What The Heck is... Big Data?

Source: Bernard Marr

BIG Data

Big Data is THE biggest buzzwords around at the moment and I believe big data will change the world. Some say it will be even bigger than the Internet. What’s certain, big data will impact everyone's life. Having said that, I also think that the term 'big data' is not very well defined and is, in fact, not well chosen. Let me use this article to explain what's behind the massive 'big data' buzz and demystify some of the hype.

Basically, big data refers to our ability to collect and analyze the vast amounts of data we are now generating in the world. The ability to harness the ever-expanding amounts of data is completely transforming our ability to understand the world and everything within it. The advances in analyzing big data allow us to e.g. decode human DNA in minutes, find cures for cancer, accurately predict human behavior, foil terrorist attacks, pinpoint marketing efforts and prevent diseases. Take this business example: Wal-Mart is able to take data from your past buying patterns, their internal stock information, your mobile phone location data, social media as well as external weather information and analyze all of this in seconds so it can send you a voucher for a BBQ cleaner to your phone – but only if you own a barbeque, the weather is nice and you currently are within a 3 miles radius of a Wal-Mart store that has the BBQ cleaner in stock. That's scary stuff, but one step at a time, let's first look at why we have so much more data than ever before.

In my talks and training sessions on big data I talk about the 'datafication of the world'. This datafication is caused by a number of things including the adoption of social media, the digitalization of books, music and videos, the increasing use of the Internet as well as cheaper and better sensors that allow us to measure and track everything. Just think about it for a minute:

• When you were reading a book in the past, no external data was generated. If you now use a Kindle or Nook device, they track what you are reading, when you are reading it, how often you read it, how quickly you read it, and so on.
• When you were listening to CDs in the past no data was generated. Now we listen to Music on your iPhone or digital music player and these devices are recording data on what we are listening to, when and how often, in what order etc.
• Today, most of us carry smart phones and they are constantly collecting and generating data by logging our location, tracking our speed, monitoring what apps we are using as well as who we are ringing or texting.
• Sensors are increasingly used to monitor and capture everything from temperature to power consumption, from ocean movements to traffic flows, from dust bin collections to your heart rate. Your car is full of sensors and so are smart TVs, smart watches, smart fridges, etc. Take my new scales (which I - as a gadget freak - love!), they measure (and keep a record of) my weight, my % body fat, my heart rate and even the air quality in our bed room. When I step on the scales they automatically recognize me, take all the measurement and then send them via Bluetooth to my iPhone which gives me stats on how my Body Mass Index etc. is changing. This information is then also synced with the data collected by my Up band, which tracks how many calories I have consumed and burnt in a day and how well I have slept at night.
• Finally, combine all this now with the billions of internet searches performed daily, the billions of status updates, wall posts, comments and likes generated on Facebook each day, the 400+ million tweets sent on Twitter per day and the 72 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute.

I am sure you are getting the point. The volume of data is growing at a freighting rate. Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt brings it to a point: “From the dawn of civilization until 2003, humankind generated five exabytes of data. Now we produce five exabytes every two days…and the pace is accelerating.”

Not only do we have a lot of data, we also have a lot of different and new types of data: text, video, web search logs, sensor data, financial transactions and credit card payments etc. In the world of ‘Big Data’ we talk about the 4 Vs that characterize big data:

• Volume – the vast amounts of data generated every second
• Velocity – the speed at which new data is generated and moves around (credit card fraud detection is a good example where millions of transactions are checked for unusual patterns in almost real time)
• Variety – the increasingly different types of data (from financial data to social media feeds, from photos to sensor data, from video capture to voice recordings)
• Veracity – the messiness of the data (just think of Twitter posts with hash tags, abbreviations, typos and colloquial speech)

So, we have a lot of data, in different formats, that is often fast moving and of varying quality – why would that change the world? The reason the world will change is that we now have the technology to bring all of this data together and analyze it.

In the past we had traditional database and analytics tools that couldn’t deal with extremely large, messy, unstructured and fast moving data. Without going into too much detail, we now have software like Hadoop and others which enable us to analyze large, messy and fast moving volumes of structured and unstructured data. It does it by breaking the task up between many different computers (which is a bit like how Google breaks up the computation of its search function). As a consequence of this, companies can now bring together these different and previously inaccessible data sources to generate impressive results. Let’s look at some real examples of how big data is used today to make a difference:

• The FBI is combining data from social media, CCTV cameras, phone calls and texts to track down criminals and predict the next terrorist attack.

• Facebook is using face recognition tools to compare the photos you have up-loaded with those of others to find potential friends of yours (see my post on how Facebook is exploiting your private information using big data tools).

• Politicians are using social media analytics to determine where they have to campaign the hardest to win the next election.

• Video analytics and sensor data of Baseball or Football games is used to improve performance of players and teams. For example, you can now buy a baseball with over 200 sensors in it that will give you detailed feedback on how to improve your game.

• Artists like Lady Gaga are using data of our listening preferences and sequences to determine the most popular playlist for her live gigs.

• Google’s self-driving car is analyzing a gigantic amount of data from sensor and cameras in real time to stay on the road safely.

• The GPS information on where our phone is and how fast it is moving is now used to provide live traffic up-dates.

• Companies are using sentiment analysis of Facebook and Twitter posts to determine and predict sales volume and brand equity.

• Supermarkets are combining their loyalty card data with social media information to detect and leverage changing buying patterns. For example, it is easy for retailers to predict that a woman is pregnant simply based on the changing buying patterns. This allows them to target pregnant women with promotions for baby related goods.

• A hospital unit that looks after premature and sick babies is generating a live steam of every heartbeat. It then analyses the data to identify patterns. Based on the analysis the system can now detect infections 24hrs before the baby would show any visible symptoms, which allows early intervention and treatment.

And these examples are just the beginning. Companies are barely starting to get to grips with the new world of big data. In conclusion then, big data will change the world. In terms of language I prefer to talk about the ‘datafication of the world’ in relation to the ever-growing amounts of data and ‘large-scale analytics’ (or simply ‘analytics’ because what is large now will be normal tomorrow) in relation to our ability to analyze and harness big data.

At the moment I am spending a lot of my time helping companies understand the massive potential as well as big threats of big data. I work with executive teams of companies spanning all sectors and sizes to help them develop strategies to harness big data and find each of these discussions and projects amazingly fascinating because they all open up new opportunities. Here, I would love to hear from you. Do you see opportunities for yourself or your business? Does this new world of big data scare you or excite you? Have you already started harnessing big data? Or have I failed to convince you and do you believe big data is just hype? Please share your views..

Do you agree? send in your comments and share ( also G+ it if you like it)  with your friends and family members.

To help someone in need  see Good Deeds ., 

To raise money for your needs see : Crowdfunding websites.

Read : Walking helps you improve your  life

Do you know that you can organize a team and walk in large groups in order to raise money for a community, charity or someone in need? see how it works .,  .

Do you wanna raise money, then read about Fundraising Ideas Click here : Myazpiration

Note: If you are an entrepreneur (create your own business) , creative (projects )or need money for an important cause (hospital bills, school fees, birthdays parties, funeral, marriage etc) you must understand how to raise funds via social network see  Crowdfunding sites 

Six tips that will help you get a job without experience

CONNECT WITH PEOPLE: Use tools like LinkedIn and Twitter to improve your network.

Getting that first break in an industry or moving into a new field isn’t easy, especially when you are up against people with experience. It’s not impossible though, and with some hard work, a lot of ambition and confidence in yourself, it can happen. So we’ve put together some tips to help you plug those work experience gaps in your CV to get the job you want.

1. Know the industry

Knowledge is power, make your brain a sponge and soak up all the information, news and insight you can get into the industry and type of role you are aiming for. Passion goes a long way in demonstrating why you’re worth a shot.

2. Immerse yourself and have an opinion

Follow influential opinion formers in the industry, company and role you want to work in on Twitter and LinkedIn. Join relevant groups, follow blogs and sign up to forums. Post responses to questions and start to get your name and opinions out there – it will go a long way to showing your passion and knowledge on a range of subjects. Being able to confidently get your opinion across is a valuable skill in any role, but is key to demonstrating understanding and knowledge in the absence of solid experience.

3. Network your way to work

Research the path that people most commonly take to get that ideal job, connect with people through tools like LinkedIn and Twitter, and search an apply for internships, paid and unpaid to improve your network and gain some experience you can really build on.

4. Identify the skills you need

Make a list of all the skills that are valuable to (and listed in job ads for) the role you’re looking to get. Then list your own skills: technical and computer, communication, problem solving and research and managerial. Use examples of when you have demonstrated these skills successfully to tell a story of why you have what it takes to be given a go. For example, if you led a successful student campaign at university – include this in your CV. Or if you have held a volunteer position that has used these skills, include this too. Transferable skills are relevant and will demonstrate that you have the right qualities for the job.

5. Work for free

Join industry societies, volunteer and apply for internships and work experience in as many relevant places as you can, you’ll not only gain valuable experience, you’ll build a network and get a foot in the door. Once you’re in, be keen to take on responsibility, demonstrate your skills and lead projects or initiatives.

6. Ask for an interview

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Be honest and seize the opportunity to show someone how much you deserve a chance. You have a much better chance of convincing a manager to hire you if you can tell them why you’re right and demonstrate through examples, why you have the relevant experience to do the job. Be confident in your skills and ability – any recruiter will respect your passion and effort and that’s half the battle.

Source: Nestle SE

Do you agree? send in your comments and share ( also G+ it if you like it)  with your friends and family members.

To help someone in need  see Good Deeds ., 

To raise money for your needs see : Crowdfunding websites.

Read : Walking helps you improve your  life

Do you know that you can organize a team and walk in large groups in order to raise money for a community, charity or someone in need? see how it works .,  .

Do you wanna raise money, then read about Fundraising Ideas Click here : Myazpiration

 

Note: If you are an entrepreneur (create your own business) , creative (projects )or need money for an important cause (hospital bills, school fees, birthdays parties, funeral, marriage etc) you must understand how to raise funds via social network see  Crowdfunding sites 

RAW ONION ON BOTTOM OF FEET -TAKE AWAY ILLNESS

Raw Onion on feet

Source: Natural health .IND

Raw ONION on bottom of the feet to take away illness. 

''During the night, I started feeling good. I mean really good! I felt tingly, like my blood was being cleansed (it was). It was so cool!
My bedroom smells like a casserole, but it was totally worth it!
***Here is the deal:::
So last night Evan (11) was keeping everyone awake with his cough. I got up, went to the kitchen and sliced a purple, ie  make me cry onion, at 3am. I got some snug socks and put it on the bottom of his feet. To boost my own immunity, I decided to try this too. During the rest of the night, I started feeling good. I mean really good! I felt tingly, like my blood was being cleansed. It was so cool!

This system works in 2 ways.
1.) Onions are known to absorb toxins. In fact, during the days of the Plague in England, folks would keep chopped onions around to absorb toxins and clean the air. This helped protect them, against getting the plague.

NEVER store opened onion- It will absorb all the toxins in the air of your refrigerator. therefore, when you eat the leftover onion-you eat the toxins. 
Instead: Chop your leftover onion, put it on a plate and keep it in your kitchen as a natural air purifier. I do this all the time! If someone is ill, place a chopped onion on the nightstand, next to the bed. They'll be better in the morning. I placed the remaining onion, next to Evan last night.


2.) The onion and garlic families are anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. Placing them on the bottom of the foot gives them access to your internal organs through meridians in your body. The onion can be directly delivered. Transdermal delivery (on the skin) is one of the best delivery mechanisms, as it will bypass the stomach acids and go directly into the blood. The bottom of the feet and the forearm are great places to put high powered foods and essential oils into the body. Sliced garlic on the bottom of the feet will work nicely too.''

Try this and report back , please do not forget to save on your wall and share with friends and family members-health is wealth.

Source: Natural health IN

Do you agree? send in your comments and share ( also G+ it if you like it)  with your friends and family members.

To help someone in need  see Good Deeds ., 

To raise money for your needs see : Crowdfunding websites.

Read : Walking helps you improve your  life

Do you know that you can organize a team and walk in large groups in order to raise money for a community, charity or someone in need? see how it works .,  .

Do you wanna raise money, then read about Fundraising Ideas Click here : Myazpiration

 

Note: If you are an entrepreneur (create your own business) , creative (projects )or need money for an important cause (hospital bills, school fees, birthdays parties, funeral, marriage etc) you must understand how to raise funds via social network see  Crowdfunding sites 

Successful Women Are Having Affairs (And Their Significant Others Are Glad!)

Source: J.T. O'Donnell  -CEO of CAREEREALISM.com

Successful women are having affairs

One of the best parts about my job is the number of successful women I get to meet. Thanks to social media, I've been able to network and connect with some pretty amazing ladies. Many are married or have significant others, while plenty of others are blissfully single. Some have kids and/or priceless pets. Lots are involved in their communities and philanthropy projects. All of them are close to family and friends. They also all share one trait: having an affair with their work.

Some people criticize them for it. But, is it wrong?

Guilty Pleasure, Or Self-Improvement Tool? You Be The Judge...

Just last week, I was talking to one of my professional gal pals and she shared the following:

Some of my female friends make back-handed compliments about how much I work, wondering how I juggle it all. You can sense they want to see me fail. Yet, I know these women are just unhappy. They're jealous of what I am doing. Why? They can see how much I am enjoying myself. I'm having a passionate love affair with my work - and they wish they felt that good.

I know what she is talking about. When I found my real passion, it was an adjustment for my husband and I too. I am truly lucky to have a man in my life who understands how much I need to have an affair with my work. I wrote about it here. I care deeply about my marriage, but I also know the work I'm doing is making me a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, manager, community member, etc. The energy it gives me enables me to do more for others. That is something special. My friend described it best:

I look at it this way. I'm a person who is driven. I like to work. If I didn't, I would be bored and who knows what kind of trouble I could get into? Without this level of satisfaction in my life, I would be depressed and try to seek it elsewhere. Instead of straying from my marriage or picking up a bad habit, I am channeling this energy into something positive. Not only does it make me happy, but it takes the pressure off my husband who knows he does not have to be the sole source of my happiness. We are a true team.

I can relate to what she said. Can you?

An Affair Like This Could Be the Best Thing That Ever Happened To You

I think the work Sheryl Sandberg and Arianna Huffington are doing right now to help women come into their own professionally is so fantastic. Ladies, don't underestimate how much better your relationships and life in general can be when you are allowed and encouraged to tap into your professional passion. It's not indulgent or selfish - it's an opportunity to become an even better you. Many, many people in your life will benefit from it.

What do you think? Is having an affair with your job making your life better? I'd love to hear from other readers.

Do you agree? send in your comments and share ( also G+ it if you like it)  with your friends and family members.

To help someone in need  see Good Deeds ., 

To raise money for your needs see : Crowdfunding websites.

Read : Walking helps you improve your  life

Do you know that you can organize a team and walk in large groups in order to raise money for a community, charity or someone in need? see how it works .,  .

Do you wanna raise money, then read about Fundraising Ideas Click here : Myazpiration

 

Note: If you are an entrepreneur (create your own business) , creative (projects )or need money for an important cause (hospital bills, school fees, birthdays parties, funeral, marriage etc) you must understand how to raise funds via social network see  Crowdfunding sites 

A Resume Will Never Get You the Job You Really Want

Source: Jeff Haden 

You send in your resume. You include a hopefully eye-catching cover letter. You ask someone to put in a good word for you.

Then you wait. And wait. And don't get the job.

Why? You didn't put in the work.

There are many things you can't control about the job seeking process. Cumbersome application systems, automated filters that identify keywords instead of talent, lazy hiring managers content to simply find round pegs for round holes, people who make the biggest hiring mistake of all....

But there is one thing you can control: the amount of work you put in.

If you're struggling to land the job you want, don't complain. Don't blame others. Sure, the system often sucks -- so accept it sucks and then figure out how to beat it. Commit to doing more. Commit to doing what other candidates aren't willing to do. That's how you stand out. That's how you get the job you really want.

Try this:

1. Determine the company you want to work for.

Obvious, right? Not really. Many job seekers play the numbers game and respond to as many job postings as possible.

Shotgun resume submissions results in hiring managers sifting through dozens of potential candidates to find the right person. (Good luck emerging from that particular pile.) To show the hiring manager you are the right candidate, you have to do the work.

Instead of shotgunning your resume, put in the time to determine a company you definitely want to work for, and then...

2. Really know the company.

Pretend I'm the hiring manager. "I would love to work for you," you say to me. What I actually hear is, "I would love for you to pay me."

You can't possibly know if you want to work for my company unless you know a lot about my company; that's the difference between just wanting a job and wanting an actual role in a business. Talk to friends, relatives, vendors, customers... anyone you can find. Check management and employees out on social media. When you know the people, you know the company. Learn as much as you can.

Then leverage what you learn and...

3. Figure out how you will hit the ground running.

Many companies see training as a necessary evil. Training takes time, money, effort... all of which are in short supply. An ideal new hire can be productive immediately, at least in part.

While you don't need to be able to do everything required in the job, it helps if the company can see an immediate return on their hiring investment. (Remember, hiring you is an investment that needs to generate a return.)

Identify one or two important things you can contribute from day one. Then...

4. Don't just tell. Show.

Put what you can offer on display. If you're a programmer, mock up a new application. If you want a sales position, create a plan for how you'll target a new market or customer base or describe how you will implement marketing strategies the business is currently not using.

A show and tell is your chance to prove you know the company and what you can offer. Your initiative will be impressive and you'll go a long way towards overcoming concerns that you're all talk and no action.

Is it fair you're doing a little work on spec? Should you have to create a mockup or plan in order to get the job? Not really and probably not... but doing so will definitely set you apart.

Never let "fair" -- when the only person "disadvantaged" is you -- get in the way of achieving your goals.

5. Use a referral as a reinforcement.

Business is all about relationships. We've all made made bad hiring decisions, so a referral from someone we trust is like gold.

You may have to dig deep into your network or even forge new connections, but the effort will be worth it.

Knowing that someone we trust is willing to vouch for you is a data point that often tips the decision scale towards giving you an interview... and even giving you the job.

6. Be the one who knocks.

You don't have to wait to be called for an interview. You don't have to wait for an opening to be posted; after all, you've identified ways you can immediately help the company you want to work for. Wrangle an introduction, meet with someone who can actually influence the hiring decision, and pitch away.

Think it won't work? It will -- as long as you show the person you contact how they will also benefit. Say, "I really want to work for your company. I know you're in charge of social media marketing and I've developed a data-driven way to analyze activities, ROI, brand awareness... I'd love to take you to lunch and show you. If you hate my ideas, at least you got a free lunch. If you love them, you learned something. What do you have to lose?"

A friend of mine who runs a tech company has hired four people in the last six months who approached him in a similar fashion. He's a go-getter; he loves hiring go-getters. And he loves when they find him.

Just make sure you go straight to describing how the company will benefit from hiring you. Say, "Your website is good but it could be a lot better. Here are changes I will make in the first month and here is how those changes will improve conversions and SEO results. And here's a mock-up I created of a new site design."

Approach them right and people will pay attention -- especially entrepreneurs and small businesses. I don't know any smart people who won't drop everything to learn how to improve their business.

7. Assert yourself.

Many people are poor interviewers. That's especially true for small business owners; many are terrible interviewers. (As a friend of mine says, "I don't work in HR. I run a business.")

So be direct and to the point. Explain what you can do. Describe your background. Don't talk about what the job will mean to you; talk about how the company will benefit from hiring you. Show you know working for their company is different (every company thinks they're different) and how you're excited by the challenge. Sell yourself: use what you know about the company and how you will make an impact to back up your pitch.

8. Ask for the job.

Most people don't mind being closed. Plus a decision put off until tomorrow is a decision added to the to-do list; no one wants more on their plates.

If you truly know you want the job -- and you should by this point -- ask for it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Who knows: if you've worked hard to truly set yourself apart, you might get hired on the spot.

I know what you're thinking: That's too much work to put in, especially if there's no guarantee your extra effort will result in a job.

Flip it around. Doing what everyone else does is very unlikely to result in a job. Decide you will be different -- and then work hard to actually be different. Then you will stand out. Then you'll have a much better chance of landing the job you really want.

Do you agree? send in your comments and share ( also G+ it if you like it)  with your friends and family members.

To help someone in need  see Good Deeds ., 

To raise money for your needs see : Crowdfunding websites.

Read : Walking helps you improve your  life

Do you know that you can organize a team and walk in large groups in order to raise money for a community, charity or someone in need? see how it works .,  .

Do you wanna raise money, then read about Fundraising Ideas Click here : Myazpiration

 

Note: If you are an entrepreneur (create your own business) , creative (projects )or need money for an important cause (hospital bills, school fees, birthdays parties, funeral, marriage etc) you must understand how to raise funds via social network see  Crowdfunding sites