2018 LEVA DME Training Symposium – Amped Review

Hi everyone, great to be back writing a quick blog post on here. We are SO busy here at Amped with so much going on… but I do like to chat with you all when I can. 

This year’s LEVA event was in San Antonio, Texas.

What a place! If you ever get the chance to get down there, it’s a wonderful city.  

During the event, I held a 12-hour workshop on using Amped FIVE. Many people had received some training before, but some were new users, and some didn’t even have the software yet. That’s one of the many things I love about FIVE — it’s so quick to get using, once you understand the interface. 

The workshop concentrated on task and question orientated workflows —  how to complete a desired task, and how to answer a specific question. The magic of FIVE is that you can do multiples of these in a single project. 

No need to reformat or transcode in one piece of software, then edit images in another, then process video in one more. Keeping things simple means a much quicker result and that’s what we are here — to help you with getting results!

We looked at many functions and filters so I thought I would give a rundown here. It may help as a review to those who attended or be of interest to all you guys out there who may have missed a blog post over the past few years. 

Please note though that workshops like these allow you to see just some specific features of Amped FIVE — you really should attend the official Amped FIVE training to learn about all the possibilities in FIVE. Check the schedule here.

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Perspective Stabilization and Perspective Super Resolution

In our latest update to Amped FIVE, you’ll find two new filters that work together to stabilize and enhance video with an object that has some change in perspective as it moves: Perspective Stabilization and Perspective Super Resolution.

Let’s take a look at how they work!

You can also watch the two filters in action in our latest video found here:

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The International Meeting of Criminology and Criminalistics

The Forensics Meeting is an international event dedicated to the various areas of forensic science, organized by the Institute of Forensic Sciences (ISF: Istituto di Scienze Forensi) in collaboration with the National Association of Criminologists and Criminalists (Associazione Nazionale Criminologi e Criminalisti).

The event will be held on November 9-10, 2018 in Milan, Italy, and is open to professionals, professors, and researchers working in the field who want to deepen their knowledge and get updates on the latest news and connect with international experts and companies.

Martino Jerian, CEO and Founder of Amped Software, will explain some of the potential problems when investigating image and video evidence and how to solve some technical issues in various potential scenarios related to CCTV and images.
Martino’s presentation entitled Forensic Video Analysis will be on Friday, November 9 from 15:15-16:00. 

For more info and to register visit: https://www.forensicsmeeting.com/

Amped FIVE Update 12076: Automatic Perspective Stabilization for License Plates and much more!

The festive season is on its way, but Team Amped are here with an early gift! We have another update to Amped FIVE and this time it’s huge!

Perspective Stabilization and Perspective Super Resolution

We’ve now created two new filters that work together to stabilize and enhance video that includes an object with a change in perspective as it moves. The most common scenario for this is the need to enhance the license plate of a moving car filmed by a static CCTV. While it has been possible to correct perspective issues since early versions of Amped FIVE using Perspective Registration, this could often be very time consuming and not always easy. With the Perspective Stabilization this step has now been basically automated. Of course, Perspective Registration is still there for you for the extra-difficult cases and for manual selection.

We’ve dedicated an entire post to Perspective Stabilization and Perspective Super Resolution which will be published in the next few days.

Replace Channel

Another new filter! Replace Channel replaces one color channel with another. It’s found under the Channels filter set.

Replace Channel converts the image into another selected color space and replaces one of the channels with another. Let’s take this image, for instance:

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LEVA 2018 Annual Digital Multimedia Evidence Training Symposium

LEVA’s 29th annual video and audio evidence symposium will be held in San Antonio, Texas, from November 5-9. This annual training symposium provides valuable workshops and lectures to elevate skills set and offers great networking opportunities. LEVA will direct its attention towards addressing critical issues for those involved in the retrieval, processing and presenting in court all types of digital multimedia evidence.

Visit Amped Software during the vendor day on Tuesday, November 6 from 9 am – 5 pm to see first hand why Amped Software products are now the global leading forensic image and video solutions for law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Also, don’t miss the Amped FIVE workshop entitled: One Tool…Amped FIVE…Countless Possibilities! presented by David Spreadborough, Amped’s International Trainer.

Over the last few years, Amped FIVE has fast become an indispensable weapon in the FVA arsenal. It doesn’t matter if you are a daily user, or have never used it at all; if you’re interested in the latest developments on decoding, workflow, restoration, enhancement, comparison, and presentation – this workshop is for you! See how using FIVE can expedite your investigations, using a scientific methodology to get results – fast!

The workshop is divided into two parts: 
Part 1 on Thursday, November 8, from 8 am – 5 pm
Part 2 on Friday, November 9, from 8 am – 5 pm 

Established in 1989, LEVA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation committed to provide advanced training and certification in the science of forensic video analysis. LEVA serves as a key resource providing opportunities for professional development through quality training and informational exchange.

For more info visit: https://leva.org/index.php/training/training-conference

The value of forensic science: safer, healthier, wealthier and happier communities

The value of forensic science: safer, healthier, wealthier and happier communities – that is the title of The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences conference for this year. Taking place on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd November at The Park Inn by Radisson, Northampton.

The aim of this year’s conference is to celebrate the contribution forensic science makes to society. This may begin with saving costs and time in criminal investigations – if not being indispensable to solving them. It may relate to the social and economic benefits of crime reduction and prevention by rapid and reliable detection, or – for example – to the social and economic benefits of identifying, sanctioning or supporting offenders with drug or mental health problems. It may relate to the role forensic science plays in detecting terrorist-related, financial or organised crime, or crime affecting the food supply or environment. It may relate to crime arising from human rights abuses or to the detection of miscarriages of justice, which demonstrate the role forensic science plays in underpinning the rule of law in a free society – at home and abroad.

The conference will offer presentations on novel advances and applications in forensic science, on successful contributions to casework, and on practices and procedures that maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of forensic science – especially in holistic approaches to crime reduction and prevention. The Conference will also include sessions on forensic science’s role in organised crime and counter-terrorism, cybercrime, and humanitarian investigations, and illustrating the central role of forensic science in preventing, as well as elucidating miscarriages of justice.

David Spreadborough, CFVA and Amped Software International Trainer, will be speaking at this event, about the importance of forensic methodology when analyzing CCTV, video and images. His keynote presentation will be on Thursday, from 14:10-14:50 in the Kent Suite. 

For more info visit: http://www.csofs.org/Events/The-Value-of-Forensic-Science/46749

Westminster Briefing: Implementing the UK National Surveillance Camera Strategy

One year on from the National Surveillance Camera Strategy, the landscape of CCTV is still evolving. Issues around governance, regulation and new technologies continue to have an impact. The Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s strategy looks to provide guidance and co-ordinate a national framework.

Attend this Westminster Briefing “Implementing the National Surveillance Camera Strategy: One Year On” on Wednesday 31st October, 2018 to hear from Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner and other experts, including David Spreadborough, Amped Software’s International Trainer. This is the ideal opportunity to explore best practice and hear about case studies of effective CCTV use.

Key Issues to be Addressed:

  • Update of the National Surveillance Camera Strategy
  • The role of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner in raising standards and ensuring best practice
  • Meeting regulatory and data protection obligations
  • CCTV and the Police: Ensuring better outcomes and working with other agencies
  • Forensics and the CCTV application
  • Partnership working across local services
  • Case studies of meeting and exceeding codes of practice

About the Day:

The morning session will aim to provide delegates with an up-to-date brief of the current regulatory framework and the new national surveillance camera strategy.

The afternoon session will focus on best practice in CCTV use. This is a good opportunity to explore how your organisation can meet the surveillance camera code of practice.

Who Should Attend?

Delegates will be drawn from all those who work with CCTV and surveillance cameras, including: CSPOs, CCTV Managers, CCTV Supervisors, Parking Managers, Enforcement Managers, Station Managers, Neighbourhood Managers, Community Safety Officers,  local authorities, local councils, police services, police authorities, security companies, and all others with an interest in this area.

For registration enquiries please contact:
Customer.services@westminster-briefing.com | 0207 593 5657

For more info please visit:
http://www.westminster-briefing.com/CCTV_Strategy

Forensic Image Analysis: A Workshop for Law Students

The University of Udine, together with The International Centre of Mechanical Sciences, are holding a seminar on October 24-25 in Udine, Italy that aims to provide a framework to introduce Forensic Image Analysis particularly to law students, but is also open to students from other disciples, including PhD students, young researchers, and professionals from the legal and public security fields.  

The courses will be held during two days, divided into three sections: general, legal, IT.  The general section provides a broad overview of forensic image analysis. The legal section focuses on the aspects of images and videos in a workplace environment, the issues concerning the protection of intellectual property and the circulation of protected material, and their use in court with reference to the civil law. In the IT section, students will be introduced to technologies that are used for the acquisition and analysis of images and videos. 

The course aims to provide students with theoretical knowledge and also practical skills. For this reason, a session is scheduled to take place in the computer lab, on Thursday, October 25, with Martino Jerian, Amped Software CEO and Founder, who will teach students how to analyze images and videos with Amped Software products. 

For the full agenda click here.

To register, click here.

Amped to present at the Italian National Observatory for Computer Forensics conference

On Friday, October 19, Amped will be attending the ONIF (The Italian National Observatory for Computer Forensics ) annual conference in Amelia, Italy. 

Join Marco Fontani, R&D Engineer at Amped Software, for his presentation entitled “Enhancement and Authentication of Digital Images and Video” to learn how Amped products assist in the analysis of image and video evidence for investigations.

For more info about ONIF and the event visit: http://www.onif.it/

ONIF is the Italian National Observatory of Computer Forensics, created by a pool of professionals in the field of digital and computer forensics. Its main goal is to promote the role of the ‘digital forensic expert witness’ as the subject that is capable of implementing existing best practices for the identification, acquisition, and analysis of digital evidence.

Video Evidence: Handle with Care

Some of the new simplicities afforded to us can, unfortunately, cloud ones’ judgement when dealing with images and video for legal use.

Technology has, in most parts, made things incredibly easy. Take the example of photographs and video. We all now love to quickly snap a memory or record some footage of an event. We can adjust the colour or light, crop out unwanted parts, or trim the end of a video. It’s then a simple click on the share button to immediately have that sent to friends or family via a messaging app or social media. 

Some of the new simplicities afforded to us can, unfortunately, cloud ones’ judgement when dealing with images and video for legal use.  Why do it one way, when it’s so much easier to do it another, perhaps quicker way?

In late 2016, at the conclusion of a trial in Nottingham Crown Court, for four men involved in the murder of Aqib Mazhar, Judge Rafferty stated, “there must never be another case in this country where those analysing CCTV don’t have the best equipment.” The quote stems from the fact that it wasn’t until the trial had started that video material was properly reviewed and that significantly changed the weight of the evidence.

Whether it is CCTV evidence, mobile phone video or a sequence of images, the software used to review that evidence can alter the viewer’s interpretation. It could be that the player drops or misses frames. The player could present the video too dark, or too light. The player could change the shape and size of the image or video, resulting in objects appearing smaller or larger. Many surveillance system players alter the image to make it look better, even though that is not what was originally recorded – scary, but true.

In 2015, a conviction of Indecent Assault was overturned at the Court of Appeal. Mr Mohammed Islam was earlier convicted at Flintshire Magistrates Court, where a CCTV image of a vehicle, alleged to be his, was used as evidence. After analysis and enhancement, it was proved not to be his vehicle and his conviction quashed. Mr Islam’s lawyer, Adam Antoszkiw, later stated the crucial evidence was not properly examined because of financial constraints.

Multimedia evidence, especially CCTV or low-quality mobile phone footage must be handled with care. 

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