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

SemTechBiz is Less Than 2 Weeks Away

The Semantic Tech & Business Conference (SemTechBiz) is coming to San Francisco on June 3-7! Join us for case studies, innovative panels, tutorials, and keynotes that will provide you with practical advice, hands-on guidance, and breakthrough approaches to solving business problems with semantic technology. Passes go up $200 at the door. Sign up now and save !

On Friday, April 8, a group of Semantic thought leaders from around the globe met with their host and colleague, Paul Miller, for the fourth installment of the Semantic Link, a monthly podcast covering the world of Semantic Technologies. Joining them this month were two special guests to discuss the impact of Semantic Web in Media and publishing: Mike Dunn from Hearst Interactive Media and Evan Sandhaus from the New York Times Company. Read more

MODERATOR:
Greg Stuart, gregstuart.com

PANELISTS:
Keith DeWeese, Tribune Company-Tribune Interactive
Evan Sandhaus, New York Times Company
Paul Berry, HuffingtonPost.com
Jim Stanley, CBS Interactive – Technology & News
Michael S. Dunn, Hearst Interactive Media

This discussion features representatives from major media companies who are seriously investigating or presently using semantic technologies in their sites. The conversation will focus on the business and operational benefits of using semantic technologies in publishing and media sites.

Publishers Panel from Semantic Universe on Vimeo.

The first semantic search system for The New Times was released in 1913 and was available bound in either paper ($6) or cloth ($8). In the 96 years since the advent of The Historical Index to The New York Times, semantic technology has become central to The New York Times’ daily operations and the focus of much internal research and development. In this keynote, Rob Larson, VP of Digital Production, and Evan Sandhaus, Semantic Technologist, will review the long history of semantic technology at The New York Times; discuss the application of this technology in our operations; and review an innovative initiative to enlist the global community in solving some of our toughest challenges.

KEYNOTE: Semantics at The New York Times from Semantic Universe on Vimeo.

At the end of the Keynote, Evan and Rob made a significant announcement regarding The New York Times and their contribution to the Linked Open Data movement.

View this Announcement:

New York Times Announcement at SemTech 2009 from Semantic Universe on Vimeo.

SAN JOSE, CA – Today in a keynote presentation at the 2009 Semantic Technology Conference in San Jose, California, Rob Larson and Evan Sandhaus of the New York Times made a significant announcement regarding the NYT Annotated Corpus and the NYT Index in the "Linked Data Cloud".

New York Times Announcement at SemTech 2009 from Semantic Universe on Vimeo.