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P2P Hard Disk System Warns of Tsunamis
An anonymous reader writes to mention an article on NetworkWorld about a free software application that detects Tsunamis by listening for vibrations in the hard drives of computers. The peer-to-peer network uses the technology that allows HDDs to keep read-write heads on track, and passes the information to a network for analysis. From the article: "If an earthquake that could lead to a tsunami is detected, the supernodes inform the other nodes. Computers running the client software and connected to the peer-to-peer network can then warn of such events. The software is able to provide such warnings because the seismic waves produced by earthquakes travel at about 5,000 kilometers per hour, while tsunamis move much slower at 500 to 1,000 kilometers per hour"
I like the science.
I like helping people.
I don't like Windows only java clients which include dll files (they say on the front page its java based, but then on download page you see Mac OS X and Linux version in preparation. I think the DLL is going to pretty much stop all that.
I don't like running random programs accessing none standard data from my harddrive without knowing exactly what its looking at and what happens to my drive if its not got the required capabilities.
There is no technical information about this program or what it actually examines on a harddrive, coupled with the crypto java code buried inside the package (look in bcprov-jdk14.jar\org\bouncycastle\crypto) makes me nervous.
Negating all that it looks cool and if the technical aspects are cleared up I will try it.
I wonder if this functionality could be used to give any standard laptop a similar alarm feature as on the latest macbooks?
liqbase
I don't think all earthquakes cause tsunamis. Seems like there may be a lot more false warnings than real tsunamis.
Wouldn't be very effective in third world areas, though.
I wonder how many simultaneous reports it takes to trigger it.
Execute? [Y/N] _
I like the idea of disaster prevention through reading hard disk vibration and all, but isn't this the sort of thing that professionals should be responsible for?
Helping people avoid natural disasters is a good thing but I cannot see this program taking off too far. Too many people will fear what this progam could possibly be looking at other then just the vibration data. not to mention the possible exploits available to those looking use is maliciously.
I often have trouble remembering which way is out of bed in the morning.
Seismic waves range between 40 and 200 Hz.
Immediately we have electrical interference at multiples of 50Hz. If this is supposed to be a delocalised system eg, SETI@home running in geeks' houses we're going to have much more interference: kicking your computer, bass speakers, fans..
Does a similar thing.
No, not really. That application just shows a graph; this system collects and correlates data from many systems.
Once caveat: you can never touch the mac.
Again, no, not really. The system described (not Seismac) correlates data from many systems, and an earthquake will affect many systems. Your typing, jumping up and down, or even a big truck rumbling by, will not. Nevermind that earthquakes have a very charachteristic vibration, so individual nodes are unlikely to be fooled easily in the first place. The supernodes would look for correlation.
To really dumb it down: if an earthquake happens, PCs will see the same/similar vibration in an expanding circle pattern. Similar systems are used with microphones in some cities for gunshot detection- many of them can, with just a few 'listening stations', pinpoint gunfire to within a dozen feet.
Please help metamoderate.
And what causes this need ? Pirated movies, games and music and porn.
Indeed. The problem with this project is that the countries where computers are very common (say, the United States) already have effective tsunami systems. The IOC offers tsunami warnings as well in most of the Pacific, and are extending their coverage. The problem is that the third world governments often have problems with disseminating the information, and it's these very same countries that also don't have a lot of modern computers with motion detectors. The places that have effective end-to-end tsunami warning systems don't need this software, and those that don't won't have the hardware necessary to use it.
There's also the concern about sensitivity, of course, including false alarms by people moving their laptops, bumping desks, walking around... some serious testing would be needed to ascertain both the precision (reliability) and accuracy of this system before believing what it says.
The Freelance Wizard