The 10 most-read articles of 2021

As the year draws to a close, we look back at our most popular articles published this year

This year our blog has introduced new technology, assessed old technology, and reported all the latest SmartFrame news as we push forward with our mission to revolutionize the way images are viewed and published online. New to the SmartFrame blog? Explore our ten most popular 2021 articles below. And if you’re already a regular reader, why not remind yourself of last year’s most-read articles?

1. SmartFrame and Adobe-led CAI: Working together to validate provenance and improve image protection

In November, we proudly announced our collaboration with the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI). Founded by Adobe, Twitter, and the New York Times, the initiative aims to create a new standard for image provenance. By integrating CAI provenance data with SmartFrame’s image-streaming technology, we demonstrated an end-to-end image-security solution. This article provides an overview of the technology and shows how it was put into practice by renowned photographer David Yarrow. Read the article

2. What is copyfraud? And what do NFTs have to do with it?

Copyfraud is an ongoing problem in the current online image ecosystem that threatens the work of photographers, artists, writers, and musicians around the world. This article explores in detail exactly what copyfraud is, why it’s a problem and how it can be prevented. It also discusses the use of NFTs to protect digital art, explaining how they work, their advantages, and the potential problems they bring. Read the article

3. Is Cyber Essentials still fit for purpose?

There’s no doubt that Cyber Essentials was developed with the best intentions. Indeed, upon its release, it was well-received by the industry as a useful tool for mitigating the risk from online threats. However, with the digital landscape and business operations changing so quickly, the question of whether it remains effective must be asked. In this article, we explore the case for and against. Read the article

4. In-image advertising: How it works and FAQ

The latter part of 2021 saw the release of our in-image advertising system, which allows brands to serve contextually targeted ads into SmartFrames, wherever they appear online. Ads are targeted using detailed image metadata and AI to accurately assess the contents of the image and the page on which it appears. This offers a new revenue stream for the photography industry, along with a fantastic alternative to behavioral targeting after the demise of the third-party cookie. Click below to take a deep dive into the technology and learn everything you need to know. Read article

5. Are home wi-fi networks actually suitable for business use?

The global pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to the way we work as individuals, and the way businesses operate, specifically working from home. While the original lockdown took many by surprise, it prepared us all for future disruption from new waves of infection. As a result, many teams are now well adapted to the change and have maintained high levels of productivity. However, many of the same teams are working through home wi-fi networks that are not designed for corporate use. Here, we look at just how appropriate these connections are and whether companies and employees are leaving themselves exposed to unnecessary risk. Read the article

6. Google’s ‘About this result’ feature: What you need to know

We place a huge amount of trust in Google to serve us webpage suggestions that are safe to view, so the search engine does everything it can to filter out malicious content. One such measure to ensure the best possible user experience was the introduction of a new ‘About this result’ feature, which provides key information about the webpage suggestions that appear in search results. Its aim is to provide greater transparency, allowing users to better judge whether the content they are viewing is safe, trustworthy and relevant. But how does it work? Read the article

7.  Steganography in digital images: an invisible cybersecurity threat

Although steganography is a practice with origins dating as far back as ancient Greece, it has lent itself very well to the most advanced modern technology. It has evolved from invisible ink right through to digital code, but one thing has remained the same: the intention to conceal. This article explores the history of steganography and reveals how cybercriminals have adopted the technique to smuggle malware within digital images. Follow the link below to learn more and discover how we can prevent it. Read the article

8. Is the internet ready for Samsung’s 200MP smartphone sensor?

Smartphone cameras have seen huge advances since their launch, but Samsung took it to a whole new level this year with the announcement of the ISOCELL HP1 200MP mobile sensor. In this article, we take an in-depth look at the technology that makes such high sensor resolutions possible, along with the potential issues its huge file sizes may bring. Read the article

9. C2PA: Everything you need to know about the C2PA project

The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) is the coming together of two image provenance technologies: the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) and Project Origin. The aim is to work towards an open standard for online content provenance and authenticity that will provide greater transparency around the origin of digital media. In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about this coalition between some of the biggest names in tech and publishing, including Adobe, the BBC, Twitter, Microsoft and The New York Times, among many more. Read the article

10. The problem with Google’s SR3 image-upscaling technology

When Google announced its super-resolution image technology, we were immediately amazed by the results it was reported to produce, but at the same time concerned about the implications such advanced AI image upscaling could have on the photography industry, which for many years has relied on image downsampling as a form of security. How exactly does this technology work? What are its potential applications? And indeed, what are the problems it poses? Our article explores all this and more. Read the article