5 Problems of Recommender Systems

1. Lack of Data

2. Changing Data (systems are usually biased towards the old and have difficulty showing new)

3. Changing User Preferences (users may have different intention at different days)

4. Unpredictable items

5.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/5_problems_of_recommender_systems.php

A Guide to Recommender Systems

4 main approached to recommendations:

• Personalized recommendation - recommend things based on the individual's past behavior
• Social recommendation - recommend things based on the past behavior of similar users
• Item recommendation - recommend things based on the item itself
• A combination of the three approaches above

Amazon: King of Recommendations

Amazon's system is very sophisticated, but at heat all of its recommendations are based on individual behavior, plus either the item itself or behavior of other people on Amazon

Google: Focus on Personalized Recommendations

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/recommender_systems.php

Aggregate Knowledge - Powerful Recommendation Engine

Chris Law is the co-founder and CEO of Aggregate Knowledge, a web startup specializes in serving recommendations on medium and high-traffic site.

Social graphs are poor predictors for advertiser is the major he learned from this startup.

Aggregate Knowledge doesn't tap into social graphs to serve recommendations to its visitors. Instead, it uses a complex algorithm that analyzes two major dimensions of the visitor:
1. Behavioral patterns
2. Contextual patterns

http://hyveup.tv/2008/10/introducing-aggregate-knowledge.html

Different Approaches to Recommendation

Pandora - technology is based on a deep structural analysis of music files. It detects subtle musical patterns, and organizes those patterns into groups, hence the ability to recommend other songs based on structure of initial song

Strands - technology in based on social behaviors. its goal is to personalize your online experience, by understanding who likes what, and generating suggestions based on the social feedbacks of users.

Aggregate Knowledge - Chris Law explained that his previous experiences taught him that the tastes of your friends usually poorly reflect yours. This is why they are more focused on analyzing the context of the visit (traffic source, landing page, semantics, visitors' demographics) and the behavior of the visitors.

to conclude, we have 3 different approaches:
- Pandora: deep structural analysis of an item
- Strands: intensive social behavior analysis around an item
- Aggregate Knowledge: structural analysis of an item, paired with behavioral analysis around the item

http://hyveup.tv/2008/10/3-different-approaches-to-automated.html

浪漫主義者(新郎爭奪戰)

I wouldn't push your luck - to expect continued good fortune

a heads up would've been nice (抬起頭)

predicament (尷尬的處境,困境)

inevitable

maid of honor

it's less direct, but same effect.

ten years of a loving friendship

sporadic (偶而發生的)

the time that we've clock together (共度的時光)

an act of cowardice(怯懦) so complete

disqualifies a person from consideration

It's not like I came at this lightly (並不是沒有仔細考慮過)

we were too far apart. (離太遠了)

finish my dissertation (論文), practically living in library

you are doing God know what in New York city

fending off all your hipster boyfriends

patronize me (損我)

patronize - to talk to someone in a way which seems friendly but shows that you think they are not as intelligent or do not know as much as you

we gave it a college try (大學時我們不是沒有嘗試過)

it was an accident of timing (那是時間不湊巧)

give me a freaking break

i would make a break for it

ambivalence (矛盾心理)

you're torn between two women.

has it ever occurred to you that I might need ...?

someone practical.

to tear someone down just to build herself back up

your polar opposite (和你截然相反的人)

so why don't we just spare (赦免) each other ..

you're hilarious (極可笑的)

your surprise is disturbing

take a shot (喝一杯吧)

cheer you (乾杯)

there goes your theory (你的理論不成立)

Weeie's a mess, she pretends to have her shit together

Pete is a screw-up, pretending to be a success

pre-wedding panic attack

it is if you indulge(沈迷於) in it all the time

lose my shit (發瘋)

who should I lost it to? (我該向誰發洩)

I was headed for greatness.

HSBC takes action to preserve wetland in central Taiwan

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201103120025

Red cross sets up a hotline to find relatives yet to be contacted

the red cross society of ROC said it has set up a hot line to help people to find relatives in Japan who yet to be contacted one day after powerful earthquake struck and triggered an ensuing tsunami

communications in moist of the quake-affected areas in Japan were still disconnected

people can call (02) 2362-8232 ext. 205 and leave information on the people they are trying to locate

red cross society has donated US$100,000 to Japan for emergency and relief use.

the society also launched a donation drive and had raised

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201103120026

Keep close tab on nuclear power plant crisis in Japan

keep close tab on - to watch someone or something carefully to check what they are doing

were crippled by - to damage something badly

evacuate - to leave empty

expatriate - someone who lives in foreign country

declare states of emergency for five nuclear reactors

refraining from giving a direct answer,

hardest-hit coastal regions

would respond to an emergency in a speedy and efficient manner

expand evacuation perimeter around ... to a 20-kilometer radius

smoke billowed out of the facility - to make rise, surge

express the sympathy and concern over the disaster

condolence (慰問 )

convey good will to

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aIPL&ID=201103120023

Travel Agencies suspend trips to Japan

itinerary - plan of travel; a line of travel; record of travel

they would be legally liable if they take tour groups in the near future to the 4 prefectures, areas devastated by

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a red alert for travel to the area Friday night, essentially telling people to stay away, and travel agencies ignoring the alert would be subject to legal liabilities.

Tour group scheduled to visit other parts of Japan, however, were allowed to stick to their itineraries since no other area in Japan was included under the ministry's highest-level travel alert.

Travel agencies in Taiwan have reached an agreement to suspend trips to the Tokyo area on safety concerns.

Many hotels in Tokyo have experienced water and power outages, the industries has decided to hold back tour groups until the situation there became clearer.

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aLIV&ID=201103120009

Government unable to contact 33 Taiwanese students in Japan

33 Taiwanese students in Japan remained disconnected from authorities after a massive earthquake rocked that country a day earlier

get ahold of = to communicate with someone

stadium (體育場)

the students have taken shelter in the university's stadium

take shelter

take shelter from rain (躲雨)

jolted four prefectures in the region

Taiwan ready to send rescuers to Japan

rescue teams have been standby for calls to help

Japan has expressed gratitude for Taiwan's offer of emergency assistance, and said it will ring Taiwan for help once the need is urgent

two special rescue teams has been organized, and are ready to set off for Japan at any time they are called

there have been no casualty reports concerning Taiwan nationals in Japan

however, the Ministry of Education is still trying to make contact with 33 Taiwanese students currently studying there

give a helping hand to a friend in need

Tzu Chi distributed warm food to earthquake victims

distribute warm meals

a boxed lunch / a boxed meal (便當)

stranded - to bring into or leave in a helpless situation

power outages

traffic jams

offer shelter to people affected by quake

mobilized - to encourage people to support something in an active way

is fully mobilized to deliver relief aid to

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201103120006

Taiwan is unscathed after Japan's earthquake

unscathed = unharmed = uninjured

offer US$300,000 in aid

temblor = earthquake

ripple effect

shift order to Taiwan

bridge supply shortage

bridge = to reduce the difference between two things

adversely = unfavorable in purpose or effect

shortly after ...

tsunami warning were issued for

schools and offices are closed

lifted its tsunami warning at

no casualties were reported from ...

some sections of the roadway were reopen

plow = to cleave the surface of (water)

inland

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aSOC&ID=201103110040

indigenous performance in Japan

indigenous

aboriginal

These dancers from Taiwan aboriginal art group dazzled audiences with lively performance. They are performing at 6th MIFA International Exchange Festival in Tokyo. The two-day festival is organized by Meguro International Friendship Association featured songs and dances by performance group from more than 20 countries.

tribe

This time we are very excited because we are representing Taiwan's indigenous people in performing here. We hope that through this opportunity, various media can promote Taiwan's culture.

Asia at heart of HTC smartphone strategy

capitalize

- to supply a business with money so it can operate

- to calculate the value of a business based on its shares or on the amount of money it makes

HTC will stress the china market to capitalize the stronger consumer demands in the region.

The smartphone market is expected to strengthen this year because consumers are going to replace feature phones with smart phones.

The shipments to Asia-Pacific region in the first quarter of this year has reached half the number for all of 2010, driven mostly by sale of Andriod-based products like HTC wildfire and HTC Desire Z.

HTC announced its new products incredible S, which will hit local market in the mid-March and be distributed by Taiwan mobile, second largest telecom carrier.

In Feb, HTC posted consolidated revenue of 32B up 212% year-to-year from 10B posted in 2010.

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201103070034

taiwan regulators will decide on the sale of nan shan by July

consortium - an association of financier, companies...etc. esp formed for a particular purpose
legislative question-and-answer session
FSC asked the consortium to work out the additional paper work for the funding sources and stability of shareholding structure.
Ruen Chen invenstment holding consortium won the the bid to buy AIG 97.57% stake in Nan Shan Life. FSC also will reivew Ruentex bid fairly and objectively and will make the process tranparent to public.

http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aECO&ID=201103070024

Google營收高但Facebook利潤更大 (2011-01-08)

Google營收高但Facebook利潤更大 (2011-01-08)

1月7日消息，據國外媒體報道，近期業界都在討論Facebook是否值500億美元。下面將Facebook與Google做一個對比。

Google市值達到500億美元是在2004年10月，當時Google 6歲，Facebook下個月7歲。Google 2010年第三季度營收為8.06億美元，同比上漲105%。

在2004年前9個月，Google營收為22億美元，淨利潤為1.95億美元。高盛提供給投資者的數據顯示，Facebook 2010年前9個月營收為12億美元，淨利潤為3.55億美元。

有報道稱，2009年，Facebook營收為7.77億美元，淨利潤2億美元。Google在2003年時營收為15億美元，淨利潤1.06億美元。

由此可見，相比之下Google的營收更高，但利潤率不如Facebook。此外，Facebook的增長也稍快於Google。

雖然拿搜索屬性的Google與社交網絡屬性的Facebook在此比較並不十分適宜，但人們對Facebook是否值500億美元或許有新的看法。(陳果)

Clothing - Catfan-Style Dress

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-caftan.htm

A caftan is a long flowing garment that has long sleeves, and is ankle length. The word caftan is also frequently spelled kaftan. The caftan in original form was made of either silk or cotton and usually worn with a belt or sash around the waist. It is similar to the khalat, which is a silk or cotton robe. However, the caftan does not have an open front, and is slipped over the head.

Clothing - Boho Tops

Boho tops also means Bohemian tops, which the style of cloth is comfort, simplicity and super casual. we can refernece the definition of this clothing by http://www.bohotop.com/