The Future of Surveillance
March 12, 2013
It seems ironic that video search is still terrible, but video-tracking of individuals is becoming very good. Scarily good, we learn from InfoWorld’s, “Nowhere to Hide: Video Location Tech has Arrived.” The International Computer Science Institute at UC Berkley, with funding from a U.S. intelligence agency, is quickly making progress on a project that should interest us all: They are devising a way to build location-centric databases by analyzing videos and photos posted online. This will allow users to determine where other videos and photos were shot, even when posters do not include any identifying information.
With this method, the development of which is being funded by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, visual and audial clues are analyzed and compared to samples for which the location is known. Something as seemingly neutral as a train whistle in the background has been used to pinpoint a location (Tokyo, in this case.) So far, 14 percent of the time, researchers are able to determine the location in which a video was shot to within 33 feet. Naturally, they intend to keep working on that percentage.
Reporter Bill Snyder, who visited the Institute, writes:
“Jaeyoung Choi, the lead researcher on the project, downloaded thousands of videos from Flickr that contain embedded geographical information. That data may include location tags (aka geotags), visual cues such as textures and colors, time stamps, and sounds such as birdsong. The attributes of a test video are then compared against these profiles, and its location is estimated. As more videos with embedded geographical information are downloaded, the researchers will use them to train the software to recognize more and more locations.”
Like a lot of technology, this development offers potential for both weal and woe. Combined with ever-improving and increasingly available facial recognition software. . . the capability is staggering. While it is true that such a tool could help our agents rid us of terrorists, it could also be used by repressive governments to target protesters. What happens when organized crime gets a hold of this? So much for witness protection. Or how could giant corporations use this? The possibilities are endless.
Now, I am not one to say we should hold up progress because of the potential for problems. We couldn’t if we wanted to. But, as Snyder concludes, our society needs to have a serious conversation about this “tagging of America,” before the technology surges way ahead of the public’s awareness.
Cynthia Murrell, March 12, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
dtSearch Harnesses TV Power
February 19, 2013
Written tutorial guides do not help visual learners, so when videos were added it became much easier to learn and troubleshoot with someone doing the process in “real time.” The dtSearch Corporation is a renowned software company, specializing in text search and spidering for desktops and networks along with a range of search products for enterprise search, and engines for Linux and Windows. The dtSearch Corporation decided it was time to take to the Internet TV waves and make their own tutorial videos. Several videos about dtSearch have been posted on eDiscovery TV-Law Meets Technology. Each of the videos walks users through how to use dtSearch and take advantage of its many features. The tutorial comes in five parts:
With eDiscovery becoming more prevalent in the legal world, dtSearch created AccessData: “AccessData provides court-validated, state-of-the-art computer forensics, eDiscovery and cyber security solutions. Built on its gold-standard forensics technology, Forensic Toolkit, AD eDiscovery is a comprehensive electronic discovery software solution. In addition, AccessData’s legal review technology, Summation, is used by more law firms than any other solution.” EDiscovery is working its way through the news and dtSearch does not want to be forgotten. These videos are instructional, but they could be a push for legal technology conference attendees.
Whitney Grace, February 19, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Google Wants Video Money
February 10, 2013
While this is kind of surprising, it also is not: “YouTube Set To Introduce Paid Subscriptions This Spring” comes from Adage. Rumors have been flying for years about users having to start paying for their Web content and it may happen with YouTube. This spring Google wants to make a little more cash from its video sharing service with paid subscriptions. Google is also trying to hook content producers, users’ attention spans, and advertisers away from the television. TV wars anyone?
YouTube has already asked some of its channel producers to create new channels where users paid a small monthly fee for access. The fee will range from $1-5 and it will not just be for a Web series, but also content libraries and live events.
“YouTube has been talking about the possibility of paid subscriptions for some time now. A year ago, at AllThingsD media conference, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar talked on stage about the potential to poach second- or third-tier cable networks that were having trouble building big enough audiences on cable TV to command subscription fees from distributors. Internet distribution, the thinking goes, would give some of these networks a more direct line to their passionate base with lower costs.”
Right now, Google and YouTube are treating this like experiment. The profits will be split 45-55, similar to how ads are already set up. Users do want different content and are willing to pay for it. But is it cheaper to pay a flat cable/dish fee for television, than individual channels on the Internet? The small data fees add up, trust me.
Whitney Grace, February 10, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
The Toping of YouTube
January 25, 2013
YouTube reigns supreme over Internet video distribution, but could its dominance be over in 2013? All Things D predicts in, “YouTube’s Reign Threatened By A Spotified Revolution, And Other Reel Truths For Video In 2013” that things are going to change this year. Internet video consumption and creation has grown considerably with the mobile market, but along with this record growth people are becoming more discerning where they get their content:
“People are still watching just as much video — but they are now looking to different sources on the Web. In the past five months there has been a 34 percent drop in the total volume of video consumed on YouTube compared with the rest of the Web. YouTube views peaked in June 2012 at 18.3 billion, but have since declined to 12 billion on November 2012. comScore’s Video Metrix measured total Web video views in June 2012 at 32.9 billion; fast-forward to November 2012 and total video views across the Web hit 40 billion. While YouTube lost about six billion views within that five-month period, the other half of Web video shot up by 13 billion.”
Other predictions include TV networks and other major media outlets will look for ways to gain more viewers by experimenting more with web content. Also no one has even tackled video discovery to meet the needs of mobile and social Web. Whoever creates that algorithm will be writing her or his own check. Google’s YouTube may see a steady stream of competition, but do not forget that Google is always planning and working on new projects. The search engine giant will not fall this year.
Whitney Grace, January 25, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Media Mogul Ribs Google Over Original YouTube Content
December 30, 2012
When can a $100 million investment be considered “cute”? When compared to an investment of billions, it seems. ReadWrite declares, “Time Warner CEO Thinks YouTube’s $100 Million Content Investment ‘Cute’.” At Business Insider’s recent Ignition conference, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes downplayed Google’s efforts, comparing them to his company’s $5 billion per year. D’oh!
Though Google‘s venture into original programming for YouTube has garnered a lot of attention in the tech community, big media players can be forgiven for seeing their investment as a paltry sum. Indeed, the coup Google is trying to pull off here would, upon close examination, seem nigh impossible. Writer Fruzsina Eördögh recalls the words of an anonymous “LA-based YouTube-centric executive”:
“This executive explained Google’s current funding comes out to ‘$1,000 a minute’ but ‘$1,000 a finished minute is not enough’ and requires you to pull ‘favors every time you do a shoot. If you’re just pulling a location permit in L.A., it’s going to cost you $900.’
“In order to produce the quality content Google wants – or at least quality the masses on YouTube want, the cost per minute needs to be ‘around $2,100,’ the exec said.
“To put things into even clearer perspective: Each episode of Showtime’s hit show Homeland costs $3 million to produce, roughly $50,000 a minute. Is Google really ready to compete with that?”
To which I submit, they very well might be! Google’s forte is finding novel ways of doing things. Sometimes their attempts work out, sometimes they don’t, but that try-it-and-perhaps-it-will-work spirit has elevated the company to its current lofty position. Google’s YouTube experiment might crash and burn, but it might also become a humongous success. Only time will tell.
Cynthia Murrell, December 30, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
YouTube Changes Search Rankings Algorithm
October 22, 2012
Slashgear.com recently published an article implying that page rank may be ineffective for some media types and that Google is becoming more like a traditonal TV network. According to “YouTube Search Rankings No Longer Based on Clicks” YouTube will base its search rank algorithm on the amount of time spent on each video instead of on the number of clicks to the video.
While this seems like a pretty accurate way of making sure that high quality content rises to the top of search rankings, it also has a lot of added financial benefits for YouTube.
The article states:
“Keeping people on the site longer means more advertising revenue for YouTube, so it’s a win-win situation, so long as you’re among the content creators who are putting out engaging videos. YouTube has even added a “Time Watched” report to analytics pages, so you can see which of your videos keep people watching and which ones are making people look elsewhere. YouTube says on the Creators Blog that it has “started” to adjust search engine results in this way, so it sounds like this feature will see a gradual roll out over the coming days.”
While this seems like a great idea initially, video creators are bound to find another way around this search algorithm. Perhaps they will start posting shorter videos in order to make sure that people will watch them to completion.
Jasmine Ashton, October 22, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
AOL Adds its Video Library to YouTube
October 14, 2012
Search Engine Watch recently reported on AOL’s new plan to syndicate nearly 20,000 videos on YouTube in the article, “AOL Puts Entire Original Video Library on 22 Monetized YouTube Channels.”
According to the article, this was mentioned this as a potential new revenue stream for the company. This deal is quite significant because it is merging together two of the largest video content properties, YouTube’s parent company Google and AOL.
The article states:
“According to comScore, Google sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, had 150,198,000 total unique viewers in August, who watched 13,772,310,000 videos for 443.4 minutes per viewer. By comparison, AOL Inc. had 45,685,000 total unique viewers that month, who watched 725,166,000 videos for 62.8 minutes per viewer.
In other words, YouTube reaches more than three times more unique viewers, who watch almost 19 times more videos for over seven times more minutes per month. If you were to represent their respective shares of the online video market, it would resemble a penny-farthing bicycle.”
By adding its video library to YouTube, AOL is able to reach a whole new audience of viewers. This is certainly a milestone for the online video industry.
Jasmine Ashton, October 14, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Original Content on YouTube
August 26, 2012
Move over ABC, CBS, and NBC: YouTube is doubling down on original content. We’ve written before about Google‘s push to infuse more premium media content into YouTube. Now, ReadWriteWeb informs us that “YouTube Premium Channel SourceFed Racks Up 500,000 Subscribers.”
The ad-supported SourceFed is the first of YouTube’s Original Channel Initiative projects to reach such success. It and other shows that demonstrate potential were produced by folks with experience building audiences through the site. SourceFed, for example, is the creation of six-year YouTube veteran Philip Defranco. The article relates:
“James Haffner, SourceFed’s producer, believes the channel’s success lies in a couple of factors: First, the channel provides ‘easily consumable’ content that’s also accessible on mobile devices (accounting for 50% of views). ‘We get to have fun every day, but at the same time, we inform people,’ Haffner said. And because each video is short, people can pick and choose among segments. Second, the way the four SourceFed show hosts interact with fans is key, because it fosters a sense of online community. ‘Our viewers treat us like we’re their best friends,’ Haffner explained.”
This relationship with viewers is exemplified by SourceFed’s self-congratulatory video, which features fans describing why they love the channel. It’s Experimental Theatre for the Internet world. Interesting.
Cynthia Murrell, August 26, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Minority Report Software Sifts Through Big Data
August 25, 2012
Yahoo!News recently reported on big data software that looks more like science fiction than fact in the article “Minority Report Software Hits the Real World.”
According to the article, scientist John Underkoffler developed the same interface as that appears in the 2002 Steven Spielberg sci-fi film “Minority Report”. The difference is, rather than using the technology to predict crime, the software is designed to sift through massive amounts of video and other data.
The article elaborates:
“Kwin Kramer, chief executive of Oblong, said the software can help in searching through “big data” for information. It can also create souped-up video-conference capabilities where participants share data from multiple devices like smartphones and tablets, integrated into a large video display.
“We think the future of computing is multiuser, multiscreen, multidevice,” Kramer told AFP. “This system helps with big workflow problems.”
This software allows you to move back in forth in time and zoom in to look at details. Exactly like the user experience in the movie. While gestural interfaces have been developed by other firms like Microsoft, this is far more sophisticated and will help businesses allow for better collaboration, visualization and analysis of large amounts of data.
Jasmine Ashton, August XX, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Will Video Inject New Revenue Into Venerable Kiplinger
August 17, 2012
Why just read advice when you can watch it? According to MSN Money’s article “blinkx Partners with Kiplinger for Personal Finance Wisdom” Kiplinger wants to go viral with their well-respected advice.
Most people think YouTube when they hear video, but blinkx has more than 35 million hours of audio and video content available with a customized search platform. Now they are combining with a company that holds the prestige of a well preserved antique in the world of finance wisdom.
Kiplinger is broadening blinkx’s financial horizon in hopes of expanding their viewer range:
“Kiplinger’s is one of the most trusted and well-respected sources for consumers seeking financial advice. Whether you’re a recent graduate coping with student loans or a parent looking for tips on tax breaks, our video library has helpful personal finance advice for you. We’re pleased to partner with blinkx to increase our exposure to new audiences and to make our video reports easily searchable for consumers around the world.”
Will video inject new revenue into the venerable Kiplinger? This noble company publishes the longest running newsletter in the US and is only one decade from the century mark. The print newsletters are not what they use to be and more presses collect dust every year.
This gosling does not think Kiplinger will receive any monumental renown via blinkx, but we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Kiplinger does deserve a 12 Honk salute for reaching antique status.
Jennifer Shockley, August 17, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
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