IBM Cloud Powers Comic-Con Channel
June 30, 2016
The San Diego Comic-Con is the biggest geek and pop culture convention in the country and it needs to be experienced to be believed. Every year the San Diego Comic-Con gets bigger and more complex as attendees and the guests demand more from the purveyors. If you are at Comic-Con, then you need to think big. Thinking big requires thinking differently, which is why it would seem “IBM And Comic-Con HQ Make Strange Bedfellows” says Fortune.
IBM announced that they have teamed with Lionsgate to run a Comic-Con HQ video channeled powered by IBM’s cloud. The on-demand channel will premiere during 2016’s Comic-Con. Comic-con attendees and those unfortunate not to purchase a ticket have demanded video streaming services for years, practically ever since it became possible. Due to copyright as well as how to charge attendees for the service have kept video on-demand on the back burner, but now it is going to happen and it is going to be a challenge.
Video streaming is:
“Video is a demanding application for cloud computing. Storing and shipping massive video files, often shot in ultra-high-definition 4k format, is a useful testbed to show off cloud services.”
Anything new related to Comic-Con always proves to be a hassle and troublesome. One of the cases in point is when the SDCC launched its digital waiting room to purchase tickets and had way more traffic than their servers could handle. The end result was a lot of angry fans unable to buy tickets. Another challenge was handling the massive crowds that started flocking to the convention halls around the mid-2000s (attendance swelled around 2011 with the Twilight movies).
Anything that will improve the Comic-Con experience and even allow non-attendees a taste of the magical July event would be welcome.
Whitney Grace, June 30, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
New Scan Video Search Tool
November 2, 2015
Navigate to Scan Video at http://www.scan.video. The service is in development. Results are limited. Documentation, although brief, is on the site’s about page. I ran a query for my video about cyberosint. The system did not locate my YouTube video on that subject. Other queries were more successful; for example, when I searched for “dance”, I received hits and new search box appeared inviting me to search for words in the video. My quest for a killer video search system continues.
Stephen E Arnold, November 2, 2015
YouTube Wants You to Pay For…YouTube Content?
August 5, 2015
YouTube is free and that is one of the biggest draws for viewers. Viewers pull the plug on cable and instead watch TV and movies on the Internet or via streaming device. While YouTube might be free, video streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime offer network television for a fraction of the cable price. Google wants in on the streaming service game and it is already prepped with YouTube. Google’s only problem is that it does not have major TV networks signed up. Slash Gear explains in the article that “YouTube’s Upcoming Paid Service Hasn’t Signed Up TV Networks.” Cheaper access to network TV is one of main reasons that viewers sign up for a video streaming service, without them YouTube has a problem:
“What is most notable, however, is what is missing: TV networks. And according to sources, YouTube hasn’t at this point signed up any of those networks like NBC and Fox. Those networks would bring with them their popular shows, and those popular shows would bring in viewers. That doesn’t mean the networks will never be brought in — sources said there’s still time for them to get on board, as the rollout isn’t pegged for until later this year.”
Google is currently counting on YouTube stars to power the paid platform, which users will be able to watch ad free. Without network TV, a larger movie library, and other content, paying for YouTube probably will not have many takers. Why pay for already free videos, when all you have to do is watch a thirty-second ad?
Whitney Grace, August 5, 2015
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
Facebook Wants You To Double Think About Using YouTube
August 4, 2015
Facebook does not like YouTube. Facebook wants to encourage users to upload their videos to its network, rather than posting them on YouTube. The Next Web shares how Facebook is trying to become major YouTube competition in “Facebook Throws Shade At YouTube When You Try To Paste A Link.” How is Facebook doing this? First, when a user tries to post a YouTube link, Facebook encourages users to upload to Facebook instead. Most users do not want to upload to Facebook, because it does not offer the same posting options as YouTube or does it?
Facebook has apparently upgraded how users can share their videos, including new features such as adding categories, sharing as an unlisted video, and disabling embedding. One drawback is that this could increase the amount of stolen videos. Some users might upload a stolen video, claim it as theirs, and reap the benefits. Facebook, however, does have user Audible Magic to catch a stolen copyrighted video. A direct quote from a Facebook representative said:
“ ‘For years we’ve used the Audible Magic system to help prevent unauthorized video content. We also have reporting tools in place to allow content owners to report potential copyright infringement, and upon receiving a valid notice we remove unauthorized content. We also suspend accounts of people with repeated IP violations when appropriate.’”
Thievery of original content is an important factor Facebook needs to work on if it wishes to rival YouTube. Popular YouTube celebrities and channels work hard to create original content and YouTube is a proven, marketable network. Facebook needs to offer competitive or better options to attract the big names, but for the average Facebook user uploading a video directly to Facebook is a desirable option.
Whitney Grace, August 4, 2015
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
Elsevier and Its Business Model May Be Ageing Fast
July 13, 2015
If you need to conduct research and are not attached to a university or academic library, then you are going to get hit with huge subscription fees to have access to quality material. This is especially true for the scientific community, but on the Internet if there is a will there most certainly is a way. Material often locked behind a subscription service can be found if you dig around the Internet long enough, mostly from foreign countries, but the material is often pirated. Gizmodo shares in the article, “Academic Publishing Giant Fights To Keep Science Paywalled” that Elsevier, one of the largest academic publishers, is angry about its content being stolen and shared on third party sites. Elsevier recently filed a complaint with the New York District Court against Library Genesis and SciHub.org.
“The sites, which are both popular in developing countries like India and Indonesia, are a treasure trove of free pdf copies of research papers that typically cost an arm and a leg without a university library subscription. Most of the content on Libgen and SciHub was probably uploaded using borrowed or stolen student or faculty university credentials. Elsevier is hoping to shut both sites down and receive compensation for its losses, which could run in the millions.”
Gizmodo acknowledges Elsevier has a right to complain, but they also flip the argument in the other direction by pointing out that access to quality scientific research material is expensive. The article brings up Netflix’s entertainment offerings, with Netflix users pay a flat fee every month and have access to thousands of titles. Netflix remains popular because it remains cheap and the company openly acknowledges that it sets its prices to be competitive against piracy sites.
Publishers and authors should be compensated for their work and it is well known that academics do not rake in millions, but access to academic works should be less expensive. Following Netflix’s model or having a subscription service like Amazon Prime might be a better business model to follow.
Whitney Grace, July 13, 2015
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
Wisdom of Verizon AOL Deal Questioned
June 16, 2015
Sarah Lacy, founder and editor-in-chief at PandoDaily, is highly skeptical of the official rational behind Verizon’s recent acquisition of AOL. She posits, “Can’t We All Agree the Justifications for this AOL/Verizon Deal are Bat#### Insane?” The post begins:
“What is it about AOL mergers that make no sense?
“I’ve spent the morning intermittently reading various reports by the financial press about Verizon’s surprise/not surprise acquisition of AOL. Early on, they seem divided on whether it was about buying ad tech or content, with many pundits saying Verizon was going the Comcast route… and then it became clear that AOL’s biggest media asset, the Huffington Post, would likely be spun off. The press was similarly divided on whether or not Armstrong was long shopping this company or simply got wowed by how awesome Verizon is during a meeting at Sun Valley.
“But everyone — including the company– insists this deal was about two buzzwords: Mobile. Video. AOL put out some dizzying justifications and everyone nodded like they totally understood.
“Wait, what?”
Lacy doesn’t buy the idea that Verizon acquired AOL for its mobile and video chops (she has a point there). In fact, it quickly becomes clear that the writer’s main problem is with AOL chairman and ex-Googler Tim Armstrong, for she spends much virtual ink delineating his errors, past and present. (She’s especially critical of his handling of the Huffington Post.) Lacy also refutes official statements about this deal one by one, comparing the whole situation to a nonsensical Lewis Carroll scene. See the article if you, too, think this deal is fishy (or if, for some reason, you desire ammo against Mr. Armstrong.)
Cynthia Murrell, June 16, 2015
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
MovieGraph from Senzari Offers a Better Way to Find Movies
March 5, 2015
The article on Dataversity titled Creating Detailed Semantic Graphs Around Video Content with MovieGraph suggests a possible breakthrough in video sense making. MovieGraph is the platform of entertainment data company Senzari. Chief Operating Officer Demian M. Bellumio spoke to the methods utilized by MovieGraph, which include machine learning and an API for recommendations. The article continues to refer to Bellumio’s statements,
“Senzari focused on metadata while building MovieGraph. He also said that Senzari trained machine learning algorithms to break down the narratives of movies, extracting the data with precision across each element. The company designed their own matrix for cataloging movies; MovieGraph uses machine learning techniques to semantically tag and organize every movie and TV show across hundreds of dimensions. Senzari also added proprietary narrative features to MovieGraph such as setting, conflict, symbols or tones present in a film.”
The possibilities for recommendations seem much more targeted than the Netflix model, which often makes suggestion based on categories that are too wide and abstracted to be accurate. The article mentions that since Netflix only recently closed its public API, MovieGraph may be in a position to fill that gap. MusicGraph is also built to work with MusicGraph, another Senzari platform. Content creators in particular might find the crossover to be useful in terms of finding appropriate content for their projects.
Chelsea Kerwin, March 05, 2015
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Amidst the Google News, a Titbit about YouTube
February 26, 2015
The Wall Street Journal and then Web information services reported that YouTube is not making Google much money. Maybe none? I liked this comment in “YouTube Still Doesn’t Make Google Any Money”:
Google wants people to start coming to YouTube’s homepage in the same way they would turn on the TV — expecting that they’ll find consistently high-quality content on different channels. … The company also redesigned its homepage and tried to improve its video recommendation to hook users into staying longer.
Google has been wrestling with YouTube since 2006. Interesting that the company has not cracked the money problem in almost a decade. Do you know the difference between Google Videos and YouTube? Maybe an extra cost burden like owning two Bugatti Veyrons?
And, yes, I used the less common version of “titbit” which nudges the meaning of “scandal” in the sense of spending twice and getting no financial love in return.
Stephen E Arnold, February 26, 2015
Why Video Is Booming
January 8, 2015
I read “The Average College Freshman Reads at 7th Grade Level.” I find this fascinating. No wonder folks are baffled when it comes to framing a query using Boolean logic. Little wonder that youthful search “experts” are clueless about the antics of search vendors from the 1980s. These folks cannot and will not become the type of readers I encountered when I was in college in 1962.
The write up says:
“We are spending billions of dollars trying to send students to college and maintain them there when, on average, they read at about the grade 6 or 7 level, according to Renaissance Learning’s latest report on what American students in grades 9-12 read, whether assigned or chosen,” said education expert Dr. Sandra Stotsky.
I can think of many possible consequences of poor education. Today I am thinking about the interest young folks show in video. Why read when one can sit down and let the content flow to you.
In a more practical vein, those who cannot read will not be too keen on using information access systems that require a user to read content to locate needed information.
Exciting if you are pumping out videos. Not so exciting if you write books.
Stephen E Arnold, January 8. 2015
Ramp Brings Native Video to SharePoint
December 4, 2014
The biggest buzz in SharePoint right now relates to video. Ramp released a new native video component this week and CMS Wire covers all the details in their article, “Ramp Introduces Native Video For SharePoint #smwest.”
The article begins:
“Video for SharePoint or Office 365! Before this week, it was a pretty low key affair. Now Microsoft is launching a video service. And just yesterday, video experience provider Ramp released what it says is the first enterprise-class, self-service webcasting solution for SharePoint. The new native solution, developed by Ramp in partnership with Wowza Media Systems, will provide SharePoint users with a way of broadcasting live events by either Internet or intranet, whether that event is a schoolyard marbles tournament or a large-scale training webinar across different geographies.”
It seems a good trend that Microsoft and others are taking the need for dynamic content seriously within the realm of enterprise. Stephen E. Arnold has made a career out of following all things search, including enterprise, and reporting back on his Web service ArnoldIT.com. He even has a dedicated SharePoint feed to enable readers to more quickly track the latest happenings in the world of SharePoint, including the latest news on videos and dynamic content.
Emily Rae Aldridge, December 04, 2014
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