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Showing posts from December, 2010

Standard Developer Toolkit - 2010 version

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I don't know if it is because I am getting older but I am starting to record my thoughts online or digitally so that I can easily go back to that record. I do this by posting blog posts on blogspot and through other subversion code repositories. One task that I have long neglected is creating a list of common developer tools. The toolkit suite contains a list of common software applications that a developer of any language or environment would need. Most of the software is open source of freely available. Obviously, different developers want or need different tools. Here is the list of packages that are essential for what I need. Yes, the list is bias with a emphasis on Java development. I marked the critical applications in bold. I would typically install of all of these tools on one machine over a long time period. Some of the tools seem similar in nature, for example, I do install Netbeans and Eclipse on the same machine. I may swap between the IDEs if there are tools ...

Practical AI: Hello World Bitworm Example with Numenta's Nupic (HTM for the masses)

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Overview Jeff Hawkins of Numenta and previously the creator of Palm Inc has shifted his focus from mobile computing to developing a sophisticated AI system. He has always been passionate about artificial intelligence. Jeff knew early on that the trends in AI research weren't very promising. He had concentrated his AI interest in human biology and neuroscience. Numenta has patented HTM (Hierarchical Temporal Memory) technology. According to Jeff Hawkins, you cannot mimic brain functions without including a hierarchical system of memory. The lower level has more input/output nodes than the level above it. According to Jeff, you must also take into account "temporal" memory. For example, the human brain has many parts of the brain that handle visual information. The brain may be able to detect a particular object but also factor in the time that the visual event occurred. If you are at the zoo, your brain predicts that you will see animals and animals in cages at the zoo...

Practical AI: Machine Learning and Data Mining with Weka and Java

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Practical AI: Machine Learning and Data Mining with Weka and Java Most people tend to think of Artificial Intelligence with depictions of autonomous bipedal robots speaking and greeting humans in a monotone voice. The computer science field of Artificial Intelligence is far from that science fiction world that we see portrayed in the movies. The most prominent past AI research seems more like it would fit under a branch of mathematics and not computer science. AI research sub-fields include machine learning, data mining, computer vision, string match and indexing, search algorithms and neural networks. There is a new focus on not just faster search algorithms and pattern recognition, but building a relationship between computer science, neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, biology. AI is branching out beyond the algorithms and merging with those other general science and medical fields. Marvin Minsky, a prominent researcher in the AI field, called some of the previous interest...