IBM: Smashing an Elbow Then a Choke. Tap Out!
November 13, 2020
I read a darned interesting article called “Professional Fighters League to Leverage IBM Technologies to Innovate Next-Gen Proprietary SmartCage.” The write up explains:
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league in the world, today announced it will be leveraging Flagship’s capabilities to deliver IBM’s suite of advanced cloud and AI products to enhance the league’s delivery of next-gen SmartCage data and analytics, both live in-broadcast and via the league’s OTT platform, Fight Central.
I think this means that the “boxing ring” becomes intelligent. Boxing is the “sweet science.” I did not know that boxing lacked intelligence. Hmmm.
The goal of harming an opponent will benefit from the tough minded IBM Watson. The article points out:
PFL’s proprietary SmartCage measures real-time MMA fighter performance analytics along with biometric and positional data providing fans with an elevated viewing experience. Moving forward, SmartCage fight data, called Cagenomics, will be enhanced with Watson machine learning to scour data points and uncover new insights for MMA fans, bringing them inside the cage like never before.
I thought IBM’s use of Watson to create a recipe book was a high water point for the high-technology giant. I have been stunned by Watson’s machoness. I am not even in the SmartCage.
Stephen E Arnold, November 13, 2020
New Truecaller Feature Announces Reason for Call
November 5, 2020
Caller ID app Truecaller has a new feature. Neowin informs us, “Truecaller Can Now Tell You Why the Caller is Calling Before You Pick Up the Call.” That sounds like clairvoyance—until we learn the feature relies on the caller inputting their reason. The feature is reasonably called Call Reason. Writer Abhishek Baxi reports:
“Last year, Truecaller had released a Call Alert feature that popped a notification when another Truecaller user was calling you – before the call is connected or rings. Now, Truecaller will announce not just the incoming call but also the reason for that call. The reason picker is available for all outgoing calls between one Truecaller user to another. Consumers can set three key reasons for an outgoing call. Before any call, a reason can be picked, edited, customized, and added or can even be skipped. … The company will offer Priority customers and verified businesses the ability to set a Call Reason. The feature will also be available to businesses using cloud telephony services.”
The feature is available now to Android users and should be available on iOS in the future. We’re told the company is also rolling out a couple of text messaging features—SMS Scheduling and SMS Translate, which supports 59 languages and is powered by Google machine learning.
Launched in 2009, Truecaller allows customers to know the “unknown” caller, block spam, avoid misdialing, and safely make payments. It has even been used to help solve crimes. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, the company also maintains offices in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Gurgaon, India; and Nairobi, Kenya.
Cynthia Murrell, November 5, 2020
Voyager Search Tapped for USDA Search and Discovery Project
November 4, 2020
Low-profile enterprise search company Voyager Search just made an important deal with a high-profile government agency. AIThority announces, “New Light Technologies and Voyager Search Team Win New Contracts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Implement Data Search and Discovery Solutions.” Voyager’s partner in the project, New Light Technologies (NLT), is a consulting firm working in the areas of cloud tech, cybersecurity, software development, data analytics, geospatial tech, and scientific R&D. The write-up reports:
“Access to accurate information is crucial to the department’s mission to support sustainable agriculture production and protection of natural resources. Both NLT and Voyager Search bring many years of experience developing award-winning federal data integration and dissemination platforms and will build federated data search solutions to index and link disparate cloud-based and on-prem data sources, including large repositories of imagery and geospatial data files that are used for a variety of analytical reporting and data dissemination systems, such as the Global Agricultural Information Network, Global Agricultural & Disaster Assessment System, Crop Explorer, and the Geospatial Data Gateway. Leveraging NLT and Voyager Search’s Professional Services Department and Vose technology which provides robust spatial search capabilities, the team’s solution will enable users to search for data, content, and documents by who, what, when, and where. Together, the team is providing the technology and services to advance a modern data architecture for the department that will support improved information flow, security, and analysis as well as power the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) of the future.”
“Voyager” is a popular name for a business, so do not confuse Voyager Search with other enterprises like digital innovation firm Voyager, manufacturer Voyager Industries, or even the Voyager Company that pioneered DC-ROM production back in the day. Vose is the name of Voyager Search’s platform that will be used for the USDA project, but the company also offers Server, essentially Vose for larger implementations, and ODN (Open Data Network), a searchable global-content catalog. Both products build on Vose’s “smart spatial search” technology. Based in Redlands, California, Voyager Search was founded in 2008.
Cynthia Murrell, November 4, 2020
Microsoft Security: Time for a Rethink
November 1, 2020
Not long ago, the Wall Street Journal ran this full page ad for a cyber security company named Intrusion:
The ad is interesting because it highlights the failure of cyber security. Evidence of this ineffective defense is revealed in reports from the FBI, Interpol, and independent researchers: Cyber crime, particularly phishing and ransomware, are increasing. There are hundreds of threat neutralizers, smart cyber shields, and a mind boggling array of AI, machine learning, and predictive methods which are not particularly effective.
“Microsoft 365 Administrators Fail to Implement Basic Security Like MFA” provides some interesting information about the state of security for a widely used software system developed by Microsoft.
The article reveals that researchers have found that 99 percent of breaches can be “prevented using MFA.” MFA is cyber lingo for multi-factor authentication. A common way to prove that a log on is valid is to use a password. But before the password lets the user into the system, a one time code is sent to a mobile phone. The user enters the code from the phone and the system lets the person access the system. Sounds foolproof.
The write up states:
The survey research shows that approximately 78% of Microsoft 365 administrators do not have multi-factor authentication (MFA) activated.
Another finding is that:
Microsoft 365 administrators are given excessive control, leading to increased access to sensitive information. 57% of global organizations have Microsoft 365 administrators with excess permissions to access, modify, or share critical data. In addition, 36% of Microsoft 365 administrators are global admins, meaning these administrators can essentially do whatever they want in Microsoft 365. CIS O365 security guidelines suggests limiting the number of global admins to two-four operators maximum per business.
Let’s step back. If the information in the write up is correct, a major security issue is associated with Microsoft’s software. With an increase in breaches, is it time to ask:
Should Microsoft engage in a rethink of its security methods?
We know that third party vendors are not able to stem the tide of cyber crime. A security company would not buy a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal to call attention to failure if it were just marketing fluff. We know that Microsoft admins and Microsoft apps are vulnerable.
Perhaps shifting the burden from the software and cloud vendor to the user is not the optimal approach when one seeks to make security more effective and efficient. The shift is probably more economical for Microsoft; that is, let the customer carry the burden.
Some Microsoft customers may push back and say, “Wrong.” Perhaps regulators will show more interest in security if their newfound energy for taking action against monopolies does not wane? Over to the JEDI knights.
Stephen E Arnold, November 1, 2020
Open Source: A New Slogan Emerges. No Poster Art Yet
October 23, 2020
I read “Huawei’s Open Source Innovation Inspired by Of All, By All, for All.” Interesting. Microsoft is interested in open source. Amazon is semi interested in open source. Google is probably still interested in open source unless the team working on open source lost interest. But Huawei? Huawei is interested in open source. The write up reports:
Huawei has acknowledged the importance of open source and the role it plays in accelerating innovation within the software industry, stating that ecosystems such as openEuler, openGauss, openLooKeng, and MindSpore have created an ecosystem of open source basic software projects….The openEuler, openGauss, openLooKeng and MindSpore open source communities are all ‘led’ by Huawei as the company seeks to lay the groundwork for full-stack hardware and software collaboration.
Does Huawei’s support of open source fit into the strategic plan for Chinese technology?
The article provides a partial answer:
Huawei Cloud & AI Open Source business general manager Du Junping says that open source enables organizations to create innovation and value in an environment that is ‘open, fair, transparent, and secure’. Huawei says it is inspired by the mindset of fostering a sustainable, open source basic software ecosystem ‘Of All, By All, For All’.
Catchy: Of all, by all, for all. Very egalitarian and kumbaya-ish. Is it similar to “Smash the gang of four” or “Have fewer children, raise more pigs”? No, of course not.
Stephen E Arnold, October 23, 2020
Buzzwords and Baloney: Insecurity Signals? No Way. Do You Like My Hair?
October 22, 2020
People like to sound smart and impressive. The belief is if they appear smart and impressive they will rub shoulders with the best of the best. The Next Web says otherwise in the article: “Using Jargon To Sound Smart? Science Says You’re Just Insecure.”
Apparently people who use too much jargon-use are insecure. Relying on a specialized vocabulary momentarily inflates their ego. This long known truth was proven by the study “Compensatory Conspicuous Communication: Low Status Increases Jargon Use.” The study found that professionals low on the corporate ladder used more acronyms in their written communication and relied on jargon usage when interacting with higher ranks.
All industries have their jargon, but it is alienating to people outside the specific industry. It is even more alienating to others within the industry, because if they are unfamiliar with the term they will not admit it.
Does this mean people on every corporate ladder rung has insecurity? Yup.
Unfortunately you cannot beat jargon users so it is better to join the herd:
“As much as it’s annoying and superfluous, jargon is unlikely to go away. So you literally have two choices: you can embrace it or ignore it. I’m of the opinion that if you can’t beat them, you join them. How? By using a technology bullsh*t generator — yes, you’ve read that correctly. This tool won’t change your life but you’ll definitely have some fun.”
Another fun thing to do with jargon enthusiasts is make up words. It takes practice, but if you speak confidently enough you will soon be “proclaving” [sic] people. Cloudify too.
Whitney Grace, October 23, 2020
Freeware Tool GT4T for Translating Text
October 20, 2020
Here is a more efficient solution for those translating from one (human) language to another. Ghacks.net suggests we “Translate Microsoft Office Documents or Text from Any Word Editor and Get Dictionary Definitions Instantly with GT4T.” Writer Ashwin explores the freeware tool and takes us along for the ride with instructions and plenty of screenshots. He writes:
“Translating is no easy task, it requires precision, and you may be constantly looking up words that you don’t know or are unsure about. Opening up the browser every few seconds isn’t going to be productive either if you are working in desktop programs, e.g. Microsoft Word. GT4T is a freeware tool that can help translate text from any word editor quickly. The name stands for Google Translate for Translators, and obviously the program requires an internet connection to work. It does support other translation services, more on this later. The application doesn’t have a GUI window to work with. Instead, it runs in the background, you can access it using a couple of keyboard shortcuts.”
The write-up walks us through setting up the app with the languages one is working with and describes how to translate text in any program. One important caveat—GT4T replaces the original text (in the document and on the clipboard) with the translation, so users will want to save the original version separately. The tool supports the following services, and provides a way to switch between them: Google Neural, Microsoft Translator, Youdao, Yandex, Google Phrase Based, DeepL Pro, Baidu, Tencent, Sogou, CloudTranslation, NiuTrans, Systran, TradooIT, and Papago.
Ashwin describes the pop-up dictionary function and tells us how to create custom profiles with specified languages for different projects. GT4T is available for Mac and Windows, though it does not have a version tailored to mobile devices. Users may notice a “Snore Toast” shortcut in Windows’ Start menu—do not be alarmed, we’re advised, that is just to display toast notifications related to the tool.
Cynthia Murrell, October 20, 2020
IBM Watson: Can AI Have Trouble Finding a True Friend?
October 19, 2020
It appears that IBM’s super computer Watson is dealing with loneliness during the global pandemic, because the Daily Mail shares: “Artificial Intelligence Can Detect How Lonely You Are With 94 Percent Accuracy Just By Analyzing Your Speech Patterns.”
Researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine studied the speech patterns of older adults when they discussed loneliness. Using AI that included IBM’s Watson, the researchers analyzed how participants spoke including words, phrases, and silence gaps. They discovered that AI algorithms were almost as accurate as self-reports and questionnaires.
The researchers discovered that lonely people usually have long respires when discussing loneliness and express more sadness in their responses. The problem with self-reports and questionnaires (also completed by individuals) are often biased, because of stigma associated with loneliness.
To avoid bias, the researchers used natural language processing specially designed as a quantitative assessment of expressed emotion and sentiment combined with the usual loneliness diagnostic tools. The project did the following:
“Participants were also interviewed during personal conversations, which were taped and manually transcribed. Transcripts were then examined using natural language processing tools, including IBM’s Watson Natural Language Understanding (WNLU) software, to quantify sentiment and expressed emotions. WNLU uses deep learning to extract metadata from keywords, categories, sentiment, emotion and syntax. ‘Natural language patterns and machine learning allow us to systematically examine long interviews from many individuals and explore how subtle speech features like emotions may indicate loneliness,’ said first author Varsha Badal at UCSD. ‘Similar emotion analyses by humans would be open to bias, lack consistency and require extensive training to standardize.’”
The AI predicted with 94% accuracy self-acknowledged loneliness and quantitative loneliness with 76%. In the future, mental health professionals may use AI algorithms with natural language processing to diagnosis and record loneliness. It would be more accurate without the self-bias and could lead to better treatment.
Whitney Grace, October 18, 2020
Another Crazy Enterprise Search Report
October 18, 2020
“Enterprise Search Market Investment Analysis | Dassault Systemes, Oracle, HP Autonomy, Expert System Inc.” may be a knock out report, but its presentation of the company’s nuanced understanding is like hitting an egg with a feather. The effort appears to be there, but the result is an intact egg.
You can learn about this omelet of a report at this link. The publisher is PRnewsleader, which seems to be one of the off brand SEO centric content outputters.
The first thing I noticed about this report was the list of vendors in the document; to wit:
Coveo Corp.
Dassault Systèmes
Esker Software
Expert System
HP Autonomy
IBM Corp.
Lucidworks
Marklogic
Microsoft
Oracle
Perceptive Software
Polyspot and Sinequa
SAP
What jumped out at me was the inclusion of Polyspot and Sinequa. Polyspot was acquired years ago by an outfit called oppScience. The company offers Bee4Sense and list information retrieval as a solution. As far as I know, oppScience is a company based in Paris, not on a street once known for fish sales. Sinequa is a separate company. True, it once positioned itself as an enterprise search developer. That core capability has been wrapped in buzzwordery; for example, “insight platform.” Therefore, listing two companies incorrectly as one illustrates a minor slip up.
I also noticed the inclusion of Esker Software. This company is a process automation outfit, and it says that it has an artificial intelligence capability. (Doesn’t every company today?) Esker is into the cloud, and its search technology is a bullet point, not the white paper/journal article/rah rah approach used by Lucidworks.
And what about Elasticsearch? What about Algolia (former Dassault Exalead DNA I heard)? What about Voyager Search? What about Maxxcat? And there are other vendors.
What’s amusing is that the authors of this report are able to set forth:
forecasts for Enterprise Search investments till 2029.
Okay, that’s almost a decade in the Era of the Rona. I am not sure what’s going on tomorrow. Predicting search in 2029 is Snow Crash territory. But I am confident the authors of this report are intrepid researchers who just happened to overlook the Polyspot Sinequa mistake. What else has been overlooked?
Stephen E Arnold, October 18, 2020
Amazon Policeware: Is the Online Bookseller a Corporate Nation State with Policeware?
October 12, 2020
Who knows if the statements in “Leaked: Confidential Amazon Memo Reveals New Software to Track Unions.” Would a company create policeware to spy on employees? Possibly, but DarkCyber thinks that Amazon’s policeware is simply being repurposed. The Bezos bulldozer is a digital nation state, and some governance methods embrace data gathering, analytics, and predictive outputs. The idea is to be in front of trends, actions, and groups. Nothing new about this.
The write up, however, revels in the “confidential” document and places it in a zippy socio-political context. DarkCyber noted this passage:
The new tool would also track other non-union threats to the company, like crime and weather.
The operative word is “new.” In our analysis of Amazon’s policeware and intelware innovations, the “new” mischaracterizes products, services, partnerships, and features under development for more than a decade. My Amazon policeware lectures for the 2020 National Cyber Crime Conference plus some other presentations for LE and intel professionals have walked through some of the capabilities of the AWS policeware platform. (Want to know more? Write benkent2020 at yahoo dot com. Options and prices will be provided to qualified inquirers.)
The write up reports:
The new technology system — called the geoSPatial Operating Console, or SPOC — would help the company analyze and visualize at least around 40 different data sets, the memo says. Among them are many related to unions, including “Whole Foods Market Activism/Unionization Efforts,” “union grant money flow patterns,” “and “Presence of Local Union Chapters and Alt Labor Groups.” Additionally, one of the potential use cases for the tool is described in the memo as “The Union Relationship Map,” though no other details are provided.
Snappy name but the plumbing is in operation. Here’s a test question for the intrepid “real” journalists bandying the word “new” hither and yon. “What cloud service provides the back end, content processing, and other analytic features for GeoSpark Analytics?” You have one minute to write your answer in your blue book.
And where, pray tell, is the source document?
Interesting but the Amazon policeware and intelware platform is overlooked. Why? One does not know what one does not know I presume.
Stephen E Arnold, October 12, 2020
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