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Comment Lead? (Score 1) 116

by Cow007 (#45320061) Attached to: Mobile Devices Banned From UK Cabinet Meetings Over Surveillance Fears
Maybe it was an illustrative device but you would not need to use lead. The standard practice is to use a Faraday bag or case which could be made of lots of different materials including lead as long as it is electrically connected to the closure. Lead is used for radiation shielding but for electro magnetic shielding a Faraday bag or cage is used...

Comment Net Metering (Score 1) 207

My comment is regarding net metering in general not specifically as it applies to solar. This is a bigger issue; it's not just with solar that net metering comes into play. I know someone who has a factory and a hydroelectric plant. He sells the energy to the electric company and buys it back at a very small markup. "If you make extra power the electric company is bound by law to buy it." I see no reason to change this; its simply common sense and it applies to more than just solar. These rules have been around for longer than solar was a thing for private citizens and everyone wins. Use of smart meters is especially helpful in these scenarios since the grid is aware when extra power is being generated as well as when it's needed.

Submission + - The Debt Crisis From the Founders' Perspective

Submitted by Cow007
Cow007 writes: "The U.S. Debt Crisis from the Founders Perspective is republished with permission of Stratfor."
A worthwhile read for a little perspective.
"...I think the founders would have questioned the prudence of our current debt. They would ask if it were necessary to incur, and how and whether it would be paid back. They would also question whether economic growth driven by debt actually strengthens the nation. In any case, I think there is little doubt they would be appalled by our debt levels, not necessarily because of what it might do to the economy, but because of what it does to the national character. However, because they were moderate men they would not demand an immediate solution. Nor would they ask for a solution that undermines national power.

As for federally mandated health care, I think they would be wary of entrusting such an important service to an entity they feared viscerally. But they wouldn't have been fanatical in their resistance to it. As much as federally mandated health care would frighten them, I believe fanaticism would have frightened them even more.

"The U.S. Debt Crisis from the Founders Perspective is republished with permission of Stratfor."

Submission + - Do the NSA and others really NEED to do what they have been doing?

Submitted by Cow007
Cow007 writes: Here's the question nobody seems to be talking about in earnest: do they really NEED to do this. All of the powers been developed for gathering information are they able to accomplish their stated goal without it. isn't it really a matter of analyzing intelligence they have that is the issue? I tend to lean in some ways towards a yes answer for that question. However intelligence analysis is not something to be under estimated. When looking back over the events of 9/11 it became clear that the government had the information necessary to be able to prevent the attack or know about it in advance.

Does the cost-benefit ratio of this surveillance to infringement on freedom truly pan out when were talking about terrorism? The founding fathers would probably say no, however in situations where there's a possibility of terrorists acquiring acquiring CBRN weapons this is a difficult question.

In calculating this cost-benefit ratio one would have to take into account the possibility of this actually happening. However the most concerning situation would one where terrorists used biological weapons. Such attacks would be much more cost-effective than building a crude nuclear device or using chemical weapons since it's fissile materials are hard to come by and prohibitively expensive as are radiological materials suitable for building a dirty bomb. It is also notable that chemical weapons are difficult to disperse effectively and require a larger amount of material. By far the smallest amount material needed for an attack would be biological in nature.

If someone were to distribute a lethal, transmittable and weaponized virus we would be talking about fucking Moonraker level damage to human life.

I don't know if you remember but it was talked about in the media that the NSA was going to do "a mop up operation" after 9/11. The goal of this procedure was to go back through their databases and whatever stored information they had in the files to extract information such as phone calls regarding this event. They were in fact able to extract phone calls probably talking about the operation on 9/11. For example a phone call using code words such as the wedding is a go etc. I developed the opinion that it would have been possible for the intelligence community, properly coordinated could have analyzed the intelligence they already and been able to prevent the attacks or at least have some information about them being a possibility.

A big problem with having more intelligence means that you have more intelligence to sort through. This is reflected by the NSA's efforts to be able to analyze large amounts of information. Nevertheless this is a trade-off.

What do you think? Did the NSA and other government agencies really need all the tools that they been developing to be a will to adequately execute their mission?

In regards to encryption it is definitely a system of very low cost method to be a will to make it very difficult for others to be able to decipher information. Should the NSA undermine encryption standards be provided with keys for them or two at the old-fashioned way- hard way?

I have been thinking for a long time that for the NSA to properly do their job they would have to be able to decrypt communications. So much so in fact that the NSA would seem like a nearly irrelevant body without this capability. I think that they must be using quantum computers or heavily developing them to be able to do this. Evidence of seems to suggest that they have not fully achieved this capability as of yet as evidenced by the continued need to undermine encryption standards or circumvent them.

The problem with using quantum computers to pick up messages within data that is theoretically impossible to distinguish from random data and streams of random data due to encryption circuits that are continuously loaded.

I joke that if one is using quantum computers to find messages in data that may contain random data or actual encryption then decrypt they will always find exactly the messages they are looking for :P

Comment Re:Yep (Score 1) 488

by Cow007 (#44918067) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Is iOS 7 Slow?
Camera much more responsive on my iPhone 4; no picture scaling and iris animation makes less delay between taking pictures and ability to take picture quickly after camera is started. I like it.

Submission + - Wireless USB (androidauthority.com)

Submitted by Cow007
Cow007 writes: With all the talk of lack of infrastructure for wireless charging a standards based solution is indicated. Perhaps Wireless USB; works with the same protocol layer and gives the device within range a USB connection and power. Older devices having adapters. Useable for devices that would use USB but not for cars, etc. It seems a perfect idea for phones, imput devices and all thoes other USB powered/ connected devices. Read IEEE...

Comment But they found out about it (Score 1) 180

by Cow007 (#43844613) Attached to: Australian Intelligence HQ Blueprints Hacked
The makings for a successful attack of this nature include the intrusion not being detected. If they know that the plans were stolen then measures can be taken to mitigate the situation. The most successful cyber espionage or any other kind of espionage operation is a clandestine one; if everyone knows that you know what they know there is significantly less advantage there.

Comment Crap (Score 1) 1

by Cow007 (#35189086) Attached to: Google Search Down @ 2:39 Pacific
Looks like I am totally a fool. When I connected w/o Squid it was fine. Dunno why it wasn't displayed as a Squid error in my browser with the small picture of a squid, that is what led me to believe it was real. MY BAD! -Cow

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