Free DME & DFIR Resources

By Ryan Paul

Mozilla has announced the availability of Firefox 4 beta 8, a new pre-release milestone build of the open source Web browser. Beta 8 brings better support for WebGL and introduces an improved setup process for Firefox Sync that simplifies the steps for configuring the synchronization service across multiple devices.

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This fall, CDFS will hold its first elections to the Board of Directors.  There are a total of 13 Board seats.  The current Board has decided to hold staggered elections such that approximately 1/2, or a total of 6 Board seats, will be up for election in the Fall of 2012, and the remainder up for election in the Fall of 2013.  This system has been designed to help CDFS maintain stability and continuity through leadership transitions.

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A touch screen, touch mouse, touch pad, but no touch keyboard? Seriously? Hey Microsoft (& others), I think you missed the forrest because of all of the trees.

It's simple really: why move my hands from the keyboard to further interact when I shouldn't have to? Let's place a small touch area in the keyboard right beneath the space bar, where it can be accessed by the user's thumbs as they type.

Any actual products born from this idea shall donate 50% of their profits to a reputable charity. You're welcome.

Another new feature has been added for Media-Geek.com members that I hope will further facilitate information sharing and member communication - the ability to add comments to all articles & newsflashes.  But wait, there's more..not only can you add comments, you can subscribe to comment threads via email or RSS feeds!  Wouldn't it be helpful though if you could also leave comments on files and programs added to our new document library?  Well today's your lucky day, 'cause I had way too much coffee and managed to get that working too.  😲

I've added two links to manage your comments and comment subscriptions, one to the main member menu and one to the quick menu (right-hand side of the page).  This is also where members will manage their favorites.  For each article, file, or program added to the site member's will notice the "Set as Favorite" link located at the bottom of the post; simply click the link to add that item to your favorites list.  A few other notable updates include...

With a public beta of Photoshop CS6 arriving tonight, Adobe is moving video editing from a sideshow to center stage, matching the real-world merging of still photography and videography.

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I gave up my dream of one day owning a single remote control that could replace my basket of "universal" remotes several years ago. As you can imagine I lived in extreme sadness for quite some time, constantly criticizing myself for being so naive to believe such a device existed. As time passed however, I forgave myself for setting such an unrealistic goal and eventually moved on. Then yesterday the delivery man arrived, unknowingly carrying the answer to this long-forgotten dream.

Okay, to be honest, I haven't actually gone out and bought any universal remotes until just the other day. With that said, each time I've replaced a component in my entertainment system I end up with another "universal" remote that just doesn't cut it. Either it won't even work with one or more components or, as is more often the case, you lose a ton of functionality and have to keep the original remote close by anyway. While advanced universal remotes are nothing new, in my opinion finding one within a reasonable price range (below $100) is. If you're willing to invest $80-$100 in a universal remote that will actually replace all of your other remotes, so far I am very pleased with my Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360.

But I've damn sure known quite a few. Worked with many. Met more than most even, I dare say.

I recently published my autobiography, on a special day with a special significance. It was time to share it with my son, first and foremost, but also to put the pieces together for a few others that truly care.

I am extremely fortunate, despite some sad parts to my long, yet actually very abridged story. Maybe not despite them though, right?

Maybe because pushing through troubles and mistakes, and trying really hard to always do the right thing...even when nobody's around or looking...has made me who I am.

A very proud husband & father. Very comfortable in my skin, because I know what my intentions have always been, and that my best is good enough.

We are all works in progress, my friends.

If something in my story has offended you, even if it's just the way I've told it, I understand.

I'm a very understanding guy. 

Either way, do yourself and everyone around you a favor, and make it a great day my friends!

It’s sometimes difficult for traditional Computer Forensic (CF) examiners to understand why they should treat video and multimedia any differently than other types of digital evidence. After all, a bit is a bit, and a byte is a byte. Right? CF examiners are typically highly trained and highly technical people. If anyone is going to understand how to recover and interpret multimedia data, one would think that a traditional CF examiner would be at or near the top of your go-to list. The problem with this assumption is that multimedia data is fundamentally different than most other types of data, and in more than one way.

Adobe has announced a new suite of mobile applications for content creators that will allow users to do graphical work on tablet devices like the iPad. Adobe is also launching a new Web service called Adobe Creative Cloud that can be used to sync and share content between devices.

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I just returned from another great week of DME training at our office out on the east coast last week. One of the themes I've come to recognize through my travels teaching the fundamentals of DME Processing, is that even some of the most seasoned technicians and analysts don’t really understand the significance of hardware to accurate and proper processing of DME. It’s completely understandable why, given the marketing messages of some DME vendors, the fact that we're all constantly asked to do more with less, and the rate of related technological advancements.

A recent headline in the news: “Crime laboratory manager resigns; two others resign after accusations of cheating on a proficiency exam.” This incident will probably have far ranging consequences in the forensic community. It also raises some very difficult questions that will have to be addressed by the agency, the examiners, subjects and victims, prosecutors, and the court.

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Intel Monday announced a new line of solid-state drives (SSDs) that are based on the serial ATA (SATA) 3.0 specification, which doubles I/O throughput compared to previous-generation SSDs.

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I'm just back from a week of vacation, all of which was literally spent moving into our new home...a block and half away. Ugh, what a process. With that behind us now, I'm excited to get back to work on the DME Resources online training library!

I will be completing the Navigating & Using DME Resources training course over the 4th of July weekend, and we're still on schedule to launch the first DME related courses prior to the end of summer.

If you or your agency have a DME related topic or tool that you'd like additional training on, shoot me a note and I'll see if I may be able to help (or at least put you in touch with someone who can). Thanks for your continued participation and interest. Have a great 4th of July weekend everyone, be safe!