SEO Alert: A New Way to Rank Number One on a Google Search Results Output?
March 8, 2020
The search engine optimization crowd may find “Spanish Court: Google Search Must Show Man’s Acquittal First” useful. Those who wonder about Google’s ability to structure search results to put certain citations in a specific place in the results list will find the article suggestive.
The story concerns an individual’s effort to return search results from a Google query that accurately reflected legal facts. I don’t want to go down the rat hole of “legal facts,” “accurately,” or bias in search engines.
I circled this statement in the article:
A [Spanish] National Court decision Friday said that freedom of expression took precedence over personal data protection in this case. However, given the case’s special circumstances, the person’s acquittal must appear in first place in internet searches, it ruled.
Will Google comply? Will the Spanish court be satisfied? Will the person acquitted of a criminal charge become a happy camper?
Several observations:
- The Spanish court does not know or does not care that Google’s search results are objective, determined by a black box algorithm. If manipulated results are displayed, does that question Google’s objectivity?
- If Google can tweak court results to conform, will search engine optimization experts have a new path to influence search results?
- Does the Google system have other search results which create that a fact like an acquittal is effectively buried, thus distorting reality?
DarkCyber does not have answers to these questions. Could this Spanish court order create another crack in the online ad giant’s objective algorithmic system?
Worth monitoring the outcome.
Stephen E Arnold, March 8, 2020
Amazon Versus Microsoft: JEDI in Play?
March 7, 2020
DarkCyber spotted a story in Stars and Stripes titled “Judge Says Amazon Likely to Succeed on Key Argument in Pentagon Cloud Lawsuit.” The source appears to be the Bezos-owned Washington Post. That fact may provide some context for the story.
The main point in the write up seems to be:
A federal judge has concluded that a bid protest lawsuit brought by Amazon over President Donald Trump’s intervention in an important Pentagon cloud computing contract “is likely to succeed on the merits” of one of its central arguments, according to a court document made public Friday [March 6, 2020].
The article states:
In an opinion explaining her reasoning, Campbell-Smith sided with Amazon’s contention that the Pentagon had made a mistake in how it evaluated prices for competing proposals from Amazon and Microsoft. She also concluded that the mistake is likely to materially harm Amazon, an important qualifier for government contract bid protests.
What’s missing from this story? Detail for one thing.
Several observations:
- Planners for the JEDI program are likely to experience uncertainty
- Regardless of the ultimate decision, time to implement newer systems is being lost
- The cost of the procurement process for JEDI will climb and, at some point, may become larger than the program itself.
Net net: Government procurement remains an interesting and impactful process. Procurement just keeps grinding its procedural mechanisms, delivering “efficiency.”
Stephen E Arnold, March 7, 2020
Intel: A Company Seemingly Unable to Move Up the Confidence Curve
March 6, 2020
DarkCyber noted stories about Intel’s quantum computing innovation. We chose to push the story into the “maybe later” file. Now is the time. The write up is “Intel Details ‘Horse Ridge’ Cryogenic Quantum Computing Control Chip.” There are some tough-to-believe quantum computing announcements zipping around the interweb’s tubes. A revolution will be forthcoming from a thermostat and weapons control systems vendor. There was an announcement about a quantum computer that cost less than a $1,000. (No, DarkCyber did not purchase one, nor did any of the team sign up for a multi hour lecture about the wonders of quantum computing. Science fiction is not on the corona virus menu unless one globe trots to advanced technology conferences.) Now quantum computers are going to be — really soon — fast computers, and fast computers need chips and stuff.
So what’s with the Horse Ridge thing?
Intel wants to control those very expensive quantum computers. The company has announced a”cryogenic quantum control chip.” Below is a snap of what’s needed for a modest cryogenic set up about the size of an old fashioned school lunch box:
Here’s a more robust set up for a mostly working quantum computer. The installation is about the size of soccer mom’s van.
Intel is going to control these types of units plus other assorted gizmos required to make quantum computing a useful system… sometime.
The Horse Ridge write up chirps:
The semiconductor giant and QuTech — a partnership between TU Delft and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) — detailed in a research paper that where scalability is concerned, the integrated System-on-a-Chip design can integrate four radiofrequency (RF) channels into a single 4x4mm device. According to Intel, this was achieved by using Intel’s 22nm FFL CMOS technology. The company added that each channel could control up to 32 qubits to leverage “frequency multiplexing” — a technique described by Intel as dividing the total bandwidth available into a series of non-overlapping frequency bands — each of which could be used to carry a separate signal.
If the write up is accurate, Intel did not do this work alone. The development of a control system is not actually a quantum computer. But Intel has a quantum marker in the Web indexes.
Does Horse Ridge work? Sure, under precise lab conditions, DarkCyber is confident the chip does something; otherwise, the PR professionals would not have the green light to tell DarkCyber and the world that Intel, like the thermostat vendor, is “into” quantum computing.
Why comment on this story now?
The answer is that DarkCyber spotted ITPro’s article “Intel Unable to Fix Critical Hardware-Encoded CPU Flaw.” The write up states what is an allegedly accurate statement of the limitations of Intel’s designers and engineers:
Some of the most widely-used Intel chips released over the last five years are embedded with a critical vulnerability at the hardware level, as well as within the firmware. A flaw has been discovered in the Converged Security and Management Engine (CSME) boot ROM on most Intel chipsets and system on a chip (SoC) units available today, apart from 10th-gen CPUs with Ice Point components.
The write up includes this interesting statement:
The range of devices afflicted is very broad, according to Intel. These include CSME-ready chips with SPS firmware for servers, TXE firmware for tablets or low-power devices, DAL software for machines ranging from workstations to IoT devices, and the AMT module used for remote IT management.
Yes, Intel’s credibility seems to be making modest progress. Furthermore, the Horse Ridge announcement makes clear that progress comes by leveraging a non US organization’s innovations as evidence of quantum traction.
Intel needs snow tires, chains, and a four wheel drive to make it up Horse Ridge and pull itself out of the rut of that allows an attacker to conduct arbitrary code execution on lots of personal computers, servers, and other devices.
Net net: Intel seems to face a Boeing Max like challenge.
Stephen E Arnold, March 6, 2020
Fighting Cyber Crime: New Approach Described by FBI
March 6, 2020
DarkCyber noted a report from ABC News called “FBI Working to ‘Burn Down’ Cyber Criminals’ Infrastructure.” The report states that “law enforcement agents are working to take out the tools that allow increasingly dangerous cyber criminals to carry out their devastating attacks.”
Some factoids appeared in the write up:
- A 40 percent increase in ransomware attacks between 2018 and 2019
- Ransomware has emerged as a major bad actor method
- Foreign actors are using cyber attacks to steal information from certain vendors in the US.
As DarkCyber points out in the forthcoming March 10, 2020, video program many of the hacker tools are available as open source software. Programming languages widely taught in schools and online courses provide the equivalent of a tabula rasa for bad actors. An often overlooked source of “how to” information are instructional information, code snippets, and technical road maps distributed via online discussion groups. Dark Web resources exist, but there are bad actors advertising their software and expertise available via a standard Web browser. Will the infrastructure focus result in stepped up investigations of hosting providers?
This new approach illustrates a shift in response to the escalating risks associated with online connectivity.
Stephen E Arnold, March 6, 2020
Fast Company Offends DarkCyber
March 6, 2020
The write up is “These Are the Reasons Why You Find Something Offensive.” Several facets of the article offended DarkCyber, an entity not known for its keen sensitivity and heightened empathetic responses.
Here’s what offended us in the write up:
- Judgment spelled this way: “judgement”. Ah, the editorial acumen of Planet Fitness.
- The insight that in-group solidarity accepts and possible encourages offensive language.
- The use of the term “foreseeability expectations” in a publication aimed as the Silicon Valley types who did not take sociology in college.
But the major offender is the inclusion of this passage in the write up:
You may not like what others are saying, but the chances are you can take some comfort from knowing that what has offended you might be rooted in the many different experiences and worldviews we all have. If you don’t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines –>
What code above? What’s the tab? What’s the dead link thing?
Talk about great editing is unlikely to include the Fast Company approach.
Stephen E Arnold, March 6, 2020
Somatic: Foreshadowing Virtual Reality Value
March 6, 2020
“This Bathroom-Cleaning Robot Cleans Up after You Use the Loo and Is Cost-Efficient” points to a smart robot designed to do what “No Time for Sergeants” demanded:
The Somatic bathroom cleaning robotics company performs a task some find unpleasant.
What makes the Somatic approach interesting, however, is its approach to training the smart software. The write up says:
The robot is trained using virtual reality (VR) simulation of the restroom to show the robot what it has to do, such as where to spray chemicals and clean and where to vacuum and blow-dry etc. The Somatic team jokingly refers to this activity as “the worst video game, ever.” The robot then uses in-built sensors like lidar to move around the actual bathroom as it abides by the instructions picked up from the VR model.
Using virtual reality to train a robot is a useful and forward-looking use of a technology which is associated with video games and niche applications. Automating training by connecting digital realities with smart software has significant implications. Many of these are positive. The article includes a link to the robot which will have time for sergeants.
Stephen E Arnold, March 6, 2020
New Speak: Editorial Control Becomes Custom Results
March 5, 2020
Just a small thing. Newspapers, magazines, and book editors (well, once in a while) once exercised editorial control. The idea was simple: Reasonably well-educated people who were sober (one hoped) would screen and select content to appear in their respective content outputs. A “content output” in the Okay, Boomer hay day were printed artifacts: A daily paper (no reminders about yellow journalism, please), magazines (no snide comments about multi-year renewal offers a few weeks after a new subscription was started, and books (please, no remarks about samizdat).
“Pinterest Is Combating Corona Virus Misinformation with Custom Search Results” says:
The company told The Verge it’s introducing a “custom search experience” to ensure its users can get reliable information when they turn to the platform for information about the epidemic. With the new experience in place, the next time you search for “Corona Virus” and “COVID-19,” Pinterest will surface curated pins created by the World Health Organization.
Yikes, adulting. Now let’s use simple words like “selected,” “editorial judgment,” “controls,” etc. “Old speak” still works.
Progress, modest but still progress.
Stephen E Arnold, March 5, 2020
First Counting Bees, Now Predicting Parrots
March 5, 2020
DarkCyber found amusing the write up “Parrots Can Make Predictions Based on Probabilities” interesting. With the corona virus data widely available, will these poly-nomial avians lend their expertise to global health administrators?
The write up asserts:
They [scientists] discovered the kea, a species of large parrot found in New Zealand, can make inferences and predict events based previous knowledge or experience. They [yep, this is a reference to the parrots] even performed better than chimps in some experiments.
The write up states:
The team said it is the first time this complex cognitive ability has been demonstrated in an animal outside of the great apes, which could help shed light on the “evolutionary history of statistical inference”.
Now is the time to apply parrot intelligence to tough computing problems like the Corona virus research. Polly, do you want a protein predictive output?
Stephen E Arnold, March 5, 2020
Honeywell: The Quantum Computing Thermostat Company
March 5, 2020
Yeah, that’s a bit of rural Kentucky humor. Honeywell is in four businesses and a fifth apparently has been added: Quantum computing. If you think Honeywell and recall the user friendly thermostat in your home, you are not thinking about the future, government contracts, breaking computing barriers, and putting technology pretenders like IBM, Google, and dozens of other companies in their place.
The Honeywell he CommercialPRO 7000 Programmable Thermostat is fantastic, according to Honeywell. For an entertaining experience, ask a friend to set the temperature for 4 pm today. This is a TikTok viral video DarkCyber believes.
To refresh your memory, DarkCyber wants to point out that Honeywell was once based in Wabash, Indiana. The firm generates about $40 billion a year from:
- Aerospace
- Building technologies
- Materials
- Safety productivity systems.
Now Honeywell is in the quantum computing business, according to the Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2020, edition. You may be able to locate the story behind a paywall at this link.
Honeywell has enjoyed a number of government contracts, and the firm is one of the leaders in smart controls and weapons management technology. In 1955, Honeywell teamed with Raytheon in order to compete with IBM. By the mid 1960s, Honeywell was one of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs of Computing. (Unfamiliar with this bit of digital history, Bing or Google may turn up some relevant hits, but I would recommend microfilm of the Minneapolis newspapers from this era. Don’t let your Bermuda shorts get in a bunch as you explore the innovations of Burroughs, Control Data Corp., GE, NCR, RCA, and my personal fave Univac.
Honeywell does a significant amount of computing and software/systems development. The firms owns a number of high technology business; for example, a radiation detection firm and has a stake in Zapata Computing.
Zapata says here:
We are the deepest bench of quantum scientists in the industry. Our founders helped create the field of near-term quantum algorithms including the invention of VQE, the progenitor of variational quantum algorithms.
The company’s approach relies on quantum charge coupled device (QCCD) architecture. The approach uses a technology called “trapped ions.” The idea is that useful work can be done due to leveraging mid circuit measurement. The idea is to insert a dynamic “if” based on the state of the calculation at a point in time. IonQ and Alpine Quantum Technologies also use the method. For some details, do a patent search for “trapped ion”. The background of US5793091A (assigned to IBM) provides some helpful information.
What business opportunities does Honeywell envision for its quantum computer? Here’s a selection gleaned from the PR blitz Honeywell launched a short time ago:
- Landing more customers like JPMorgan, Chase, and Company
- Speeding up financial calculations
- Creating new trading strategies (high speed trading?)
- Materials science applications (heat shields, stealth coatings?)
- Run Monte Carlo simulations (nuclear fuel analyses, risk and fraud analyses?)
The Honeywell quantum computer will be bigger than IBM’s quantum computer.
Interesting business play because Honeywell has a deal with Microsoft to plug the Honeywell technology into the Azure cloud.
The coverage of Honeywell’s announcement reveals the hyperbole associated with quantum computing. DarkCyber interprets the assertions as the equivalent of an athlete’s pre-season exercise routine. Progress may be made, but the effort can only be judged when the “star” is on the field and in the game.
Until then, the buzzword sells expectations, not a solution to a here-and-now problem. One has to admire Honeywell’s PR generating capability.
Stephen E Arnold, March 5, 2020
Tools for TikTok and Twitch
March 5, 2020
DarkCyber spotted “JOBY Launches New Line of Accessories for Content Creators.” The idea is that there are quite a few people streaming video. The equipment required for IRL and some popular streaming situations has to be cobbled together. Enter Joby. The company offers a
- Video streaming kit for $200
- An LED halo light for $90
- A stand for iPhone and Android devices for $40.
Are there other brands competing for the vloggers’ money? Yes, Razer, Neewer, and Homall among others.
If you want to locate these products, be sure to search for products tagged for games, vloggers, streamers, and Twitch. Amazon will sell you beannie’s, hoodies, and a book “Twitch for Dummies.”
A new Amazon Basics category may be coalescing. TikTok fame awaits.
Stephen E Arnold, March 5, 2020
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