The New York Times has launched a new platform called beta620 for testing and collaborating on experimental NYT projects. “For years,” the article notes, “the NYT’s systems and technology team has had a blog, Open, where they’ve shared data and coding projects with the public. But Open primarily targeted other developers, particularly those using the NYT’s data APIs to build their own tools. beta620 is aimed at nytimes.com’s broader readership. It’s a chance to test how new prototypes work, generate community input, figure out how they can best add value to the company, and build and iterate on the fly.” Read more

Semantic Tech & Business Conference Returns to San Francisco

Semantic Tech & Business Conference returns to San Francisco in June! Join us from June 3-7 for complete coverage of Big Data, Linked Data, Extreme Information Management, and Semantic Web. From breakthrough approaches to solving business problems to the big data implications of fast–evolving technologies, SemTechBiz provides you with an unparalleled interactive experience and delivers tangible business value. We're offering a special early rate when you register by February 17. Sign up now!

"Describing the Semantic Web as a “Web of data” is not too helpful for most people, I have learned."  There’s a lot of talk about it, but for most Web users, the idea described in 1981 by Tim Berners-Lee means little.

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Google Launches "Squared" Semantic Search Tool Internet Search Engine Database By Dario Borghino Earlier today, the Google introduced "Squared," a new Google Labs tool that should help users perform new kinds of Web searches, and particularly comparative search on a specific topic, in a significantly faster and easier way without …