Why don't we start with the simple stuff?
on
Biometrics in Airports
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· Score: 4, Insightful
This rush to biometrics seems like a 21st century solution to a problem that could be solved with 20th century technology.
Wouldn't it make more sense and be much easier to simply link the FBI "watch list" to the airlines computers? Many of the hijackers were on this list. It seems incredible to me that a person on the list could buy a one-way ticket with cash without the system bringing up all sorts of warnings. Some of the hijackers (not all) fall into this category.
The following things should cause there to be extra scrutiny (especially if you do/are more than one of them):
You are on the FBI watch list.
You pay cash for your ticket.
You buy a one-way ticket.
It seems that doing a lookup on a name in a database is much quicker/easier/less expensive than installing facial recognition systems all over the place. Why not implement a simple solution that would have caught these guys first instead of a complex on that might not work?
If you feel that we must use high-tech solutions, maybe a smart card put into passports and driver's licenses would make more sense and be more accurate. Once simple solutions are implemented then we can worry about the crazy complex ones.
I don't even think this guy came up with it! This is an amazing case of karma grabbing!
Here is an earlier copy of this same post by another user.
I am amazaed that the/. community is so quick to mod up repeat posts like this while at the same time jumping all over the editors if a story goes up twice. At least the editors aren't repeating stuff on purpose.
Maybe we should all be on the lookout for the next Star Trek story to go up. We can race to see who can copy and paste this superhero post the fastest and earn precious karma. It could be a "superhero first post" contest.
Of course, maybe the post is GPL'ed, in which case this reuse is all ok.:)
Your post raises an interesting issue. Can BSD code be put into a GPL program? Not accoring to the statement on gnu.org about the original BSD license, which is the license in question. It is listed in the GPL-Incompatible section.
It is the requirement you mention (inserting the copyright notice) that makes the two incompatible. A GPL'd program can't have that "restriction".
If you are cynical you could say that this is an example of the viral nature of the GPL and that RMS wants to take over the world!
You may not use the Software in connection with any site that disparages Microsoft...
So the work around that many proposed is also prohibited. It was suggested that you could edit most of your site in Frontpage and then pop in the references to EVIL using vi or even Notepad (gag). But if you can't even use Frontpage in connection with an anti-Microsoft site then that option is out the window.
Next thing you know, Adobe will prohibit using GoLive! in connection with pro-Skylarov sites.
Here is an update to my post. The name of the reporter from ABC who interviewed bin Laden is John Miller. His interview is here. Encryption is not mentioned in the interview but I have seen John Miller on TV discussing the methods that bin Laden uses to communicate and it includes encrypted Zip disks.
Here is an article in which the director of the CIA says that bin Laden uses encryption.
Many posts have quoted the BBC article in which bin Laden is said to use 'no-tech'. If you go back and actually read the article you will find that the NSA guys are saying that he doesn't use modern communication methods, not that he doesn't use encryption. There is a difference.
According to the reported from ABC (I have forgotten his name) who went over to Afghanistan a few years ago and interviewed bin Laden he DOES use crypto.
A few years ago he stopped using cell phones and satellite phones to communicate, knowing that those technologies could be monitored.
So what does he use now to send out secret orders?
Encrypted Zip disks sent by courier who secretly take the disks out of Afghanistan. It wasn't clear whether the disks were then sent by snail mail or whether the data on them was transmitted using the internet. It also wasn't clear if PGP was used. Is his network large enough for key distribution to be a big hassle? If not he could skip public key crypto entirely and just use 3DES with a list of keys or long passphrases.
For his edicts which are meant for public consumption he makes video tapes of himself and then sends them out to arab media outlets which then broadcast them.
This current project would be so much easier if I weren't doing it using AIM and emails. Also, it would be great if there were some sort of simple Java game tutorial on the net that could take someone step by step through the whole process. I remember that back in the day there were books like 'Kids and the C64', and 'Kids and the [INSERT 8-BIT MACHINE HERE]' that you could follow if you were about 9 or 10 years old. From what I can tell 'Java Games for Dummies' is too difficult for kids. If anyone bothers to read this and knows of game programming resources for kids, let me know.
I wrote two worthwhile video games while at Stanford. Both used OpenGL. The first I wrote by myself. It took two weeks and was for CS 148. It was originally written for a Mac and the Windows port and source is here. The Mac version had simple 3-d sound but I've never bothered to do the sound under windows. I also have a linux port which I've never bothered to release. Since the scope of the game was pretty limited it wasn't that hard to have a quality product after only two weeks of effort.
The second game took a semester and was our final project. It was a much more ambitious project. Though there were four people on the team only two of us really did any work. It was a tank game set on campus. You could either play online against other people or against the computer. We found that we really didn't have the time to properly implement all the features that we wanted to include. If we had spent two semesters on it we could have really made it great. As it was it turned out to be a fun but flawed game. Maybe someday I'll get it out and port it to some other platforms.
My office is mostly token ring, but we have some people who have asked for ethernet and the networking guys have been very willing to switch a port over to ethernet. They just need to move some cables on the patch panel.
If you already have ethernet in a conference room it might not be too hard to just have the port you use added to whatever hub they use for the conference room.
It seems that you are running on a laptop since you can move you computer to the conference room. Another option is to insist that they put up an 802.11b network. You could then wander freely and have wireless ethernet. Even better!
The series finale is named "Unmasked" and is about how in the past Terry revealed his identity to a boy (possibly his brother?) and that led to a terrorist group taking the boy hostage.
The WB didn't show the last episode of Batman Beyond (ever) on Friday because its content was too similar to the attacks. Friday was the last day they will broadcast the series. All the episodes been sold to Cartoon Network except for the last one. Hopefully they (the WB) will reschedule it for sometime in the near future.
Anyone who has ever experienced the joy of shopping at Fry's knows that there isn't a single person employed by the company that is capable of making use of this data. I love the store, it is a geek warehouse, but don't expect any help. The only thing faster than their employee turnover rate is how quickly their employees will run from you if you have a question.
They have how many stores in silicon valley and how long did it take them to have a web presence? For the longest time any search for "Fry's Electronics" would just bring up pages flaming them. I seriously doubt that they have the know-how to make use of this data.
I tried after getting the e-mail and it didn't work for me. So erase #2 from your list. Points 1,3, and 4 are still valid. And I'll settle for just the $100, thanks.
I also tried to opt out after receiving the e-mail today and was unable to. The form said that it had to be submitted by e-mail and tried to launch Outlook, which I don't use.
I think that they are trying to make it difficult so that nobody is able to opt out. That way they have more data to sell to Fry's, home of the 90-day free rental!
Perhaps the noise is from channeling that much wind into such a small area. The concentrated wind produced by man-made "canyons" is loud enough without engineers trying to amplify it.
I am speculating as well, but in general the drug cartels don't carry out suicide attacks. However hijacked these three (at this time) planes knew they were going to die.
Oh course speculation like this is often wrong. Remember back to Oklahoma City? In the first few hours/days who did you think was responsible?
Several years ago when I was looking for pages on how to solve the cube I came across this
page at Universidade de Sao Paulo. It has several pictures and what seems to be a broken links to animations. The page is in English so no need for the fish.
They didn't use legos though. Instead they used big robotic arms. I think it was a project at the USP AI lab. They actually taught their robot how to solve the cube, rather than downloading someone else's code from an FTP site. The Lego solution probably wins on the geek factor though.
I have a laptop with 802.11b sitting on my coffee table and my wife and I end up using it more than the desktop back in the office just because it is convinient. Just flip it shut when you aren't using it.
Just watch, the Treo k180 will become the favorite organize of technophobes everywhere. The built in keyboard does two things for consumers. First, it announces that you won't have to learn graffiti, which is a major obstacle for those who have only tried to use a Palm once or twice. Second, you won't have to figure out how to plug in a compatible external keyboard, nor will you have to buy one.
I predict that this device will be a big hit with my mom, who likes to play games on my Handsring but can't enter her name for the high-score list!
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Wouldn't it make more sense and be much easier to simply link the FBI "watch list" to the airlines computers? Many of the hijackers were on this list. It seems incredible to me that a person on the list could buy a one-way ticket with cash without the system bringing up all sorts of warnings. Some of the hijackers (not all) fall into this category.
The following things should cause there to be extra scrutiny (especially if you do/are more than one of them):
It seems that doing a lookup on a name in a database is much quicker/easier/less expensive than installing facial recognition systems all over the place. Why not implement a simple solution that would have caught these guys first instead of a complex on that might not work?
If you feel that we must use high-tech solutions, maybe a smart card put into passports and driver's licenses would make more sense and be more accurate. Once simple solutions are implemented then we can worry about the crazy complex ones.
Here is an earlier copy of this same post by another user.
I am amazaed that the /. community is so quick to mod up repeat posts like this while at the same time jumping all over the editors if a story goes up twice. At least the editors aren't repeating stuff on purpose.
Maybe we should all be on the lookout for the next Star Trek story to go up. We can race to see who can copy and paste this superhero post the fastest and earn precious karma. It could be a "superhero first post" contest.
Of course, maybe the post is GPL'ed, in which case this reuse is all ok. :)
My mistake. The license used was the modified BSD license which is GPL compatible. http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html
It is the requirement you mention (inserting the copyright notice) that makes the two incompatible. A GPL'd program can't have that "restriction".
If you are cynical you could say that this is an example of the viral nature of the GPL and that RMS wants to take over the world!
So the work around that many proposed is also prohibited. It was suggested that you could edit most of your site in Frontpage and then pop in the references to EVIL using vi or even Notepad (gag). But if you can't even use Frontpage in connection with an anti-Microsoft site then that option is out the window.
Next thing you know, Adobe will prohibit using GoLive! in connection with pro-Skylarov sites.
That makes smuggling drugs by swallowing drug-filled condoms sounds positively pleasant. Be thankful that you're not a camel.
Here is an article in which the director of the CIA says that bin Laden uses encryption.
According to the reported from ABC (I have forgotten his name) who went over to Afghanistan a few years ago and interviewed bin Laden he DOES use crypto.
A few years ago he stopped using cell phones and satellite phones to communicate, knowing that those technologies could be monitored.
So what does he use now to send out secret orders?
Encrypted Zip disks sent by courier who secretly take the disks out of Afghanistan. It wasn't clear whether the disks were then sent by snail mail or whether the data on them was transmitted using the internet. It also wasn't clear if PGP was used. Is his network large enough for key distribution to be a big hassle? If not he could skip public key crypto entirely and just use 3DES with a list of keys or long passphrases.
For his edicts which are meant for public consumption he makes video tapes of himself and then sends them out to arab media outlets which then broadcast them.
This current project would be so much easier if I weren't doing it using AIM and emails. Also, it would be great if there were some sort of simple Java game tutorial on the net that could take someone step by step through the whole process. I remember that back in the day there were books like 'Kids and the C64', and 'Kids and the [INSERT 8-BIT MACHINE HERE]' that you could follow if you were about 9 or 10 years old. From what I can tell 'Java Games for Dummies' is too difficult for kids. If anyone bothers to read this and knows of game programming resources for kids, let me know.
Thanks!
John
Space Cowboy: http://external.eyeone.com/spacecowboy/
And here's my crappy java game, Anirak that I have been developing with a 12-year old in order to teach him how to make games.
The second game took a semester and was our final project. It was a much more ambitious project. Though there were four people on the team only two of us really did any work. It was a tank game set on campus. You could either play online against other people or against the computer. We found that we really didn't have the time to properly implement all the features that we wanted to include. If we had spent two semesters on it we could have really made it great. As it was it turned out to be a fun but flawed game. Maybe someday I'll get it out and port it to some other platforms.
They already have a conference room wired for ethernet. It would then seem that they already have a hub.
so that the humour is more readily apparent.
If you already have ethernet in a conference room it might not be too hard to just have the port you use added to whatever hub they use for the conference room.
It seems that you are running on a laptop since you can move you computer to the conference room. Another option is to insist that they put up an 802.11b network. You could then wander freely and have wireless ethernet. Even better!
The series finale is named "Unmasked" and is about how in the past Terry revealed his identity to a boy (possibly his brother?) and that led to a terrorist group taking the boy hostage.
The WB didn't show the last episode of Batman Beyond (ever) on Friday because its content was too similar to the attacks. Friday was the last day they will broadcast the series. All the episodes been sold to Cartoon Network except for the last one. Hopefully they (the WB) will reschedule it for sometime in the near future.
They have how many stores in silicon valley and how long did it take them to have a web presence? For the longest time any search for "Fry's Electronics" would just bring up pages flaming them. I seriously doubt that they have the know-how to make use of this data.
NO YOU CAN'T.
I tried after getting the e-mail and it didn't work for me. So erase #2 from your list. Points 1,3, and 4 are still valid. And I'll settle for just the $100, thanks.
I think that they are trying to make it difficult so that nobody is able to opt out. That way they have more data to sell to Fry's, home of the 90-day free rental!
Perhaps the noise is from channeling that much wind into such a small area. The concentrated wind produced by man-made "canyons" is loud enough without engineers trying to amplify it.
Oh course speculation like this is often wrong. Remember back to Oklahoma City? In the first few hours/days who did you think was responsible?
I can't understand why the post by Above is currently rated +4, Insightful and the much more intelligent response is only +1.
They didn't use legos though. Instead they used big robotic arms. I think it was a project at the USP AI lab. They actually taught their robot how to solve the cube, rather than downloading someone else's code from an FTP site. The Lego solution probably wins on the geek factor though.
I have a laptop with 802.11b sitting on my coffee table and my wife and I end up using it more than the desktop back in the office just because it is convinient. Just flip it shut when you aren't using it.
I predict that this device will be a big hit with my mom, who likes to play games on my Handsring but can't enter her name for the high-score list!