Talking to people with different opinions can make for a worthwhile experience and broadens your horizon. That's why I found my recent encounter doubly interesting as my dialog partner not only doesn't care about elaborately detailed customer profiles but considers them advantageous and a give and take situation. Welcome to the world of Thomas*, a civil servant in his mid-forties who takes everything in stride. That doesn't mean he has no clear opinion though.
Recently, when the news that the much-praised copy protection for Ultra HD Blu-ray had been cracked made the rounds, it likely brought a smirk to the face of many readers. For too long, users had listened to the industry that touted every new format as uncrackable - usually followed by pirated copies within a few days or weeks. Alas, this eternal game of The Tortoise and the Hare is only funny until you're personally affected - after all, it's the honest buyer that's left holding the bag.
Spyware, whether distributed by criminals, advertisers or even states, is a constant nuisance. Yet, some types have the technician in me marveling. Why? Because they're innovative and intelligently designed. Recently, I came upon an approach that might interest web users, supermarket shoppers and whistleblowers alike. A single sound can betray them all (with a little bad luck).
Recently, the ad industry was rattled at its core as Google announced they would be adding an ad blocker to Chrome in 2018 that will rigorously block invasive (obtrusive) ads. Why would a company like Google that makes millions off ads take such a step? All over the world, ad creators are frantically calling their lawyers while comment sections are overflowing with doom and gloom. Is Google taking the side of annoyed Internet users or are they simply using their market power to kill off rivals? Maybe both.
Recently, Microsoft's Build 2017, an annual developer conference, took place in Seattle and the company once again displayed their crown jewels along with big plans for the future (as always). With a Colgate smile, attendees were shown what smart services can do with cloud data - and data protection officials were probably reaching for their suicide pills right away. Video Indexer is a great example of how to leverage these new technologies and you can give it a try - if you dare. After all, Microsoft didn't lie when they spoke of a "democratization of surveillance tools".
