Amazon Product Fulfillment in a Post Brexit World: Red Tape, Higher Costs, and Smaller Markets for Some Sellers
July 20, 2020
You are a merchant. Let’s say you import products from countries in the orbit of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok. The goods arrive, and you trundle them off to an Amazon Fulfillment Center or AFC, which is part of the Fulfillment by Amazon subsystem. This is called FBA.
Amazon has a big fulfillment operation in the UK. Who doesn’t like those Thursday trips to London, a day of meetings, and then the post Covid thrill of looking at pigeons in Trafalgar Square? Home in time for Monday meetings too.
Nope. The Bezos bulldozer is changing in order to adapt to what looks like Brexit and some UK – EU tensions. (Alternatively the Amazon managers are testing how to go about breaking “stuff” up. A dry run, maybe like the Twitter security probe by alleged script kiddies?)
The Amazon announcement appears in Tamebay in an article called with remarkable sonorousness “Amazon FBA Brexit Bombshell – EFN and Pan-European FBA ends for UK.” Those lucky British Amazon sellers get a smaller market as a bonus: 60 million versus 400 million in round numbers.
I mention the write up because it looks at an Amazon wiggle through a quite narrow lens. Even the Ripper drone takes a broader view of surveilled actions.
This mindset may be useful when assessing the FBA EFN acronym fiesta.
Stephen E Arnold, July 20, 2020
Google May Want to Spin Up Some New Jargon
July 20, 2020
Marketwatch published “Barr Blasts Apple and Google As All Too Willing to Cooperate with China.” The report states:
The criticism of U.S. companies came amid a broad speech on China, in which Barr said the Chinese Communist Party was seeking to “make the world safe for dictatorship” and accused China of waging an “economic blitzkrieg” against the U.S. in a bid for global dominance.
How has Google responded? We noted “Google’s Mission Is to Get Technology to More People: Sundar Pichai”, which is a short video. The article stated:
Google and Jio “would work together to increase internet access for millions of Indians, who do not currently have a smartphone, while improving the mobile experience for all.”
With testimony looming before Congress, Google’s alleged “fraternizing” with a country on the radar of the Attorney General and positioning investments in India as a way to improve “the mobile experience for all” does not capture several nuances about the 21st century of the Google:
- Google needs eyeballs to sell ads in order to keep Wall Street and stakeholders content. So “advertising.”
- Google appears to be keen on finding some way to generate revenue directly or on the periphery of the “China market.” So a country Google suggested change cannot kick the habit of thinking about revenue from the world’s largest market.
- Google seems somewhat disconnected from the increased scrutiny individuals like Mr. Barr are giving the company with the great booth give away: A Googley mouse pad.
Net net: A different PR spin may be needed. Hint: “For all” may connote Google advertising.
Stephen E Arnold, July 20, 2020
Microsoft Policeware in the Line Up of Vendors of Interest
July 20, 2020
The Intercept published “The Microsoft Police State: Mass Surveillance, Facial Recognition, and the Azure Cloud.” Better late than never, “real” news about Microsoft’s race to catch up to Amazon and other specialist vendors is helpful.
The article uses the NYPD and other departments as examples of enforcement entities interested in Microsoft technology.
- And the write up explains these as evidence of a “police state” operated by the Softies in Redmond:
- A Domain Awareness System run from the Azure cloud. Not a Banjo duplicate, but close enough for horseshoes.
- An Internet of Things MAPP patrol car and a connected officer
- Robots like the Jack Russell and the LT2-F Bloodhound
- Smart software which seems similar to the ZTE installations in Quito, Ecuador
- Facial recognition technology, which has become the poster child for questionable technology.
Several observations:
- Other vendors are in the game as well, and several are providing more sophisticated solutions. Intercept’s focus seems, how shall I put it, narrow
- In my talks at the National Cyber Crime conference this week I put one theme in each of my three lectures: “Smart software is the best bet for restoring parity between bad actors and law enforcement.” Maybe the NYPD and other departments should abandon technology trials, experiments, and acquisitions to make the social fabric so much better
- The purpose of the Intercept write up seems bifurcated. On one hand, the Microsoft capabilities struck me as a check list from a marketing sales presentation. On the other hand, law enforcement is not behaving the way the Intercept believes the police, regulators, and investigators should. Mixed message? Cognitive dissonance? Bias?
Net net: Technology and smart software are essential tools for the foreseeable future.
Stephen E Arnold, July 20, 2020
Twitter: Remediation or Yoga Babble?
July 20, 2020
I read “An Update on Our Security Incident.” The author is someone at Twitter. That’s reassuring to Mr. Obama, some bitcoin users, and maybe a friend from high school.
The “cause” was:
attackers targeted certain Twitter employees through a social engineering scheme.
Now remember this is an outfit which makes it possible to output information that can have an immediate and direct impact of individuals, organizations, and institutions. This is not a disgruntled student passing out mimeographed pages in the lunch room about the upcoming school dance in the aforementioned high school auditorium.
The cause was an organizational structure similar to a prom fund raising event at the Governor Dummer Academy. Hence:
The attackers successfully manipulated a small number of employees and used their credentials to access Twitter’s internal systems, including getting through our two-factor protections.
And not to worry. Only 130 Twitter accounts were “accessed.” No problem, mom, Mr. Obama’s account was not improperly used by “the attackers.” Really, Mom. Honest.
Let’s stop.
What was the cause?
The cause was a large and influential company failed to recruit, train, and monitor employees. That company did not have in place sufficient safeguards for its core administrative tools. That company does not have a full time chief executive officer. That company does not have a mechanism to know what is going on when the core administrative tools are used in an anomalous manner by an outsider.
That’s why the company was attacked and there are a few other reasons which seem highly probable to the DarkCyber research team:
- The alleged individual attacker or his shadow supporters wanted to demonstrate how one of the more influential social media companies could be successfully compromised
- The alleged individual attacker was testing systems and methods which could be used against or again to obtain access to an important channel of unmonitored real time data
- The alleged individual attacker was just one of those lone wolf hackers who sit up at night and decide which barn to set on fire.
Once again we have a good example of high school science club management.
The explanation is not going to reassure some people, maybe the former president of the United States? The explanation dances around the core issue: Mismanagement and a failure of governance.
High tech “cuteness” has become a pink Hello, Kitty line of polyester hipster T shirts.
Hey, Twitter. A “dog ate my homework” explanation misses what the breach reveals about management expertise.
Stephen E Arnold, July 20, 2020
PR from Technology Firms: No Kidding?
July 19, 2020
I read “Inside Big Tech’s Years-Long Manipulation Of American Op-Ed Pages.” The write up explains in a couple of hundred words that high technology firms practice the craft of public relations.
I noted this statement:
In the policy world, planting op-eds from ‘independent’ third parties is so common it has a name: “Grasstops,” a word derived from grassroots. Grasstops advocacy is not limited to the tech giants, but these companies and their allies are especially adept at using the practice to fight off regulation. As antitrust inquiries against them build in the US, it’s worth reading op-eds supporting their positions with healthy skepticism.
Why’s this taking place? Maybe one of these statements is the reason:
- High-tech outfits give away neat stuff like mouse pads. The recipient feels special with said mouse pad.
- News organizations have zero incentive to check sources because high-tech is just so cool
- News organizations have been gutted because ad revenue has been absorbed by high-tech companies
- News organizations hire people who really want to work for a high-tech company
- Reporters have been replaced by “ready to use” content prepared by PR firms paid by high-tech companies.
What an interesting list of reasons for disinformation to flow like the sparkling clean water in the Ohio River. Yes, you can drink it too.
Yummy.
Stephen E Arnold, July 19, 2020
Facebook Ascendant: Will the NSO Group Documents Become Public?
July 18, 2020
Exciting news for the highly ethical outfit Facebook. According to Bloomberg, a “real” news outfit:
WhatsApp and its parent Facebook Inc. can press ahead with a lawsuit accusing Israeli spyware maker NSO Group of creating accounts to send malware to mobile phones of 1,400 people to snoop on them.
The story “Facebook Beats NSO’s Attempt to Crush WhatsApp Malware Suit” is thin on context. Note: The item is behind a paywall and may not be available to some people.
Will the legal action result in public access to documents about NSO’s “practices”?
DarkCyber will be interested to learn how this case unfolds. The “documents” may be particularly interesting. One question which DarkCyber has may be answered: “Did Facebook attempt to hire NSO Group or license its specialized software?”
Stephen E Arnold, July 17, 2020
Arnold and Steele: Twitter Incident
July 17, 2020
Robert Steele, a former CIA professional, and I discuss the Twitter breach. Mr. Steele takes a broader view; I focus on specific operational actions by regulatory and enforcement entities. We disagreed on some points, but at the end of the 20 minute conversation, we agreed on a broad principle. Action is needed.
You can view the program which has been viewed more than 7,000 times since July 16, 2020.
Stephen E Arnold, July 17, 2020
Outvoxed: The Perils of New Age Publishing in Time of Rona
July 17, 2020
CNBC which continues to delight with “real news” published “Vox Media Preparing Round of Layoffs As Business Fails to Improve Amid Coronavirus Pandemic.”
DarkCyber’s reaction was, “How can this be? So hip, so with it, so confident with its flagship podcast. So very Silicon Valley.”
The write up reports:
Vox was 40% off its revenue forecast for the second quarter and plans to miss its full-year target by 25%
Yikes.
CNBC continued:
Vox furloughed about 100 employees in April, or 9% of its staff, until July 31 as Covid-19 affected advertising budgets. Many of the furloughed workers who haven’t already taken buyouts will be laid off, according to a person familiar with the matter. These employees primarily work for parts of Vox that were especially hit hard by the Pandemic, such as SBNation, Curbed and the company’s events group. There are likely to be additional job cuts, two people said.
One possible bright spot is the over talkers program billed as Pivot. Maybe the Pivot for fee educational series will raise the Vox in exaltation.
The Rona Era may inflict further unpleasantness on informed individuals. DarkCyber particularly enjoys the management suggestions Vox experts articulate.
Well, CNBC is reporting news. Vox just makes the news.
Stephen E Arnold, July 17, 2020
Google Has Done It: A New Microsoft Office in Gmail
July 17, 2020
I read “Gmail Redesign Turns It into a One-Stop Productivity Suite.” After 20 years of Office envy, the Googlers have crafted a way to out Office office. I have often wondered why Word’s many features are beyond my ken. I have marveled at Powerpoint’s fascinating interface, and I enjoy Excel’s propensity to generate erroneous results. Hey, it is just rounding stuff. Worry not!) Here’s how the new Office shakes out:
- The old Office stuff
- Video conferencing
- Many, many Google helpers like the remarkable Calendar.
Yep, the good old Microsoft Office has met its match for now. Everyone wants to spend his or her day within the fleshy arms of Mother Google and under her watchful gaze. Confidentiality anyone?
Stephen E Arnold, July 17, 2020
Off the Shelf Fancy Math
July 17, 2020
Did you wish you were in the Student Union instead of the engineering lab? Did you long for hanging out with your besties instead of sitting in the library trying to get some answer, any answer to a differential equation? Answer “yes” to either question, and you will enjoy “Algorithms Are Now Commodities.” The write up states:
Algorithms are now like the bolts in a bridge: very important, but nobody talks about them. Today developers talk about story points, features, business logic, etc. Given a well-defined problem, many are now likely to search for an existing package, rather than write code from scratch (I certainly work this way). New algorithms are still being invented, and researchers continue to look for improvements to existing algorithms. This is a niche activity. There are companies where algorithms are not commodities.
The author points out:
Algorithms have not yet completed their journey to obscurity, which has to wait until people can tell computers what they want and not be concerned about the implementation details (or genetic algorithm programming gets a lot better).
With productized code modules proliferating like Star Trek’s Tribbles, math is on the way to the happy condition of a mouse click.
One commenter pointed out:
This is as misguided as a chef claiming recipes are now commodities, and the common chef need not be familiar with any. As with cooking, any organized programming of a machine necessarily involves algorithms, although lesser programmers won’t notice them.—Verisimilitude
This individual then pointed out:
The ‘chefs’ in most restaurants heat precooked components of a meal and combine them on the plate. Progress requires being able to treat what used to be important as commonplace.
An interesting topic. Amazon among others is pushing hard to the “off the shelf” and “ready to consume” approach to a number of computer centric functions.
Push the wrong button, then what? An opportunity to push another button and pay again. Iteration is the name of the game, not figuring out mere exercise problems.
Stephen E Arnold, July 16, 2020
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
