Shaping data in ways both scary and sweet

The week is drawing to a close, and for some of you there’s a long weekend ahead. Why not use a bit of your extra leisure time to peruse some interesting news from around the Internet that you might have missed this week? Today’s offerings include uses of data ranging from the somewhat shocking (but nonetheless pretty amazing) to the seriously sweet.

• Scary or impressive? It’s amazing what information can be culled through data analysis when the right minds are put to it. But how would you feel about Target knowing before your closest family and friends that you might want to join its baby registry?
• It’s the rise of the machines! It’s predicted that soon the world will be populated by more mobile devices than people. Good thing we can hold them in our hands and have access to their power sources.
• We’re psyched about the return of “The Walking Dead” – zombies are so much cooler than brooding vampire teens, IOHO – but we’ve got to draw the line right about here. Our brains are one thing, but hands off the passwords, zombie spambot!
• It could seem like Google is everywhere, but its footprint on the enterprise market is a relatively small one. Fortune‘s Michal Lev-Ram looks at their attempt to make a bigger mark by riding the consumerization of IT wave.
• Sharing might be caring, but it also can get you sued. If your altruistic side has led you to leave your Wi-Fi unsecured, just remember that no good deed goes unpunished.
• That previous entry was such a downer, so let’s wrap up this Valentine’s Day week on a happier note. Who says the geek never gets the girl (or boy)? All you need is love — love plus the ability to crunch numbers into an adorable infographic. Awww.