Free DME & DFIR Resources

By Ryan Paul

Developers Ronald Bultje, David Conrad, and Jason Garret-Glaser are creating a native VP8 video codec implementation for the open source FFmpeg project. The aim of this effort is to bring first-class VP8 support to FFmpeg and demonstrate the feasibility of producing an independent VP8 implementation.

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So sleepy. My head won't stop. It's literally throbbing. Migraine. Perfect.

Sorry, I do that, ramble on about me & how I'm feeling a lot. I'm working on it, give me time. Anyway, you ready? Drum roll please...

Work both East coast & West coast hours, you silly goose. Bam! More hours in a day.

See, I am a mathematical genius, I think, based on some past experiences. Or maybe it's just my OCD. I can't say for sure, because nobody every told me why they came to me. Nobody explained any of the crazy sh** going on, and why me?

To this day, I have no answers. I know I'm good at math. I know I'm good at problem solving. I know technology things.

I also know I'm a much better team player these days, after 35 years of being a self-centered prick.

At least on paper, the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint absolutely crushes. It's not just one killer feature that puts the EVO over the top; the spec sheet reads like a wish list for anyone who's owned a touchscreen smartphone. We won't find out until this summer whether Sprint's exclusive 4G phone makes the best of its features, but in the meantime, here are five things to get excited about:

Full Story - http://www.pcworld.com/article/192286/sprints_htc_evo_4g_5_killer_features.html

Those who have been recovering video evidence from CCTV systems for any length of time know that every case starts as a research project. In some cases DCCTV evidence is submitted with little or no information about the recording device. In other cases the entire device may be submitted, but more often than not it’s submitted without any manuals or documentation.

I'm excited to announce that on July 1, 2013 I officially launched my own consulting business, and I will be transitioning to work full-time for the new business effective January 1, 2014. I will remain full-time with FVS throughout 2013, and I'm honored to say FVS has offered to keep me on board through a consulting and/or retainer arrangement thereafter.

For more information on my new endeavor please visit my LinkedIn profile.

I'd like to personally thank everybody here for your participation and support over the years. I'm excited about so many different possibilities of getting to assist you and/or you organization in the future! Stay tuned over the coming weeks for more. All the best! - LC

Here's one that flew in under my radar.  I do recall some discussion about the related working group's creation a few years ago, but somehow completely missed the July, 2010 release of their document.

Learn more about this Homeland Security project by visiting their website:
http://www.safecomprogram.gov/SAFECOM/currentprojects/videoquality/videoquality.htm

Check out version 1.0 of the guide itself here:
http://www.safecomprogram.gov/NR/rdonlyres/5BCA1CBF-1500-4B29-9370-81B823575DE8/0/3aVideoUserRequirementGuidedoc.pdf

P.S. - Thanks to Mike Baker for bringing this one back into my radar.

One of the biggest challenges for digital evidence professionals is obtaining sample files from DCCTV systems.  Developers, Analysts, and Technicians alike can learn so much from mundane sample media files, if they have sufficient information about their source.  Of course, there are a slew of challenges, including many of the same that hinder similar efforts in other disciplines.

Apple is once again offering the previous version of its professional video-editing software after getting mixed reactions on a newer version.

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LEVA has announced a special reduced pricing package to help government agencies meet their training requirements in these challenging economic times.

As of January 1, 2009, LEVA will bundle its prestigious 40-hour core training courses and others, providing significant cost reductions. All courses are conducted at LEVA’s Digital Multimedia Evidence Processing Lab at the University of Indianapolis, Indiana. Visit the LEVA Website for complete details.

The Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) recently made their flip-book "Best Practices for the Retrieval of Video Evidence from DCCTV Systems" available electronically as a PDF file.  Visit the URL below to access the PDF and other TSWG resources:

http://www.tswg.gov/subgroups/isf/electronic-evidence/products.html

Parallel processing allows Squeeze 8.5 to offer encoding times 200 percent faster than Squeeze 8.

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Brooks Photographic Imaging, LLC has posted a job opening. If you or anyone you know located in the Northern Virginia area located 25 miles from Washington, DC who may be interested please have them visit the following weblink.

More info...

A peer recently shared this article, as he is one of the co-authors, and I personally feel it contains vital fundamental information for those who testify as Forensic Experts.  Hope you find it helpful.

"The following material was revised from an original article, “Survival Checklist for Medical Experts,” written by Deputy District Attorney Michele McKay-McCoy, Solano County District Attorney’s Office. With her permission, it was revised for forensic experts by Deputy District Attorney Michael S. Groch, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and Deputy Attorney General Robert M. Morgester, California Department of Justice."

Survival Checklist for Forensic Experts (PDF)