Collision of AI, natural language search

Video: Eric Knorr speaks with Powerset CEO Barney Pell about the future of natural language search. "The fundamental challenge in search is our ability to communicate our intents to systems right now is limited to a couple words," Pell explains. "Artificial Intelligence and natural language type of algorithms can open up whole new possibilities for users." Watch it here.

Columnist's corner: Call it an immodest proposal, and hold the satire, please. Sometime in the next few years, IT will start handing new employees vouchers for computing equipment, Ephraim Schwartz suggests in Freeing IT from the end point. "What the CTO may not bother to explain to the new hire is that IT has gotten out of the client hardware support business. Now it is all about application delivery. IT owns your workspace. You own your hardware." Want examples? Look no further than Windows Vista and Office 7, and streaming the entire desktop over the network, which in Schwartz's words, is "cutting-edge now, [but] this practice will be mainstream within a couple of years."

Notes from the field: Cringe just learned that Google Maps directed a reader that the fastest route between Toronto, Canada and London, England, takes almost a month to travel. Or 29 days, 15 hours to be precise. All this has Cringe wondering why. Somewhat related: Google April 1 gotcha: Gmail Paper.

The news beat: The British UFO hacker Gary McKinnon loses his extradition appeal meaning he could face 60 prison years here in the U.S. A blogger posts Vista fixes expected to be in the first service pack, whenever that may arrive. And the European Commission sues Apple and music labels charging them with restrictive pricing.

Posted by Tom Sullivan on April 3, 2007 10:57 AM