Category Archives: Blog

Big Red Directory Offering AI-backed Directory for the Future

The world population, according to the UN published data, is expected to hit a limit of 9.7 billion in 2050. This analysis also predicts close to 70% of the world’s populace will fit into several urban cities accommodating almost 10 million people. As the number rises, so do the challenges encountered with regards to providing energy resources and environmental data.

Fortunately, some businesses are building capabilities today to deal with these challenges and the advent of AI has significantly enhanced their efforts.  One of the resources available today is the AL-enabled platform Big Red Directory.

 

The Big Red Directory

The Big Red Directory employs state-of-the-art AI to surf the web for new data, self-update its contents, and make additions to its database. The Big Red Directory also provides access to several new data, including addresses, phone numbers, opening times of local businesses, and much more. It is not only in the US, Big Red Data also provides this information for other countries like the United Kingdom (UK).  The UK data set includes business opening hours, address maps, and reviews for cinemas, hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops, supermarkets, takeaways, and more.

The use of a technological advancement like Artificial Intelligence aids the platform to offer a new experience that is helpful to researchers seeking new data and expertise. Furthermore, the approach taken by the Big Red Directory enhances day-to-day regulation on accessing data making it easier to navigate and more secure.

What does the ‘Big Red Directory’ offer?

The concept of ‘Big Red Directory’ is a better approach to managing and consolidating information and technologies that enhance our ability to research data from a variety of directories. This modern approach also provides access to Artificial Intelligence backed data that offers the potential of addressing critical challenges like energy crises, healthcare, traffic management, and many other issues.

Designed by Oxford Information Services, the ‘Big Red Directory’ has witnessed significant growth over time, with expansion in data from other countries like New Zealand and the US. Presently the platform hosts several venue categories which include information about cinemas, pubs, restaurants, public resources, and more.

In using this service, researchers can expand into new and emerging categories as urbanization continues to expand across the globe.  As a research professional, we encourage you to check this exciting new technology out and see how the Big Red Directory might help enhance your efforts.

About Echo Analytics Group

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online.  We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.  To learn more about Echo Analytics Group please contact us @ info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.  To sign up for a course, check out Echo Academy here: https://echoacademy.thinkific.com/collections

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence-related topics.  Buddy currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

Twitter Advanced Search for Businesses and Marketers

Every second, an overall average of 6,000+ tweets are sent on Twitter, translating to over 500 million tweets daily! Twitter remains a fantastic app, and it allows search for every single tweet. There are quite a few different approaches to searching on Twitter. These approaches include Twitter’s toolbar for a search field, the mobile app searches, the web search page, and more.

All these selections are valuable for quick search into specific hashtag/topic. But to get the most value from the Twitter search, the Twitter Advanced Search offers a powerful resource.

For business owners and marketers, Twitter Advanced Search is considered a goldmine.  With this tool, businesses and marketers can gain access to several different approaches to filter, search, and segment Twitter’s massive data.

Twitter Advanced Search in Business Analysis.

Similar to monitoring brand sentiment, Twitter Advanced Search can provide businesses and marketers the power to keep tabs on several key factors ranging from customer engagement to sales and product vision. The Advanced Search tool also offers analysis on competitors and customer’s views. Below are other benefits of Twitter Advanced Search in Business Analysis:

Explore the Competitor’s Tweets.

The use of Advanced Search allows you to filter through tweets from competitors, as well as search for trending keywords or selected keywords.

Fine-Tune Search.

With the world’s fast-moving trends, Twitter Advanced Search makes it fairly simple to keep up with great content. You can easily filter Tweets and view engagements generated by tweets on subjects you find useful.  Most Boolean logic can be applied to Twitter advanced searches so take some time to try a few different queries.  Identifying key influencers who might be the ideal ambassador for your brand are worth following and paying attention to for ideas.

Find Interesting or related Ideas.

Twitter remains a good source for interesting content that might enhance your marketing efforts.  Figure out who your competitors are and spend some time analyzing their twitter activity as well.  With a tool like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, you can build customized private lists to track your competition.

Finding Details.

With Twitter Advanced Search, you can find accounts based on the keyword(s) and location. This amazingly powerful resource lets you locate accounts or businesses within specific areas.

Search Things to Help Business Growth.

To drive growth on twitter, it is preferable to do a search based on things engaging to your potential customers. The Twitter search takes a little different approach from Google Search. With Twitter Advanced Search, you can easily understand which keywords attract more attention.

Do you consider Twitter an important platform for your business? There are several more tips and tricks to really help you enhance your brand visibility and growth on twitter, which would, in time, increase your marketing and sales capacity. The use of Twitter Advanced Search is very much valuable, and we can help your brand gain more.

About Echo Analytics Group

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online.  We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.  To learn more about Echo Analytics Group please contact us @ info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.  To sign up for a course, check out Echo Academy here: https://echoacademy.thinkific.com/collections

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence-related topics.  Buddy currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

The Library of Congress: A Digital Approach to Online Libraries and Resources

Are there several information gaps in your research? Do you need assistance filling those gaps? Well, help is available with the use of online support provided by the Library of Congress. The advanced search platform allows researchers users to ask a librarian for help. If you have specific questions with no readily available answers, the digital Library offers online chat during off-peak hours. Other requests can be forwarded using the online form available on the platform.

 

What does the Library of Congress offer?

The Library of Congress is currently the most extensive Library on earth, with millions of books, newspapers, maps, manuscripts, photographs, and recordings within its collections. The Library stands as the primary research arm of the United States Congress and Copyright Office.

Only a small percentage of the books available in the Library’s physical collections are digitally available through its website. As of 2016, a large number of digitized books available through the Library contain roughly 136,000 books from its General Collections scanned through Internet Archive.

Nevertheless, additional titles running into several thousand have been added. The Library conserves and offers access to a diverse, enduring, and abundant source for resources valuable to research works. So, if you seek to engage, inform, and inspire your intellectual and creative endeavors, the Library of Congress remains a noteworthy source for researchers and world-class data.

 

How the Library of Congress Help with Open-Source Efforts and Research.

The informal approach to searching for digital or electronic books (e-books) available is through the Library’s website. There is a Search Books page which offers keyword search and returns a different list of digitized texts available on the Library.

Researchers and other users also have the option of refining results to help narrow down searches. Additionally, users can search across or within specific digitized Library collections.

Another convenient option available to users in terms of locating other contemporary works is through contacting the local public Library. The Library assists with e-book service that is easily downloadable on PCs. They are available in several formats, including DAISY, DJVU, ePub, Mobi, PDF, and text (.txt).

If a book or resource is not available by electronic means or in print format, users can easily connect through an interlibrary loan request to access an available print edition from other libraries.

About Echo Analytics Group

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online.  We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.  To learn more about Echo Analytics Group please contact us @ info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.  To sign up for a course, check out Echo Academy here: https://echoacademy.thinkific.com/collections

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence related topics.  Buddy currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

The Benefits Of Live Streams

The concept of live streams with webcams has been around since early 2000. Although live streams at the time do not come with present-day quality, it still had the potential to offer much more, and users globally are starting to realize its potential. Several users today desire fast streaming solutions, even with the growing popularity of several video services.

But there are several reasons why live streams often offer great success, especially in rewarding and informing users. Do you seek a wider audience? This question and more are amongst several things offered by live streams.

The use of live stream platforms is gradually becoming more popular in recent times and is seeing extensive utilization by several users. There are several benefits attached to using live streams. Below are the top benefits of using Live Stream platforms.

Increasing your Outreach.

Amongst the significant benefits of live streams platform is the provision of increased outreach for its users. Your broadcast could be any event, locations, beaches, cities, countries, parks, and more. These platforms offer no physical restrictions and allow viewing access to a large number of audiences. With the use of stable internet connectivity, users can get access to several live streams using webcams.

Connecting With Multiple Audiences.

Multiple audience participation is a vital part of live stream platforms, as several events are better viewed live. The use of live streams offers a great approach to making in-depth discussions as well as gaining clarity from various ideas raised. The online audience usually maintains continuous engagement with streams they consider useful. It also creates a sense of community amongst the multiple viewers.

Create Unique Contents.

Through the regular contents available on live stream platforms, users can create streaming content to help generate awareness alongside engagement amongst other users. From the start to the end of any stream, users can populate such platforms with promotions or upcoming events.

Live streams still have so much potential to offer, and with the continuous use of these platforms’ users get to reach a wider audience, connect with more users, as well as provide more engaging content.

About Pictomo

If you are considering using a live stream platform, Pictimo offers users a platform to watch the world. Users get to view live streaming webcams globally. The platform also provides additional new online indoor and outdoor cams that offer views of beaches, cities, countries, and parks. Users are also allowed to add cams as well.

About Echo Analytics Group

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online.  We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.  To learn more about Echo Analytics Group please contact us @ info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.  To sign up for a course, check out Echo Academy here: https://echoacademy.thinkific.com/collections

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence-related topics.  Buddy currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

forensic imaging software

The Applications Of Forensic Imaging Software

Forensic imaging plays a vital role in computer forensics, with significant application in computer-aided analysis and investigative techniques. Forensic images come in bit-by-bit, sector-by-sector alongside other necessary details.

Forensic images comprise visible files in the operating system as well as deleted files. The applications and analysis of forensic photos can be performed via specialized software. Additionally, the use of forensic imaging software is also considered helpful in handling forensic requests.

In cases requiring forensic imaging, additional evidence from such analysis can serve as useful data in unraveling a variety of patterns. Another notable benefit of the forensic image is it helps prevent loss of critical data when backed up properly.

How Digital Imaging Forensic Benefits the Analysis Process

The growing usage of electronic devices and its features has been an influence in developing suitable digital forensics analysis. The forensic image plays a significant role responsible for certifying certainty in the use of digital images intended for investigation and legal research.

The forensic analysis provided for digital images is gradually becoming a more critical process in the determination of the authenticity and originality of photographs. Such features allow the user to make several selections with different terms to suit different use cases.

The use of digital images and forensic analysis is also beneficial in defining the authenticity and origin of an image as well as offering useful information like device, event, place, and more. But with the increasing sophistication following image manipulation tools, such a process may be challenging to identify.

With several interests and characteristics to look out for, several techniques are applied to forensic analysis. These techniques help define photograph details as well as other detailed contents.

Get Digital Photo Forensics with FotoForensics

Forensic imaging software such as FotoForensics offers promising researchers and specialized investigators the ability to apply cutting-edge tools towards forensics for digital photographs. FotoForensics make use of several algorithms to aid users to determine if a picture is computer-generated, modified, or real.

With algorithms like Error Level Analysis (ELA), FotoForensics is providing millions of users photo forensics tools for several analyses.

Echo Analytics Group: Leading in Forensic Imaging Software and More

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses. Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online. We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe. To learn more about Echo Analytics Group please contact us at info@echoanalyticsgroup.com. To sign up for a course, check out our Echo Academy.

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence related topics.  Buddy currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

Mind Map Benefits

Mind Map Benefits: The Concept of Mind Maps

Mind Maps are tools for the brain, which captures the thinking process inside the head. The mind-mapping process aids in thinking, creating ideas, collective knowledge, and remembering. Using mind maps would likely help you become a better thinker.

It may be a little tasking to decide on the number of mind maps to use – the truth is each mind map should assist in clarifying your thinking process. The brain is always thinking of several concepts most times, and it could be any idea(s) – anything, really.

Mind Maps Benefits and Uses

Some significant benefits of mind maps include:

  • Enhanced creativity and linear thinking
  • Jogging your memory.
  • Improving your thinking skills.

Also, some significant uses of mind maps include:

  • Brainstorming and Planning.
  • Note-taking, Studying, and memorization.
  • Problem-solving, Researching and Consolidating data.
  • Presenting information, Gaining insight on complex matters.

Mind Map: How to Draw

To draw a mind map entails a straightforward process. These processes include:

  • Open a blank page could be a paper or drawing tool.
  • Start from the middle of the page and draw or write down the idea you which to develop. Preferably having the landscape orientation for the page you plan to use.
  • Identify and Connect the related subtopics towards the central idea. The connection should be connected to the central idea with a line.
  • Repeat a similar process for other subtopics.
  • Go further by identifying other lower-level subtopics. Also, connect these lower-level subtopics with the corresponding subtopic with lines as well.

Creating Mind Maps: The Basics

Mind maps can be created using several approaches, but they share similar basics. These basics include

  • Central Theme: Located at the center carries a key title or subject concerning the ideas to be developed.
  • Associations: Associations radiate from the central theme. It serves as a direction from the central theme to first level associations, second-level associations, and more.
  • Curved Lines: The associations are often linked with curved lines.
  • Keywords: Mind maps make use of crucial information called “keywords” that summarize concepts for creativity and clarity.
  • Proximity: Indicates the word length to ideally match the length of the curved line.
  • Color and Images: The usage of color helps the imagination and learning process. This approach is also similar to its use in mind maps.

Mind maps are fascinating and always exciting to use. The concept of a mind map can serve as a vigorous drive towards enhancing creativity and several learning ideas. With more explorations, users can do a lot more while learning and creating the next big plan.

To create Fascinating Mind Maps, GitMind delivers your Mind Maps to Life. GitMind is optimized to serve several users, including designers, engineers, writers, professors, and more, who seek to use mind maps in brainstorming a variety of concepts. Connect with GitMind today to create endless ideas and thoughts towards solving problems and attaining meaningful goals!

Learn More with Echo Analytics Group

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online.  We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.

To learn more about Echo Analytics Group, please contact us by completing our online form or through emailing us at info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.

To sign up for a course, explore our Echo Academy!

We look forward to connecting with you.

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence-related topics.  Buddy currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

what is grey literature and how is it used for research

What is Grey Literature and How is it Used for Research

An essential part of any research is finding useful resources to support or improve your findings. And as we all know, research methods offer processes, strategies, and procedures for collecting data and evidence. As a part of your research, have you ever considered grey literature?  In the content below, we discuss grey literature and how it might assist your current research efforts.

What Is Grey Literature?

Grey literature is data created outside of traditional publication and distribution networks. It can also include any literature publication not published via conventional methods. Grey literature may consist of research that is not easy to find or provides varying or incomplete bibliographical data.

It can include government documents, newsletters, reports, speeches, white papers, working papers, urban plans, and more.

The information contained is usually produced by organizations (like agencies, government bodies, NGOs, etc.) to store data, news, and report on activities for future use or distribution without any delays or limitations encountered with traditional publishing methods.

Similarly, some grey literature may be more up-to-date than literature in scholarly publications. However, keep in mind that since grey literature does not go through the process of peer reviews, the quality may vary.

How to Use Grey Literature?

There are several approaches to using grey literature and the following features may significantly enhance your research efforts:

  • Identification of evidence relevant to your research questions, challenges, and systematic reviews.
  • Provision data not easily found within published literature.
  • Reduction of publication bias.
  • Increase reviews’ exhaustiveness, as well as timeliness and that, foster a balanced picture of available evidence.

Grey literature can serve different audiences and comes in diverse formats that may require the use of systematic search. A careful search strategy may also require the use of the narrative review and systematic review to provide much more beneficial results. Several platforms offer an open-source repository for grey literature with the inclusion of analysis and sources.

The GreyGuide Platform

GreyGuide is the leading web platform and resource repository for grey literature. The platform provides information for practitioners, professionals, and students seeking common ground for effective use of resources in grey literature.

The GreyGuide platform offers a variety of shared documents, affiliate repositories links, and other web-based content. Also, collections within the Repository of GreyGuide are now accessible via collective search and browse capabilities alongside metadata.

GreyGuide further seeks to capture published works to handle the demand and supply side of grey literature. GreyNet and ISTI-CNR wee created GreyGuide in 2013. And further development on the platform has continued over time.

Learn More with Echo Analytics Group

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online.  We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.

To learn more about Echo Analytics Group, please contact us by completing our online form or through emailing us at info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.

To sign up for a course, explore our Echo Academy!

We look forward to connecting with you.

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence-related topics. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

google dorking and google hacking

Google Dorking and “Google Hacking”: What Are They?

Practically every person makes use of Google or other similar search engines, but what most do not know is the capability of search engines to handle advanced queries. In the content below, we explore both Google Dorking and “Google Hacking” and discuss how they are useful.

What is Google Dorking?

A Google Dork query, sometimes called a “dork,” is a search string that employs advanced search operators to search for information not readily accessible on a website. Since its inception, the features of Google Dorking have been made available to other Open Source Network Intelligence Tools (OSNIT) and search engines.

  • The usage of advanced operators in Google is termed “Dorking.”
  • The strings used for Dorking are termed “Google Dorks.”
  • These strings can be a single basic string or a complex combination of advanced operators as a unique string for searching.
  • Individual Dork has a specific meaning which enables the search engine to filter out or narrow down search results.

How Google Dorking is Useful

Google Dorks are useful in network mapping as subdomains of selected sites can be found through Simple Dorks. Although it still poses some level of challenges with insecurities, Google Dorks still presents some top benefits like testing personal websites and more.

Additionally, Google Dorking remains a proactive security tool that makes use of online repositories like the Google Hacking Database (GHDB) and other databases to make available access to thousands of exploit entries. As a result, they help find hidden information, vulnerabilities, and access pages for particular websites.

With its advanced operators in the Google search engine, Google Dorking can locate specific information (e.g., file name, version, and more) within search results.

Basic Syntax for Using an Advanced Operator in Google

• operator_name: keyword
• Some other simple Google Dorks Syntax includes:
• allintitle and intitle: comprises of title specified phrase.
• Filetype: search for specific filetype formats.
• inurl: limits the results from the URLS using a particular phrase(s).
• Site: would return the website on the resulting domain.

What Data Can Be Found Through Google Dorks?

• Admin login pages.
• Bank account details.
• Email lists.
• Govt/military data.
• Sensitive documents.
• Username and passwords and lots more.

Learn More with Echo Analytics Group

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online. We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.

To learn more about Echo Analytics Group, please contact us by completing our online form or through emailing us at info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.

To sign up for a course, explore our Echo Academy!

We look forward to connecting with you.

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence-related topics. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

how to activate snap map OSINT

How to Activate Snap Map

Snapchat offers a new social, technological feature that allows users to share Snaps on maps alongside their location. The ability for other users to view your location may sound disturbing, in terms of privacy, there are still some fantastic features that make Snap Map a great application for OSINT practitioners and research professionals.

In the content below, we explore Snap Map’s applications and features while we discuss how to activate Snap Map.

Snap Map Applications

On Snap Map, you can view Snaps submitted all across the globe, covering celebrations, events, news, and more. Snap is a dedicated camera brand offering a variety of imaging products and services. These services provide a fast and fun approach for users to express individual ideas, moments, and learn about the world through the pictorial views of other users.

For one, I recently used Snap Map to keep track of the daily happenings regarding the protests in Iraq. With Snap Maps, I was able to see developments on the ground in near real-time, even when the internet was shut down across the country. The ability to stay current about events unfolding on the round in near real-time is simply incredible in a day and age of information overload where sifting through news articles can be a daunting task.

Snap Map offers opt-in features, which implies users have full control over privacy. The Opt-in features offer vital safety importance in allowing users the ability to decide if they would like to share their location.

Additional Useful Features on Snap Map:

• Snaps – which lets users submit Snaps from any location.
• Stories – which contains several snaps about an event or location.
• Friends – view snaps from other users as well as shared locations.
• Explore – offers a secure method to share your journey and see what’s happening with friends.

Snap Map and OSINT

For OSINT practitioners and research professionals, Snap Map offers an incredible glimpse into the world around us and provides incredible moments-in-time during significant events that help tell the story of how events develop and unfold.

There are many other free platforms that offer features similar to Snap Map and they can be found on CID, a purpose-built research dashboard with thousands of resources. To learn more, sign up today by visiting us at the Echo Analytics Group Website.

How to Activate Snap Map’s Selective Audience Feature with Ghost Mode

With Snap Map, you can activate Ghost Mode features, which allows the user to turn off locations. Users can choose to share locations with all, or some selected friends. Ghost Mode comes as a standard feature on Snap Map. Here is a simple and quick way to activate and control the Ghost Mode feature on Snap.

Uploaded Snaps Do Not Include Usernames

Snaps shared on Snap Map do not display the username of the poster. Snap Map basically shows the user’s current location. What you will find though, is that most users sharing their location will tag their image or video with their location. The reason most users turn on their location services is that they want to advertise their location on the ground. However, be sure to cross-check the location a user posted on their image or video with the actual location their snap appears on the map. I have found that on several occasions users improperly tagged their location.

With Snap Map, It is Always to Share

It is vital to note once you opt-in, your selected audience for sharing snaps with are always able to see your updates. Snap Map undeniably makes sharing easier for individuals who share their views about different locations. This feature is a huge benefit to the platform because more publicly available data translates to stickiness on the platform.
Snap Map comes with several features, but the ultimate use lies with the user and what information you choose to share on the platform. Several thoughtful decisions on privacy and protection are required to help with proper usage.

Social Media Monitoring Classes with Echo Analytics

Echo Analytics Group is a full-service intelligence firm providing services, products, training, and technology to both public and private sector businesses.  Echo Analytics Group has trained thousands of intelligence professionals in-person and online.  We also deliver world-class products and services to a host of businesses across the globe.

To learn more about Echo Analytics Group, please contact us by completing our online form or through emailing us at info@echoanalyticsgroup.com.

To sign up for one of our courses, explore our Echo Academy directory!

We look forward to connecting with you.

Buddy is a military veteran, former intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who teaches dozens of courses on a variety of intelligence-related topics. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Echo Analytics Group and is based in Tampa, Florida.

Locating Shooters by Smartphone OSINT Open Source

Locating Shooters by Smartphone

Now, there is a new system that can accurately locate shooters by smartphone based on video recordings from as few as three smartphones, researchers report.

When researchers demonstrated the system using three video recordings from the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead and hundreds wounded, the system correctly estimated the shooter’s actual location — the north wing of the Mandalay Bay hotel. The estimate was based on three gunshots fired within the first minute of what would be a prolonged massacre.

Alexander Hauptmann, a research professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Language Technologies Institute, says the system, called Video Event Reconstruction and Analysis (VERA), won’t necessarily replace the commercial microphone arrays for locating shooters that public safety officials already use, although it may be a useful supplement for public safety when commercial arrays aren’t available.

(more…)

1 2 3 4 5