Machine Learning Vs AI Vs Advanced Analytics Vs Deep Learning

There is a lot of buzz around Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all industries and for good reasons. Over the last 18 months we have spent time exploring and understanding the domain for its implementations and benefits at TUI.  With the creation of the thomson chatbot and the recommendation engine for search we do have some experience in field now but surely there is a lot more to do. This blog (and hopefully a few more to come) is an attempt to share some of the knowledge and experience gathered. 

So how is this different from Advance Analytics, AI or Deep Learning  ?

We often come across these terms Machine Learning, Advanced Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning and have been using them interchangeably as well. However we can point at least share some difference and use the right term at the right place.  

Advanced Analytics normally produces an output in the form of a file which needs to be consumed manually.  

Machine Learning systems  -  take it a step further and converts it into a system by automating the input, processing and output. The systems normally produces the same type of output eg. product recommendation system will always produce product recommendation. if we need the prediction of does a patient have a cancer or not then the minimum we have to do is to re-engineer the input and validate the output. The system cannot do it on its own. ie. the Learning and output are specific to data and need human intelligence to engineer it.  Each use case also has a different algorithm that give max efficiency for that particular problem. 

These systems are most common and have a wide variety of usage i.e spam filters, churn analysis, recommendation systems, chatbots, predictive maintenance. gaming strategies. high frequency trading on stock markets. quantitative portfolio management in investment banking etc.  

Deep Learning is a special branch of Machine Learning which uses the Neural networks as opposed to Regression, Classification or Clustering. This is the technique used for image recognition or cancer predictions. So when facebook identifies a face in a picture its using deep learning behind it. 

Artificial Intelligence or General Intelligence - AI is the next step for Machine Learning. A domestic robot has to do multiple jobs i.e dishes, cooking, cleaning, laundry, security, web search, shopping list etc. Similarly an Artificially intelligent office assistant, would have answers to all Management information, can optimize pricing based on users preference, handle churn, yield, orders, finance and every other operation single handedly. If we choose the path to coding specific tasks using specific algorithms and bundle them together, it will soon hit the complexity problem.  General Intelligence or AI is the goal of producing a master algorithm capable of learning everything using a single algorithm. 

It would still not have a will of its own! No HAL :)

Head-Coupled Perspective on Mobile Devices

The Engineering Human-Computer Interaction Research Group has recently published a paper on how to achieve 3D without glasses on mobile devices. According to the research, Head-Coupled Perspective (HCP) on mobile devices can be used to create a glasses-free monocular 3D display. It is based on a efficient head-tracker that uses the front-facing camera of the device. An off-axis projection is used in order to adapt the perspective of the 3D scene according to the head's position of the user. I should say I am really amazed. A demo of the same can be see on you tube. 

The important thing to check is not just how to show 3D but to create a sustainable solution. Many people complained of headaches after playing nintendo 3DS.  I am not sure if we will ever achieve a complete 3D experience on a 2 dimensional device (without glasses). The trick that  can be a "Wow effect" but I am not sure if it can be a end of search for a "solution" to 3D without glasses. I sometimes feel its all a waste of time and money because someone has not understood the problem statement correctly. But then I also think it will be unjust to criticise as any trick can trigger an idea for The Solution !

I will probably wait for the vision of George Lucas! :) And that would be the beginning of a new era.

-v

Near Field Communction (NFC) Pros and Cons

By this time we all know that it is coming but what is it going to change for us an an individual is an interesting thing to think of.

Using your phone as your payment method. How many people would like to do this? You don't flaunt your credit card in your hand when travelling in a train! You don't play with your credit card when sitting in a restaurant. All you do is to try to keep it safe from pickers and runners.  

Having said this I am not favouring credit cards over phone. At least with NFC you can you can be sure you need to have the device to pay unlike credit card where just the details are enough for fraudsters. NFC with pins can be real problem solvers but the accepting device needs to be sophisticated enough to identify multiple taps. Contact less cards when launched had this huge problems of users going back to merchants after every statement.  

NFC has a huge potential where you can do lots of things which you cannot do with your cards as of now.  There will be a need to create applications to add new programs to your chip and identify based on the merchant device which program is applicable for the transaction. This I am sure will not be there in the first phase launch and will take some time to come. Would be really happy to get this tough.

NFC transformation to web usage will be interesting to watch out for. entering credit card information on a mobile browser is really dirty. If we can pay using phone even when we non phone browsers will be real move away from credit cards. And the way to implement this is not going to be difficult or a long way away. All that is needed it to send a message to your phone confirmation the transaction. This way even if a fraudster hacks your account, payments cannot be made with you being informed! 

All you need to do is to tie your phone to your under ware because it is easier to loose it than a credit card.

-v

LED backlit and LED

Most of the TV companies push LCD TVs as LED TVs. This has been quite confusing in the last few days when I was looking for an LED TV. Now I know the difference and it is big!

TV manufacturers can use an LED backlight instead of the Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (LCD-CCFL) used in most LCD televisions. LCD-based televisions described as 'LED TVs' are different from self-illuminating Organic light-emitting diode (OLED), OEL or AMOLED display technologies. In the UK, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) has made it clear in prior correspondence that it does not object to the use of the term 'LED TV', but does require it to be clarified in any advertising. There are several methods of backlighting an LCD panel using LEDs including the use of either White or RGB (Red, Green and Blue) LED arrays positioned behind the panel; and Edge-LED lighting, which uses white LEDs arranged around the inside frame of the TV along with a light diffusion panel to spread the light evenly behind the LCD panel.

Compared to regular CCFL backlighting, an LED backlight provides higher brightness and improved color gamut. However advancements in CCFL technology mean wide color gamuts and lower power consumption are also possible. Cost is the principal barrier to wide use of LED backlighting on LCD televisions.

The variations of LED backlighting do offer different benefits. The first commercial LED backlit LCD TV was the Sony Qualia 005 (introduced in 2004) and featured RGB LED arrays to produce a color gamut around twice that of a conventional CCFL LCD television. This was possible because the combined light output from red, green and blue LEDs produces a more pure white light than is possible with a single white light LED. RGB LED technology continues to be used on selected Sony BRAVIA LCD models, with the addition of 'local dimming' which enables excellent on-screen contrast through selectively turning off the LEDs behind dark parts of a picture frame.

Edge LED lighting was first introduced by Sony (September 2008) on the 40 inch BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M (referred to as the ZX1 in Europe). The principal benefit of Edge-LED lighting for LCD televisions is the ability to build thinner housings (the BRAVIA KLV-40ZX1M is as thin as 9.9mm). Others have also introduced Edge-LED lit LCD televisions with extremely thin housings.

LED-backlit LCD TVs are considered a more sustainable choice, with a longer life and better energy efficiency than plasmas and conventional LCD TVs

he XEL-1 is the first OLED television produced and released by Sony in 2008, it was the world's thinnest television during its production at just 3 mm. It is also the world's first production television to use an Organic Light Emitting Diode display. It has a screen size of 11" with a native resolution 960x540. As the screen is too thin for I/O ports and buttons, Sony has connected the screen to an irremovable base that contains these. The top of the base has the speaker, the Power, Volume, Channel, Input, and the Menu buttons, which are backlit so the symbols and abbreviations change when the XMB is accessed. The back of the panel has a DMeX service input, a 16 Volt DC input, a VHF/UHF/cable input, a Memory Stick slot, and two HDMI inputs. On the left side of the panel there is an Analog/Digital audio output. The XEL-1 has a very high contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, high color saturation, large viewing angles, high screen uniformity, and low power consumption^{[citation needed]}. On the other hand, it has poor primary color accuracy, a quarter of the Full HD resolution (1920x1080p), no anti-judder processing, a light-reflective screen, a minimal number of inputs, an irremovable panel, a small screen.

OLED is much more expensive than LED backlit and a needs more research to remove the issues around it make  it commercially viable. 

v

3D without glass from Fujitsu

The problem which I described as the toughest for the industry to solve for 3D is already history! 

Esprimo FH99/CM from Fujitsu is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) overlaid with panel which converts the images into 3D, by splitting the images to each eye to create the 3D effect.

The technology used is Autostereoscopic and is not suitable for big screens so still some miles to go for big boys to start jumping in but can definitely be of use for tablets and phone. So by the end of the year 2011 you can see this rolling out on iphones, htc and samsung tablets for sure!

Reference:-

http://www.3dtvwatcher.co.uk/fujitsu-unveils-glasses-free-3d-monitor-1297/

cheers
-v

VIRTUAL REALITY GAMING WITH 3D

I did mention in my last post that I do see gaming having another future other than 3D. It is with 3D but with a lot of other action! 

The Wii controller vibrates when you hit your ball playing tennis giving you a nice effect. It also comes with a lot of other accessories which make you feel as if you are playing the actual game for e.g. the gun holder, the car wheel, the golf club. So far so good. The immediate next expansion can be things like shin guards and other soccer accessories. But the most important part of this is not only to provide the accessories like boots with which you can kick but also things like chest pads which can vibrate on being hit or a head band which can produce the effect of heading and arm bands for fouls! Accessories are not just to give inputs to the console they will be involve the players more in the game and give him the feeling of a real life like situation. 

This effect specially comes into play in combat games. Younger generations are crazy about being spies or martial art heroes and war games. The next evolution to involve them more along with 3D will be to give them more accessories which bring them into the game. Like a pressure pad which works like a blood pressure gauge around your arm and when full inflated makes you quite uncomfortable. Activate it with a sensor and produce the effect with a bullet hit in a war game or a cut simulating pain during sword fight! 

Back in 2008 I heard a rumour that adidas had bought a company which made made suites to check your body performance when you work out. Unfortunately it did not come through because the suites don't work if you sweat! But this won't be the limitation for long. These suites will be vital for professionals as they can check out of the field which part of the body needs more work to perform better. Move this suite to virtual games and you get some fantastic results like your right calf is strained and your have to stop cycling for the next 15 seconds or during a sword play you got a cut on the left arm touch the sensor to apply bandage and check the bleeding based on the arm activity. if more activity bleed more and hence the player still looses. Instead of having multiple chances you can have only 1 chance and make it feel more real! 

Gaming is very popular in western countries but is just catching up in India and China. The sheer number of players that you can push to is overwhelming in these countries. But the need of these countries is different. I cannot speak of China but I can definitely write about India. The future games for these countries will be very different than those of the western countries

Many factors affect the gaming industry in India. First and foremost is the cost of the console. It will roughly cost 10-15K INR just for the console and then every game is just another 1k INR. Not easily convincing for any of the Indian parents because people outside the IT industry will be paid the consoles amount as their monthly salary. Only the affluent class (which again is not small) will move in for games. Second factor - Age - very few above 30 would spend time in games. So your main market is people who's finances are controlled by their parents. Another important  factor is the idea that video games are addiction and distraction for a child. So even if you can afford this last factor kills.

But, there is one channel! mostly ALL Indian parents would sacrifice a lot beyond normal to give their children the best in the education field which can enhance their child's potential at an early age. Brain Training and maths and science are favourites.Games around these can fetch a handsome market if marketed correctly. Again a lot of Indian parents cannot afford to travel around the world but they want their children to know about the world and games relating to travel and increasing the knowledge of different countries can be sweet as heaven! And when the kids show progress in these areas fun is bestowed using other games. 

What I have discussed is not very distant and can be achieved easily and fast. We have all the technology needed, we just need to put them together and move from a 2D space to a 3D virtual reality! 

-v

AVATAR - THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT FOR 3D

In 2009, 3D changed everything! We entered the virtual world! Avatar was not only a master piece as a film but it triggered a wave of mass movement towards 3D. Some results are already here and some will come in the future. It definitely has changed the film industry but this change will gradually move into other areas as well.

With the DVD launch of Avatar 3D television came to life and now, 3D camcorders. Xbox, Sony PS3 also cached on the avatar effect. Nitendo 3DS followed ( simply pier pressure!). Some 3D games are already available. Matured and more popular games will be the big gainers in the coming years when the move on 3D. Gaming has a another future too, but that I will discuss in my next post THE FUTURE OF GAMING!

Wanna play avatar over the net with your friends? Put your glass on and log on! 3D content over the net would mean you cannot function without fibre optics! BT and Virgin are already on track! But unfortunately even after launching its first 3D channel, and planning to launch many more in 2011, sky is yet to invest in fibre optics! May be they are planning to use the satellite for data!

Once data gets 3D enabled apply and google have to jump in. The next upgrade will be to ensure you can enjoy your favourite 3D shows and games on your hand held. Then there will be apps in 3D?! Pick one. lets say, Angry bird! Teens will love it and people like me will worry more about their pockets than the experience and fun. It will All come, sooner or later.

The difficult one will be to give you face time or Skype in 3D. Because here we are dealing with live people and I don't think just enabling them for 3D will be enough. I don't want to see a 3 inch 3D face of my dad talking to me. That will be creepy! Here a magnifier is a must! On second thoughts 3D caricatures can be fun too :) Another interesting development will be in conference rooms where now 3D view will enable more in-person experience.

But communication has one fundamental problem. You don't want to see everyone with 3D glasses in a conference or in a conversation over phone. Getting rid of the glasses will be perhaps the single biggest challenge the industry faces. But If Nintendo 3DS can make an attempt in this direction others might not be far away. My estimate, a maximum of 2 years before before we actually start living the STAR WARS age!

Now, imagine yourself in your living room and walking through M&S aisles. Lifting a dress with your hands, turning it around looking at the label and reading the care instructions. Or, walking through the aisles of Tesco and picking your groceries with your own hands. Oh and you have a question, say "excuse me" and a virtual assistant appears who helps you through your way, offers some special things and shows you the best collection they have and stays with you till you check out and they packing it and informing you, we will deliver it to your house.

Fiction?! Put the following together: Microsoft Kinect, Internet TV, Voice search and Voice control and a team of developers who can convert the floating aisles of cooliris to an actual shop look and feel!

Undoubtedly 3D is the future in all areas and Avatar was the trigger. James Cameron will be paid only for his film and the games, but I believe he deserves much more!

Cheers,

v