Free DME & DFIR Resources

You can just press play if you want to, but if you're forensically processing evidence, I wouldn't advise it. Know the playback software, as it is just as important to proper playback and interpretation as the hardware. Take Windows Media Player, for instance.

In the following video I discuss a few quirks about Windows Media Player v12, a shortcoming of the popular metadata tool MediaInfo, and more.

Recently I received the official announcement from Avid that the Liquid line has reached End-of-Life, and Avid is offering all Liquid customers an upgrade discount to Media Composer.  Certainly not a surprise, as there haven't been any major releases of Liquid since shortly after Avid acquired Pinnacle, but the official announcement made me a little sad just the same.  I've really grown to love my Liquid Pro systems at home and they've served me well. 

Avid will provide phone support for the next two years and will replace hardware still under warranty for as long as supplies last(?).  View the official announcement via the link below:

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Sunday evening I resigned my LEVA CFVA certification, and at the end of the month my DFCP will expire as well. Earlier this year I retired from active casework. No other reasons.

Most of my note to the current LEVA Board, staff & instructors was to thank them all for teaching & supporting me so much along the way, and inviting them all to be on & participate in my podcast...to promote their efforts and training (at least to my mom, our most dedicated listener). 😎

Sheriff John Whetsel, Oklahoma County, OK, recently sent a letter to his fellow Police Chiefs and Sheriffs asking for their support of LEVA's mobile video technology survey and the 2011 National Summit for Mobile Video Technology.

To view a PDF version of Sheriff Whetsel's letter click here.

F.C.C. Says Adoption of New Broadband Plan Is Vital, By BRIAN STELTER

The agency characterized its proposal, which it sent to Congress on Tuesday, as a step for keeping the country competitive.

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The new Media-Geek.com members area is officially open, and I'm really pleased with how the pieces have neatly snapped together so far.  There's still a lot to do, particularly in the way of tutorials and documentation, but all of the core functionality that was planned for the official launch (and even some that wasn't) is up and running.

The most recent additions to the new members area are the new Video Library and the Forensic Community Events Calendar.  These are two of my favorite features so far in the members area and, as geeky as this sounds, I'm really thrilled that they were ready in time for the official launch. Additionally, with Brad Doell's approval, I've added direct access to the FVA list through the members area.  Thanks again Brad!

If you're a registered member who wants to hit the ground running, check out the Getting Started tutorial.

The director of the FBI used his keynote address at the RSA 2010 conference to appeal for greater co-operation between law enforcement and the private sector to tackle online crime.

Robert Mueller told delegates that the need for co-operation had never been stronger, as online fraud rises to huge levels and the next generation of terrorists move online in unprecedented numbers."

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The site search tool will now search our member forums as well.  Of course, you need to be a registered member to view the forums and posts, but at least now members will be able to search them conveniently.

A brand new LEVA course has been designed by and will be taught by two highly respected members of the FVA community: George Reis and Jimmy Schroering.  "AUTOMATION FOR FORENSIC VIDEO ANALYSTS: From Photoshop to Scripting" will be conducted in the LEVA Lab this December 17 - 20 and again May 20 - 23. 2013.

For additional information please visit the LEVA website at www.leva.org 

Several other things I should be doing on a Saturday morning, but I find myself anxious to continue this discussion. Maybe it’s because although multiple industry Best Practice documents talk about correcting Aspect Ratio, none of them discuss the proper way to do it. It could also be my new coffee maker, which I'm hypothesizing has increased my caffeine intake substantially, although I have not increased my coffee intake. Who knows. Anyway, let’s start by recapping Part 1.

I frequently get asked by friends and family about how to protect their PC or what software they should use to improve performance.  I've posted about some of the free software tools I use on my home PCs for this in the past, mentioning CCleaner, Advanced System Care, and other freeware tools...and I always recommend they be used in conjunction with a good anti-virus program and software firewall, of course. 

Despite all of the tools I use regularly to guard against malware, I recently stumbled on some pretty stubborn malware that I just couldn't get rid of with the tools I typically use, so I tried IObit's Security 360 Free and it worked like a charm.  Security 360 is designed to remove spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, bots and worms from 32bit and 64bit Windows  PCs (2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7) and is free for non-commercial use.

If you happen upon some stubborn malware give it a shot.  Hopefully it'll work as well for you as it did for me.  Have a happy & safe 4th of July everybody!

I'll be the first to admit that I've been slacking on keeping members up-to-date here the last couple of years, as I was traveling extensively to do what I love; teaching & sharing information with other DME professionals around the world, among other life changes/challenges. One thing the pandemic has facilitated for me is the opportunity to be more active here again, and I've been doing my best to take advantage of that time.

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(from press release)

"Wakefield, Mass. – Aug. 4, 2011 – The Consortium of Digital Forensic Specialists (CDFS), a global non-profit industry group that aims to improve the digital forensic profession through unity, advocacy and standardization, announced today that it is now accepting membership applications from interested organizations and individuals."

Visit the Consortium of Digital Forensic Specialists (CDFS) website for the complete press release.