Researchers developing software to finger phony reviews

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/28/researchers-developing-software-to-finger-phony-reviews/

Opinion spam isn't a new version of your favorite meat treat, repackaged for discerning canned ham consumers. According to a team of researchers at Cornell University, it's a growing problem affecting user generated review sites, and the gang is working to stop it dead in its tracks with a new program that's aimed at tracking down fake reviews. That software, which has been tested on reviews of Chicago hotels, uses keyword analysis and word combination patterns to bust opinion spammers -- fakers, for example, use more verbs than their truth-telling counterparts. The as of yet unnamed program apparently has the ability to post deceptive opinions with 90 percent accuracy, but is currently only trained on hospitality in the Windy City. Ultimately, the group sees the software as a filter for sites like Amazon, but, for now, you'll just have to trust the old noggin to do the detecting for you.

Researchers developing software to finger phony reviews originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus PEN E-PL3 gets a price tag, release date

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/27/olympus-pen-e-pl3-gets-a-price-tag-release-date/

Last month, Olympus lifted the veil on a trio of 12.3-megapixel Micro Four Thirds cameras, replacing both models in its PEN line and adding the small and light E-PM1. We already knew to expect an August ship date for the $900 E-P3, but now the company filled us in on its tilt-enabled E-PL3, which will be available in black, white, red, and silver when it ships in September. Priced at $700, the kit will include either a 14-42mm zoom or 17mm fixed lens, and will retail for a full c-note higher than its predecessor, the E-PL2. Olympus also announced the VF-3 Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), which will feature a 100-percent field-of-view, 90-degree rotation, and brightness and color temperature adjustments -- though it sounds like that last feature could potentially leave you with off-color images if you mistake the EVF's white balance for what the camera will capture. We're still waiting on availability for the runt of the litter, but we imagine the E-PM1 will make its stateside debut soon -- perhaps even with a price tag lower than its rather pricey, beefier siblings.

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Olympus PEN E-PL3 gets a price tag, release date originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CHART OF THE DAY: Ex-Googlers Get More Funding For Their Startups Than Other Big Company Refugees (GOOG, YHOO, MSFT)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-way-to-get-funding-for-your-startup-be-a-former-google-employee-2011-7

Googlers who quit to form their own companies do get more venture funding than founders from other big tech companies.

That's according to research from online recruiting startup TopProspect, which has job data about more than three million tech workers (mostly in Silicon Valley) drawn from sources like LinkedIn and Facebook.

TopProspect took a look at startups founded in the last five years with publicly available funding information, and more than 10 employees in TopProspect's peer-recommended network (which shows they're a decent size and well-connected).

It found that ex-Yahoos have started the most companies in this category -- 15 total. But those companies have only received about $126 million in funding.

The 13 companies started by former Google employees, including Foursquare, Tapjoy, and Color, have raised almost $310 million in venture funding.

One reason is there are quite a few Silicon Valley angels and investors who also came from the company, like Chris Sacca, Aydin Senkut, and Paul Buccheit (who joined Y Combinator last year). It might also help that Google is the most acquisitive of the big tech companies right now -- and occasionally buys back its own spawn, like it did with Aardvark.

TopProspect also found that former Microsoft employees fared well with venture money (14 founders raised $189 million). Companies started by Facebook founders are hot on buzz -- Path, Asana, and Quora were all founded by ex-Facebookers -- but there are only 7 of them and they're still relatively young, so haven't gotten as much money yet -- only about $65 million.

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See Also:

• THE GOOGLE INVESTOR: Baidu Continues To Push Google Aside, Dominates In China
• Roger McNamee: The Era Of Google Is Over
• Google Might Buy Hulu, But It Would Rather Fund The Next MTV Or ESPN

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Microsoft renews alliance with SUSE, throws $100 million in pocket change at Linux

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/26/microsoft-renews-alliance-with-suse-throws-100-million-in-pock/

Microsoft and Linux haven't always had the friendliest of rapports but, a few years back, the folks at Redmond decided to cozy up to Novell and the enterprise-focused distro SUSE. The German arm of the company even wished Tux a happy 20th birthday last week, in an attempt to further thaw their notoriously chilly relationship. Now the Windows crew have decided to renew their partnership with SUSE and have committed to purchasing $100 million in technical support for Microsoft Enterprise customers who also happen to be running Linux boxes as part of their operations. It's not about to stop claiming that the open source OS violates several of its patents, but at least they've learned to get along with out suing each other into oblivion... unlike some other companies we could name. Cough. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft renews alliance with SUSE, throws $100 million in pocket change at Linux

Microsoft renews alliance with SUSE, throws $100 million in pocket change at Linux originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fox restricts online streams of new TV shows to 'authenticated' pay TV subscribers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/26/fox-restricts-online-streams-of-new-tv-shows-to-authenticated/

Starting this fall, for the first eight days after they air, watching Fox TV shows online will require a subscription to Hulu Plus or a participating cable or satellite company. So far Dish Network is the first and only provider to sign up its customers for access to the new walled garden on Fox's site but others looking to fill out their TV Everywhere lineups probably won't be far behind. While pay-TV networks like ESPN with ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app and EPIX have already gone the "authentication" route, Fox is the first of the broadcast networks to do so. The new rules go into effect August 15th, then we'll find out if Fox is driving cable cutters towards paying for TV, piracy, or just ignoring the latest episode of Glee altogether.

Continue reading Fox restricts online streams of new TV shows to 'authenticated' pay TV subscribers

Fox restricts online streams of new TV shows to 'authenticated' pay TV subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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