Invisible Computers: CENSE, Big Data, Stan Williams, and Ubiquitous Computing

Big Data, Stan Williams CENSE (Central Nervous System for the Earth), Ubicomp, (Ubiquitous Computing), sensors and memristors get another NYT mention by John Markoff this week (titled Computers as Invisible as the Air). Especially pleased to see the mention of the Big Data problem, clearly and rigorously on the horizon. As more and more of the real-time web coalesces with IPv6 and the Internet of Things, will the standard definitions of “normalized data” have to change? For example:

In 10 years there will be 50 billion devices connected to the web, declared Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg yesterday. That differs from Intel’s estimates that by 2015 the world will have 15 billion connected devices up from 5 billion now. [gigaom, Apr. 14, 2010]

From the NYT article:

“The thing that is happening right now is that we’re drowning in data,” said Stan Williams, director of H.P.’s Information and Quantum Systems Lab. “The amount of data is increasing at an absolutely ferocious pace, and unless we can catch up it will remain useless.” [edit] For Mr. Williams, the speed at which vast amounts of data will be accessed is as important as the amount of storage itself.
An example of what’s possible is a project called Central Nervous System for the Earth, or CENSE, he said. Based on as many as a million sensors, CENSE will make it possible to create a far clearer picture of oil and gas reservoirs than previously possible. [NYT Article]

Exciting times.