Tag: tracking

  • Working in Agile Mode

    “We are not working in this a ‘Agile‘-mode that you’re working in.” she said. She actually tried to disparage the lack of structure in the other team she has been assigned to work with. The team this lady belongs to consider themselves a marketing team. In a high-tech company. Marketing, but still: for technology.

    After the assignment to the new team, this lady actually tried to mock the lack or absence of procedures in the new team. Her comment meant to refer to any processes but literally trying to differentiate herself.

    The team she is working with initially tracks their tasks of deliverables in a so-called Kanban board. The same team conducts daily standup meetings, that are facilitated by a process owner. About once every other week there are so-called review meetings with the team manager and external stakeholders.

    Working in Agile Mode: Kanban
    Simple Kanban

    All of these are fragments from agile methods.

    Of course, it is conjecture. At the same time, this pattern that can be observed in many places. People try to differentiate themselves from the working class, the programmers, the technical guys. While in reality, all colleagues contribute to the same product.

    So ultimately, the differentiation between being technical and the business ends up being more hurtful to the companies culture. Not to mention the effects of digitalization, that is based on the assumption that technology will improve everybody’s life. Assuming more technical acumen, even as a business person, will make you a better, more efficient person. Being technical is independent of working in agile mode.

  • Schneier on Corona Tracing

    Bruce Schneier, well known cryptologist and security researcher, has a few thoughts on corona tracing apps on his blog. Spoiler: he doesn’t like the idea.

    His article is revolving around efficiency much more than privacy, concluding that such apps won’t work in the first place.

  • Privacy in the Platform Economy

    Privacy in the Platform Economy: In the tracking business, access to the customers desktop was in firm hands of Google and Facebook. Until recently!

    SnakeOil promises people security to get them install software that’s capable of eavesdropping ssl and all other access to a computers interaction. Quite obvious to see this is a good source to profile a users behavior. A violation of users privacy for the sake of security. You sure all read the fineprint in the anti virus software, right?

    Now apparently, somebody in the SnakeOil industry figured that out. A recent leak disclosed Avast Antivirus leverages their market access to almost hald a billion user profiles and devices to package up this insight. “every search” that promises ‘Every search. Every click. Every buy. On every site.’. Of course the target audience is the same as for marketing- and tracking clients.

    Source: vice.

    See also:

    https://twitter.com/josephfcox/status/1221796061678694401
  • Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy

    Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy

    is part one of One nation, tracked, an New York Times investigation series of smart phone information tracking and by Stuart A. Thompson and Charlie Warzel, within their privacy project. The research covers multiple topics, only starting out with an analysis of the potential contained in smartphone tracking information.

    What we learned from the spy in your pocket.

    Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy

    The authors analyse a large dataset of location information from New York and Washington, DC, cell phone users. With the analysis, the article debunks myths about data privacy. The key takeaway of the analysis, to my interpretation are:

    Twelve Million Phones - One Mobile Phone User in Munich
    Mobile Phone User – Munich
    1. Data is not anonymous – the authors successfully identified a Senior Defense Department official and his wife. And this was possible during the Women’s March. According to authors, nearly half a million descended on the capital for this event. (Other sources only mention one hundred thousand attendants)
    2. Data is not safe – the authors point out complex relationships of companies in the tracking business. Complexity makes it impossible to ensure ownership. There is no foolproof way for anyone or anywhere in the chain to prevent data from falling into the hands of a foreign security service.
    3. Affected persons cannot consent – the authors criticism seems reasonable. Virtually all companies involved with tracking require user consent. And even cell phones make the geo-tracking feature visible to users. Only barely anyone in the business makes purpose transparent. In other words, no company prominently announce how they package and sell data or insight.

    One Nation, Tracked

    The article is a creepy read, but worth the time spending. The series One Nation, Tracked continues with 6 other parts:

    1. discussing how to Protect Yourself
    2. National Security, which is for the the US in the article.
    3. details on How it works
    4. individual spying in One Neighborhood
    5. Protests is about how this business betrays democracy
    6. And offers Solutions through privacy rights.

    Source: Opinion | Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy – The New York Times

  • Edge vs. Chrome: A new Browser War

    The new Edge browser, built on the same open source code as Google Chrome, contains a new Tracking Prevention feature that blocks third-party trackers and, at the Strict setting, many ads. My tests show that one in four items blocked are from Google.

    Source: Edge vs. Chrome: Microsoft’s Tracking Prevention hits Google the hardest

  • Behavioral advertising efficiency

    Researchers from U Minnesota, UC Irvine and CMU took a look into “behavioural based advertisement”, a segment that requires heavy tracking of users across websites through cookies. A report of their findings is here: Online Tracking and Publishers’ Revenues: An Empirical Analysis. Money quote:

    Empirical analysis of behavioral advertising finds that surveillance makes ads only 4% more profitable for media companies

    They found that despite the 40% “ad-tech” premium charged by behavioral ad companies, the ads only added about 4% the media companies that published them, meaning that behavioral advertising is a losing proposition.

    Source: Boing Boing

  • Leap Motion acquired by Ultrahaptics

    The 2010 founded AR and VR company, that was leading in hand tracking devices for VR usage had a few moments that made the tech-headlines. According to many sources, Apple tried to acquire the company twice, with the second attempt as recently as 2018. Past week, the company sold for $30 million.

    Today, we’re announcing a strategic deal with Ultrahaptics that combines the two companies and solidifies our collective role as the world’s leading spatial interaction company.

    Source: Leap Motion and Ultrahaptics Join Forces – Leap Motion Blog

  • Fixing issues in Software

    So machen Profis das.

  • Inaudible sounds to track you for ads.

    Following the recent debate about ad-technology and how annoying it is and advertisers insight, you may have though it could only get better from there. Turns out, it can be worse if these claims about tracking through inaudible sounds from ads hold true.

    Privacy advocates warn feds about surreptitious cross-device tracking.

    Quelle: Ars Technica

    Even though I’d consider this inacceptible from a consumers perspective, I’d be very curious about the (audio) technology and the kind of insight this provides, from a marketing perspective. Just consider a TV-Ad broadcasting this signal to a room full of people, for one the signal would sure be difficult to detect. And then, all devices carry the same cookie, making it difficult to identify individuals…

  • eMail. Still.

    Year 2015. Still eMail is the predominant means of communication. Everybody hates it, most companies make an effort to ban it. Atos wanted to go email free, Telekom shuts off their servers, Daimler even deletes email for people on vacation. Even I receive emails, saying “I need this, but I cannot answer”, quoting the “email free day policy”. Despite all effort, nobody succeeds.

    Why? Unclear. While I think email should be banned myself, I have difficulties offering a better option. But I develop a feeling for why this is happening. This morning somebody mentioned he’ll be posting into a slack.com channel. That company claims to simplify communication, make teamwork less painful and busy, all searchable. As if nobody else tried that. And even if slack.com does a good job in what they aim for, they are just another solution.

    In my personal, active use are trello.com, Pocket, Salesforce chatter. While my company introduces a community, colleagues swear on private Facebook groups or WhatsApp for simplified communication. Not to mention the tools customers and businesspartners are using. Popular among these are Jive, Atlassian Jira, SAP Jam, but not limited, I’ve seen self hosted communities, bug trackers and ticketing tools.

    It’s difficult to keep track of all these tools. But they all send notifications through email.

    Which tool do you use to communicate?