Stories by Sharon Machlis

5 tips for data manipulation in Excel

If you work with data much, you don't need a statistical model to predict that the odds of consistently getting data in the format you need for analysis are pretty low. Those who do a great deal of data cleaning and reformatting often turn to scripting languages like Python or specialty tools such as OpenRefine or R.

60+ R resources to improve your data skills

This list was originally published as part of the Computerworld Beginner's Guide to R but has since been expanded to also include resources for advanced beginner and intermediate users. If you're just starting out with R, I recommend first heading to the Beginner's Guide.

By the numbers: Twitter vs. Facebook IPOs

Facebook's IPO was considered an early bust while Twitter's has been deemed a success. In terms of orderly market activity, that's without question. But what about prices?

iPad Mini vs. Google Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire

Here's how the iPad Mini's announced tech specs stack up against popular 7-inch tablets from Google and Amazon. (Of course, while the specs are important, there's more to a tablet than a data sheet. Computerworld will have a hands-on review of the iPad Mini soon.)

US tech workers by the numbers

Median earnings for computer and math jobs rose 2.8% between 2010 and 2011 to $70,594, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data includes salaries for occupations like math teachers and statisticians as well as those working in IT.

HP's PC division, by the (profit and growth) numbers

Why would a company give up its market-leading position in a major hardware segment -- especially if that business is still profitable? That was one question a number of customers were asking after Hewlett-Packard (HP) said it's looking to sell its Personal Systems Group and get out of the PC business -- despite being the top vendor of personal computers worldwide.

Monkey see, Monkey do in website performance

Students and developers at Google have jointly created an open-source tool designed to better predict the effect on real-world website performance if changes are made to things like network infrastructure.

USENIX - "Arms race" between spammers, spam filters

Spam not only clogs in-boxes and wastes users' time; it often slows the delivery of legitimate email due to the sheer volume of junk passing through corporate servers. And as the "arms race" between spammers and spam filterers keeps ratcheting up, mail delays are likely to worsen as email scanning becomes more complex.

Sasser worm could hit hard Monday

Microsoft issued an unusual weekend security warning Saturday that a worm has been unleashed on the Internet taking advantage of a security hole announced publicly last month. Microsoft once again urged users to install its most recent critical Windows updates.

Uh-oh: Spam's getting more sophisticated

Just as security experts match wits with hackers, those trying to block unwanted e-mail face increasingly elaborate "attacks" from spammers trying to slip messages through antispam defenses.

Dot-com job cuts hit record in April

Job cuts in the Internet arena have hit a record 17,554 so far this month, according to an outplacement company that tracks Net-related layoffs. That's up more than 80 per cent from the 9,533 cuts announced last month.

Gartner: Web-driven channel conflicts

Channel conflict isn't something companies only need to worry about when they launch their e-commerce initiatives. If not handled properly, such conflicts can sabotage how businesses deal with their customers long after a Web site is in place, a Gartner Group Inc. analyst warned this morning at a conference here.

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