In our digitally inter-connected era, platforms like Dianpin and Yelp have become integral to our decision-making process for choosing restaurants, hotels, and entertainment. These online rating platforms are revolutionizing the demand pattern hence revenue stream of service providers. Basically, ratings platforms are to provision information. Service providers, from local bistros to boutique hotels, register themselves on these platforms. Consumers then rate these services, often accompanied by comments and photos. These ratings are the lifeblood of these platforms, determining how businesses are ranked and recommended to new users searching for, say, “nearby hotpot restaurants.” Despite the lack of transparency in these algorithms, their impact is undeniably profound, especially for those ranked highest in their categories. ...

Whenever one downloads a new app on an iPhone, a system notification pops up, inquiring if one wish to permit cross-application tracking. Apple has long championed this feature, underscoring their commitment to user privacy. Apple’s marketing not only highlights Apple’s dedication to privacy but also subtly positions their products as trustworthy guardians of personal data. However, I’ve also read about (although not taking their opinions seriously cause I had been a stan of Apple by then) some critics pointing to a nuanced concern. They argue that while this approach seemingly safeguards user privacy in the short term, it potentially seeds future monopolistic issues. As Apple’s market share expands, they become the sole custodians of vast amounts of personal information. The fear is that this data, initially collected under the guise of protection, would eventually be leveraged for advertising purposes. ...

A classic example when the model works fine but the real market gets fucked up with misaligned incentives.

Ariana Grande’s new album drops on March 8th (Yep that’s International Women’s Day. Coincidence? I think not). The album’s titled “eternal sunshine”, a shoutout to the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. This film, a favorite among critics, explores the complexities of memory and identity, themes that often echo in Grande’s work. Grande’s well-known admiration for Carrey, whom she famously termed as her “first celebrity crush” on The Tonight Show, is more than a fangirl moment. The connection to themes of existentialism and nihilism can be traced back to “Sweetener,” Grande’s previous album, that already hinted at this philosophical depth. The album juxtaposed light, sweet pop with undertones of resilience and the search for meaning in chaos – almost a nod to existentialism’s core tenets. Now, with “eternal sunshine,” it seems Grande is diving deeper into these complex waters. ...

Hello??? Do your cookies and preference estimates even know me?

Here’s an interesting line I read recently: When you speak, your words should be more valuable than your silence. – Lin’s Comics. from 01/15/2024 of Lin’s Comics Calender.

The world of football once again witnessed a momentous occasion as Lionel Messi clinched The Best FIFA Men’s Player award, while Pep Guardiola was honored as the best coach. As a fervent admirer of both figures, this dual triumph resonates deeply with me, offering a blend of joy and professional intrigue. CONGRATULATIONS! This recent accolade for Messi isn’t just a testament to his unparalleled skill on the field: the Ballon d’Or, a topic I’ve previously touched upon (see my earlier post), serves as a prime example of this intersection between sports and economics - just look into its voting mechanism and there would be highly interesting network patterns and bias and randomness. ...

I’m not a fan of Huawei phones or HarmonyOS, but my dad is. Like, he’s basically part of Huawei’s loyal customer base: middle-aged, well-off supporter with two phones and steady demand. Thanks to their stan-like support, the Huawei Mate60 is often out of stock. Last weekend, we were at Sam’s for grocery but it sells pretty much everything as well. My dad rushed to the Huawei counter to check on the Mate60. As expected, it was out of stock. The clerk mentioned a possible restock next week, but with limited options. ...

Meet SHERLOCK, my machine learning final project output…

This is a trailor of SHERLOCK - my machine learning final project. I’ve really been obsessively perfecting my final course thesis (as we’ve talked about it before here). Though immensely energy and time consuming, they’re just for fun but I’m proud of them for their beauty. and the result is pretty nice as well. Abstract We introduce SHERLOCK, an innovative machine learning model designed to differentiate human-written code from AI-generated code in educational settings. By combining perturbation analysis with advanced machine learning, SHERLOCK significantly outperforms existing detection techniques, achieving a precision rate over 0.8 and a model score beyond 0.75. Our contribution addresses a critical need in maintaining academic integrity in programming courses amidst the rise of AI coding tools, marking an interesting direction to the field of AI-generated content detection. ...