The Myth of Fingerprints - Scholars and legal experts have recently been shocked to learn that there is almost no research to support the notion that everyone really does have a unique set of fingerprints. So proving fingerprint evidence in the courtroom has been met with much greater skepticism than in the past. Therefore the fact that a company called DigitalPersona developed fingerprint hardware and software to allow home PC users to access their bank accounts online may not seem like such a great idea. If fingerprints are losing their status in the courtroom, why should we trust them for security purposes? The fact is that these two scenarios are fundamentally different.

Agents of Change - So what makes agent software different for other applications written in Java? Well for starters, agent software may incorporate aspects and ideas gleaned from game theory, economics and psychology. This is done in an effort to create programs capable of handling increasingly complex computations. Take the example of identifying the lowest prices for various parts in a factory setting. In the past, a program might have been used to identify the lowest price for a part on lists from various sources. Now researchers are looking at scenarios where agents must actually negotiate the best price with a number of suppliers as well as take into account changing market conditions while also considering inventory, production, factory capacity and other issues.

Beware the Holy Grail of Math! - Two of the top seven mathematical challenges that have baffled scholars for more than a century may be close to being solved. If somebody really has sorted out the so-called Poincaré conjecture, then scientists will understand something profound about the nature of spacetime. However, if a proof for the Riemann hypothesis has really been proven out, then it would be an absolute disaster for the Internet and eCommerce!

The Wonder of Wikis - What is a Wiki you ask? Basically it's a place in cyberspace for people to share information on a variety of topics. The name comes from the Hawaiian word "wiki wiki" which means "quick." The most widely used Wiki, is now famous Wikipedia which is an online encyclopedia. As of this past month, it now contains more than 1 million articles, which is about three times as many as the online Encyclopedia Britannica.

In Search of .... Innovation - As all of us know, innovation is critical to business survival. "Yet trying to come up with a new idea, one that stands the test of time, is a daunting task -- to say the least. The landscape is littered with ideas that look good on paper but just did not succeed." says Michael Tchong in this recent article in Fast Company magazine. "The lessons learned from market innovations and failures are many, but can be boiled down to three simple edicts."

Just the Facts, Please - Google is great for searching for information on the web, but sometimes all you want is a straight answer to a straight question. It should be possible, right? Well, coming up with an application to do this is proving to be a lot harder than one might think. Eric Brill, a researcher at Microsoft, thinks that his company will be the first to do it consistently.

The Secret to a Successful Development Project - How do you do it? The key is incorporating Anthropology. Yes, Anthropology. Find out how. Come to our next free 90 minute "Taste of Success" seminar focused on High-Tech Anthropology. A high-touch solution for a high-tech world.  Bring your toughest software project stories to share.  See you on November 18th!

What the Web Needs Now - Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web told a technology conference recently what is needed to make the web more useful. "Getting the players behind the technology to agree on standards governing how computers communicate with one another" is the main challenge.

Is your SPAM Filter Filtering more than you Think? - Katie Hafner of the New York Times News Service recounts an increasingly common story. "Several months ago, Mr. Kim and Ms. Crasco were at a meeting when they ran into a program director they knew from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She greeted them coolly. Puzzled, Mr. Kim and Ms. Crasco asked what they might have done to offend her. As it turned out, she had sent Mr. Kim and Ms. Crasco an e-mail message suggesting that they work together on a grant application. The application deadline had since passed, and the acquaintance was more than a little miffed that she had gotten no response from them." Ouch!

Great Classes at Affordable Prices.  - The Menlo Fall class schedule is out.  Fall is a great time to buckle down and learn the real secrets of software success. 

Need a Speaker for an Upcoming Event? - We love public speaking (yes, we really do!) and are happy to deliver inspiring messages focused on business success with information technology. Call us at (734) 665-1847 to schedule your next event. Look here for a list of some of the topics that we've spoken about in the past.