July 2016 - nexa - server-nexa.polito.it

LSE: Liberating Data: How libraries and librarians can help researchers with text and data mining.

by J.C. DE MARTIN

*Liberating Data: How libraries and librarians can help researchers with text and data mining.* /With advances in computational methods and the proliferation of data sources, text and data mining offers exciting new directions for research. Neil Stewart, Jane Secker, Chris Morrison and Laurence Horton look at the role of libraries in providing support to researchers for these projects, particularly to help with rights issues and to digitise material for scholarly re-use. Librarians should be bold about the advice they give to researchers and encourage them to use the new copyright exceptions./ […] Continua qui: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/07/12/how-libraries-and-…

July 25, 2016

11 Police Robots Patrolling Around the World

by gianluca quaglia

Law enforcement across the globe use semi-autonomous technology to do what humans find too dangerous, boring, or just can’t. This week, the Cleveland Police had a few nonlethal ones on hand at the Republican National Convention. But even those can be outfitted to kill, as we saw in Dallas earlier this month when police strapped a bomb to an explosive-detonation robot, and boom: a non-lethal robot became a killer. If that thought scares you, you’re not alone. Human rights activists worry these robots lack social awareness crucial to decision-making. “For example, during mass protests in Egypt in January 2011 the army refused to fire on protesters, an action that required innate human compassion and respect for the rule of law,” said Rasha Abdul Rahim of Amnesty International in a statement last year arguing that the UN should ban killer robots. More than a thousand robotics experts, including Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, signed a letter last summer warning against machines that can select targets without human control. We wanted to find out just how many of these things are in use around the world. But law enforcement isn’t exactly forthcoming about the topic, so this list is not exhaustive. Here’s what we found. [...] continua qui https://www.wired.com/2016/07/11-police-robots-patrolling-around-world/ GLQ

July 24, 2016

These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2016 | World Economic Forum

by J.C. DE MARTIN

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/top-10-emerging-technologies-2016 (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

July 23, 2016

Police asked this 3D printing lab to recreate a dead man’s fingers to unlock his phone

by Alberto Cammozzo

Last month, law enforcement officers showed up at the lab of Anil Jain, a professor at Michigan State University. Jain wasn’t in trouble; the officers wanted his help. Jain is a computer science professor who works on biometric identifiers such as facial recognition programs, fingerprint scanners and tattoo matching; he wants to make them as difficult to hack as possible. But the police were interested in the opposite of this: they wanted his help to unlock a dead man’s phone. Jain and his PhD student Sunpreet Arora couldn’t share details of the case with me, since it’s an ongoing investigation, but the gist is this: a man was murdered, and the police think there might be clues to who murdered him stored in his phone. But they can’t get access to the phone without his fingerprint or passcode. So instead of asking the company that made the phone to grant them access, they’re going another route: having the Jain lab create a 3D printed replica of the victim’s fingers. With them, they hope to unlock the phone. Arora described how this works to me. The police already have a scan of the victim’s fingerprints taken while he was alive (apparently he had been arrested previously). They gave those scans to the lab, and using them Arora has created 3D printed replicas of all ten digits. [...] <http://fusion.net/story/327145/3d-print-dead-mans-fingers-to-unlock-his-pho…>

July 22, 2016

French State of Emergency: Overbidding Mass Surveillance

by Antonio Casilli

"Paris, 21 July 2016 — Once again. The State of Emergency in France has been extended until January. In reaction to violence shaking the country and with the presidential election of 2017 only a few months away, political leaders are indulging an ignominious orgy of security-driven policy. Not satisfied with merely prolonging the state of emergency, lawmakers have also amended the 2015 Intelligence Act passed last year to legalize domestic mass surveillance. (...) Then, again according to Le Monde, during the previous National Council of Intelligence last January, the decision was taken to "put under surveillance all the communication data of the 11 700 persons with a S-File linked with radical islamism". Until now, this form of surveillance targeted only individuals who had been "identified as a [terrorist] threat". But now, in accordance with this amendment, the code of national security stipulates that an individual has to merely be identified as "potentially related to a threat" or to belong to "the entourage" of individuals "potentially related to a threat", to have his or her metadata analysed in real time, and for four months, by intelligence services." Source: La Quadrature du Net https://www.laquadrature.net/en/french-state-of-emergency-overbidding-mass-…

July 21, 2016

LSE: Impact of Social Sciences – Algorithms, Accountability, and Political Emotion: on the cultural assumptions underpinning sentiment analysis.

by J.C. DE MARTIN

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2016/07/20/algorithms-account… Sentiment analysis is an increasingly popular metric for news and social media platforms. Alison Powell reflects here on the implications of sentiment analysis and its potential connection with the rise and intensification of emotion-driven politics. The data inputted to ‘train’ algorithms on sentiment analysis has enormous impact and is imbued with assumptions about the world. What mechanisms might make these algorithms more accountable? (Sent from my wireless device; please excuse brevity and typos (if any))

July 21, 2016

Smart contracts and The DAO: How Escape Clauses Might Have Saved Some Folks $53M [

by Guido Noto La Diega

"The largest cash robbery in U.S. history was the 1997 Dunbar Armored robbery, where $18.9 million dollars (worth about $27.9 million today) was taken. The recent exploit of The DAO already involves $53 million, making the Dunbar robbery look like stealing children’s lunch money by comparison..." (Bill Marino) http://hackingdistributed.com/2016/06/22/smart-contract-escape-hatches/ -- Guido Dr. Guido Noto La Diega Robert Kennedy College - Ital-IoT - University of Palermo 7 Arodene Road SW2 2BQ London noto.la.diega(a)gmail.com +44(0)2078823386 @guidonld This e-mail and any attachment hereto are strictly confidential and are exclusively intended for the person above identified. Without intended recipient’s entitlement, use, copy and dissemination of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received it in error, please advice us immediately by telephone and return the documents received to the above address, deleting the files. Thank you. Diese E-Mail enthält vertrauliche und/oder rechtlich geschützte Informationen. Das unerlaubte Kopieren sowie die unbefugte Weitergabe dieser Mail ist nicht gestaettet. Wenn Sie nicht der richtige Adressat sind oder diese E-Mail irrtümlich erhalten haben, informieren Sie bitte sofort den Absender und vernichten Sie diese Mail. Danke. Il presente messaggio di posta elettronica ed ogni eventuale allegato contengono informazioni strettamente riservate e sono indirizzati esclusivamente al soggetto sopra indicato. In mancanza di autorizzazione del destinatario, ne sono vietati l’uso, la riproduzione e la divulgazione. Se avete ricevuto questo messaggio per errore, siete pregati di avvisarci immediatamente per telefono e di restituirci i documenti ricevuti all’indirizzo sopra indicato, distruggendo i file. Grazie. Unless necessary, please do not print this e-mail

July 20, 2016

I rapporti fra Google e l'Accademia

by Alessandro Mantelero

CfA Report Reveals Google-Funded Speakers Dominate Key Policy Conferences http://campaignforaccountability.org/cfa-report-reveals-google-funded-speak… e in Europa? -- Prof. Avv. Alessandro Mantelero Politecnico di Torino Nexa Center for Internet and Society | Director of Privacy Politecnico di Torino–Tongji University| Coordinator, Double Degree program in Management and IP Law Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology | Part-time Expert, School of Public Administration European Data Protection Law Review | Associate Editor http://staff.polito.it/alessandro.mantelero EMAIL POLICY: twice a day (Mon-Fri)

July 20, 2016

PhD in data politics all'Universita' di Amsterdam

by Milan, Stefania

++Con preghiera di diffusione nelle vostre reti e tra i vostri studenti migliori :-)) La/il prescenta/o avrà un ottimo contratto come dipendente a tutti gli effetti (non una semplice borsa di studio). Scusate il cross-posting!++ The DATACTIVE (data-activism.net) project at the University of Amsterdam is looking for a PhD student to join the team and contribute to conduct research on data politics and grassroots participation. Apply *with a PhD project proposal* by August 26. ++Job description++ The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA) of the Faculty of Humanities is looking for a PhD candidate to join the ERC-funded project 'Data Activism: The Politics of Big Data According to Civil Society' (DATACTIVE), with Dr. Stefania Milan as Principal Investigator. DATACTIVE investigates citizens’ engagement with massive data collection, seeking to understand how activism evolves in the time of datafication. As datafication progressively invades all spheres of contemporary society, citizens grow increasingly aware of the critical role of information as the new fabric of social life. This awareness gives rise to new sociotechnical practices taking a critical approach to ‘big data’ and massive data collection, which fall under the rubric of ‘data activism’. Data activism takes at least two forms: re-active data activism, whereby people increasingly resist the threats to civil rights that derive from corporate privacy intrusion and government surveillance (e.g., by means of technical fixes such as encryption); and pro-active data activism, whereby citizens take advantage of the possibilities for campaigning and social change that data availability provides (e.g., data-based advocacy). The DATACTIVE project explores how activism broadly defined evolves in the age of big data. We take a critical look at, among others, citizen empowerment through data; civil society’s privacy practices; surveillance and internet activism; governance of data flows and internet infrastructure; open data and civic tech networks. You will join an interdisciplinary team working under the leadership of Dr. Stefania Milan (the Principal Investigator; https://stefaniamilan.net) and collaboratively examining the emerging dynamics of data activism at the intersection of its social and technological dimensions. We offer a multidisciplinary, interactive and international research environment in a leading department (Communication and Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam currently ranks number 8 in the QS World Rankings). ++Requirements++ The ideal candidate should have: * a demonstrable affinity with one or the combination of the following areas of research: social movements/grassroots activism’s engagement with data, digital technology and citizen participation, datafication and digital citizenship, democratic agency and algorithmic power, social effects of algorithm discrimination, (participatory) governance of data flows; * a Master's, Master of Research, or equivalent degree in one of the following disciplines: sociology, political science, communication sciences, media studies, and neighboring disciplines, preferably with expertise in one of the following fields: social movement studies, digital sociology, sociology of knowledge and/or culture, international relations, governance studies, critical internet studies, critical data studies; * demonstrable expertise in qualitative/ethnographic and/or quantitative research methods; familiarity (or willingness to acquire it) with data processing techniques and digital methods. In addition, he or she should also possess: * a good knowledge of current developments in digital communication technology in the post-Snowden era, and the related socio-technical and policy processes; * a creative mind and an interest to think across disciplines and domains; * strong communication skills, and an interest in building bridges between research, policy and advocacy/activism; * excellent command of English. Familiarity with other languages constitutes an asset; * the ability to work independently as well as in a team, and be responsive to feedback; * the willingness to engage in research collaboration with nongovernmental organizations; * superior organizational skills, including the ability to plan one’s work and meet deadlines. He or she should have an eye for detail, and be available occasionally to work under tight deadlines. Read more and find out how to apply here: http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/working-at-the-uva/vacancies/item/16-371… OR here: www.academictransfer.com/35194 ---------------------- Stefania Milan, PhD University of Amsterdam || mediastudies.nl || stefaniamilan.net || @annliffey fingerprint: 7606 4526 3D24 20B2 C850 EA42 A497 CB70 04B5 A3B The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, forwarding, or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited without the express permission of the sender. If you received this communication in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.

July 20, 2016

43° Nexa Lunch Seminar - 27 luglio 2016

by Giuseppe Futia

Se non visualizzi correttamente questo messaggio clicca qui <http://nexa.polito.it/lunch-43> NEXA 43°Nexa Lunch Seminar Mercoledì 27 luglio 2016, ore 13.00 - 14.00 Via Boggio 65/a, Torino (primo piano) http://nexa.polito.it/lunch-43 Big Data e tecnologie semantiche - Utilizzare i Linked Data come driver d'integrazione Speaker Giuseppe Futia (Research Fellow Centro Nexa) This event will be webcast live: http://nexa.polito.it/upcoming-events Dall'ambito biomedico a quello del giornalismo, i dati stanno assumendo un ruolo sempre più importante non soltanto come mezzo per valutare considerazioni teoriche, ma come strumento abilitatore di nuove domande di ricerca e soluzioni di business. Nell'attuale contesto il paradigma *Big Data* si è insinuato nelle menti di ricercatori, imprenditori ed esperti provenienti da settori differenti, guidati dalla consapevolezza che ingenti sforzi devono essere compiuti in termini di *acquisizione da fonti eterogenee, arricchimento dei dati ottenuti, disambiguazione dei concetti estratti e pubblicazione dell'informazione*. Per riuscire a rispondere alle esigenze di utenti a diversi livelli, che richiedono contenuti rilevanti, di qualità, in un arco temporale che sfiora l'immediatezza, occorre dunque affrontare l'assenza di struttura che caratterizza i Big Data. E' necessario considerare la caotica varietà delle informazioni esistenti sia in termini di significato che di modello/schema dei dati, cercando di adottare soluzioni tecnologiche per strutturare al meglio tali informazioni e beneficiare di "smart data" sia per la creazione che per la pubblicazione. Una delle soluzioni tecnologiche per raggiungere i suddetti obiettivi è quella dei *Linked Data*, che rappresentano un insieme di "best practice" che sfrutta gli elementi principali del World Wide Web come gli identificatori globali (URI) e i link, applicandoli ai cosiddetti "raw data" e non soltanto ai documenti. I Linked Data consentono di collegare e pubblicare i dati sul Web creando non soltanto una struttura a monte delle informazioni, ma anche un livello di interoperabilità semantica grazie al quale le macchine sono in grado di comprendere la natura dei dati, di identificare in automatico le relazioni, di inferire nuove informazioni. Per questi motivi i Linked Data potrebbero fornire un valido supporto a uno dei processi (quello dell'integrazione di informazioni) più costosi all'interno delle organizzazioni che lavorano con i Big Data. Nel corso dell'incontro verranno illustrati i progetti del Centro Nexa in ambito Linked Data, discutendo come l'esperienza maturata in tali progetti potrebbe essere utile per affrontare la spinosa questione dell'interrelazione e dell'integrazione dei dati in contesti che si avvalgono di Big Data, cercando di stimolare spunti, idee e riflessioni da parte del pubblico. /Ingresso libero - Saranno disponibili panini e bibite per coloro che si saranno registrati su http://lunch43.eventbrite.com/ entro il 25 luglio./ Speaker - e informazioni supplementari [Giuseppe Futia] GIUSEPPE FUTIA è attualmente Research Fellow e Communication Manager presso il Centro Nexa su Internet & Società. All'interno del Centro Nexa Giuseppe è responsabile del progetto TellMeFirst, tool open source co-sviluppato con il Joint Open Lab di Telecom Italia, che ha l'obiettivo di classificare ed arricchire in automatico documenti testuali sfruttando tecniche di Natural Language Processing e Linked Data. Collabora allo sviluppo del progetto Contratti Pubblici nato al Centro Nexa nel 2015 e portato avanti dalla start up Synapta, che ha l'obiettivo di collegare, arricchire e visualizzare i dati degli appalti pubblici italiani. Nel marzo 2016 Giuseppe ha vinto il premio "Best tool for multilingual journalism" in occasione dell'hackathon #newsHACK 2016 organizzato da BBC. Letture consigliate e link utili * Publishers’ big data woes and Linked Data opportunities <http://ontotext.com/publishers-big-linked-data-opportunities/>, Ontotext, 2016 * Big Data & Linked Data <https://www.semantic-web.at/big-data-linked-data>, Semantic Web Company * Christian Bizer, Peter Boncz, Michael L. Brodie3, Orri Erling4, The meaningful use of big data: four perspectives -- four challenges <http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/2100000/2094129/p56-bizer.pdf?ip=130.192.91…>, 2012 * Pascal Hitzler, Krzysztof Janowicz, Linked Data, Big Data, and the 4th Paradigm <http://www.semantic-web-journal.net/system/files/swj488.pdf>, Semantic Web Journal, 2013 * Muhammad Saleem, Maulik R. Kamdar, Aftab Iqbal, Shanmukha, Sampath, Helena F. Deus, Axel-Cyrille Ngonga, Fostering Serendipity through Big Linked Data <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257316870_Fostering_Serendipity_th…>, Semantic Web Challenge, International Semantic Web Conference, 2013 Che cosa sono il Centro Nexa e i cicli di incontri “Mercoledì di Nexa” e “Nexa Lunch Seminar” Il Centro Nexa su Internet & Società del Politecnico di Torino (Dipartimento di Automatica e Informatica) è un centro di ricerca indipendente e interdisciplinare che studia Internet e il suo effetto sulla società. Maggiori informazioni all'indirizzo: http://nexa.polito.it/about. Durante i “*Mercoledì di Nexa*”, che si tengono *ogni 2° mercoledì del mese* alle *ore 18 in punto*, il Centro Nexa su Internet e Società apre le sue porte non solo agli esperti e a tutti coloro i quali lavorano con Internet, ma anche a semplici appassionati e cittadini. Il ciclo di incontri intende approfondire, con un linguaggio preciso ma divulgativo, i temi legati alla Rete: motori di ricerca, Creative Commons, social networks, open source/software libero, neutralità della rete, libertà di espressione, privacy, file sharing, big e open data, smart cities e molto altro. Al centro di quasi tutti gli incontri un ospite pronto a dialogare con i direttori del Centro Nexa, il Prof. Juan Carlos De Martin del Politecnico di Torino e il Prof. Marco Ricolfi dell'Università di Torino, nonché lo staff e i Fellows del Centro Nexa. Maggiori informazioni sui Mercoledì di Nexa, incluso un elenco di tutti i “Mercoledì” passati, sono disponibili all'indirizzo: http://nexa.polito.it/mercoledi. Si segnala inoltre che dal maggio 2012 *ogni 4° mercoledì* del mese *dalle ore 13 alle ore 14* il Centro Nexa organizza anche i "*Nexa Lunch Seminar*". Una lista di tutti i “Lunch Seminar” passati è disponibile all'indirizzo: http://nexa.polito.it/lunch-seminars. See our events calendar <http://nexa.polito.it/events> if you're curious about future luncheons, discussions, lectures, and conferences not listed in this email. Our events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Maggiori informazioni sui Nexa Lunch Seminar e i Mercoledì di Nexa, sono disponibili all'indirizzo: http://nexa.polito.it/events. Weekly Events Newsletter. Sign up <http://nexa.polito.it/mailing-lists> to receive this newsletter if this email was forwarded to you. To manage your subscription preferences, please click here <https://server-nexa.polito.it/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nexa>. Connect & get involved: Jobs, internships, and more <http://nexa.polito.it/get-involved> Nexa Center for Internet and Society Newsletter

July 20, 2016