Killer Drones – Safety or Defence

Skynet is here and it’s in the shape of Killer Drones. For those not aware Skynet is, according to trusty old wikipedia:

“Skynet is a fictional artificial neural network-based conscious group mind and artificial general superintelligence system that serves as the antagonistic force of the Terminator franchise.”

Skynet is a computer programme that became self aware. With full access to all of the weapons known to man and tries to wipe out mankind. Then in the future finds out the way to kill mankind is too make robots that look just like them.

What if we told you that, automated killing machines, that have minds of their own. Isn’t too far off real life?

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

So basically unmanned aerial vehicles or drones are commonly used for search-and-rescue missions when disasters occur. They, most often, take aerial imagery of structural damage.

Would a drone capable of tracking you down by listening for your voice, would that creep you out? What if you were pinned under rubble after a disaster? Maybe then a human seeking drone wouldn’t be such a bad or creepy idea.

This is the concept of focus for engineers at Germany’s Fraunhofer institute, who’ve built a drone prototype designed to find people by detecting human screams and listening for other signs of distress. 

One of the lead engineers…, Macarena Varela showcased their progress in early 2021.

How they work…

By setting up an auditory (lots of mics pointing in different directions) to decipher between human cries and sounds of nature. Such as animal calls, wind and even it’s own propellers. The drone may also need to recognise patterns associated with kicking, clapping, or other ways people try to get the attention of rescue teams.

To do this they built a database of “impulsive” human noises to train the drone against. So they recorded themselves screaming, tapping and creating other noises which would determine a sign of people in trouble. Furthermore they analysed each sound frequency to find common ‘signatures’ and used them to train artificual intelligence software.

Therefore making drones attracted to the screams of distressed humans. While it is easy to imagine drones in a sci-fi horror movie,  Macarena says the gadget would be ideal for post-disaster scenarios, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires. They could hover over an area that rescue crews have difficulty getting to and pinpoint where people may be trapped.

Macarena said:

“[Drones] can cover a larger area in a shorter period of time than rescuers or trained dogs on the ground,” 

“If there’s a collapsed building, it can alert and assist rescuers. It can go places they can’t fly to or get to themselves.”

In terms of how well the tech works…Macarea said

“We have already succeeded in angularly detecting and locating impulsive sounds very precisely … with the presence of drone noise,” Varela said. “The engineers are in the process of patenting their method for tracking down sounds using microphones.”

So it works they are just getting the patent sorted. Also, since announcing their development, the researchers have been approached by various organisations interested in partnering with Macarena and her team.


Safety Drones

How safe can drones be?

Other drones have thermal imaging capabilities to scan for body heat, while larger drones can deliver medical supplies and other goods to people in isolated areas. However, researchers are finding more novel uses for an extra set of eyes in the sky and even noses!

The University of Washington has paper about a new type of tech called a bio-hybrid odor-guided autonomous palm-sized air vehicle. Basically a drones that use smell to locate disaster survivors. 

The Aerospace Corporation is teaching the AI-enabled drones to recognise humans and dogs in trouble, then sharing their locations with rescue teams. While, the University of Zurich developed a drone to change shape mid flight to fit into oddly shaped crevices. 

Killer Drones

There are already military grade autonomous drones that can fly themselves to a location, pick their own target and then kill. Without the assistance of a remote human operator.

An article on NPR said that  

“Such weapons are known to be in development, but until recently there were no reported cases of autonomous drones killing fighters on the battlefield.”

That was until they found a United Nations report about a March 2020 skirmish in the military conflict in Libya that says such a drone, known as a lethal autonomous weapons system — or LAWS — was used…

But the report does not say explicitly that the LAWS killed anyone – but it does say 

“People were hunted down and remotely engaged by the unmanned combat aerial vehicles or the lethal autonomous weapons systems such as [one called] the STM Kargu-2…”.

Killer Drones: Kargo 2

The Kargo 2 is made by Turkish Company STM, the brochure for the Kargo is here.The Kargu is described as an “Autonomous Rotary Wing Attack Drone”. While one of its features is 

 “KARGU®️ is capable of performing fully autonomous navigation vis STM’s unique flight control system. In addition, the platform is able to perform precision strike for low signature, beyond line of sight targets.”

More from How To Kill An Hour

So while drones can be really powerful and great to help the human race. They can also be rather scary. 

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Audi Q4 e-tron – SUV Goodness!

We recently got the chance to try out the Audi Q4 e-Tron an amazing electric SUV that we really enjoyed using! It’s perfect for around town driving. However, if you wish to drive along the motorway, you may need to keep in mind that the vehicle will need charging up at either end. As you won’t be able to make it there and back on a single charge!

Audi Q4 e-tron Design

The impeccably designed Audi Q4 e-tron is the next big step in the evolution of electric Audi cars. Fully electric, expressive and ready for the everyday.

The maximum electric performance the vehicle has is 150kw, has acceleration speeds of 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and has a range of up to 316miles.

The looks of the Audi Q4 e-tron are just as amazing as you’d think from an Audi. It makes a strong statement with strong lines giving it an assured and sophisticated look. It has a big look to it and has very large wheels. Just what you’d expect from an SUV. While the large grille, on the front gives it that signature Audi look.

The inside is just as incredible. There is no middle tunnel where the powertrain would usually sit. So therefore, you get much more legroom for passengers. There’s also 520 litres of luggage space and clever stowage compartments which make it perfect for the family as well. Technology wise there is a touchscreen and a multifunctional steering wheel, not only that the dashboard is head up display too! Giving it an overall futuristic look. Great for tech lovers such as ourselves!

Audi Q4 e-tron Technology

The Audi Q4 e-tron has loads of tech inside of it, all with the latest Audi innovation. There is a first for Audi with an optional head up display. Better yet it uses augmented reality to project driver information on to the road ahead. Another optional first for drivers is the optional premium sound system from SONOS. Standard tech on the Audi A4 e-tron is the Audi Virtual cockpit; MMI Navigation plus a 10.1″ touch screen and a double spoke steering wheel. Also the steering wheel has touch sensitive operation!

Drivers can also opt for an optional complimentary 7kW callbox when ordering an Audi Q4 e-tron.

Editions

The Audi Q4 e-tron comes in Sport Line, a S Line, Edition 1 and Vorsprung editions.

Sport

Key highlights include:
– 19″ x 8.0J 5-W-spoke ‘aero’ alloy wheels, Graphite grey, gloss turned finish
– LED headlights with LED daytime running light, LED rear lights
– Contrast bumpers in Manhattan grey paint finish
– Front Sport seats in Routine cloth with integrated head restraints
– MMI Navigation Plus with 10.1″ touch screen display
– Audi Virtual Cockpit
– 3 zone automatic air conditioning with remote preconditioning

S Line

In addition or replacement to Sport, S line trim highlights include:
– 20″ x 8.0J (front) 9.0 J (rear) 5-Y-spoke alloy wheels
– S line exterior styling with Privacy glass
– Front sport seats with ‘S’ embossed logo in Pulse cloth / leatherette with integrated head restraints
– Ambient lighting package

Edition 1

In addition or replacement to S line, Edition 1 trim highlights include:
– 20″ x 8.0J (front) 9.0J (rear) 5-V-spoke polygon style Audi Sport alloy wheels, matt Titanium grey, gloss turned finish
– Audi Matrix LED headlights with digital light signatures, dynamic light sequencing and dynamic indicators
– Full body colour paint finish
– Black styling pack
– Front sport seats with ‘S’ embossed logo in Twin leather with integrated head restraint
– Electrically adjustable seats with memory function for driver seat and exterior mirrors
– Flat top and bottomed twin-spoke leather multi-function Sport steering wheel with shift paddles for recuperation

Vorsprung

In addition or replacement to Edition 1, Vorsprung trim highlights include:
– 21″ 8.5J (front) 9.0J (rear) 5 arm rotor ‘evo’ Audi Sport alloys wheels, matt titanium grey, gloss turned
– Contrast bumpers in Manhattan grey paint finish
– Front Sport seats with ‘S’ embossed logo in Fine Nappa leather with integrated headrests and contrast stitching in rhombus pattern
– Panoramic glass sunroof
– SONOS Premium Sound System
– Augmented reality head-up display
– A host of driver assistance systems

(Audi)

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Gozney Roccbox PORTABLE PIZZAS

We recently went away and tried out cooking. Guess what we made? Pizzas! With the Gozney Roccbox we didn’t even need a big powerful oven either! So who needs a BBQ when we can make PIZZAS!

The Gozney Roccbox is a restaurant-grade portable pizza oven. Also it’s portable and powerful. You can either dual fuel up and use the gas or use wood for the purest pizza experience.

Gozney Roccbox Features

Portable – Take Roccbox anywhere with it’s retractable legs, detachable burner and built-in thermometer.

Reaches 500°C – Enjoy unrivalled cooking results created by a thick stone floor, dense insulation and a unique rolling flame.

Gas or wood fuelled – Roccbox comes with a gas burner as standard, and the option to buy a detachable wood burner if you choose dual fuel.

Safe touch – Host pizza parties with the family friendly option. Roccbox’s safe-touch silicone jacket reduces the risk of skin burns that can often occur with metal bodied ovens.

Restaurant-grade Engineered to replicate the performance of Gozney’s professional ovens, used by leading chefs and restaurants all over the world.

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Steganography

Steganography Secret Messages

Steganography is an interesting piece of tech, but it can be used for malicious purposes. Here’s one story of just how interesting it can be and how it can be used to hide everything!

On the morning of the 1st of august 2018….FBI agents were seen in Niskayuna (Nisk-Kah-Yunah) New York walking, Xiaoqing Zheng (‘She-Ow-Jhing-Jhen’) a principal engineer at General Electric, to a car in handcuffs, the charge…theft. Zheng was smart man, he had a degree from the Sloan School of Management, a PHD in Aeronautical Engineering with 29 patents.

So a smart man means a smart crime and smart this mans crime was economic espionage and theft of General Electric’s trade secrets. To be specific Zheng had just been charged on 14 counts of Economic Espionage and Theft of General Electrics’s Trade Secrets. He had been caught after stealing nearly 20,000 electronic files detailing design models, engineering drawings, configuration files, and material specifications for gas and steam turbines. 

He was alleged to be sending the information to an aviation com in Nanjing China. So, this was a company which he started up, allegedly he started up with funding the government of china. He did it inside photographs.Yes he hid the information inside pictures, like sunsets. So, he emailed the images to himself with the title “Nice view to keep.”

The technique in it’s basic form is something that has been around for over two thousand year and that is Steganography.

Steganography

The word Steganography comes from the Greek steganós, meaning “covered or concealed,” and graphia meaning “writing.”

It’s like cryptography but slightly different. So cryptography is writing in code that is hard to decipher. So like morse code or the code that baseball players throw up to ask for different types of pitches. However, in steganography we’re trying to hide the fact that we’ve sent a message at all.

Like if I wrote you a letter with regular ink like, “whats up..fancy going to that nice new healthy restaurant in London?”. Yet wrote a secret message between the lines in, invisible ink that said “Let’s get a dirty takeaway tonight…” 

THAT is Steganography and it’s been used for YEARS!

Some good examples are:

  • Greek ruler Histiaeus – who shaved a servants head, tattood a message on the top of the shaved servant….let the hair grown back then sent them on their way with instructions to tell the person they were going to to shave em down and read the message.
  • Leonadro Di Vinchis Monal Lisa and Michelangelo’s contribution to the Sistine Chapel have got Steganography in them.
  • In 1941 – British army officer Major Alexis Casdagli was captured and imprisoned by the German forces in the early days of WW2. To pass the time he began stitching what would become known as The Casdagli Sampler. Along the border of the embroidered canvas, which features German swastikas, American eagles, British lions and Soviet hammer and sickles, are a series of irregular lines and dots. Those irregular lines and dots were Morse code for “Fuck Hitler.”
  • 1968 – The crew of the USS Pueblo were captured by North Koreans and brutally tortured. In propaganda photos aimed at showing how well the captives were being treated, the POWs snuck in their middle fingers in what became known as The Digit Affair.

Funny all these old school serious photos of people who are looking dead into the camera with their hand poking up with a middle finger, sort of thing a kid would do when they are getting class photos done!

Steganography How It’s Done.

Fast forward to now and we have got digital images. While digital images images can be megabytes or more and with steganography you can hide files of megabytes or more in them.

One way they do this is Least Significant Bit Substitution (LSB)

Least Significant Bit Substitution (LSB)

Changing the least significant bit of something to send a message

FIRST WE NEED A CODE using numbers…the simplest code I can think of is

1= yes

0 =no

SET THE SCENE – I WORK IN A BANK…I WANT TO GIVE YOU A SIGNAL TO TELL YOU THE BANK IS READY TO BE HEISTED and its full of cash by using our code.

If I change the last penny of your balance to a 1 = we are good to go!

If I change the last penny of your a zero we are not good to go….

No why the last penny because it is the least significant bit

But opening an account every time is long 

Where else can we find numbers?

Change the last digit of my bank account to a zero if 

Explain how you could hide a code in a three digit numberwitu last no code

1 = yes

2 = no

Now what if we did it with 

Odd = yes

Even = no

Then what if we messed with the last 2 digits?

Last two numbers = a letter in the alphabet

Bit more obvious so maybe it would be better if we took a 4 digit number and changed the last 2 digits

01 = a

02 = b

Pixels…

Pixels are numbers so by adjusting the data that makes the pixels in an image. Bit by bit. The pixels are the little coloured dots that make up images you see. So the megapixel cameras, so a million pixels in an image. Therefore if you change one or two slightly there is no way you can notice right!?

They do it by adjusting the lowest bits in the image, without getting into megabits and bytes. The best way of explaining this is:

Imagine each bit is a 3 digit number…

So one bit of info in the image is the number 100

If I only change the last digit of the number  then it doesn’t make much difference..like lets change the last number to 1…..so that would make 101

The difference between those two numbers is minor.

If you were to change the first number in the digit that would make a massive difference!

If you changed the first digit in 100 to 2 that would make 200…which is almost twice the number.. 

Make sense?

Well each byte of data is 8 numbers which means we have a lot to play with.

If I can change the last digit of that number like 12345677 then there is only a little difference between the numbers right?  

 Imagine every byte of data is 8 bits….lets call those numbers…

So now every byte of data is like like an 8 digit number 12345678 which would be 12,345,678 

If I only change the last digit of the number  then it doesn’t make much difference..like lets change the last number to 9…..so that would make 12345679.

The difference between those two numbers is minor.

If you were to change the first number in the digit that would make a massive difference!

If I can change the last digit of that number like 12345677 then there is only a little difference between the numbers right?  

Hidden messages

While the amount of data you can pack in is significant. I saw a demo on youtube where someone put the entire works of Shakespeare in an image of a tree that was 1 and a half megabytes.

This technique has been used for malicious purposes in the past USA Today ran a story in 2001 reporting that Bin Laden and his associates had been hiding information crucial to terrorist plots in images on pornographic websites as early as 1996. 

Future of Steganography

So in Zhengs picture that he emailed to himself with the words  “Nice view to keep.” there was a lot more than than a nice sunset. There were top secret docs and before you go trying to use steganography to commit your own flavour of fraud please remember that he got caught there are algorithms that can find images which have been tampered with!

I will say this though…if you want to make it harder for someone to workout if you have tampered with a pic – use a picture that you have taken and delete the original. Then there is nothing to compare it with! I mean if you see two images on a drive and one is 30 mb big. Then the other is 1 then it’s obviously that big for a reason!

The future of steganography obviously will develop as we use 3d images and VR more. More visual data means more places to hide messages. In fact it doesn’t have to be an image, it could be a social media post, some audio even a podcast.

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Main Sources for this episode are Motherboard, Youtube channel Computerphile and Okta.com

Samsung Odyssey G9 49″ Ultra Wide Monitor

Samsung have launched a really cool gaming monitor which can also be used for work. It’s called the Samsung Odyssey G9 and is a 49″ curved gaming monitor. Also it’s a BEAST.

The Samsung Odyssey G9 joins the G7 in the Odyssey line up. While this too has completely reinvented the gaming experience by bringing together the most important aspects of gaming. Comfortable curvature of the monitor, immersive interaction and fantastic picture quality.

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a premium product with premium performance. It has been certified by TÜV Rheinland. Who are a leading international certification organisation. It has recognised the gaming beast as having the industry’s best high performance 1000R curved display and Eye Comfort. Furthermore the G9 is the first monitor certified to support HDR10+. Therefore enabling it to deliver games and content in a high quality. Combining Quantum dot technology and an HDR1000 panel.

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is also lightning fast and has a fast response time of 1ms. It is the worlds first Dual Quad High-Definition (DQHD; 5120×1440 resolution) monitor. Furthermore the immersion is enhanced by the 1000R curvature. Under the hood as well as having a 1ms response time it has a super fast 240Hz refresh rate. A crystal clear QLED picture for the best gaming in dual QHD. The monitor also has dynamic and seamless scene by scene capabilities enabled by NVIDIA G-SYNC® Compatibility and Adaptive Sync on DP1.4.

The G9 is different than most and comes with a cool glossy white exterior. With Infinity Core Lighting. Allowing to have 52 different colours and five lighting effect options behind the display.

Samsung Odyssey G9 Specifications

Model G9
Display Screen Size (Inch) 49”
Aspect Ratio 32:9
Panel Type QLED Curved
sRGB Coverage 125%
DCI Coverage 95%
Screen Curvature 1000R
Refresh Rate 240Hz
Response Time 1ms (GTG)
Resolution 5,120 x 1,440 (DQHD)
HDR HDR 1000
Brightness (Max.) 1000cd/㎡
General Feature Gaming Feature G-SYNC Compatible, FreeSync Premium Pro
Game Mode Custom/FPS/RTS/RPG/AOS/Cinema/DCR
Etc. Low Input Lag Mode, Virtual Aim Point, Black Equalizer, Eye Saver Mode, Flicker Free,
Etc. Interface Display Port 1.4(2 EA), HDMI 2.0(1EA), USB3.0(1UP, 2DOWN), Headphone
Wall Mount Yes (100 x 100mm)
Color Glossy White

(Samsung)

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Philips Hue Strip Lights

The Philips Hue Strip Lights make it even easier to customise your living space and light and mood in any chosen area. They can bring amazing light to any area of your home. Mainly thanks to the flexible nature of the Philips Hue Strip Lights. Even combine them with a Hue Bridge to unlock the full suite of smart lighting features.

They can be bent, curved and even cut to size. The Philips Hue Strip Lights really are the best for personal lighting. Tuck them behind bookshelves and tables. They will immediately transform any decor of any room. Surround yourself with a warm glowing light to create a relaxing area in any room for example. For safety use them to illuminate hallways to help you get around in low light situations.

Use the Hue App or other smart accessories to control them. By using either one of the Hue Apps.  Use a hardware based solution such as the Hue dimmer switch or the motion sensor. Even use your voice by using voice commands by pairing them with home assistants. Such as Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant.

Cut them down or extend the Philips Hue Strip Lights to up to 10M with connectors and stick them to any solid surface.

Placement

Attach them under your kitchen units to light the way during the middle of the night. Furthermore even tuck them behind a ceiling cove for a subtle sophisticated look. Place them behind your desk to level up your gaming space!

(Philips Hue)

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Philips Hue Play Light Bar – A Light Wonder!

The Philips Hue Play Light Bar are incredible device to help improve your media experience. Be that as a film, video game or tv show! It is known as a versatile lamp, available in black or white. Which is designed to enhance your set up. The Philips Hue Play Light Bar 2-pack includes 2 light bars and a power supply. Which can support up to 3 lights! The lights can be stood upright, laid down or placed on to the back of the Tv via the included mounts.

Philips Hue Play Light Bar

The Philips Hue Play Light Bar is designed to give you dynamic surround lighting in your entertainment rooms. Or help you build a battle station which amplifies with every in game effect that you do. Not into games or films? Well you can create a colours cape which perfectly matches your mood and home interior.

All of this is controlled via the Hue app, your voice or smart accessories. Such as the Hue app or the Hue Bluetooth app. As you can help control settings, routines and much more.

Other hardware is also available to control them such as the Hue dimmer switch, motion sensor and other accessories. Use your voice too!

Set Up

For smaller TV sets and media units, place them vertically and point them towards the wall for an incredibly immersive effect. Furthermore lay them horizontally next to your monitor and enable Hue Sync for PC to get light that reacts to your computer screen. Place them around your TV and set them to your favourite scene to set the mood during films. Go one step further and pair them with a Hue Sync Box to have them react to what’s on screen! While you can place them horizontally and cast them down a hallway to create a warm effect.

(Philips Hue)

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Anom – A HUGE Trojan horse ran by the FBI!

Did you know the FBI Secretly Ran a Phone Network for Criminals? For years the FBI has secretly ran an encrypted communications app used by organized crime in order to surreptitiously collect its users’ messages and monitor criminals’ activity on a massive scale, according to a newly unsealed court document.  In all, the elaborate operation netted more than 20 million messages from over 11,800 devices used by suspected criminals. It was called Anom. A criminal messaging service ran by the FBI. 

Trapped

Usually the FBI would probably ask for information, but as a service provider you do not want to be the one known for sharing users data right…because no one would use your app. So next step I guess would be to try to crack into the encrypted information which is really hard. I mean that end to end encryption you see on whatsapp when someone changes their number, that’s not a walk in the park to get through.

Next move would be to shut down the apps. But that just meant the chat would go somewhere else, you may not even know where that somewhere is so your search for crime would have to start from scratch. This approach would not achieve optimum results. So they took it to the next level. The FBI Set up a covert operation called Operation Trojan Shield. 

Therefore the FBI took control of a communications company called ‘Anom’ in its infancy and turned that into a wide-reaching honeypot, with the suspected criminal users instead coming to them. Anom has to stand for anonymous right? Or alludes to it. While in 2021 it came out that they shared this information with the Australian Federal Police aka the AFP. The AFP started making arrests immediately.

Taking them down

How did they infiltrate? Well check this for a cheeky move. In 2018, the FBI arrested Vincent Ramos, the CEO of Phantom Secure. Phantom Secure which provided custom, privacy-focused devices to organized criminals.

If we understand this correctly…by the way we are adding mad speculation here… they also arrested others. The FBI got some of the people distributing these devices…and ‘flipped’ them. Go them on to their side The authorities introduced Anom to his already trusted distributors of mobile devices, who were in turn trusted by criminal organisations. Three people in Australia who had previously distributed Phantom devices (another encrypted kind of phone) were promised a  “huge payday,” if they agreed to then sell these Anom devices.This would allow the FBI to grow organically through through crime networks

Anom

The FBI and the AFP built the Anom system so that it allowed quote: “law enforcement to decrypt and store the message as it is transmitted,”  The same government doc we are using as a source also says A user of Anom is unaware of this capability,”  So, they are slowly seeping in tot he messages of the underworld with a fake app and fake safe devices. imagine the intel they were getting. While they kept it looking legit too.

Motherboard found The company’s Reddit account where they first announced the existence of the company two years ago. In the now deleted post it says. “Introducing Anom—a Ultra-Secure Mobile-Cell-Phone Messaging App for Android,” the announcement read. “Your Confidentiality, Assured. Software hardened against targeted surveillance and intrusion—Anom Secure. Keep Secrets Safe!” 50 devices were distributed in Australia and the AFP were able to monitor the phones CONSTANTLY. It was slow at first, but soon word of the new devices spread, with Anom gathering several hundred users a year later.

HUGE amounts of data

Hundreds of criminal chats…imagine seeing hard core top level gangsters sharing cat memes or funny tik toks. At its peak the FBI was getting Anom user data three times a week. It kept growing having over 10,000 devices in over 90 countries. Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Serbia were also popular, with over 300 distinct transnational criminal organizations  aka TCOs using the devices. 20 million messages were pulled . Messages include discussions around drug smuggling, corruption, and other high-level organized criminal activities. The document we used as sourch also includes direct quotes of messages from Anom users discussing cocaine shipments.While of course they grabbed pics

The Trojan Shield investigation has uncovered that Anom devices are used by TCOs to traffic drugs and launder the proceeds of those drug sales,” the document reads. “The distributors of these devices also obstruct justice by remotely wiping the content of devices when law enforcement seizes them. 

Public Corruption

Additionally, the review of Anom messages has initiated numerous high-level public corruption cases in several countries. The most prominent distributors are currently being investigated by the FBI for participating in an enterprise which promotes international drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.”

I think I read something about double agents who were actually wiping cirminal phones and getting arrested but I had to stop research as I ran out of time….but wow what a story….goes to show be careful what you pop in a message….you know the saying…whatever you pu ton the internet stays there….especially if you are selling 100s of kilos of cocaine…

(Vice)

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Deepfakes, Cheerleading and Prison

A Pennsylvania Mom made Deepfake nudes of her daughter’s high school cheerleading rivals. She then sent them to the Coaches. So, after learning that some of the girls on the team were ignoring her daughter, Raffaela Inella doctored footage of them vaping and partying. It was when Raffaela Inella learned that her teenage daughter was falling out with her cheerleader friends, she opted for revenge. By creating a series of fake photos and videos to get the high school girls kicked off the team. However, she didn’t use the old ropey photoshop fakes we have seen in the past. She used Deepfakes. 

Firstly what are Deepfakes?

A deepfake is a video, photo, or audio recording that seems real but has been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI).  The underlying technology can replace faces or manipulate facial expressions, synthesize faces, and synthesize speech. Imagine photoshopping or doctored pics…but way better and not just still images, video and voice. While, this was how good they were in 2018 when the tech was brand new…

This a clip that is definitely not Obama. Now that sounds really real because joran peel is voicing him. So it sounds 90 percent great. The video is ok at a glance but if you look closely you can see the fact it is fake

Fast forward a few years and voices can be synthesised and deep fake technology is way easier to use. There are whole YouTube channels that are dedicated to making deep fakes for fun. Like putting Nicholas cages face on everyone from lord of the rings. Putting Sylvester Stalone’s face on the terminator. If you want to check out a real good deepfaker. A guy called cntrl-shift-face on youtube makes wicked ones that look so real!

So yeah Deepfakes are cool but lets be honest! Tools like this are used most often to depict people saying or doing something they never said or did. So combine that with the fact that there are now apps like ‘Reface’ or ‘Avatarify’ out there that you can use to make Deepfakes on your phones means that it is super simple to put someones face on another body.

Cheerleading Revenge

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Inella’s daughter confided in her that she was having some social struggles. Namely with her teammates on the Victory Vipers traveling cheerleading team. Consequently, the 50-year-old mother decided to use “deepfake” technology. To forge images of those underage girls in the nude, vaping, and “drinking”.  She was smart to show vaping not smoking! Smoking is so old kids don’t do that! Then, she anonymously texted them to both the head coaches as a fake concerned parent!

Furthermore she also text the girls themselves. With additional messages urging the teenagers to kill themselves. So, one victim’s parents contacted them out of the concern that these forgeries could see their daughter booted from the team. After two more families came forward saying their daughters were also sent nude pictures of themselves. Which they allegedly never took, police began to search in earnest for the anonymous sender.

It was rather quickly determined that these files were Deepfakes. After confirming that the doctored photographs. Which were based on easily accessible photos from the victims’ social media profiles, authorities began tracing the mysterious phone number they were sent from. While it initially led them to a website that sold phone numbers to telemarketers, police simply followed this data to its original IP address.

So, this unique internet protocol address showed that the messages had been sent from a home in Chalfont, Pennsylvania. Registered to Raffaela Spone. With probable cause in hand, the police paid her a visit. Confiscated her smartphone. 8 months after this was first brought to the attention of the police. Raffaela Inella was arrested. At the time Inellas attorney claimed  she “absolutely denied” what she has been charged with.

Cheerleading response to Deepfakes

An official statement from the Victory Vipers (The Cheerleading Team) said

“Victory Vipers has always promoted a family environment and we are sorry for all individuals involved,”

“We have very well-established policies and a very strict anti-bullying policy in our program.”

Spokespeople for the Doylestown, Pennsylvania squad stated.

Nonetheless, George Ratel, the father of one of the girls victimized by Spone’s forgeries. Said he remains frustrated and saddened by how the squad has been affected.

“I don’t know what would push her to this point.As a dad I was pretty upset about it. It’s an image put out there of my daughter that is simply not true.”

Why…

Ratel believes the trouble began after he and his wife told their daughter not to socialize with Spone’s daughter.  According to Ratel, he and his wife were concerned over the teen’s behaviour. For her part, Inellas’s daughter has remained entirely oblivious to her mother’s actions. At least according to authorities. Ultimately, it appears that more information will come to light as Inellas heads to court. Perhaps most illuminating here is how easy and accessible it has become to doctor digital imagery. What used to require costly software. Is now done with a few taps of a finger and to unnervingly convincing results. Indeed, these forgeries are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of deepfake technology. The possibilities are truly endless. While the consequences of that will surely rear their heads more frequently as we forge into the future

(All That Interesting)

Virginia Woman Using Online DNA Service To Find Biological Mother Accidentally Cracks 40-Year-Old Double Murder

After uploading her DNA to GEDmatch, Christine Marie Salley was matched with the genetic profile of an unknown murder victim from the 1980s.

Pamela Dianne Duffey (left) and William Everette Lane (right) were around 21 and 20 years old when they were killed.

Lets roll back the clocks to 1980 when an archaeologist in Ludlow, California, discovered a shallow grave in the vast Mojave Desert. It contained the nude bodies of a man and woman. Who had both been beaten and then shot to death, but a lack of IDs at the scene left their murders unsolved for decades. Until now. But how was this soled 40 years later? Well The 40-year-old cold case was finally cracked when a Virginia woman uploaded her DNA to a genetic testing site. To help locate her biological mother. Her DNA was then matched with a sample from the unidentified woman found in the desert. 

DNA Matches

The saga began in 2018 when Christine Marie Salley began searching for her biological parents. The Virginia native had always known she was adopted, and that year, she hired a private investigator. According to ABC News, the investigator first found adoption paperwork that identified Salley’s biological mother as Pamela Dianne Duffey. When the investigator then uploaded Salley’s DNA to GEDmatch in December 2020.

GEDmatch is a website for genetic genealogy research. Anyone can upload their DNA file, analyse results, and compare DNA shared with others and it’s free. They have a database of about 1.5 million people. So, when Christine’s investigator uploaded her details to GED Match, it suggested that there was a parent-child relationship between Salley and an unidentified DNA sample of a woman, that was uploaded by authorities on the case in Ludlow. It appeared as though that woman was none other than Salley’s mother, Pamela Dianne Duffey.

San Bernardino County investigators then heard of the successful DNA match, and they realised their 40-year cold case just might be coming to an end. Salley consequently provided the San Bernardino investigators with what she believed to be her mother’s name and another DNA sample, which the California Department of Justice positively matched only to Duffey. The records showed that Duffey was just about 21 years old when she was killed.

Identification

So this lined up who the female victim was, but what about the male victim? Well, Salley was also able to help identify the unknown male victim. She remembered that her biological mother had been friends with a man who Duffey called “Digger Lane” before she vanished. Salley also knew that Lane was a Virginian convict. Who planned a cross-country hitchhike with her mother after serving his time.While that nickname didn’t match any records, investigators did find a William Everette Lane with similar credentials and a Jacksonville, Florida, address. 

His relatives were subsequently tracked down. They voluntarily supplied authorities with DNA samples that matched those of the murdered man in the desert. Lane was then determined to be around 20 years old when he was killed. All investigators needed now was to identify the killer. Which at the start of this story was a near impossible task. But as it turned out, they already had a suspect in mind. While the evidence discovered during the start of this story could only help.

Solving The Case?

The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office had long suspected that a now-68-year-old convict named Howard Neal might be the culprit. In part because he had been in the same region where Duffey and Lane were killed. Who curiously moved to Mississippi right after. Imprisoned since 1982. Neal was convicted of raping and then murdering his 13-year-old niece and her 12-year-old friend, as well as killing his own brother. Neal was initially sentenced to death for those crimes, but an IQ test that suggested he was mentally challenged changed his sentence to three life terms in prison, instead. 

Events that unfolded

Investigators managed to interview Neal about the Ludlow murders in 2017. During which the culprit said that he picked up the couple while they were hitchhiking on a freeway. Howard Neal has been imprisoned since 1982 for the murder of his brother, niece, and her friend. He then brought the two to his residence, where San Bernardino investigators say he “became involved in an argument with the male” and “felt the male would probably kill him if he did not kill him first.” 

Tragically, Neal also revealed that the woman he killed that day said she had a daughter. Strengthening the belief that she was Salley’s mother, Duffey. Investigators believe that Neal shot Lane to death first and then raped Duffey before killing her as well. The young couple was then transported to a remote section of the Mojave Desert off Highway 66 and left unidentified for nearly half a century. The sheriff’s department said they are currently in the process of returning the remains of Duffey and Lane to their respective families. Wow…DNA evidence is powerful stuff!

(All That Interesting)

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