HonkinNews Dark Cyber for December 5, 2017, Now Available
December 5, 2017
The December 5, 2017, Dark Cyber program includes three stories and one feature. If you were wondering if the Dark Web offered high-value content, you will find our report about the New York Times useful. The “nation’s newspaper” or the “Gray Lady” to some has a Dark Web site. Dark Cyber asks two questions about this surprising online move. Uber is a popular, controversial, and litigation magnet. For those who depend on Uber, the fact that valid Uber accounts are available for purchase on the Dark Web may be troubling. Dark Cyber adds to the concern by pointing to Surface Web sites which also sell stolen Uber accounts. Free rides on someone else’s account my sound like a good idea. The reality is that you may be violating one or more laws if your dabble in stolen Uber accounts. The feature this week answers in part the question, “Exactly what type of reports does a high-end intelligence analysis system provide to an authorized user?” Dark Cyber uses reports generated by Tovek, an intelligence software and services firm based in Prague, for the answer. As you review the outputs, please, keep in mind that Dark Cyber has intentionally blurred the images for security. Pay particular attention to the mapping of a person of interest’s travel data. The final story for December 5, 2017, is a quick look at what a consumer newspaper revealed about Google Chrome browser’s “incognito” mode. If you thought your online behaviors were hidden from monitoring, you may want to think about what Google Chrome Incognito does not do for its users. You can view the program at this link https://youtu.be/LwGDBczVj10
Kenny Toth, December 5, 2017
Google: Hostile Climate?
December 4, 2017
I read “Periods of Misconduct by Google Leadership Has Reportedly Lead to a Hostile Climate Internally.” These days it can be difficult to determine what is verifiable and what is speculation or sour grapes.
The write up makes a claim which I found surprising; to wit:
it appears that relationships and misconduct had by leadership within the company has created a hostile climate, primarily for female employees…
The basis for the assertion is an article in the online publication “The Information.”
Some high profile names are referenced in the write up; for example, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and David Drummond.
I recognize some of these names. The article also references the “culture of allowed disobedience” which may be “in the world of technology.”
The original article in The Information is available at this link. Note that one has to enter an email address to access the source which originally reported about the management approach actualized at Google.
Interesting if true. One wonders if Russia’s possible private Internet for BRICS will embrace Google. I am wonder if others will have warm and fuzzy feelings toward Google if the assertions are accurate.
We live in interesting times. Management appears to have evolved since I first noticed Backrub in the late 1990s. Backrub? Now that’s an interesting moniker, isn’t it?
Stephen E Arnold, December 4, 2017
Big Data and Search Solving Massive Language Processing Headaches
December 4, 2017
Written language can be a massive headache for those needing search strength. Different spoken languages can complicate things when you need to harness a massive amount of data. Thankfully, language processing is the answer, as software architect Federico Thomasetti wrote in his essay, “A Guide to Natural Language Processing.”
According to the story:
…the relationship between elements can be used to understand the importance of each individual element. TextRank actually uses a more complex formula than the original PageRank algorithm, because a link can be only present or not, while textual connections might be partially present. For instance, you might calculate that two sentences containing different words with the same stem (e.g., cat and cats both have cat as their stem) are only partially related.
The original paper describes a generic approach, rather than a specific method. In fact, it also describes two applications: keyword extraction and summarization. The key differences are:
- the units you choose as a foundation of the relationship
- the way you calculate the connection and its strength
Natural language processing is a tricky concept to wrap your head around. But it is becoming a thing that people have to recognize. Currently, millions of dollars are being funneled into perfecting this platform. Those who can really lead the pack here will undoubtedly have a place at the international tech table and possibly take over. This is a big deal.
Patrick Roland, December 4, 2017
Google Maps Misses the Bus
December 4, 2017
Google Maps is the preferred GPS system for millions of people. It uses real-time information to report accidents and stay updated on road conditions. It is great when you are driving or walking around a city, but when it comes to public transportation, especially to the airports, Google ignores it. City Lab discusses, “Why Doesn’t Google Maps Know The Best Way To the Airport?”
Speaking from personal experience on a recent trip to New York City, I had to get from Queens to LaGuardia airport. Google Maps took me the most roundabout way possible, instead of routing me to direct trains and buses. Google’s directions may have required less train switching, but it took me in the opposite direction of my destination.
Google Maps has a problem listing airport specific transportation in its app, but it really should not be a problem.
As Google describes things, putting those city-to-terminal routes into its mapping apps shouldn’t be that hard. A transit operator has to apply to be listed in Google Transit, publish its schedule in the standard General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format, and have Google run some quality tests on that feed before factoring it into directions.
But some smaller transit operations don’t get to the first step. They don’t even know it’s an option.
Transportation services may not know how to be added to Google, but Google also not reached out to them. Historically, Google has only reached out to large transportation entities, because it meant more business on their end. Google also has this weird clause transportation services need to sign before their information is added to Google Maps. It alleviates Google from “any defects in the data” and it sounds like Google does not want to be held responsible for misinformation displayed on Google Maps.
Whitney Grace, December 4, 2017
Thomson Reuters Pays for Sales Calls?
December 3, 2017
Navigate to this Thomson Reuters’ Web page. The eDiscovery unit of the professional publishing company is paying $50 for a sales meeting. I learned about this because Thomson Reuters is using Google advertising to snag potential customers who run queries for “ediscovery.”
You won’t get cash money, but you get an Amazon gift card. There are some caveats, of course. You have to fill out a form and attend a meeting. I assume that Thomson Reuters wants to pay real live attorneys to listen to whatever the TR Legal Solutions professional has to say. Such a deal. I wonder if eDiscovery leads are that difficult to surface. My hunch is that when a top law firm sells out or closes up shop, the pool of eDiscovery prospects is roiled. Remarkable. If the link doesn’t resolve, a senior manager may have been as stunned as I was. Paying cash to lawyers to listen to a sales presentation. Yikes.
Stephen E Arnold, December 3, 2017
A Tale of Two Seattle Outfits: One Zippy, One Not So Zippy
December 1, 2017
I read “Microsoft Corporation Stacks the Deck Against AWS with Azure Stack.” The main idea from my point of view is:
Piper Jaffray analyst Alex Zukin said in a note this week that he believes Azure Stack will play a major role in the growth of Microsoft’s cloud business. He describes Azure Stack as “the first hybrid cloud platform with a direct connection to a pure hyperscale cloud,” which enables developers to “write once and use anywhere.”
Maybe so. I noted that Amazon is democratizing smart software with Sagemaker. (Hopefully it will do better than the company which used the name in the 1990s.) Also, Amazon is nosing into “real time” translation.
Amazon strikes me as having a better business model, more innovative consumer and enterprise products, and richer sustainable revenue streams.
Oh, Microsoft is going to do games which, I assume, someone will play on the wonky Surface desktop computer.
Stephen E Arnold, December 1, 2017
Microsoft Bing Has the Last AI Laugh
December 1, 2017
Nobody likes Bing, but because it is a Microsoft product it continues to endure. It chugs along as the second most used search engine in the US, but apparently first is the worst and second is the best for creating a database of useful information for AI. India News 24 shares that, “Microsoft Bing: The Redmond Giant’s Overlooked Tool” is worth far more than thought.
Every day millions of users use Bing by inputting search queries as basic keywords, questions, and even images. In order to test an AI algorithm, huge datasets are needed so the algorithm can learn and discover patterns. Bing is the key to creating the necessary datasets. You also might be using Bing without knowing it as it powers Yahoo search and is also on Amazon tablets.
All of this has helped Microsoft better understand language, images and text at a large scale, said Steve Clayton, who as Microsoft’s chief storyteller helps communicate the company’s AI strategy. It is amazing how Bing serves a dual purpose:
Bing serves dual purposes, he said, as a source of data to train artificial intelligence and a vehicle to be able to deliver smarter services. While Google also has the advantage of a powerful search engine, other companies making big investments in the AI race – such as IBM or Amazon – do not.
Amazon has access to search queries centered on e-commerce, but when it comes to everything else that is not available in one of their warehouses. This is where Bing comes in. Bing feeding Microsoft’s AI projects has yet to turn a profit, but AI is still a new market and new projects are always being worked on.
Whitney Grace, December 1, 2017
Watson Works with AMA, Cerner to Create Health Data Model
December 1, 2017
We see IBM Watson is doing the partner thing again, this time with the American Medical Association (AMA). I guess they were not satisfied with blockchain applications and the i2 line of business after all. Forbes reports, “AMA Partners With IBM Watson, Cerner on Health Data Model.” Contributor Bruce Japsen cites James Madera of the AMA when he reports that though the organization has been collecting a lot of valuable clinical data, it has not yet been able to make the most of it. Of the new project, we learn:
The AMA’s ‘Integrated Health Model Initiative’ is designed to create a ‘shared framework for organizing health data , emphasizing patient-centric information and refining data elements to those most predictive of achieving better outcomes.’ Those already involved in the effort include IBM, Cerner, Intermountain Healthcare, the American Heart Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Informatics Association. The initiative is open to all healthcare and information stakeholders and there are no licensing fees for participants or potential users of what is eventually created. Madara described the AMA’s role as being like that of Switzerland: working to tell companies like Cerner and IBM what data elements are important and encouraging best practices, particularly when patient care and clinical information is involved. The AMA, for example, would provide ‘clinical validation review to make sure there is an evidence base under it because we don’t want junk,’ Madara said.
IBM and Cerner each have their own healthcare platforms, of course, but each is happy to work with the AMA. Japsen notes that as the healthcare industry shifts from the fee-for-service approach to value-based pricing models, accurate and complete information become more crucial than ever.
Cynthia Murrell, December 1, 2017
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