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Apple has posted yet another Digital Camera Raw Compatibility software update as it continues to increase its support for the RAW format in Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09.

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Over the next few weeks, I'll be periodically performing some maintenance and upgrades to the Media-Geek platform.  As a result, the site may occasionally be unavailable for brief periods.  If you're unable to access the site for an extended period (e.g. several hours) or believe you've found a bug or error during this time, please notify me via PM (private messaging) or our contact form.  Be safe, and happy holidays to you and yours. - LC

Lots of fuss in the news lately about Smartphone encryption and 2 Factor Authentication (2FA). Maybe it's just me, but where have these people been the last decade or so? Smartphone encryption isn't new, it's just become more popular and convenient. Heck, chances are if your Android smartphone is less than 3 years old you already have the capability; it's just not turned on by default. But hey, Apple is going to provide it now too. Everybody panic!

My smartphone saga entered another new chapter yesterday, as I personally migrated from a Samsung SCH-i760 to the original Motorola Q. While I liked many of the features of the Samsung, I have been using it for several months now and have missed two important voice mail messages, which is simply unacceptable. Although both are Windows Mobile devices, at least with the Q I don't have to go looking for voice mail.

I first got my hands on the Q in June of 2006, within days of its release through Verizon Wireless. I had been testing various Windows mobile devices and had already submitted an order for three Treo 700w units, which were shortly thereafter sent back and replaced with new Q's. Now normally I give new products some time to grow and work through their initial bugs before I make a jump, but in this case I for some reason jumped on the bandwagon early; and subsequently, I suffered through the initial firmware issues.

It's been three years since we first heard about DARPA's ARGUS-IS, but thanks to a PBS Nova special entitled "Rise of the Drones," we finally have more information about the 1.8-gigapixel camera that is supposedly the highest-resolution surveillance system in the world.

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If you're dealing with proprietary digital video regularly chances are you're doing screen captures.  It doesn't really matter what software you're using to do the screenshot or screen captures, but it can matter how you manage the color space once you've captured that image to your clipboard.

Can your color management (or lack thereof) really have that big of an effect on the resulting image?  Well, the short answer is yes, it can have a considerable impact.  Could it possibly be the difference between whether or not a bad guy is apprehended?  If you consider fine details important, then the answer to that one is yes as well. 

If you already manage color space and settings throughout your entire workflow, you can stop reading here...that is if you haven't already!  lol

I was out in Indianapolis briefly yesterday to teach a couple of sessions during the LEVA LEVEL 2: DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA EVIDENCE PROCESSING course, which is wrapping up another great week of DME training for law enforcement professionals today at UIndy. Such a great learning environment with a truly talented instruction and support staff. Many thanks to LEVA, the other instructors, assistants, and yet another great group of students who made me feel right at home.

Congrats to everyone and safe travels home. Have a great weekend!

The Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) has released two documents as drafts for comment - "Facial Image Analysis Training" and "One to One Facial Comparison Overview".

Individuals interested in reviewing these documents and providing feedback are encouraged to visit the FISWG website (www.fiswg.org). Once there, they can download the documents and also find instructions for submitting comments. A template for submitting comments is also available on the website for download. The period for submitting comments will close on April 1, 2010.

by Thomas C. Christenberry, "Digital Multimedia Evidence Processing Laboratory - Training," The Police Chief 77 (March 2010): 62–63, http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=2041&issue_id=32010

"For many television viewers and forensic science enthusiasts, shows like CSI and the spin-off television shows CSI: Miami and CSI: New York are fun to watch and, with their various characters and story lines, continue to fascinate viewers of all demographics. Viewers anxiously marvel at the forensic technology, the latest scientific methodology, and the amazing deductive skills of the forensic specialist. Best of all, the whole case is completed in just one hour."

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Until about two years ago, it wasn't that often that I’d encounter Variable Frame Rate (VFR) video evidence, unless of course the case included video recorded by mobile phones. Times, they are a changing my friend.

DVR/NVR manufacturers are leveraging the advantages of VFR more often these days. And why shouldn't they be, especially when we’re seeing even the high-end professional video recording equipment start to use VFR more frequently. Throw in the want/need to get to Ultra HD before the next guy, and suddenly you've got a decent argument for VFR.

The Media-Geek community is now well over 600 members strong and growing!  Although I was literally operating in a state of emergency for the entire month of April and on the road most of May, this morning I managed to finish a significant system upgrade for our site.  This upgrade provides better integration of the video posting capability, improves efficiency for many features and addresses a few other minor bugs.

Canon grabs the headlines yet again with the EOS-1D C DSLR which will feature 4K high-resolution video capture capability, making it more than ready to usher in the next generation of digital cameras.

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