Google: A New Challenge from Code Piracy?
November 5, 2018
With Google charging for its Android apps and services, one question is, “Will Google’s software be pirated?” The question seems as if it comes from the early days of MS DOS and software piracy of floppy discs.
Google has spent much of its two-decade life in the crosshairs of some enemy or another. Whether it was from rival search engines, advertisers, or other media. However, a new battle recently used their own fire in the fight. We learned more from a CNBC story, “Chinese Firm Touting ‘Innovative’ Software Used Parts of Google Code.”
According to the story:
“Redcore, a Chinese start-up said it has developed “core technology” with “independent intellectual property rights” in regards to its browser. “But eagle-eyed users on Chinese social media spotted traces of Chrome in the installation directory of Redcore’s browser. There was a file in the directory called “Chrome.exe” and some image files of Google’s browser.”
This is not the only time Google has had to battle off theft issues with its software. However, more often than not, it’s people using Google for theft. Such as how they only recently found a way to detect and stop people using Chrome to steal wi-fi network information. The online ad giant seems to be aware of the target on its back and the archers taking aim.
Security lapses, pirated code, and interesting management decisions—worth watching the Google.
Patrick Roland, November 5, 2018
English: The Language Which Leaves Some Gaps
November 2, 2018
The English language is complex. Modern English is brewed with words from around the globe, invented to fill a need, or new slang becomes popular. While English speakers believe that their tongue is the epitome of language, it does not cover all the feelings, sensations, needs, and objects other languages have. In short, English cannot say everything. Scoll takes a look at “The Idea Of ‘Untranslatable’ Words Says More About English Speakers Than Other Cultures.”
After punching a few holes in language myths and non-existent English words, the article presents the idea that “language reveals something about our psyche.” Having words for concepts does make them easier to name, just because there is not a precise phrase for something does not mean it cannot be conceived. Lack of a word or a misunderstanding of it can result in racism or worse: the total erasure of a concept from a culture. The article uses George Orwell’s 1984 and the story’s erasure of certain words such as freedom from its lexicon. Are English-only speakers missing out on something?
“But even an apparently benign conclusion about how some Australian languages encode space with compass directions (“north”) rather than ego-relative position (“my left-hand side”) suggests English speakers often miss out on knowledge about language and cognition because they are busy measuring things against an arbitrary English-centric benchmark. Different language conventions are usually not exotic or unusual; it’s just that English speakers come from a position of very great privilege because their language is the default. People who speak other languages are seen as different, as outsiders.”
True and false. Yes, those who speak only English see others as outsiders, but if you visit a foreign country where they speak a foreign tongue the same can be said for English speakers. The way to resolve this is to read more books and get out of the US for culture shock.
Whitney Grace, November 2, 2018
India and Its Spicy View of WhatsApp
November 2, 2018
Spam is a pain for your inbox, feed, social network messages, and pretty much anything else you do online. One of the worse things about spam messages is when someone does not know how to identify spam from the real stuff. According to Reuters, the Indian government is getting fed up with spam, says the article, “WhatsApp To Clamp Down On ‘Sinister’ Messages In India: Ravi Shankar Prasad.”
Facebook apparently said it would develop tools to help the Indian government detect spam and other content with the purpose of sparking mass hysteria. India is not any different from other countries when it is whipped into a frenzy: people get angry, there is collateral damage, and people get hurt. WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels commiserated with India’s chief information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Prasad wants Facebook to design a way to track rabble rousing messages’ origins. The IT minister does not think it is rocket science to figure a message’s origins, seemingly not knowing what work is required in order to read the metadata and program the code.
WhatsApp’s biggest market is India with a 200 million strong market and where, quite astonishingly, people forward more content than any other country. The
“There are also concerns that supporters of political parties could use social media platforms such as WhatsApp to spread false messages in the run-up to India’s national elections in 2019.In July, WhatsApp said message forwards will be limited to five chats at a time, whether among individuals or groups, and said it will remove the quick forward button placed next to media messages.”
India appears to be fond of social interaction. One’s reputation, education, connections, and family status may make the difference between success and failure. Social networks are more complex than anything we experience in Kentucky. No surprise that WhatsApp will be put to interesting uses.
Whitney Grace, November 2, 2018
Reconstructing a Hack
November 2, 2018
Investigations into the 2016 US elections are still going to occur long after President Donald Trump is out of office. The question non-tech savvy people are asking, however, is how did the Russian hackers hack the election? OS News takes a look at the answer in, “How they Did It: GRU Hackers vs. US Elections.”
Special Counsel Robert Mueller assembled a grand jury to investigate the hacking and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced an indictment against twelve of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff aka GRU. GRU is short for “Glavnoye razvedyvatel’noye upravleniye.” The twelve GRU members are charged with “active cyber operations with the intent of interfering in the 2016 presidential election.”
How was the indictment made?
“The allegations are backed up by data collected from service provider logs, Bitcoin transaction tracing, and additional forensics. The DOJ also relied on information collected by US (and likely foreign) intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Reading between the lines, the indictment reveals that the Mueller team and other US investigators likely gained access to things like Twitter direct messages and hosting company business records and logs, and they obtained or directly monitored email messages associated with the GRU (and possibly WikiLeaks). It also appears that the investigation ultimately had some level of access to internal activities of two GRU offices.”
Trump expressed doubt that Russia was involved in hacking the elections after he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit meeting. The US director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, however, concluded that Russia was involved. Trump is trusting Putin over his own people. Trump is also victim bashing and blaming the DNC and DCC for not being prepared for this sort of attack and ignoring advice from third parties who said this could happen.
More hacking? Probably.
Whitney Grace, November 2, 2018
High School Science Club: Employee Walk About
November 1, 2018
High school science club management methods face an interesting situation. The science club has a hierarchy. The whiz kids on the lower levels of that hierarchy are not getting with the program. Allegedly a small percentage of Google’s work force are unhappy with handling of alleged sexual misconduct. Here in Harrod’s Creek, we assumed that members of the high school science club school of thought worried about math, Fourier transforms, and k-means. If “We’re the Organizers of the Google Walkout. Here Are Our Demands” contains accurate information, some affected by high school management methods have other interests; for example, fairness, respectful behavior, and other old fashioned ideas.
I learned:
All employees and contract workers across the company deserve to be safe.
Fancy that.
Here’s an outrageous demand:
A clear, uniform, globally inclusive process for reporting sexual misconduct safely and anonymously. The process today is not working, in no small part because HRs’ performance is assessed by senior management and directors, forcing them to put management’s interests ahead of employees reporting harassment and discrimination. The improved process should also be accessible to all: full-time employees, temporary employees, vendors, and contractors alike. Accountability, safety and an ability to report unsafe working conditions should not be dictated by employment status.
What’s next for practitioners of high school science club membership? Better business processes? Executives not given to dalliances with fascinating methods of motivation? More responsible decision making? Nah, HSSCM methods are just better.
Google’s implementation of such management methods is as interesting as the company’s progress on solving death.
Stephen E Arnold, November 1, 2018
Search Becomes More Like Human Memory
November 1, 2018
The one advantage humans have always had over computers is our dynamic ability to index thoughts, memories, and opinions. However, those days of superiority might be over if one company has its way. We learned more about how our search is becoming a lot more like a brain in a recent Silicon Canals story, “History Search: Here’s How This Rotterdam Startup Helps to Retrieve Information Online.”
Here’s the short and sweet on History Search:
“With this startup, you can keep your information organized on the web. It is done by indexing the text on the web pages automatically while browsing and making it searchable with any keyword that you remember. Basically, History Search saves your time every time you need to open a web page.”
Basically, you can recall a snippet of something you once read ages ago and have it brought back to your eyes. Sounds a lot like a human brain. If that wasn’t weird enough, some AI companies are even making more human like strides. For example, experts think smells will soon be indexed and searchable. Smell any hype lately?
Patrick Roland, November 1, 2018
Yeah, Fake News. Yeah, Well, Google?
November 1, 2018
While nearly everyone agrees that Russian Hackers attempted to influence the last major US election, that doesn’t mean much has changed. In fact, America might just be back where it started according to a recent IT Wire story, “Google Policing of Ad Service Fails to Block ‘Russian’ Ads.”
According to the story:
“CfA executive director Daniel Stevens said: ‘The ease with which CfA was able to replicate the 2016 Russian ad campaign shows Google has failed to keep its promise to prevent foreign actors from interfering in our elections. Google is more interested in pocketing rubles than protecting American Democracy.’”
Does this mean all hope is lost and we might as well let another nation decide our elected officials? No way! Some of the brightest minds from Microsoft, Snapchat and Twitter recently gathered to coordinate efforts to protect voters from fraud and fake news leading up to the 2018 midterm elections. What they are working on is pretty hush-hush, but we like seeing this collaborative effort. If we are to move forward and have a fair online space, it won’t be done by a single company lording over others. Here’s to more teamwork in Silicon Valley.
Patrick Roland, November 1, 2018
Google: Building a Bridge to the Middle Kingdom with an App
November 1, 2018
Years after Google told China the country had to change, Google is working overtime to build a bridge to the Middle Kingdom. Teamed with JD.com, Google hopes to knock off Amazon. (Anyone remember Froogle? Google may not.)
But the earthmoving equipment Google wants to drive into China is its vaunted search technology. From our vantage point in rural Kentucky, it seems as if Google will toss out comprehensive search results to win friends in China. Business Insider shares that, “Google Reportedly Wants To Launch Search Engine In China After Sundar Pichai Held Secret Government Meeting.”
Google is not the money winner Google wants. That has to change.
Google China used to be housed in Beijing, but the search engine packed its bags and headed to Hong Kong in 2010. It is revealed that CEO Sundar Pichai met with the Chinese government in December 2017 in hopes to re-enter mainland China. The Intercept leaked the report and shared that Google is willing to build a search engine, albeit a censored search engine to comply with strict Chinese censorship laws:
“According to the report, the project is codenamed “Dragonfly”, and engineers have created a custom Android app variously nicknamed “Maotai” and “Longfei.” The app was demonstrated to Chinese officials, and a final version could launch within the next six to nine months, but will hide terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest. It would also block sites like the BBC and Wikipedia. The Chinese government is yet to give final approval, The Intercept said.”
Google already provides many services to Chinese users, and the company seems to be moving forward.
Perhaps the past is the past? Well, maybe at Google. China is into its past, and it takes a long view.
The new approach will be a software wrapper (called an “app” to use today’s broster jargon). The app will work with an algorithm embedded in image, spell check, and suggested search, so Google cannot send people to otherwise censored material. Google would also work with a local service partner. We wonder if that partner is linked to Chinese authorities. Hey, that’s a negative question. Skip it.
Whitney Grace, November 1, 2018
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