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User: nytes

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  1. Re:Good to hear. on The Law Is Clear: the FBI Cannot Make Apple Rewrite Its OS (backchannel.com) · · Score: 1

    From what I read, the government had already paid for the management software for the phone. They just never bothered to install it.

  2. Re:Good to hear. on The Law Is Clear: the FBI Cannot Make Apple Rewrite Its OS (backchannel.com) · · Score: 1

    It's interesting, perhaps, that it hasn't been mentioned whether Apple was actually asked to just unlock the phone. It's possible that they were, and they answered, "We can't. Not without a strong risk of wiping and bricking the phone."

    The FBI is going one better and demanding that Apple create and then give them a cracking tool that they can use to bypass the security on the phone. The FBI has at least 14 other court cases against Apple to provide access to a phone. They'll certainly use this tool to get into those, if possible. The city of New York has 175 iPhones that they want to get into and plan on using any precedent set by this case to do it.

  3. Re:The real resaon for this on Within 6 Years, Most Vehicles Will Allow OTA Software Updates (computerworld.com) · · Score: 1

    Why bother with the police station?

    The car just starts dumping it's fuel tank, lowers the suspension so low that the car is dragging on the ground, and then grinds along the ground until the whole thing bursts into flames. It also turbo charges the vent system so as much smoke and fuel as possible is sucked into the car quickly.

  4. Re:So defective cars on Within 6 Years, Most Vehicles Will Allow OTA Software Updates (computerworld.com) · · Score: 1

    Imagine an update going out with a programmer's little cut-and-paste "oopsie" that now causes your self driving car to deliberately target people pushing strollers.

  5. Re:So defective cars on Within 6 Years, Most Vehicles Will Allow OTA Software Updates (computerworld.com) · · Score: 1

    Wasn't there a bug in some car's software (I think it was Toyota), just a couple of years ago, that caused the throttle to go wide open? That sounds like a safety problem that rivals those of the 1970's.

  6. Re:So defective cars on Within 6 Years, Most Vehicles Will Allow OTA Software Updates (computerworld.com) · · Score: 1

    I am waiting for some hacker to compromise OnStar, then disable all GM vehicles during a hurricane or other evacuation, turning a disaster into a catastrophe, either as a way of extortion, terrorism, or just for the lulz.

    Didn't someone demonstrate that capability last year? I recall a reporter writing about how some security researchers were able to remotely control his air conditioner, radio, and windshield wipers. I think they said they could have done some more malicious stuff.

    I think they did get in through the car's OnStar system.

  7. Re: Just to be clear .... on Obama Nominates Merrick Garland For Supreme Court (usatoday.com) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pillow over the head is a terrible way to kill someone, trust me.

    What methods have you had success with? Let's swap technique hints and tips.

  8. Re:Government overreach! Ain't it FUN! on DOJ Threatens To Seize iOS Source Code (idownloadblog.com) · · Score: 1

    In (post) Soviet Russia, the oligarchy talks about YOU!

  9. Re:After reading this, i started wondering... on DOJ Threatens To Seize iOS Source Code (idownloadblog.com) · · Score: 1

    Even better: the gun with the remote controlled off-switch can also be commanded to fire whether or not someone's finger is on the trigger.

  10. Re:he didn't just insult a European country..... on Obama: Government Can't Let Smartphones Be 'Black Boxes' (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    I'd rather have a Swiss bank account in my pocket than Swiss cheese.

  11. Re:But only if you're already roped in on Apple Announces 'Let Us Loop You In' Event For March 21st (theverge.com) · · Score: 1

    About the most complicated thing I think I've run on my iPhone is Hearthstone, although I may have tried Goat Simulator once.

    Most non-technophiles are probably reluctant to move off a platform they are familiar with, especially something that they may need to depend on working, like a phone.

    The techies that write up the reviews seem to use something for just a week or two before writing about the experience, probably due to deadlines set by their editors. Hence the reason that it's hard to find good side-by-side comparisons.

    Even my wife, who has plenty of experience with her iPad, groaned when I first mentioned moving to iPhones. She didn't want to have to learn how to use a new phone. What finally convinced her was discovering that her calendar was no longer synching.

    Now I'm reading about how hard it is to reliably wipe a phone, especially an older Android model. I'm considering feeding our old phones into a wood chipper :)

  12. Re:But only if you're already roped in on Apple Announces 'Let Us Loop You In' Event For March 21st (theverge.com) · · Score: 1

    Well, step up and shake my hand.

    After years of being stranded on Gingerbread, with no further updates, my wife and I switched to iPhones at the beginning of this year. I've been very happy with the change. Pleasant little surprises have revealed themselves every other week or so, like when I called my wife's phone for a test, and her iPad rang and she was able to answer from there.

  13. Re:History with China suggests need for defense on Why Japan Is Facing Pressure To Return To Military Research (thestack.com) · · Score: 1

    I rather doubt that the US would do a thing if China moved on Taiwan. The US doesn't even recognize Taiwan as a country because they're afraid of antagonizing China.

  14. Corporation's concept of concent on Verizon To Pay $1.35 Million Fine To Settle US Privacy Probe (reuters.com) · · Score: 2

    Verizon Wireless agreed to get consumer consent before sending data about "supercookies" from its more than 100 million users, under a settlement.

    Translation: "Continuing use of this service gives your consent to collect and share this information. If you do not consent, please call [number] for our no-hassle cancellation of your service."

  15. Re: What a crock on Godfather Of Encryption Explains Why Apple Should Help The FBI (bgr.com) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, it's about the other 14 iPhones the FBI has lined up behind it, and the 175 iPhones New York city has after those, and so on.

  16. Re:Question... on Godfather Of Encryption Explains Why Apple Should Help The FBI (bgr.com) · · Score: 1

    I've never heard of a dead person pleading the 5th.

  17. With all the other appeals, it's likely that this wouldn't be heard until next year, by which time the Senate has no excuse to not at least hold hearings for nominees. (It's not like they really have an excuse now, but we'll have a new President then, and they'll have to come up with something new.)

    So it's possible that the SCOTUS won't have a chance to deadlock.

  18. I'm certain the police would have liked to have arrested and handcuffed the shooters, but with all that lead the shooters were slinging their way the cops had to improvise.

  19. Aerodynamically unstable in what way? TFA doesn't give any description of that. A hole develops in one side? The bullet bends in the middle?

    And what might the effect of that unstable object passing through a rifle barrel be? Could it become lodged in the barrel?

  20. I'm sure that once just one of these rounds malfunctions and destroys itself while still in the barrel, your rifle will disintegrate quite effectively while firing subsequent rounds.

  21. Re:Hipster Terrorist? on DoJ Wants Apple To Decrypt 12 More iPhones (macrumors.com) · · Score: 1

    I wonder, what would happen if Apple agreed to comply, but Apple employees then refused to do the work? What if they threatened to quit if Apple attempted to order them to do the job?

  22. Re:Hipster Terrorist? on DoJ Wants Apple To Decrypt 12 More iPhones (macrumors.com) · · Score: 1

    Interesting idea, but it makes me wonder if there are ANY circumstances where we would want to allow a decrypt.

    I can think of a few:
    - A politician accused of accepting bribes
    - A politician accused of abusing the power of the office
    - A politician accused of using illegal interrogation methods
    - A politician accused of mishandling state secrets

    Note that all of these crimes involve a particularly nefarious class of criminals, so I'd be inclined to just authorize rubber-hose decryption. Then no phone hacking software would ever be needed.

  23. So Cal Gas is a public utility. Shutting them down would mean that the gas gets shut off for everyone's heating and cooking.

  24. Re:There is no "California State Patrol" on Authorities Arrest Activists Instead of Those Responsible For CA Gas Leak (inhabitat.com) · · Score: 1

    This was at the California Public Utilities Commission, a regulatory agency.

    The company responsible for the leak is the Southern California Gas Co., and they've been arraigned on criminal charges already. (Admittedly, the charges they've brought so far don't carry much of a penalty, but at least they're being charged.)

  25. Re:Why? My Cable Card Tuner is great on FCC Votes To Fight Cable's Reign Over Set-top Boxes (engadget.com) · · Score: 1

    It doesn't work on AT&T UVerse.