IBM Wants Watson on Everyone's Smartphones
IBM is calling on developers to create Watson-based apps.
This week during Mobile World Congress 2014, IBM launched the Watson Mobile Developer Challenge, a global competition that encourages developers to create mobile consumer and business apps that take advantage of Watson's cognitive computing capabilities. This program is driven by the company's newly formed IBM Watson Group.
According to the company, mobile developers will be invited to share their best ideas over the next three months. Three winners will be chosen and added to the Watson Ecosystem Program. These three individuals will work with IBM's Interactive Experience consulting practice to design and support their apps.
As of this week, more than 1,500 organizations and individuals have contacted IBM to share their ideas for creative cognitive computing applications. Even more, developers across the globe have already created and plan to release Watson apps in 2014 across a number of industries.
"The power of Watson in the palm of your hand is a game-changing proposition, so we're calling on mobile developers around the world to start building cognitive computing apps infused with Watson's intelligence," said Mike Rhodin, Senior Vice President, IBM Watson Group. "Imagine a new class of apps that deliver deep insights to consumers and business users instantly -- wherever they are -- over the cloud."
Watson, named after IBM's founder Thomas J. Watson, was created in IBM's Research labs. The company is now accelerating Watson into the market by the new IBM Watson Group. A huge $1 billion has been invested to "introduce a new class of cognitive computing services, software and apps." IBM also invested $100 million into helping application developers to create a new generation of Watson-dependent solutions.
At one time, we knew Watson as a "Jeopardy!" contestant, challenging some of the game show's best players. Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance. The new and improved Watson is even 90 percent smaller than the original system.
"Using natural language processing and analytics, Watson processes information akin to how people think, representing a major shift in an organization's ability to quickly analyze, understand and respond to Big Data," IBM explains. "Watson's ability to answer complex questions with speed, accuracy and confidence is transforming decision making across a variety of industries."
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Watson's first dip into the commercial pool was back in February 2013, as it made utilization management decisions for lung cancer treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center via WellPoint.
For more information or to apply to participate in the Challenge, visit www.ibmwatson.com.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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grizzlebee "Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance."Reply -
Derza10 Reply"Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance."
Yea I found that odd that they felt the need to state the exact same thing twice in the same line. -
Northwestern "Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance."Right from the Department of Redundancy Department.Reply -
Derza10 Reply
lol12779753 said:"Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance."Right from the Department of Redundancy Department.
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ethanolson I want Watson in my kid's head. I want them to seem to know and to process information well. Everyone else will just look at their phones while my kids won't have to.Oh yeah, we can already have that like our parents did. Just don't let them have computer technology for any given three year period of time and they'll instantly know how to get around in the world and where to go to get reliable information.Reply -
winie Reply"Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance."
actually its contradictory. 2400 percent improvment equals 25 times faster -
grizzlebee Reply
Actually, 25 times faster is 2500% improvement. 25 times "as fast" is only 2400% faster."Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance."
actually its contradictory. 2400 percent improvment equals 25 times faster -
merikafyeah Reply12780473 said:
Actually, 25 times faster is 2500% improvement. 25 times "as fast" is only 2400% faster."Now Watson is 24 times faster and has a 2,400 percent improvement in performance."
actually its contradictory. 2400 percent improvment equals 25 times faster
No. If you use the word "faster" you are _adding_ a percentage to an existing base.
2x faster is 100% improvement. 100% base + 100% more = 2x more.
3x faster is 200% improvement. 100% base + 200% more = 3x more.
25x faster is 2400% improvement. 100% base + = 25x more.
People sometimes forget the base 100% they start with when they multiply.
If you use the phrase "as fast" then you are making a comparison with two _separate_ bases, in other words, both sides start with a separate 100% base. Therefore:
"X is as fast as Y" means "X is 100% as fast as Y" and
"X is half as fast as Y" means "X is 50% as fast as Y" and
"X is twice as fast as Y" means "X is 200% as fast as Y".
"X is 25 times as fast as Y" means "X is 2500% as fast as Y"