We study large-scale classification problems in changing environments where a small part of the dataset is modified, and the effect of the data modification must be quickly incorporated into the classifier. When the entire dataset is large, even if the amount of the data modification is fairly small, the computational cost of re-training the classifier would be prohibitively large. In this paper, we propose a novel method for efficiently incorporating such a data modification effect into the classifier without actually re-training it. The proposed method provides bounds on the unknown optimal classifier with the cost only proportional to the size of the data modification. We demonstrate through numerical experiments that the proposed method provides sufficiently tight bounds with negligible computational costs, especially when a small part of the dataset is modified in a large-scale classification problem.

This year's Computex Taipei 2016 will mark a turning point for Asia's biggest tradeshow, as Taiwan begins asserting itself as being not only the center of the global ICT supply chain but also as a key partner for building the global technology ecosystem and driving innovation. This new positioning for the show will be highlighted in new exhibits including InnoVEX - a startup village - and iSTyle, which will feature a collection of Apple MFi certified products and accessories. A packed schedule of keynotes, panels, forums, and demos provide a rare opportunity for startups to connect with international VCs, angel investors, potential partners, and future customers in a single venue. InnoVEX events will focus on startup technology and entrepreneurial issues, from securing funding and partnerships to building and managing company growth. Participating companies will showcase the latest developments in peripherals, accessories and software for MFi certified products including cables, chargers, and connectors.

R. Lee Coulter, one of the organizers of the 2016 World BPO/ITO Forum, is senior vice president of St. Louis-based Ascension Health, the nation's largest nonprofit health system, and CEO of its shared services subsidiary, the Ascension Ministry Service Center. His focus on shared services, business process outsourcing, or BPO, and technology spans a 30-year career in leadership positions at companies, including General Electric, AON and Kraft Foods. Here, he talks to SearchCIO senior executive editor Linda Tucci about the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in outsourcing and what's on the horizon. This interview has been condensed and edited. Lee Coulter: AI is not being applied to outsourcing today, in so far as we're talking about the shared services and outsourcing industry.

Especially when those ideas stand in opposition to technological progress. I'm used to hearing, and quickly dismissing, fears related to our ongoing developments, especially when they come without factual basis or understanding of the underlying societal and technological aspects implicated. So keep all of that in mind when I tell you that I'm terrified of the future. Because I'm about to be fired and replaced by a robot. Yes, I'm afraid I've fallen off the bandwagon once again, knocked my head, and started to agree with some of the pundits you're hearing in the press. While I sense most people have no inkling of the huge tidal wave of change that's coming towards us, some of its effects are already starting to be felt.

I hope you had a great long weekend. The weather in New York was beautiful. I'll cut the small talk, though. I want to tell you about something that's been happening on my iPhone. See, I have this folder called Apple Apps.

Fundamentally, Zenbo is a tablet computer on wheels, in that the only features that it offers that you can't already get on a tablet (or phone, for that matter) are the small handful involving mobility. Specifically, Zenbo can be remote controlled to move around, acting as a mobile security camera. And it can follow you, apparently. But the storytelling, the remote fall notification that depends on a bracelet, the home control, and the understanding abstract voice commands? My phone can do all of that stuff already, so I'm not sure why I'd need a robot to do it, especially when companies like Google and Amazon have similar (albeit stationary) products that offer a much more tangible value proposition. I like the idea of an interactive home robot in theory, but so far, I'm still hoping to see someone come up with a "killer app" that will make it clear that yes, this is why I want a home robot in addition to my phone. Otherwise, I'm left wondering specifically what that US 600 (or whatever) is actually going to get me in terms of consistent long-term benefit rather than just novelty: when the cute shape and perky fake personality are no longer entertaining, what are you really left with? Maybe there's an answer, and Asus has a vague hope (very common in consumer social robotics) that partners and developers will somehow magically "help build a rich, robotic ecosystem that will enhance Zenbo and enrich users' lives."

Microsoft (MSFT) has launched a new formalized venture capital initiative. Led by Nagraj Kashyap and Peggy Johnson, Microsoft Ventures will focus on making early stage investments in: – companies who complement and leverage the transition to the cloud, – companies developing product and services that complement Azure infrastructure, – companies building new business SaaS applications, – companies promoting more personal computing by enriching the Windows and HoloLens ecosystems, – companies advancing new enterprise, consumer productivity, and communication products around Office 365, – companies who are developing solutions in the areas for machine learning and security. The newly formed arm will start with a presence in in SF/Bay area, Seattle, New York City and Tel Aviv with plans to expand to other geographies in the coming years. Following the reorganization, the former Microsoft Ventures team has now been rebranded to Microsoft Accelerator to focus on startup enablement, primarily through its seven accelerators located around the world.

The security threat landscape continues to evolve not just in scale, but, more importantly, in sophistication. Despite a range of advancements in the industry to safeguard against increasingly bold and intricate threats, organizations have struggled to keep pace with the technologies and techniques employed by those responsible for such attacks. As companies continue to increase their digital footprints, "identify and diagnose" capabilities are not enough to remediate against a growing fundamental business challenge for organizations of all shapes and sizes. We spoke with Avivah Litan, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, about the development of advanced security analytics and important considerations for organizations looking to implement machine learning to defend against an array of internal and external security threats. Q: How are analytics and machine learning changing the current security landscape?

Apple is set to hold its biggest software event of the year, WWDC, in the middle of June. It'll use the San Francisco event to show off all of the software that's on its way to your Watch, phone and other computers – as well as potentially new Apple devices. The event comes at a big time for Apple. The company is fresh off the back of its first quarter of decline since the iPhone came out, and is feeling the heat from other companies like Google. It will intend to use WWDC as a way of showcasing the software and potentially other products that it hopes will prove its doubters wrong and get the company to grow again.

Czech writer Karel?apek's 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), which famously introduced the word robot to the world, begins with synthetic humans--the robots from the title--toiling in factories to produce low-cost goods. It ends with those same robots killing off the human race. Thus was born an enduring plot line in science fiction: robots spiraling out of control and turning into unstoppable killing machines. Twentieth-century literature and film would go on to bring us many more examples of robots wreaking havoc on the world, with Hollywood notably turning the theme into blockbuster franchises like The Matrix, Transformers, and The Terminator. Lately, fears of fiction turning to fact have been stoked by a confluence of developments, including important advances in artificial intelligence and robotics, along with the widespread use of combat drones and ground robots in Iraq and Afghanistan. The world's most powerful militaries are now developing ever more intelligent weapons, with varying degrees of autonomy and lethality.