DarkCyber for March 10, 2020, Now Available
March 10, 2020
DarkCyber for March 10, 2020, includes four stories. The first is a look at how BriefCam’s smart software generates video synopses of surveillance viden. The second presents information about the geotracking capabilities enabled by aggregated data from vendors like Venntel and Oracle, among others. The third story dips bnack into phishing-rich data flows. There’s is a reason why bogus email exploits are increasing. Watch to find out the reason. The final story discloses the Amflyfi and Deep Web Technologies mergers. Is a new intelware giant taking shape. Check out this week’s video to learn what DarkCyber thinks.
Kenny Toth, March 10, 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
DarkCyber for February 25, 2020, Now Available
February 25, 2020
This week’s DarkCyber video news program features an interview with Dr. Rado Kotorov, the chief executive officer of Trendalyze. The company provides time series analytics on steroids.
Most professionals are aware that some Wall Street traders analyze time series data for stocks. In the last decade, the business of buying and selling stocks has evolved. Today there are more data available and the importance
of obtaining certain data in near real time has sky rocketed. Plugging numbers into Excel is useful; however, more sophisticated analytic systems are required to deal with financial data.
The shift from a hard working broker making trades before heading to the Kiwanis club has ended. The focus is now on high frequency trading and using advanced analytics, pattern analysis, machine learning, deep learning, AI, and a suite of tools designed to exploit price fluctuations in nano seconds.
In this interview, Dr. Kotorov explains that the methods of Wall Street high frequency traders have now moved into other business sectors. Examples range from health care to companies like Amazon, Tesla, and Walmart. Time series analyses provide high-value results for policeware and government systems.
Dr. Kotorov reviews a theory of intelligence which relies on time series analysis of real time flows of large volumes of data. Specifically, the approach enables more refinement in certain machine learning applications as well as adding precision to some artificial intelligence approaches.
Dr. Kotorov, who holds a law degree and a Ph.D. in philosophy, heads one of the fastest growing analytics firms in the world.
For more information about Trendalyze, navigate to the url presented in the interview.
DarkCyber is a video news program produced by Stephen E Arnold, publisher of DarkCyber blog. The blog and the twice-a-month video news program are provided without advertising or sponsored content.
Kenny Toth, February 25, 2020
YouTube: About Findability or Futility
February 21, 2020
I am a librarian. My view is that YouTube search is not too good. When I was in library school, one of my professors used the technical term “stinks” when describing some retrieval systems. Maybe that term works in this post’s context?
Let’s try it out, “YouTube search stinks.” Would my former professor agree? I don’t know.
YouTube wants to improve its search function and Make Use Of reports on how, “Searching For The Right YouTube Channel Gets Easier With These 5 Sites.” It is difficult to find specific channels or even decent recommendations on YouTube, unless you know exactly what you are looking for. You can spend time mastering YouTube search or you can use Web sites that do the work for you.
The first useful tool is actually on the YouTube Web site. The YouTube Trends page update every fifteen minutes and highlights the most popular videos of the day. It is not catered for individuals, but it does show what is trending with other viewers. More specific categories can be selected showing what is popular in selected area.
Channels Stacks is another choice if you are searching for educational videos. YouTube has always been an excellent platform for free educational content. Alexander Olssen created Channel Stacks to curate educational content by topic. There are currently four categories: technology, creative, business, and lifestyle.
With the rise of streaming TV channel surfing should be a thing of the past, but organic discovery still exists on YouTube. If you do not know what to watch, check out Neverthink which does the task thinking for you. All one needs to do is select download the Neverthink app, pick a theme, and zone out. Neverthink curates videos based on the them, they will be good quality, and can lead you to a creator’s other work.
CreatorSpot is the new YouTubers best friend:
“CreatorSpot is quite like ProductHunt for creators on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. The site features eight new creators every day and that gives you a window to discover a fledgling YouTuber to follow. With thousands of videos uploaded every day, it’s difficult for a new content producer to come to everyone’s attention on platforms like YouTube. The bigger names benefit from YouTube’s algorithm while the fresh creators just about try to survive. This site attempts to help them get some limelight. The platform relies on user submissions, to begin with. The creators are evaluated on quality, originality, attention, and frequency. You can use the site to not only discover new videos and content creators behind them but also recommend photographers, YouTubers, writers, influencers, and producers you know who are doing great work.”
Walnut TV literally combines YouTube and Reddit into one, which is great because Reddit’s search feature is a millions times better than YouTube. Walnut TV is exactly like Reddit with Subreddits, except everything is videos.
PocketTube is a subscription manager service that helps you organize your videos and channels. With PocketTube you can organize subscriptions into groups, personalize them with icons, and change the layout. This makes it easier to search, add, and delete videos.
YouTube may not conform to my professor’s definition of “stinks,” but the online ad giant has an opportunity to improve. YouTube may deliver futility, not findability.
Whitney Grace, February 21, 2020
Amazon: A Dark Underbelly or Just Low Cost Content?
February 20, 2020
Here is something they don’t tell you when you sign up for that $120/year Amazon Prime membership. From Vox’s article, “The Dark Underbelly of Amazon Prime Video,” we learn that almost two-thirds of the service’s streaming videos are user-generated. There also seems to be little to no vetting of this content. That explains why it is difficult to find something good to watch on the platform if one is not searching for something specific. The piece cites a recent feature from the Wall Street Journal. Writer Marc Atkins adds:
“We did some more sleuthing and found even more weird and potentially offensive content. It’s almost as though Amazon welcomes the bad videos, which count toward the total number of titles available on Prime Video. According to Ampere Analytics, Amazon Prime Video boasts 65,504 distinct titles — almost 10 times the 7,177 on Netflix. Users who upload videos, WSJ reports, also get a small cut of revenue based on how many people watch their videos, so there’s an incentive to upload even more. A quick glance at what turned up in a handful of search results shows that quantity can outweigh quality.”
Atkins lists a few examples, from mere oddities to the truly bizarre. See the write-up for those titles. He continues:
“We’ve come to expect off-putting content from social behemoths like Facebook and Google’s YouTube, where many regular people — and the occasional coordinated efforts from foreign governments — post their memes and videos. Amazon Prime Video, on the other hand, presents itself as a Netflix competitor, and that might lead its users to believe that the content on the platform has been vetted. To the average user, it’s not even clear that any of the content on Amazon Prime Video is user-generated, much less the majority of it. Unlike YouTube, Amazon doesn’t label user-generated content as such.”
That is misleading, to say the least. The WSJ article reports Amazon does use both AI and human reviewers to screen for offensive or illegal content. However, Atkins is dubious about their effectiveness, considering the gems he turned up in his search.
And the content may cost less than a Hollywood blockbuster conjured from Jack Warner’s former stomping grounds.
Cynthia Murrell, February 20, 2020
DarkCyber for February 11, 2020, Now Available
February 11, 2020
This week’s program includes three stories. The first describes an open source repository of intelligence-centric and investigative information. The listing of programs and resources is available on Github. The second story explains why facial recognition is of interest to law enforcement agencies. Vendors provide free trials to their systems. The goal is for the vendor to make a sale. The law enforcement agency has an opportunity to learn and test the systems. Because facial recognition is in its infancy, DarkCyber believes that use of advanced systems will increase. The final story provides information about the CIA’s online information service. A free book about the craft of intelligence is reviewed. You can view the video at either of these locations:
The video runs about 10 minutes.
Kenny Toth, February 11, 2020
Amazon and Twitch: Monetizing an Interesting Streaming Service
February 7, 2020
The write up “Amazon Might Offer Twitch’s Streaming Technology to Businesses” is an interesting business analysis crafted by Engadget. Like other Silicon Valley infused information services, writing about gadgets is definitely the platform one can use to write about business strategies and tactics.
The write up states:
Twitch would still exist, but Amazon would have a new way to monetize its technology.
Twitch is a collection of individuals who “play” games. As the DarkCyber team has documented for my lectures to law enforcement and intelligence professionals, Twitch serves up a number of interesting digital experiences:
- Pole dancers
- Pirated first run videos
- Streams of protests, some displaying a Russian communications service logo
- Live “instructional” gambling
- Partially clothed individuals (assorted genders)
- A Hollywood Squares style discussion of jobs and other compelling subjects
- Emojis used to signal intent, some good, some bad.
Oh, there are streaming games played by individuals with “rigs” and lightning fast reflexes. Microsoft has been luring the star gamers to its streaming platform too.
Streaming services like Twitch, however, are expensive to operate, but Amazon keeps those costs under wraps. Plus, there may be some risks to the Amazon entity. What type? See the list of content DarkCyber identified above.
The Twitch technology is remarkable, particularly for a person who has never seen what the future of video programming may be like. However, Amazon Twitch looks a bit frumpy when compared to Neverthink, TikTok, and Walnut.
Engadget writes:
Amazon seems to think that Twitch’s streaming technologies could have a lot of value to other companies, thanks to the robustness of the platform.
What could go wrong for business? Stream hijacking? Bad actors using a corporate stream to inject interesting content?
Net net: Amazon may tap Engadget to assist with repositioning the Twitch property. DarkCyber’s view of Twitch is the stuff of my lectures for law enforcement and intelligence conferences, not a free blog. Money losing units at Amazon may not be too popular if bonuses are eroded. Difficulty level: Comparable to selling business Amazon blockchain technology.
Stephen E Arnold, February 7, 2020
DarkCyber for January 28, 2020, Now Available
January 28, 2020
The end-of-January 2020 DarkCyber presents two stories. The first is an explanation about growing security vulnerabilities. When countries and billionaires are at risk, DarkCyber points out the obvious. The second story is a follow-up interview with Robert David Steele, former CIA professional and intelligence analyst. The topic is Amazon in India. Mr. Steele comments about the impact of Amazon on China’s door step. You can view the video on Vimeo or YouTube.
Kenny Toth, January 28, 2020
Online Video: Revenue Options to Watch
January 24, 2020
Since we assembled CyberOSINT: Next Generation Information Access, we have been monitoring video content innovations. Of interest to the team are interfaces. These are essential because — let’s face it — keyword search on mobile devices sucks. Clicking on big, colorful icons is the future. How smart are the interfaces? Not smart enough.
In terms of eyeballs, both Twitch and Neverthink are taking approaches that Video content continues to proliferate. However, monetization seems to innovating slowly and in predictable ways. The “begging for dollars” approach is the most common. In this post, I want to highlight a problem with begging.
A ripple roiled the Twitter-verse because a Twitch content producer with the handle BadBunny, wanted more financial support from her followers. (This performer (content creator) adopts a left leaning, abrasive persona; therefore, her approach may have been designed to attract publicity.) “Twitch Streamer BadBunny Slams Her Own Viewers for Not Paying for Her Content” reported:
The streamer, frequent in the Just Chatting section, is close to reaching 100,000 followers on Twitch thanks to her content and the guests she brings to her debates. During a broadcast on January 18, she slightly deviated from the topic of conversation to refer to her audience, insisting she needed the cash to continue creating content for the platform. After giving the blunt message, BadBunny, who could not believe the number of people who were watching her for hours for free, said she was surprised to see that her message was in vain since she did not get new subscribers. Faced with the refusal, she exclaimed: “How did all my speech about how I need subscribers to start the broadcast, blah, blah, blah, result in zero subscribers?”
DarkCyber believes BadBunny’s situation may reflect the lack of monetization innovation at Amazon Twitch. The platform is popular, but Microsoft has been poaching some streaming talent from Twitch. Twitch has other challenges, and these may be making Twitch cause people like BadBunny to demonstrate her Xanthippe-infused characteristics.
For sake of contrast, DarkCyber wants to call attention to to Neverthink.tv. The service is different from Twitch because it streams content available on other services; for example, YouTube, Reddit, and others. As a result, ads on Neverthink.tv drive traffic to YouTube. Presumably, Google passes some of the cash to creators. (But maybe not?)
The key differentiators of Twitch and Neverthink are:
- User interface. Both provide point and click video consumption. The Neverthink approach deals with categories, not individual streamers.
- Revenue model. Amazon jams ads in front of and in the middle of some streams. Neverthink accepts sponsored content for cash and uses what appears to be Google ads in some streams. Neverthink accepts money to run videos as “Specials.” Twitch may accept money, but if it does, the deals are not labeled. (Do those featured streamers who attend Twitchcon get some money?)
- Curation. The Neverthink angle is curation. Allegedly smart software and video loving humans make sure nothing “bad” streams. Twitch — regardless of its method — does have some interesting content. DarkCyber won’t provide any examples, but we do present some of the gambling, stolen content, and somewhat off color content in our lectures to law enforcement and intelligence professionals.
Net net: Twitch may have to up its game. Neverthink seems to have a more varied monetization model. What happens if Neverthink lures popular streamers to its app? Amazon Twitch will have to get woke or do a rethink.
If you want to check out these services, here are the links you need:
- www.twitch.tv. BadBunny is at https://www.twitch.tv/badbunny/videos
- www.neverthink.tv A useful “channel” is Millennial AF. DarkCyber finds this service educational.
Stephen E Arnold, January 24, 2020
European Commission Facial Recognition White Paper
January 20, 2020
The EC is trying to herd ducks. The facial recognition issue may become less of a backburner issue and more of a mass of congealed spaghetti. A white paper, allegedly the real deal, of course, has surfaced. You can download the document from this link: https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/AI-white-paper-EURACTIV.pdf. If it is not available, DarkCyber doesn’t have any bright ideas. The document has no title and is dated “12/12”. As you know, none of the Web search engines are very good when it comes to traditional bibliographic metadata.
Stephen E Arnold, January 19, 2020
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