerative medicine.

"The African spiny mouse appears to regenerate ear tissue in much the way that a salamander regrows a limb that has been lost to a predator," said Ashley W. Seifert, a postdoctoral researcher in UF's biology department. "Skin, hair follicles, cartilage -- it all comes back."

That's not the case in other mammals, he said. Usually scar tissue forms to fill the gap created by a wound.

The spiny mouse also regrows tissue on its main body when injured but not as completely as it does in its ears. "On their backs, they regrow hair follicles and skin, but the muscle beneath the skin doesn't regenerate," Seifert said.

Seifert was studying scar-free healing in amphibians when a colleague told him that a small rodent he had observed in Africa seemed capable of autotomy, a defense mechanism whereby the animal self-amputates a body part to escape a predator... (more at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120926133115.htm )

At http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-fbx-2012-9

It's Become Tragically Clear That Facebook Chased The Wrong Business For Years

Nicholas Carlson | Sep. 25, 2012, 11:13 AM

Facebook has always sold ads the old-fashioned way, disguised as something new.

Now, as Facebook has begun selling ads in a different, much more lucrative way that others have been doing for years, it feels like Facebook's tactic has put the company years behind schedule.

How Facebook has sold ads for most of its history: Advertisers tick off a bunch of boxes on the type of people they'd like to reach and then Facebook shows their ads to these people.

That's the "old-fashioned way," because that's basically how advertisers have been buying TV ads for decades. Advertisers have a group of people to whom they would like to market their products, and they look for the TV shows that have that audience.

In other words, they look for inventory that is targeted to an audience based on data a publisher provides about its audience.

For the past five years or so, Facebook has sought to improve on this old-fashioned model by giving advertisers more detail about the type of people they can market to.

Instead of just knowing where those people are located, their gender, and their age, Facebook can tell advertisers where the people viewing ad inventory work, their marital status, and what their "interests" are.

All this extra data was supposed to be a gold mine for Facebook, and Facebook built up a huge ad sales apparatus to sell ads targeted with it.  

Eventually, Facebook's ad business grew to annual revenues of just under $5 billion per year.

That sounds pretty big but …

It turns out this whole tactic may have been a big waste of everyone's time.

That's because in recent weeks, Facebook has begun selling ads in a new way that makes its massive inventory much more valuable—three times more valuable, according to one company buying the inventory and reselling it.

This new method is called re-targeting. It has been used by ad-sellers outside of Facebook for years... ( more at http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-fbx-2012-9 )

At http://www.businessinsider.com/here-is-the-plan-marissa-mayer-just-announced-to-yahoo-employees-2012-9

Here Is The Plan Marissa Mayer Just Announced To Yahoo Employees

Nicholas Carlson | Sep. 25, 2012, 5:14 PM

Fortune Live Media

After two months on the job, new Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer today held an all-hands meeting with employees to announce her turnaround plan for the company.

We are starting to get details on what, exactly, she said. We're not going to describe our sourcing, because we want to keep people employed.

The big points seem to be that Yahoo will work very hard on personalization and mobile.

Mayer's strategy for mobile is interesting: apparently she is going to bring in people who can build great apps through "acqui-hires."

Also, Mayer seems bent on hiring more talent into the company, giving that talent resources, and then holding employees accountable.

Mayer, we're told, emphasized making things faster at Yahoo.

Mayer did not speak much about specific products, like search, front page, Yahoo Finance, or Yahoo Sports, as had been predicted.

She did not talk about any future layoffs, opting to keep things "very positive."

Here are the broad outlines of what she did say:

• Mayer defined Yahoo. Paraphrasing, she told employees: "Yahoo, as a company, excels at personalization across content and ads."
• She emphasized user growth, ad sales, improving ad tools, and attracting better talent.
• Mayer said that Yahoo will do more "acqui-hires," where it buys small companies not for their products, but for their engineering... ( more at http://www.businessinsider.com/here-is-the-plan-marissa-mayer-just-announced-to-yahoo-employees-2012-9 )
  

At http://www.v3im.com/2012/09/how-to-design-a-website-that-google-likes/#axzz27NwvX0ik

How To Design A Website That Google Likes

Posted by Shelly Kramer on September 18, 2012

Read more: http://www.v3im.com/2012/09/how-to-design-a-website-that-google-likes/#ixzz27ibVl2im

Designing websites that are pretty and designing websites that Google likes–and which are effective–are often two very different things. And sadly, many people who hire agencies or developers to build their websites don't know the difference. And when it comes to working for your business, while pretty is nice, effective is even more important.

When designing your website, no matter who you're working with, here are some things you should focus on:

Site Navigation

Your site navigation needs to have a clear hierarchy and include text links. And every page should be reachable from at least one static text link.

Include a Sitemap

Your site needs to have a sitemap and once your site development is complete, that sitemap needs to be submitted to Google. Google uses your sitemap to learn about the structure of your website and to increase the coverage of the pages of content on your site. Make sure this is part of the scope of work in the proposal your web developer submits to you. If not, hire someone else to develop your website.

Links Matter, But Be Reasonable

Links are important, but be sure and keep them to a reasonable number. Too many links is spammy looking and, especially in light of Google's recent algorithm updates, not a good idea.

Create a Site That's Useful

Go figure. Unlike websites of the past, you're not building an online brochure or a website that makes you look good. Instead, you need to focus on creating a website that is useful and filled with information that your customers and prospects might need—and be searching for. And each page of content of your site needs to do its part to tell your story. Don't try to be cute (which is a often major failing of agencies or creative shops). Cute is fun. Making money is more fun. Use each page of your site to serve up content that provides a benefit to the people who are searching for what you do and for the search engines that are indexing your content. Save cute for your in-person... ( more at http://www.v3im.com/2012/09/how-to-design-a-website-that-google-likes/#axzz27NwvX0ik )

At http://gamerelated.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Attractive-and-Effective-QR-Codes#comment-10567085

The Art of QRart

Oil Sands & Heavy Oil www.goodideas.statoil.com

Statoil Takes the Challenge of Future Resources. Read More!

Source: Remixed by Gamerelated, (CC BY 2.0), via [marcelinoportfolio, (CC BY 2.0), Flickr]

Leading Edge Art

The QR code is a rapidly changing technology. Everyday people find new ways to make them look more attractive and everyday people find new and innovative uses for QR codes. The new QR codes are more than just black and white boxes. The new QR codes are vibrantly colored and artistically integrated into ads, business cards, billboards, magazines, and many other places. The new QR codes do more than just link you to URLs. They can transfer contact information, business cards, photos, text messages, and GPS locations just to name a few. As powerful as they are QR codes can also be fun and creative.

How to Make QR the Superstar

The weakness of QR is also the strength of QR. QR has a tendency to pull your eyes towards it. Use this tendency to your advantage. Instead of allowing an unattractive QR to draw attention away from the center of the advertisement, it could be better to just make QR itself the center attraction. With the right technique the QR code itself has a way of creating harmony instead of breaking harmony. Use the QR's fluid pattern to blend in the same way that the new Marine Corps digital camouflage blends in with its environment.

Place the QR in areas with a lot of color. The old black and white QR codes are plain and unattractive, so placing them in the wrong spots can create distracting color contrast patterns. Placing QRs in colorful areas will allow the QR to blend in with the rest of the artwork. Try to place QR codes in a way that creates a harmonious balance of... ( more at http://gamerelated.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Attractive-and-Effective-QR-Codes#comment-10567085 ).

5 Star review for The Witches Sleep by Kaitlyn Deann

At http://nicolefaithhill.blogspot.com.br/2012/08/5-star-review-for-witches-sleep-by.html#.UGTa3FGo-Uo

5 Star review for The Witches Sleep by Kaitlyn Deann

The Witches' Sleep by Kaitlyn Deann

This book had me by the end of the first paragraph. Ella is a witch but she does not find out until she is murdered and her soul returns to her real body. She wakes up to a world full of pride, vanity and unfairness. She decides if she has to live there that it's her job to fix things. That doesn't sit well with those who currently rule. This is a story about how sometimes not even a curse or death will keep soul-mates from continuing to find one another.It's about
... ( more at http://nicolefaithhill.blogspot.com.br/2012/08/5-star-review-for-witches-sleep-by.html#.UGTa3FGo-Uo )