"Hello, thank you for calling ISRO tek-nee-kull support, this is Jim, how may I help you?"

"Jim, this is the capsule! We are stuck here! Help!"

"Yes, this is Jim from tek-nee-kull support. I am happy to help you today. I will need to ask you some questions first. Is it okay if I ask you questions?"

"We're running out of oxygen! The lift-off failed! We can't open the door!"

"Yes, I understand you are running out of oxygen. Is it okay if I ask you questions?"

"Yes, ask, ask! We're dying here!!!"

"Yes, thank you for allowing me to ask you questions. I will be glad to provide you service today. First I need to ask, what is your name?" ...

There's no need to "remember" Microsoft's anticompetitive actions.
They're still engaging in the very same behavior.

I don't hate Microsoft's behavior because of my "pappy" or because
of some judicial order from 20 years ago. I despise their current
behavior.

Microsoft continues to be worth despising. Their astroturf lobbying
and their blogs about how misunderstood they are fool nobody.

E

"That compares with the cost of a few thousand dollars an hour to rent a helicopter with pilot"

Bell LongRanger with pilot $1300/hr
Bell JetRanger with pilot $980/hr
Robinson R44 with pilot $650/hr
Robinson R22 with pilot $300/hr

A few thousand an hour? PUHLEAZE.

E (a real live helicopter pilot)

The culture of understanding operating system design and coding has eroded so much and slashdot mods are so random that there are none left who understand what real-time os programming is all about. That's why the parent is mod 0. Sadly this is just one of many topics that random slashdot mods know nothing about, and vote things down because they don't say PS-4 or Kinect or Supermodels or whatever. It's not the beginning of dumbing down slashdot and it's not the end, but it's definitely part of the process.

More bad news. Those of us who do understand these things will quit reading slashdot because as you mods with no training nor knowledge continue to eviscerate anyone who gives you a clue (because you don't know any better lacking any education on the topic) we'll quit reading. You'll like that, because the high fives and accolades we don't give you will be filled by those who do.

I'm not warning you. It's too late. I'm just sharing so later when you wonder "how did we get to be an inbred community of idiots when we asked for input from all quarters" you'll know... you didn't ask for input from all quarters. You randomly elevated those who randomly liked posts they understood. The knowledge of the edges will be lost here, and all you'll have is a like minded community of apes who love to argue Linux vs BSD without understanding anything.

Ehud

1. Either build your new system yourself from retail purchased parts, or acquire a used laptop locally. In other words, you go give money and get a machine, not have someone send it to you where it might be intercepted or modified. YOU pick the hardware seller randomly and then YOU take it home unintercepted.

2. This is the part that hurts. Lock your machine PHYSICALLY so nobody can mess with it without making it obvious. I recommend a BIOS-PASSWORD, and then epoxy the case so nobody can mess with the chips without you knowing about it.

3. Lock the operating system down so that nobody can enter single-user mode, or boot from alternate devices. I recommend whole-disk encryption, disabling single-user-mode or rescue mode, and eliminating the bootloader menu (I use GRUB, but the concept carries over).

4. Lock the privileged access so that nobody can execute privileged commands, load drivers, etc. unless IT'S REALLY YOU doing it NOT UNDER DURESS. That means have alternatives so if there's a gun or warrant to your head you can appear to be cooperative but the end result is less useful for the villain.

5. Once you have a configuration you like, consider it LOCKED, STATIC, FROZEN, and do not update operating system components, drivers, applications, etc. If you install new applications ensure you trust the source.

FINALLY, now that you have the hardware and software set, realize that you're still emitting lots of data whether screen, network, audio, etc. ENSURE that ALL your outside access is encrypted. If you're able to, route it through a VPN or TOR. You may think "Oh I don't need to encrypt everything... I'll just use the web normally for nonsensitive stuff." This is a fallacy. It both shows what you DON'T put out publicly (black box take shape the more you do public stuff but then don't do some stuff publicly) and it removes your ability to claim that encrypting is not purposefully deceptive, because --as you should-- you encrypt everything.

Also you've probably figured this out by now... but the COSTS to this security may include your destroying the device if it either fails to boot or appears to have been taken over or opened. It's a high cost in dollars, but it keeps your security absolute.

Ok, there's one more thing. Don't be a dipshit and enter in privileged passwords anywhere where someone is using a cellphone camera, Google Glass, or security cams are in play. It's not like "everyone" has those magic keep-zooming-forever-on-stored-video-because-resolution-is-unlimited cameras, but you don't know who does and who doesn't. If someone really wants your root or administrative password and they think you're gun/warrant proof, a few hidden spy cams are nothing in comparison.

Ehud

Thanks, bud!

I'm a pilot. I passed the exam by knowing how things work, not making up shit.

Best regards :)

E

Hi Rick. The Hexacopter has a lot of thrust (and with different sized rotors more thrust and less stamina)
but don't confuse "pounds of thrust" with "ability to lift weight other than itself."

The unladen hexacopter can lift less than a six-pack. Here's a google search with lots of cool info including
videos: http://tinyurl.com/lweb6bd

Remember that thrust (if it was perfectly vertical) would equal lift, and that the hexacopter itself has a weight
that reduces from the thrust. However ... with 6 small props it's not all lift, and the end result is that it can't
do the job.

cheers,

E

The hexacopter is great, but it's a radio-controlled device. You can do first-person-view (FPV) stuff with it but it's still 100% controlled by a human. That's not a drone.

WAIT, BEFORE YOU SAY "WHO CARES", RC helicopters up to 400ft are not regulated by the FAA. That means the FAA lacks authority to do so. The beer thing is a fun gag. HOAX if you prefer. The hexacopter can lift almost 4lbs, and a six-pack weighs 4.5lbs. It wasn't real. The GPS coordinates... also not real. It's a gag. A gimmick. An advertisement for some future product. Didn't happen.

The point of this is.
1. The FAA has no authority over RC stuff.
2. Drone/UAS means there's nobody controlling it. That's not the case here.
3. A six pack of beer is a great thing, but it's too heavy for even a hexacopter.

Ehud
helicopter pilot (the real kind, 1 R44, and about 7 electrical RC and 1 nitro methane RC :)

Ever since FB stopped listing FS checkins, and the world stopped noticing who checks in where on FS,
it really means they can arrange their data any way they like.

Perhaps this is their method of convincing their investors they have some Imaginary Property or something.
I can't imagine another reason to pretend they have relevance. Like SnapChat, they're a temporary "service"
that has nothing but temporary eyeballs.

E

Dirtbags who represent the special interests that pay them.

The NSA tracked it.

They just responded to the Mexican's request for information with a redacted report saying:
It's located right [XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX].
Good luck [XXXXXXXXXXXX] your [XXXXXXXXXXXX].

NSA

I fly helicopters. With the doors off when it's hot. The first solo was... terrifying :)
Now it's the greatest thrill in my life.

Great post comparing the things that matter,

E

Yeah, they can.

We've watched our server purchases go from 100% Dell to 50% Dell/ 50% HP to 100% 3rd party in the
last four years as Dell has become 100% wintel and HP has ratecheted up their pricing without a
commensurate increase in performance or reliability.

This happened despite our being a Dell Premiere client, having "direct access" to get bulk deals,
delivery, and sometimes even pricing. Dell turned into a Microsoft shop around mid-2012 -- long
before it was clear they would eventually be seeking Microsoft "approval" (ownership). We warned
them. We pleaded with them. We tried to bargain with them. In the end it was all just stages of
coping with the grief as we watched our old friend Dell succumb to dying a slow Microsoftian death.

So _NOW_ they want to introduce a laptop running a 1.5 year old operating system? Anyone thinks
this is a great idea? Of course not. They're doing so in order to bid on some government contract
that says they have to have diversity. They don't expect to sell any of these -- see the marketing
hype around it. It's just there because they need to have such a product.

Best

E

MS has the LICENSE to use BSD code.

They don't owe BSD anything.

Next time you're thinking of whether to license YOUR code using GPL or using something
that allows MS to use your stuff and give nothing back in return... remember this.

Ehud