that the DMCA is going to be used to squash a competing product. As long as it's on the books it's going to be used willy-nilly on anything remotely related to so-called IP rights.
This is about as mind-bending as a Turing machine
on
The Matrix: Resolutions
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Interesting comment. Essentially you are saying that even though Neo went through the door that the Architect didn't want him to go through, the end result was the same. However, this is not the case as there is peace between humans and machines, where in previous versions of the matrix the machines end up destroying Zion. I think what you mean to say is there is "balance". But you can use this idea to explore the theme more deeply.
Drawing a conclusion from this line of thought, the Architect would have preferred if Neo went through the door that he wanted him (Neo) to go through because the desired outcome would have been achieved through predictable (i.e. safe from the machine's point of view (The machines are deterministic also and exist in a deterministic reality) rather than the unpredictable unknown outcome that Neo chose by going through the door that he wanted to go through. Neo went through the door he did because of his love for Trinity, and love (at least from the movie's perspective) is filled with unpredictability and unknowns.
The big threat to the machines is the Agent Smith program invading their own (the machine's) systems. This is another unknown that the Architect must be aware of but does not discuss with Neo. This is why the matrix would need to be either reloaded or destroyed. It is interesting -- nowhere in the Architect's speech does he say that the machines will destroy the matrix as Neo refers to a couple of times - (and hence kills their human batteries power source), but instead refers to a system crash that kills the humans. I will post the discussion Neo had with the Architect at the end of this comment.
Perhaps this is why the machines have to kill all of the humans in Zion (rather than keep around a few to regrow new batteries with) -- because the Agent Smith program is capable of invading human brains now, a la Bane. Remember - in previous versions of the matrix they successfully destroyed Zion five times before, but they still have their human battery farms each time. And the Architect tells Neo that if he goes through the door, he wants him to to choose a few humans to rebuild Zion with. A necessary but predictable evil that the machines know how to deal with. However, they do not know how to handle an Agent Smith program that wants to claim the matrix as his own. This is useless for the machines because the reality that Agent Smith wants to create (all humans in his own image/reality) is just as incompatible with humans as the perfect matrix was.
Remember when Agent Smith meets with the Oracle, he says "hello mother". Remember, the Architect refers to the "Oracle" in passing as the "mother" of the matrix. The Oracle is the mother of "choice."
Hence, Agent Smith represents "choice", more specifically "choice gone wrong", or from the perspective of the machines "control gone wrong". Agent Smith is all about control. Neo, on the other hand represents "ability to choose". Agent Smith wants to defeat "ability" to choose. However, Neo sees this at the end, and realizes that by "choosing" to loose and let Agent Smith kill him (if that's what he does), he actually wins the battle because the battle is about choice, and not strength. Agent Smith "chose" to win. He didn't have to, but the arrogance of ultimate control (power) seduced him in making the decision to. Thus achieving control over choice, or put another way, having ultimate control is having ultimate choice, while Neo, by giving up choice (to win) obtained ultimate control.
You could say that Agent Smith was "blinded" by his "arrogance", while Neo was blind could "see".
It's interesting that when Blade Runner first came out, everybody dissed it as mediocre, but time has proven the critics wrong. I suspect the same thing might happen here.
And the Hollywood ending everybody is whining about not having? -- it's hidden.
As I was thinking this through as I was posting, all my dominoes may not be lined up perfectly -- I will let other posters clean it up for me.
In any manufacturing line there are units that are built more carefully, look better, perfom to closer tolerances, more polished, that end up performing better/more reliably than a standard unit.
Technically they are the same as every other unit. But due to their careful manufacturing would operate better than any unit pulled off the line. There are other specifications that are not mentioned in the literature that are equally important to operation. So it's not really a question of different operating specs, but reliability to perform to those specifications.
I'm not saying everyone does this. But I do know of a couple that do.
In defense of the manufacturers I know, every unit that left the building had the exact same warranty.
First they need to make it a felony to spam. Spamming is no different from other forms of wire fraud (by using fraudulent headers, cracking into networks to send spam, theft of services, not to mention most of the time they are selling a scam).
Then spammers can be sent to prison where they can be stabbed in the showers.
Apologies accepted. Bridges are indeed more preferable, but I tend to burn them down once in a while. So I hope you accept my apologies for suggesting the rock. Besides, you are going to get punished the day you pass the bar by being the butt of countless lawyer jokes.:)
Slashdot is a place where everything is played fast and loose, and I partake of that lifestyle all too often. But maybe that's why I like slashdot. I have been fooled by "authorative" sounding posts myself. But there is so much troll activity on here I should be more prepared.
Slashdot certainly has it's shortcomings. I usually spend alot of time making a post, so much so that I end up berating myself for doing so. And what do I get in return for being academic? Not much besides providing "content" for someone else. Because my posts take extra time, by time I click "submit" all the mods have gone home. This post I knew I was cutting a corner though, so I was doubly sensitive to your response.
Making the deals with the record companies to provide a wide range of music at reasonable cost, Apple must have felt like they were doing a deal with the devil, and we don't know how much blood was extracted from Apple.
The one good thing is that hopefully this sends a message to the record companies, that they have to provide flexibility, selection and price to their online offerings or face being ripped off by kazaa forever (as much as they think they can sue the world). I really believe that most people want to be honest about their music that they listen to. But they are not going to pay $20 for a downloaded album.
Perhaps this is what needs to be garnered as compared to how much Apple is/is not making, though it seems that this topic is a very long thread by now.
I spent the day thinking how I could rip mp3's off the radio (as taping off the radio is legal, though I'm sure the record companies want to undo this). That way I could get the music for free and honest and not pay the record companies a dime. I think there is a way it can be done (in a limited sense).
Anyway, I digress. sorry about the rock thing. I can see you are learning your lawyer lessons well.
So unless you REALLY know the bottom line on the what the number is, stop making things up and stating them with an air of authority. But of course, if you did that, then this wouldn't be/.
Actually I did get that number from a credible analyst. And I have read the same thing from more than one source, making it common. But this being slashdot I didn't feel like digging up the links and providing an academic posting that you seem to demand. Normally if I have the time (which I didn't earlier today) I would've. Funny, I new that somebody would trollcomplain about it.
So what I did do was provide a conservative estimate which is a time honored tradition when scratch-padding numbers like I was doing.
But as can be seen by this profit might be even be better than what I stated. But a possible worst case scenario is their $.35 "take", and suppose (worst case) $.25 operating costs (bandwitdth, employees, marketing, additional software licensing, office space, phones etc.) that would leave $.10, which makes my original analysis a credible ball park figure.
I assume that Fortune magazine has enough of an "air of authority" for you? I certainly did not make up what they said
No matter the case, that warm space under the rock over there awaits you.
It's commonly known that apple makes about $.10 per song download. Apple's profits are at about $100,000 for 4 days, and if they keep this rate that would make it roughly $9.1 million a year.
While not a landslide for a company like Apple, it is still respectable and probably takes care of the overhead.
Where apple makes a killing is on the sales of the ipod music player. Expect sales of these to go through the roof now that there is a windows client (especially with Christmas around the corner) and it's not unreasonable to expect them to sell 3 million a year.
If Apple were to only make $34 profit a unit, that would mean an additional $100 million a year profit.
Add to this the untangible values gained from increased brand recognition and respect (leading to increased Mac sales), which in turn leads to a steadily increasing stock price, it is indeed easy to see that there is lots of sales and profit.
Congratulations Steve, you have once again shown your cunning.
Re:Computer Vision Breakthrough Put Forth By Spamm
on
Baffling the Spam Bots
·
· Score: 1
The only kind of recognition the spammers would ever care about is the kind that gets their spambots past the test.
Cinton did sign it, but it was also congress that passed in the middle of the night by a voice vote. Everybody was so busy with the stain on Lewinsky's dress that I think he signed it into law because he didn't want to create a stir. Also, he was ignorant of its true implications.
The OS with MS bloat will require a 200 Gb hard disk to fit it on, fortunately it doubles as the heating element
No, that would be silly. Everybody knows that the toaster will have an internet connection where it can download the variuos.net services into ram.
You will have perfect toast every time.
And when there are death-related incidents due to the SOtoast virus Microsoft will be able to quickly download a patch to your toaster.
Re:It's late at night on slashdot and the nightmar
on
NYT on RFID
·
· Score: 1
I bet like there is an "anti-curcumvention" clause for the DMCA there will be an "anti-tampering" clause for the rfid laws. Which means even if you _could_ remove it there would be infrastructure in place to deter and detect it's removal.
I certainly imagine that even if you could find the rfid in the tire it would be like trying to drive a nail through a grain of rice embedded in jello. The rfid tag could be attached to the wire with the wire acting as an antenna for the rfid! This would also have the side benefit of not being able to pinpoint the location of the rfid too. They could surround it with a dab of JB-weld like substance attached to the steel wire.
What this would mean is that removing the rfid would be an exercise in futility. Being attached to the steel belt in a secure manner means that removing the rfid means destroying the tire, or seriously degrading it to the point of being unusable for any amount of time.
But my tale is meant more of a thought exercise rather than a specific example that will be implemented. You could extend this to any physical object (including people) that corporate or government interests might want to track. Rfids have the potential to become that prevalent.
Re:It's late at night on slashdot and the nightmar
on
NYT on RFID
·
· Score: 1
1) I can trade/give away the goods I bought that had the RFID tags in them
Yes, that would seem to be one way around it. But do you ever plan on using a parking meter?? They already have systems that photograph your license plate number and instantly check to see if the owner of the car has any oustanding unpaid fines/oustanding warrants.
This system is not fiction, it is fact. So how incredibly easy would it be to add on rfid sniffer on the meter maid's vehicle as well??? I work in electronics and know that doing such a thing is trivial in the extreme.
So as the meter maid rolls around and simultaneously photochecks your license and sniffs your tires. What, your tire rfids don't match to your plate??? time to pull out the wheel locking device and attach it to your car.
2) So many premises of your argument are so far fetched that people would have to become total zombies and groups that fight for common sense laws would have to totally disappear for them to ever happen. Yeah, I can see that soon.
You know, this will not happen overnight. It will happen little by little, and will be imperceptible to the average person. In order to get the neccessary laws passed, there will one day be a need to pass a massive funding bill to keep the government running. This giant bill will be a huge "omnibus funding" bill that will have a lot of pressure on getting it signed and it will have a huge number of other laws thrown in along with an rfid enabling one. Or there will be a "safe water drinking act" that will have an rfid enabling law attached to it at the last minute so there is no time to debate it.
Don't think this will happen?? I got news for you, you must be a total hermit because I lead a sheltered life and I am fully aware that this is how congress routinely operates.
As a final example, may I submit to you the DMCA and CTEA laws. There was a large number of groups, scholars, librarians that showed up in front of congress to tell them that these were bad laws, and not in the public's interest. But yet they passed in the middle of the night by a voice vote while everybody was wondering what that stain was on Lewinski's dress.
So you are right, the groups will not disappear. Neither will all the special interests that our congressmen are beholden to and form the basis of most of our legislation today So I am no conspiracy theorist to mention that insurance companies spend money on high powered lobbyists to make sure that their views are heard in congress.
So, who do you think congress is listening to these days, corporations or public interest groups????
Much like the DMCA has "anti-circumvention" sections, there will be an rfid "anti-tampering" section to the law.
Am I still a conspiracy theorist???
The new show on the history channel "guts and bolts" actually had an interesting piece about the cameras at intersections that catch traffic infractions (speeding and running red lights). It is located in California, but I'm sure it will be coming to a busy intersection near you. The system is very refined and the evidence incontrovertible.
They showed all the working pieces (even behind the panels) to the system. Then the host gets in a corvette and tries to "beat" the system running at top speed.
No matter how fast he went they managed to get a clear picture of his license plate.
The system cost millions, but manages to pay for itself in six months.
So this raises the question, is such a system used to enforce laws or is it used as revenue source for the state??
It is not a far stretch to imagine rfid's used in such a system, because they will be used to bring the cost of the system down. So there still might be the cameras, but because rfids are used, less components needed (fancy car sensors that compute speed), less human intervention will be needed (somebody to look at th
don't worry about the down mod. It's a tough room tonight.
Re:RFIDs hidden in new cars. US federal initiative
on
NYT on RFID
·
· Score: 1
Don't diss him so fast -- If they can use survellance on Kaczynski (unabomber) deep in the woods using satellites (check CNN), they sure as heck can surveil your butt anytime anywhere they please.
I don't think they FBI would even need to use secrecy. I think the technology will become so mundane that people will ignore it to the point that it becomes commonplace and done for patriot act like "security reasons".
I wouldn't put anything past Ashcroft, who has access to anybody's library records through the patriot act.
So as much as you think this guy is an "idiot", remember Ashcroft is the "bigger idiot" by a long shot.
It's late at night on slashdot and the nightmare
on
NYT on RFID
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
begins.
They are going to put these in tires. When you buy your tires the seller is going to be required to enter your information in a database.
One day when you are going a little too fast in a school zone or run a yellow that switches to red too fast an underground computer is going to sense the rfid in your tire, immediately reporting the number via rf link to police headquarters.
You would think that this would be for the purpose of giving you a ticket. You're right, you will get a ticket. But that is not the end the trail for your rfid number.
It immediately gets sent to the state government where it checks to make sure you are not a deadbeat dad that the wherabouts of are unknown. Simultaneously sending it to the FBI to see if you are a name on the "patriot" act watchlist and indexes your location. If you drive on the same street on a regular basis they will know where to find you.
You're not a deadbeatdad, lawbreaker, or terrorist you say??? Well the trail that your rfid number takes does not end there. Your rfid number is sold by cashed-strapped states to a commercial database under the auspices of "risk mitigation" that insurance companies subscribe to. Because you were speeding, you are at an increased risk and your car insurance rates are subsquently raised. Because you drive dangerously, your health insurance rates are also raised. Maybe they cancel your policy outright.
You're thinking I'll just remove the rfid. No you won't. Driving with unregistered tires is against the law, and if the police can't scan you as you drive past his cruiser he pulls you over and immediately suspends your license and impounds your car. But you won't be able to remove it anyway, without destroying the tire, as it is purposefully integrated with the "steel belt".
Does the trail end for your rfid tire number now? No, it most certainly doesn't. To see where it leads further, you are going to have to talk to my patent attorney.
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, I meant it as "try to squash". I should have been more specific.
that the DMCA is going to be used to squash a competing product. As long as it's on the books it's going to be used willy-nilly on anything remotely related to so-called IP rights.
Interesting comment. Essentially you are saying that even though Neo went through the door that the Architect didn't want him to go through, the end result was the same. However, this is not the case as there is peace between humans and machines, where in previous versions of the matrix the machines end up destroying Zion. I think what you mean to say is there is "balance". But you can use this idea to explore the theme more deeply.
Drawing a conclusion from this line of thought, the Architect would have preferred if Neo went through the door that he wanted him (Neo) to go through because the desired outcome would have been achieved through predictable (i.e. safe from the machine's point of view (The machines are deterministic also and exist in a deterministic reality) rather than the unpredictable unknown outcome that Neo chose by going through the door that he wanted to go through. Neo went through the door he did because of his love for Trinity, and love (at least from the movie's perspective) is filled with unpredictability and unknowns.
The big threat to the machines is the Agent Smith program invading their own (the machine's) systems. This is another unknown that the Architect must be aware of but does not discuss with Neo. This is why the matrix would need to be either reloaded or destroyed. It is interesting -- nowhere in the Architect's speech does he say that the machines will destroy the matrix as Neo refers to a couple of times - (and hence kills their human batteries power source), but instead refers to a system crash that kills the humans. I will post the discussion Neo had with the Architect at the end of this comment.
Perhaps this is why the machines have to kill all of the humans in Zion (rather than keep around a few to regrow new batteries with) -- because the Agent Smith program is capable of invading human brains now, a la Bane. Remember - in previous versions of the matrix they successfully destroyed Zion five times before, but they still have their human battery farms each time. And the Architect tells Neo that if he goes through the door, he wants him to to choose a few humans to rebuild Zion with. A necessary but predictable evil that the machines know how to deal with. However, they do not know how to handle an Agent Smith program that wants to claim the matrix as his own. This is useless for the machines because the reality that Agent Smith wants to create (all humans in his own image/reality) is just as incompatible with humans as the perfect matrix was.
Remember when Agent Smith meets with the Oracle, he says "hello mother". Remember, the Architect refers to the "Oracle" in passing as the "mother" of the matrix. The Oracle is the mother of "choice."
Hence, Agent Smith represents "choice", more specifically "choice gone wrong", or from the perspective of the machines "control gone wrong". Agent Smith is all about control. Neo, on the other hand represents "ability to choose". Agent Smith wants to defeat "ability" to choose. However, Neo sees this at the end, and realizes that by "choosing" to loose and let Agent Smith kill him (if that's what he does), he actually wins the battle because the battle is about choice, and not strength. Agent Smith "chose" to win. He didn't have to, but the arrogance of ultimate control (power) seduced him in making the decision to. Thus achieving control over choice, or put another way, having ultimate control is having ultimate choice, while Neo, by giving up choice (to win) obtained ultimate control.
You could say that Agent Smith was "blinded" by his "arrogance", while Neo was blind could "see".
It's interesting that when Blade Runner first came out, everybody dissed it as mediocre, but time has proven the critics wrong. I suspect the same thing might happen here.
And the Hollywood ending everybody is whining about not having? -- it's hidden.
As I was thinking this through as I was posting, all my dominoes may not be lined up perfectly -- I will let other posters clean it up for me.
You know, I really think that we should nuke mecca. Or at least take out that little stone hut they worship with some tomahawks.
In any manufacturing line there are units that are built more carefully, look better, perfom to closer tolerances, more polished, that end up performing better/more reliably than a standard unit.
Technically they are the same as every other unit. But due to their careful manufacturing would operate better than any unit pulled off the line. There are other specifications that are not mentioned in the literature that are equally important to operation. So it's not really a question of different operating specs, but reliability to perform to those specifications.
I'm not saying everyone does this. But I do know of a couple that do.
In defense of the manufacturers I know, every unit that left the building had the exact same warranty.
buy their stuff off the shelf to use in reviews. Otherwise companies will send the cherries to reviewers.
I worked for a couple of electronic manufacturers that had a standard operating policy to do this very thing.
You don't really appreciate somebody until they are gone.
I just bought his San Quentin concert CD that had this song on it. Highly recommended.
First they need to make it a felony to spam. Spamming is no different from other forms of wire fraud (by using fraudulent headers, cracking into networks to send spam, theft of services, not to mention most of the time they are selling a scam).
Then spammers can be sent to prison where they can be stabbed in the showers.
agreed. I restrained myself from using the "grasshopper" line. Who says ESP isn't real?
Apologies accepted. Bridges are indeed more preferable, but I tend to burn them down once in a while. So I hope you accept my apologies for suggesting the rock. Besides, you are going to get punished the day you pass the bar by being the butt of countless lawyer jokes. :)
Slashdot is a place where everything is played fast and loose, and I partake of that lifestyle all too often. But maybe that's why I like slashdot. I have been fooled by "authorative" sounding posts myself. But there is so much troll activity on here I should be more prepared.
Slashdot certainly has it's shortcomings. I usually spend alot of time making a post, so much so that I end up berating myself for doing so. And what do I get in return for being academic? Not much besides providing "content" for someone else. Because my posts take extra time, by time I click "submit" all the mods have gone home. This post I knew I was cutting a corner though, so I was doubly sensitive to your response.
Making the deals with the record companies to provide a wide range of music at reasonable cost, Apple must have felt like they were doing a deal with the devil, and we don't know how much blood was extracted from Apple.
The one good thing is that hopefully this sends a message to the record companies, that they have to provide flexibility, selection and price to their online offerings or face being ripped off by kazaa forever (as much as they think they can sue the world). I really believe that most people want to be honest about their music that they listen to. But they are not going to pay $20 for a downloaded album.
Perhaps this is what needs to be garnered as compared to how much Apple is/is not making, though it seems that this topic is a very long thread by now.
I spent the day thinking how I could rip mp3's off the radio (as taping off the radio is legal, though I'm sure the record companies want to undo this). That way I could get the music for free and honest and not pay the record companies a dime. I think there is a way it can be done (in a limited sense).
Anyway, I digress. sorry about the rock thing. I can see you are learning your lawyer lessons well.
So unless you REALLY know the bottom line on the what the number is, stop making things up and stating them with an air of authority. But of course, if you did that, then this wouldn't be /.
Actually I did get that number from a credible analyst. And I have read the same thing from more than one source, making it common. But this being slashdot I didn't feel like digging up the links and providing an academic posting that you seem to demand. Normally if I have the time (which I didn't earlier today) I would've. Funny, I new that somebody would trollcomplain about it.
So what I did do was provide a conservative estimate which is a time honored tradition when scratch-padding numbers like I was doing.
But as can be seen by this profit might be even be better than what I stated. But a possible worst case scenario is their $.35 "take", and suppose (worst case) $.25 operating costs (bandwitdth, employees, marketing, additional software licensing, office space, phones etc.) that would leave $.10, which makes my original analysis a credible ball park figure.
I assume that Fortune magazine has enough of an "air of authority" for you? I certainly did not make up what they said
No matter the case, that warm space under the rock over there awaits you.
It's commonly known that apple makes about $.10 per song download. Apple's profits are at about $100,000 for 4 days, and if they keep this rate that would make it roughly $9.1 million a year.
While not a landslide for a company like Apple, it is still respectable and probably takes care of the overhead.
Where apple makes a killing is on the sales of the ipod music player. Expect sales of these to go through the roof now that there is a windows client (especially with Christmas around the corner) and it's not unreasonable to expect them to sell 3 million a year.
If Apple were to only make $34 profit a unit, that would mean an additional $100 million a year profit.
Add to this the untangible values gained from increased brand recognition and respect (leading to increased Mac sales), which in turn leads to a steadily increasing stock price, it is indeed easy to see that there is lots of sales and profit.
Congratulations Steve, you have once again shown your cunning.
The only kind of recognition the spammers would ever care about is the kind that gets their spambots past the test.
it has Jedi Master Porky Pig.
Cinton did sign it, but it was also congress that passed in the middle of the night by a voice vote. Everybody was so busy with the stain on Lewinsky's dress that I think he signed it into law because he didn't want to create a stir. Also, he was ignorant of its true implications.
One asteroid the size of a couch DID NOT pass closely by, but entered the the atmosphere
for the underwear to short out.
How well will "e-textile" hold up to moisture??
Hey, look on the bright side. At least SCO is going after people bigger than they are instead of 12-year old girls.
Unless you're 12-year old girl running linux.
--- Does anybody know where I can download the "Barbie" distro for my niece????
The OS with MS bloat will require a 200 Gb hard disk to fit it on, fortunately it doubles as the heating element
.net services into ram.
No, that would be silly. Everybody knows that the toaster will have an internet connection where it can download the variuos
You will have perfect toast every time.
And when there are death-related incidents due to the SOtoast virus Microsoft will be able to quickly download a patch to your toaster.
I bet like there is an "anti-curcumvention" clause for the DMCA there will be an "anti-tampering" clause for the rfid laws. Which means even if you _could_ remove it there would be infrastructure in place to deter and detect it's removal.
I certainly imagine that even if you could find the rfid in the tire it would be like trying to drive a nail through a grain of rice embedded in jello. The rfid tag could be attached to the wire with the wire acting as an antenna for the rfid! This would also have the side benefit of not being able to pinpoint the location of the rfid too. They could surround it with a dab of JB-weld like substance attached to the steel wire.
What this would mean is that removing the rfid would be an exercise in futility. Being attached to the steel belt in a secure manner means that removing the rfid means destroying the tire, or seriously degrading it to the point of being unusable for any amount of time.
But my tale is meant more of a thought exercise rather than a specific example that will be implemented. You could extend this to any physical object (including people) that corporate or government interests might want to track. Rfids have the potential to become that prevalent.
1) I can trade/give away the goods I bought that had the RFID tags in them
Yes, that would seem to be one way around it. But do you ever plan on using a parking meter?? They already have systems that photograph your license plate number and instantly check to see if the owner of the car has any oustanding unpaid fines/oustanding warrants.
This system is not fiction, it is fact . So how incredibly easy would it be to add on rfid sniffer on the meter maid's vehicle as well??? I work in electronics and know that doing such a thing is trivial in the extreme.
So as the meter maid rolls around and simultaneously photochecks your license and sniffs your tires. What, your tire rfids don't match to your plate??? time to pull out the wheel locking device and attach it to your car.
2) So many premises of your argument are so far fetched that people would have to become total zombies and groups that fight for common sense laws would have to totally disappear for them to ever happen. Yeah, I can see that soon.
You know, this will not happen overnight. It will happen little by little, and will be imperceptible to the average person. In order to get the neccessary laws passed, there will one day be a need to pass a massive funding bill to keep the government running. This giant bill will be a huge "omnibus funding" bill that will have a lot of pressure on getting it signed and it will have a huge number of other laws thrown in along with an rfid enabling one. Or there will be a "safe water drinking act" that will have an rfid enabling law attached to it at the last minute so there is no time to debate it.
Don't think this will happen?? I got news for you, you must be a total hermit because I lead a sheltered life and I am fully aware that this is how congress routinely operates.
As a final example, may I submit to you the DMCA and CTEA laws. There was a large number of groups, scholars, librarians that showed up in front of congress to tell them that these were bad laws, and not in the public's interest. But yet they passed in the middle of the night by a voice vote while everybody was wondering what that stain was on Lewinski's dress.
So you are right, the groups will not disappear. Neither will all the special interests that our congressmen are beholden to and form the basis of most of our legislation today So I am no conspiracy theorist to mention that insurance companies spend money on high powered lobbyists to make sure that their views are heard in congress.
So, who do you think congress is listening to these days, corporations or public interest groups????
Much like the DMCA has "anti-circumvention" sections, there will be an rfid "anti-tampering" section to the law.
Am I still a conspiracy theorist???
The new show on the history channel "guts and bolts" actually had an interesting piece about the cameras at intersections that catch traffic infractions (speeding and running red lights). It is located in California, but I'm sure it will be coming to a busy intersection near you. The system is very refined and the evidence incontrovertible.
They showed all the working pieces (even behind the panels) to the system. Then the host gets in a corvette and tries to "beat" the system running at top speed.
No matter how fast he went they managed to get a clear picture of his license plate.
The system cost millions, but manages to pay for itself in six months.
So this raises the question, is such a system used to enforce laws or is it used as revenue source for the state??
It is not a far stretch to imagine rfid's used in such a system, because they will be used to bring the cost of the system down. So there still might be the cameras, but because rfids are used, less components needed (fancy car sensors that compute speed), less human intervention will be needed (somebody to look at th
don't worry about the down mod. It's a tough room tonight.
Don't diss him so fast -- If they can use survellance on Kaczynski (unabomber) deep in the woods using satellites (check CNN), they sure as heck can surveil your butt anytime anywhere they please.
I don't think they FBI would even need to use secrecy. I think the technology will become so mundane that people will ignore it to the point that it becomes commonplace and done for patriot act like "security reasons".
I wouldn't put anything past Ashcroft, who has access to anybody's library records through the patriot act.
So as much as you think this guy is an "idiot", remember Ashcroft is the "bigger idiot" by a long shot.
Alright, do not click on this link if you are underage or offended by dirty jokes.
I bet that you can't resist.....
begins.
They are going to put these in tires. When you buy your tires the seller is going to be required to enter your information in a database.
One day when you are going a little too fast in a school zone or run a yellow that switches to red too fast an underground computer is going to sense the rfid in your tire, immediately reporting the number via rf link to police headquarters.
You would think that this would be for the purpose of giving you a ticket. You're right, you will get a ticket. But that is not the end the trail for your rfid number.
It immediately gets sent to the state government where it checks to make sure you are not a deadbeat dad that the wherabouts of are unknown. Simultaneously sending it to the FBI to see if you are a name on the "patriot" act watchlist and indexes your location. If you drive on the same street on a regular basis they will know where to find you.
You're not a deadbeatdad, lawbreaker, or terrorist you say??? Well the trail that your rfid number takes does not end there. Your rfid number is sold by cashed-strapped states to a commercial database under the auspices of "risk mitigation" that insurance companies subscribe to. Because you were speeding, you are at an increased risk and your car insurance rates are subsquently raised. Because you drive dangerously, your health insurance rates are also raised. Maybe they cancel your policy outright.
You're thinking I'll just remove the rfid. No you won't. Driving with unregistered tires is against the law, and if the police can't scan you as you drive past his cruiser he pulls you over and immediately suspends your license and impounds your car. But you won't be able to remove it anyway, without destroying the tire, as it is purposefully integrated with the "steel belt".
Does the trail end for your rfid tire number now? No, it most certainly doesn't. To see where it leads further, you are going to have to talk to my patent attorney.