Big Data: everybody wants some

Nobody can quite pin down what Big Data is, but apparently everybody wants some. Or is afraid of it. Or both. Nevertheless, gains in processing power and decreases in hardware costs are permitting us to crunch numbers in a bigger way than ever thought possible. And there's a lot to show for it:

Not surprisingly, big data is being used to predict the outcome of the 2014 World Cup [video link]. It's increasingly being used to monitor and quantify social media behavior to inform credit and lending decisions. It's also being used to monitor and supervise conditions along the entire food chain, with obvious safety and health benefits. In fact, the folks at ITWeb would like to debunk the myth that Big Data is only being used to monitor your social media habits and sell you more junk. Although it's being used for that, too.