Morehouse MIS Spring 2014

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Big Data Analytics

BY: Jared Grimes

What is Big Data? Everyone does not have the same consensus of the term, but the most accurate definition of big data is a collection of data from traditional and digital sources inside and outside your company that represents a source for ongoing discovery and analysis. Its purpose is to take a large variety of data to uncover unknown correlations, hidden patterns, and other beneficial information. Traditional data collection is just as important for the process as the digital sources used. The main goal of Big Data is to vastly assist companies in their decision making process.

How does it work? Data scientists analyze massive volumes of transaction data as well as other data sources that may be left out by conventional business intelligence programs. Some of the other data sources may include Web server logs and Internet clickstream data, social media activity reports, mobile-phone call detail records and information captured by sensors. Big data analytics uses similar software tools used as part data mining. Often times the unstructured data sources used for big data will not fit in more traditional data warehouses. These warehouses also are not able to handle the processing demands posed by big data.

New technology is being launched, like Google’s BigQuery to increase companies’ efficiencies. Unlike its competitors, such as the services provided by Amazon Kinesis, BigQuery allows developers to send 100,000 rows of real-time data per second. This allows any service that needs real-time analytics to use big data and solve problems in a short period. One example of its possible usage is a utility company uses the system to analyze energy usage data from its customers to find potential outages within minutes. Using BigQuery, the utility can run a query that looks at data from electrical meters within a few miles around a certain location that didn’t show electrical use in the last five minutes. Google has taken the necessary steps to enhance its product and change the big data industry, it doesn’t hurt that its product is priced about 75% less than its providers!

Articles

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/bigdata/

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/big_data_the_next_frontier_for_innovation

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrNlZ7-SMPk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RYKgj-QK4I

The Evolution of Prosthetics

By Nicholas Hall

What does the future hold for amputees and the continuous development of prosthetics? This article discusses how technology is enabling the development of prosthetics for amputees that resemble the movement and texture of natural human limbs. Recently, Michael Goldfarb and his team at Vanderbilt University have been doing continuous research into the future of prosthetics. They were responsible for the development of the initial robotic prosthesis that resembled both ankle and knee joints of the human leg. These legs are created to have the joints connected electronically, resemble specific movements that would be made in human joints, and also reduce the amount of falling that would result in artificial legs. Nonetheless, Goldfarb and his team, like many, are determined to continue seeking breakthroughs in this area of technology.

For some with traditional prosthetic legs, movement could be irritating at times. Some would nearly have to swing an entire side of their body to get their leg to do what they wanted. However, with recent innovation there have been developments with these new prosthetic legs that include pressure sensing and automatic movement. There can even be a controller installed that can serve as a nervous system and sensors placed on the knee and ankle joints. As far as prosthetic arms are concerned, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have come up with something that many would have never thought could be invented for many years. They are responsible for a prosthetic arm that is powered by the nervous system much like a regular arm. There are tons of sensors, joints, motors, and a small computer built into the prosthetic hand to help this masterpiece resemble that of a natural human hand. The movement and action is programmed to be like that of the human hand. There are even plans to cover this prosthetic limb in a substance that resembles human skin. The ceiling of innovation for amputees is certainly being broken. It was almost like yesterday when we saw the futuristic prosthetic arm that was covered in skin by Will Smith in his film I, Robot.

The future of prosthetics and the development of better technology for amputees are definitely headed in the right direction. The progression that is being made in hopes of replacing traditional artificial legs with robotic prosthetics would highly benefit those amputees who struggle with the frustration of daily movement and flexibility. The development of a bionic arm and hand would recreate the feeling and freedom of possessing a “normal limb” once again. These innovations are the result of technology breakthroughs and deep research into human movement and the nervous system. Great hope is on the way for those who have to use prosthetics and their dreams of once again having movement that resembles the limbs they once had are soon to be realized. For a deeper insight and more information check out the videos and links I have provided below.

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUxVsx-GAZA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhWNrpN9E2A

Articles:

http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2013/11/robotic-legs-healthy-limbs/

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/scicurious/future-robotic-leg

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/tech/innovation/bionic-robotic-arm-limb-amputee/#

Shirts That Clean Themselves

BY: Bobby Guthrie

As innovative technology is becoming of age, students are setting new boundaries for human convenience. Furthermore, students have created ways to fund new projects with crowd funding. For example, Kickstarter is a fairly recent website that allows people to fund new projects not in just technology, but movies or even music. One project that I found really interesting was a shirt company called Silic that make shirts that clean themselves.

Silic is made with a self-cleaning cloth with Hydrophobic Technology. This fabric stops stains from sweat and drink. They have worked along side with the world’s leading textile technology company to gain the Hydrophobic Technology needed to manufacture the shirts. The fabric has nanotechnology bonded to the fibers on a microscopic level. Most liquids will not even be able to touch the fabric because of a microscopic layer with billions of silica particles. Furthermore, the shirts technology will not wash away after washing it in the washing machine; it lasts up to 80 cycles. To reactivate water repellency, tumble dry, normal; low heat at least every three washes.

This technology will potentially be able to revolutionize the standard fabric used to construct apparel. CNet, Dailymail, Gizmodo, and Huffington Post have recognized Silic for their innovation. Silic has reached their goal of $20,000 in a week and are currently funded at close to $300,000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIhhhkDtVLQ#t=24

Could Bitcoin be the currency of the Future?

BY: Jeremy Swinton

First let’s go through a brief explanation of what Bitcoin actually is. Bitcoin is a form of currency that isn’t distributed by a federal government; rather it is created by super computers using extremely complex algorithms. All of these super computers form a network through which the Bitcoin transactions are made. The system is set up so that it becomes more and more difficult to create Bitcoins as time goes on in order to combat inflation. As of March 24, 2014 Bitcoins traded at $588 USD but you can purchase fractions of Bitcoins if you don’t want to put that much into it.

Now let us take a look at who uses Bitcoin and why it’s beneficial. Since Bitcoins are not distributed through any banks or governments you can make transactions without being taxed or charged by a bank. This makes Bitcoin ideal for online merchants because it is cheaper to accept them than it is to accept a credit card. It also makes it easier to transfer money to friends and family because it is instant and doesn’t come with fees like MoneyGram or Western Union. Another major use of Bitcoin is to make illegal transactions. Major sites such as Silk Road have been used to trade illegal drugs for years and other sites can support exchanging stolen bank information, human trafficking, and the sale of illegal firearms.

Now you may be asking, Jeremy with all these wonderful things happening with Bitcoin why hasn’t it already taken the dollars place? There are a few reasons Bitcoin isn’t ready for mainstream use yet. The first problem is that the systems can currently only handle 7 transactions per second which won’t cut it if Bitcoin was used worldwide. The second issue is with its legitimacy. Users may be wary of Bitcoin because its biggest market is the above mentioned Silk Road, which was believed to be shut down in late 2013 but has since been reborn. In addition on of the biggest Bitcoin exchanges, japan based Mt. Gox, was hacked and lost A HUNDRED MILLION dollars’ worth of Bitcoin. So while Bitcoin has some exciting benefits it has a long way to go before it can topple the dollar.

Below is a video explaining the details surrounding the “BitCoin Heist”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPwkTfdZnrM

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Wednesday April 9, 2014 - HW#7 - Charts

There are two assignments for this class. Read both sets of instructions and follow them exactly.

1) Slavery to Travon - Reconstruction
Should have bought this book already.

Read this Timeline of Reconstruction. Click Here

Chapters to read for exam:

Preface,
Chapter 1,
Chapter 31 and
Chapter 32 (the last chapter).

The actual number of pages are unknown because it based on your reading device.

Read atleast these three sections and take the exam.

Take Exam Slavery #3 on Classmarker.com

This Exam will be open from Thursday April 10, 2014 at 9AM and must be completed by Sunday April 13, 2013 by midnight.

Do not forget the second project discussed below.

Your Homework #7 is to create charts. You learned how to present data in tables, pivot tables and maps. Another way to present data, is with charts.

Take the data from your HW#6 (Fusion table data you downloaded) and create two types of charts (line, bar, pie and/or other)

Once you create the two charts in the excel file, save it in your google drive and then share it with me, like your HW#7.

This homework is due Sunday April 13, 2014 by midnight.

In each chart, I want to see X and Y labels, chart heading, format X and Y numbers (when numbers used) and show me other things you can add to a chart that shows me you learned something special. But do not clutter the chart with too much stuff. Make the charts are professional as possible but easy to read.

Below are videos about charts.

MAC

http://youtu.be/64RH0Hmon3Q

http://youtu.be/fIwanUubn7Q

WINDOWS

http://youtu.be/jLW1A7j7r3Y

http://youtu.be/Lvq8cuCRECU

Electric Vehicle Warning Sounds

BY: Charcarus Thomas

The use of Electric vehicles is on the rise. With increasing gas prices and various tax incentives, consumers have become more attracted to the use of electric energy in automobiles. If you have ever been in close proximities of one of these electric vehicles, you may notice how quiet the vehicle is. The electric motors used to power the vehicles does not produce nearly the amount of sound as a conventional vehicle with an engine. Because of this, new regulations are being put in place to enhance the safety of the blind community, cyclist, and pedestrians. The solution to these new regulations are artificial Electric Vehicle Warning Sounds.

Japan began the movement of requiring Electric Vehicle Warning sounds in 2010. Since then, countries such as the United States and the UK have began to force automakers to include these safety enhancements to increase the safety of their residents. The purpose of the regulations is to discover the minimum level of sound that is produced by plug-in and hybrid vehicles while they are on and operating so that pedestrians can navigate safely, especially those in the blind community. Scientific test have proven that it is difficult to detect electric vehicles that are moving below 32 km/h or about 20 mph. The NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has proposed that electric and hybrid vehicles would be required to emit these artificial tones under 19 mph, which would ultimately prevent about 2,800 pedestrian accidents throughout the life of the vehicle. The NHSTA states that automakers will have a choice in the sounds their vehicles will be able to emit. Originally, the regulations were to take in effect by 2014, however, carmakers have requested that the regulation date be pushed back to 2018.

Since this new regulation has surfaced, many companies are beginning to take advantage of creating a new business with new technologies. ECTunes, a company based out of California, are utilizing directional sound technology to allow cars to emit artificial sounds when needed. This will prevent unnecessary noise and send warning sound in the direction the vehicle is moving. These systems often embed weatherproof speakers into the bumpers of the vehicle. Fisker, the automaker that produces the luxury electric vehicle the Fisker Karma (Pictured above), has developed their own unique sounds that emits from their vehicles. Their unique artificial sound is stated to sound like a mixture of a Spaceship and a Formula One car. The company wanted to ensure that their vehicle met the new regulation and also enhance the driving experience.

Companies such as Ford, Chevrolet, Lotus, and Nissan are beginning to incorporate this technology into their electric and hybrid vehicles. In addition to electric and hybrid vehicles, many gasoline engine vehicles are beginning to use this artificial sound technology to pump fake exhaust sounds through the interior speakers of the vehicles since fuel efficiency requirements have effected the engine sizes and enhancement to improve fuel consumption. You may even be currently driving a vehicle that has this technology. As creativity increases, the creation of new regulations, and new technology, it will be nice to see what car companies will come up with in their new vehicles in the future.

Video Links

http://youtu.be/OYx_BDuYxj0

http://youtu.be/ABlWqBB6zPE

http://youtu.be/nsbRHcKP-bM

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Wednesday April 2, 2014 - HW #6 - Google Fusion Tables

GOOGLE FUSION TABLES

Other than tables and charts, another good way to present data is with maps. To use maps in a presentation, the data needs locational information (for example, state, zipcode, lat/long, street name and/or street numbers).

For this assignment you will need to find some data with locational variables, so fusion tables can geocode each record. Remember each row is a record and each column is a data field. Make sure the data you get has a few numbers-based data fields (example:building size, sales price, land acreage and/or year building was built).

What to do:
1) I recommend going to http://www.netronline.com.
2) Then click Public Records Online from the top menu
3) I have researched the states and counties and I recommend you gather sales date from one of the following: (you can use any other state/county that allows you to download your results in excel)
Georgia/Fulton County
Florida/Duval County
Florida/Orange County

4) Search for property sales using any criteria you want - you need about 200 to 300 records in your results
5) Download the data into excel
6) Clean up the data by eliminating columns you do not need, rows with empty cells (I did this in class)
7) At the end you will need only about 100 records
8) Create the concontenate column (see video below) remember Monday's class
9) Use Save-as to make sure this file is saved as an excel file (.xls)
10) Upload into Google Fusion Tables
11) Map records
12) Change style (see video below)
13) Add Legend to map (see video below)

This Homework #6 is due Sunday April 6, 2014 at midnight.

There is no online exam this time.

Once you finish your Google fusion table, save it and then share it with me at os3@aol.com. Make sure you either make it public or available for viewing by me. Your grade will be based on how well your map looks and the coloring of the location dots based on sales price, city or date.

I will be available for a one-on-one on Skype (username: osistrunk3).
Just text me (4045090533) to set an appointment.
Do not wait until the last minute.

You will need a Google account (Gmail, Drive, Blogger or other). Any account should work. Once you have one Google account, you can add other services. Google fusion tables are on Google Drive. If you do not have a Google account, sign up for free, for Google drive.

Below is a video on Google Drive and how it works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpOmuG3HfPo

What is Google Fusion Tables?
It allows you to visualize data in a map format instead of a table or chart format. You can upload excel data with locational information (Lat/Long, addresses, city and etc.). Once you upload this spreadsheet, you can map each row (record or transaction) to Google map. It allows you to show your data in a map format. Google will map each row. Once mapped, you can use the informational data about each row (the columns) to highlight what is important. For example, your data has addresses. You can map each address and show them on a google map. The you can change to color of each dot based on other information in the spreadsheet, like sales price.

See an example here.

Here is a Youtube tutorial example