The fact that everybody knows of the secret US laws which can demand they lie to you about if the government has demanded information
Nit: Those laws aren't secret. You can go read those laws.
Which isn't to say that we don't have secret laws, (oxy)moronic as that may sound. But as far as we can tell, the only secret laws we have are those defining TSA procedures. (Technically, they're regulations, not laws, but federal regulations have most of the force of law, so that's very nearly a distinction without a difference.)
Then how do I get support for severe slowdowns on my Nexus 7 (2012) 8 GB tablet purchased from the Google store, which started after I installed Lollipop?
As a teacher, you shouldn't be teaching religious myth as if it were another explanation for a proven fact.
There are no proven facts in science. There are observations and theories that explain those observations.
The lack of "proven facts" is, in fact, science's single greatest strength. No element of existing scientific ideas is ever beyond challenge. Anything can (and should!) be questioned.
That doesn't mean that any challenge is valid, though. If I tell you the sun rises in the morning because it's pulled by flying unicorns rather than because the Earth rotates to bring it into view, then my flying-unicorn theory requires both a lot of evidence and also has enormous volumes of existing observations to explain... and it must explain them better than the rotating-Earth theory, and really needs to explain some other observations that rotating-Earth doesn't explain.
It's worth pointing out, BTW, that a correct understanding of science implies that creationists' common cry that "Evolution is just a theory!" is right. Sure it's just a theory. Newton's law of gravitation is also just a theory. Evolution is a stronger theory than gravitation, though, because yet another theory -- General Relativity -- has provided an explanation of why the "law" of gravity is wrong, and that explanation suggested tests that allowed us to observe that, indeed, the law of gravity is wrong; gravity behaves like curvature of spacetime rather than an attractive force between masses.
So, yeah, it's "just" a theory... just one of the most powerfully explanatory and deeply supported theories in scientific history. But we could prove tomorrow that it's wrong. That's the beauty of science, there is no dogma (note that this doesn't mean there are no dogmatic scientists).
Well it's more like Google does not have Customer Service...
Google does have customer service for any products that involve money. That's pretty much unavoidable. For free services, Google generally does not have customer service in the sense of people you can talk to, only online feedback forms which are largely unidirectional (you get no response).
After much back & forth with [Google's] Philippines call center and being escalated, they won't budge - provide scans of my driver's license and passport, or they won't sell me a phone.
You obviously aren't pleased by this, but this is actually evidence that Google's customer service is significantly more careful with your account than Amazon's customer service (per the article).
While at it, how much time does a player get to look at the cube before beginning to actually change its configuration in Rubik cube tournaments and world records (e.g. before the chronometer starts) ?
A3a1) The competitor is allotted a maximum of 15 seconds to inspect the puzzle and start the solve.
OpenBSD is much smaller and simpler than any mainstream OS, and has had a laser focus on security for years. Security is their number one goal, above usability, features or anything else... and yet they need more-than-monthly updates to fix security defects. That should give you an indication of just how hard a problem this is.
"you ought to remove the gun and lock it up in a safe at home, or in your car, you forget and it stays in the bag where it always is" contradicts "it's never out of your control". If the gun is not where you intended to put it, it is not under your control.
If it's in your possession, how is it not under your control?
The Android security model is actually very good....but Google has committed to a monthly patch cycle for Nexus devices,
If you have to release security patches every month, then your security model is definitely NOT good. You have serious problems with your code.
Utter nonsense.
There is no way that any system as large and complex as a modern personal computing operating system is going to be completely bug-free. If you believe otherwise, you're either clueless or living in a fantasy world.
"That doesn't mean their normal routine ever leaves the gun unsecured."
How can they know it is secured if they don't even know where it is?
Why are people who claim personal responsibility for use of arms so intent on disclaiming responsibility for their arms?
Suppose you have a normal routine which includes carrying your gun in a backpack or purse. You lock it up in the -- bag and all -- when you're at home. When you're out and about, you always keep an arm or a leg through a strap, so it's never out of your control. This becomes second nature, not something you think about. So now you're going on a trip... you ought to remove the gun and lock it up in a safe at home, or in your car, but you forget and it stays in the bag where it always is. So, you end up taking it through security, even though you're always conscientious about keeping your gun under your control.
I suppose you've never actually thought about the ins and outs of carrying a gun every day. But you really shouldn't assume that other people are stupid or irresponsible just because you don't understand.
Some, I'm sure. But the NSA cannot count on always having back doors, and this argument wouldn't make sense from that perspective unless Rogers could be certain that it always will.
No, hard as it may be to believe, I think the real situation here is that the NSA director is not an idiot, and does actually care at least a little about the "secure US communications" part of the NSA's two-fold mission. He realizes that strong encryption is absolutely essential to the future, even though it creates some obstacles for the "break everyone else's communications" side of the NSA's mission.
Though I also have no doubt that the obstacles it creates aren't nearly as large as we'd all like them to be, because there will always be lots of vulnerabilities.
There's an interesting ongoing case in the Netherlands in that regard: A Dutch consumer organisation is suing Samsung for neither providing updates nor making it clear for how long a new phone will be kept updated. (I'm personally imagining best-before dates on the packaging, like on food).
Cool. We do need companies to tell you before you buy what you're going to get, and then back it up. Glad to see that's happening.
However, Samsung actually has committed to a regular update cycle on their new flagship devices, after Google did it for Nexus. So they're getting it. I don't know if it's a result of this suit or what, but whatever it takes to make this happen, I'm for it.
Yes here is the list of manufacturers that offer timely updates:
* None
Not true. Nexus devices get monthly updates. So do some Samsung devices. I know there are some other manufacturers. It seems like the list the AC is asking for is something Google could potentially provide.
Unfortunately, the way it is unless you have a Nexus phone is that first the manufacturer has to vet the patch, then the carrier has to vet it.
Same on Nexus, actually, though Google has managed to streamline the process a bit. The manufacturer vetting step is mostly cut out. Mostly.
While I am not an Apple fan, I think their model of removing other actors from the security equation is beneficial.
It's worth noting that Apple also has to go through the carrier vetting step.
The biggest difference between Apple/Nexus and other OEMs, IMO, is variety. Samsung, for example, has thousands of different system images to update, and each one has to be validated by the carriers. Nexus and Apple keep it down to a handful. The OEMs have done this to themselves, obviously, and they're working on fixing it now that it's becoming clear that users do care about updates.
Thanks to that, carriers are being forced to get updated software through QA faster
Why is that even a thing? I can understand changes to the modem being an issue but isn't Android modular enough that things like a kernel patch, or some updated software can be delivered without a carrier having to vet anything?
How are consumers going to demand that when all the OEMs are varying levels of useless. Google has the power to pressure them to be better but doesn't seem to want to use it.
Google has a lot less power than you think. We have to tread carefully to keep the ecosystem unified and moving forward together. If Google is too heavy-handed, some of the bigger OEMs are totally capable of taking AOSP and going their own way.
In the short term, if you want the most secure and up-to-date Android device, buy Nexus, but I expect soon others will be challenging Google for that spot.
Except when Google discontinues your device support.:(
Please encourage your superiors to release official Marshmallow images and updates for the Google Nexus 4.
Two years of updates and three years of security patches is better than anyone else is offering. Apple sometimes does a bit better than that, but they don't make any promises.
It wouldn't surprise me if there were that many gun-lovers who think they have a right to carry regardless of the circumstances, or at least just like to see what they can get away with.
Given that being caught with a gun in the airport almost certainly means you'll be prosecuted for a federal crime... not likely.
Also makes me wonder how many guns make it past TSA.
Lots. My dad got stopped by TSA on a return flight. They'd noticed that his bag contained a loaded magazine. He barely avoided being prosecuted for it... and possibly would not have avoided it weren't it for the embarrassment the TSA would have suffered when the story hit the press... because he'd had that same bag and that same loaded magazine on the outbound flight.
If you think about that prior to getting to the airport that the carryon has been sitting around somewhere in their home for long enough that the owner forgot that there was a gun in it, then I'd say the problem extends well past "guns on planes".
Bah. You're making multiple invalid assumptions there.
First, there's no reason to assume that the gun is in the carryon all the time. Many people who carry off-body (backpack, briefcase, purse, whatever) still lock the gun up every evening, taking it out of the bag and putting it in a safe, and reversing the process in the morning. And they make a habit of never leaving the bag unattended, to the extent of always keeping a hand or a foot through a strap. But that becomes an ingrained habit -- which is a good thing! -- and they don't think about it regularly.
Other people don't secure the bag at home, because there's no one there to secure it from. I lock up my carry gun every night, but it's arguably unnecessary since my youngest kids are teenagers who know how to handle guns safely and respect them. In a few years they'll move out and there will be no reason to lock it up.
Personally, I carry on-body and I have almost walked through airport security with a gun in my pocket (in a pocket holster) on two occasions. It's easy to do. I ensured it doesn't happen to me again by altering my travel ritual to include emptying my pockets before I leave the car.
> but the mistake is understandable in that example
No it's not. You don't get to have mistakes with deadly weapons. That is how things like three year old's shooting themselves with your gun happen. It is irresponsible to not know where your firearm. You decide to own one your are responsible for it 24/7.
Sure. You need to keep your gun locked up when it's not on your body. But that doesn't mean that you're constantly aware of its presence when it is on your body. It's easy to forget to disarm when you're accustomed to carrying every day, and when air travel is a regular thing for you. I almost took a gun through airport security myself, twice. I solved the problem by making it part of my travel ritual to empty all of my pockets (I carry a small gun in a pocket holster, generally) when I get out of the car in the parking lot.
For people who carry off-body (which I don't recommend, but it can be done safely), it's even tougher to ensure that they don't inadvertently leave their gun in their briefcase or whatever. That doesn't mean their normal routine ever leaves the gun unsecured.
But so forgetful that you leave it in your carry-on accidentally?
It's not hard to forget. I've almost done it, twice.
My daily carry gun is a small pocket pistol. I keep it secured in a safe when it's not on my body, and it's in a pocket holster to protect the trigger when it's on my body. I've also trained myself to never, ever use that pocket for anything else, lest some object press the trigger (assuming the holster fell off? Never happened, but...). I think I'm adequately responsible and careful.
But, because the gun is in that pocket all day, every day, I don't often think about it during the day. When I get dressed in the morning, it's just part of the ritual... keys, phone, wallet, pepper spray, gun, all go in their respective pockets, and the reverse in the evening. So, when I fly (I travel once per month or so, and it used to be several times per month), I have to remember to remove the gun and pepper spray and store them in the car before I go into the terminal. On two occasions, of hundreds, I forgot.
On the first occasion I just happened to notice as I was in line, approaching the security checkpoint. I got out of line and went back to the car to lock the gun away. After that, I changed my routine so I always empty all of my pockets before I get in the security line, retaining only my ID and my phone (which has my boarding pass). Everything else goes in my carry-on bag. That ensured that I noticed the gun the second time, but that time when I turned around I got stopped by a TSA agent, because they consider it suspicious when someone gets to security and then suddenly leaves. I explained the situation, he chastised me a bit (though the gun wasn't illegal in that part of the airport) and I went back to the car.
After the second incident, I changed my routine again. I now empty my pockets while I'm at my car, so I can't even get close to taking a gun in again. But I can absolutely see how people who carry every day could forget to disarm before going into security.
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The fact that everybody knows of the secret US laws which can demand they lie to you about if the government has demanded information
Nit: Those laws aren't secret. You can go read those laws.
Which isn't to say that we don't have secret laws, (oxy)moronic as that may sound. But as far as we can tell, the only secret laws we have are those defining TSA procedures. (Technically, they're regulations, not laws, but federal regulations have most of the force of law, so that's very nearly a distinction without a difference.)
Then how do I get support for severe slowdowns on my Nexus 7 (2012) 8 GB tablet purchased from the Google store, which started after I installed Lollipop?
The 2012 Nexus 7 is out of warranty.
As a teacher, you shouldn't be teaching religious myth as if it were another explanation for a proven fact.
There are no proven facts in science. There are observations and theories that explain those observations.
The lack of "proven facts" is, in fact, science's single greatest strength. No element of existing scientific ideas is ever beyond challenge. Anything can (and should!) be questioned.
That doesn't mean that any challenge is valid, though. If I tell you the sun rises in the morning because it's pulled by flying unicorns rather than because the Earth rotates to bring it into view, then my flying-unicorn theory requires both a lot of evidence and also has enormous volumes of existing observations to explain... and it must explain them better than the rotating-Earth theory, and really needs to explain some other observations that rotating-Earth doesn't explain.
It's worth pointing out, BTW, that a correct understanding of science implies that creationists' common cry that "Evolution is just a theory!" is right. Sure it's just a theory. Newton's law of gravitation is also just a theory. Evolution is a stronger theory than gravitation, though, because yet another theory -- General Relativity -- has provided an explanation of why the "law" of gravity is wrong, and that explanation suggested tests that allowed us to observe that, indeed, the law of gravity is wrong; gravity behaves like curvature of spacetime rather than an attractive force between masses.
So, yeah, it's "just" a theory... just one of the most powerfully explanatory and deeply supported theories in scientific history. But we could prove tomorrow that it's wrong. That's the beauty of science, there is no dogma (note that this doesn't mean there are no dogmatic scientists).
Well it's more like Google does not have Customer Service...
Google does have customer service for any products that involve money. That's pretty much unavoidable. For free services, Google generally does not have customer service in the sense of people you can talk to, only online feedback forms which are largely unidirectional (you get no response).
After much back & forth with [Google's] Philippines call center and being escalated, they won't budge - provide scans of my driver's license and passport, or they won't sell me a phone.
You obviously aren't pleased by this, but this is actually evidence that Google's customer service is significantly more careful with your account than Amazon's customer service (per the article).
While at it, how much time does a player get to look at the cube before beginning to actually change its configuration in Rubik cube tournaments and world records (e.g. before the chronometer starts) ?
A3a1) The competitor is allotted a maximum of 15 seconds to inspect the puzzle and start the solve.
Oh, something for you to consider: http://www.openbsd.org/errata5...
OpenBSD is much smaller and simpler than any mainstream OS, and has had a laser focus on security for years. Security is their number one goal, above usability, features or anything else... and yet they need more-than-monthly updates to fix security defects. That should give you an indication of just how hard a problem this is.
You've clearly never tried to build large-scale secure software systems. There's no point in discussing this with you.
"you ought to remove the gun and lock it up in a safe at home, or in your car, you forget and it stays in the bag where it always is" contradicts "it's never out of your control". If the gun is not where you intended to put it, it is not under your control.
If it's in your possession, how is it not under your control?
The Android security model is actually very good....but Google has committed to a monthly patch cycle for Nexus devices,
If you have to release security patches every month, then your security model is definitely NOT good. You have serious problems with your code.
Utter nonsense.
There is no way that any system as large and complex as a modern personal computing operating system is going to be completely bug-free. If you believe otherwise, you're either clueless or living in a fantasy world.
"That doesn't mean their normal routine ever leaves the gun unsecured."
How can they know it is secured if they don't even know where it is?
Why are people who claim personal responsibility for use of arms so intent on disclaiming responsibility for their arms?
Suppose you have a normal routine which includes carrying your gun in a backpack or purse. You lock it up in the -- bag and all -- when you're at home. When you're out and about, you always keep an arm or a leg through a strap, so it's never out of your control. This becomes second nature, not something you think about. So now you're going on a trip... you ought to remove the gun and lock it up in a safe at home, or in your car, but you forget and it stays in the bag where it always is. So, you end up taking it through security, even though you're always conscientious about keeping your gun under your control.
I suppose you've never actually thought about the ins and outs of carrying a gun every day. But you really shouldn't assume that other people are stupid or irresponsible just because you don't understand.
The NSA has backdoors.
Some, I'm sure. But the NSA cannot count on always having back doors, and this argument wouldn't make sense from that perspective unless Rogers could be certain that it always will.
No, hard as it may be to believe, I think the real situation here is that the NSA director is not an idiot, and does actually care at least a little about the "secure US communications" part of the NSA's two-fold mission. He realizes that strong encryption is absolutely essential to the future, even though it creates some obstacles for the "break everyone else's communications" side of the NSA's mission.
Though I also have no doubt that the obstacles it creates aren't nearly as large as we'd all like them to be, because there will always be lots of vulnerabilities.
I don't see Google and Apple being competitors anymore than a Giraffe is a competitor to a Beaver.
Google and Apple compete in some markets and cooperate in others. This is normal, and healthy.
There's an interesting ongoing case in the Netherlands in that regard: A Dutch consumer organisation is suing Samsung for neither providing updates nor making it clear for how long a new phone will be kept updated. (I'm personally imagining best-before dates on the packaging, like on food).
Cool. We do need companies to tell you before you buy what you're going to get, and then back it up. Glad to see that's happening.
However, Samsung actually has committed to a regular update cycle on their new flagship devices, after Google did it for Nexus. So they're getting it. I don't know if it's a result of this suit or what, but whatever it takes to make this happen, I'm for it.
HELL - LOOK @ ALL THE VULNERABILITIES & PROBLEMS ANDROID HAS HAD SINCE IT'S VERY PUBLIC RELEASE & INCEPTION!
Yep. And look at the utter lack of Blaster-style mass infection.
Yes here is the list of manufacturers that offer timely updates: * None
Not true. Nexus devices get monthly updates. So do some Samsung devices. I know there are some other manufacturers. It seems like the list the AC is asking for is something Google could potentially provide.
Unfortunately, the way it is unless you have a Nexus phone is that first the manufacturer has to vet the patch, then the carrier has to vet it.
Same on Nexus, actually, though Google has managed to streamline the process a bit. The manufacturer vetting step is mostly cut out. Mostly.
While I am not an Apple fan, I think their model of removing other actors from the security equation is beneficial.
It's worth noting that Apple also has to go through the carrier vetting step.
The biggest difference between Apple/Nexus and other OEMs, IMO, is variety. Samsung, for example, has thousands of different system images to update, and each one has to be validated by the carriers. Nexus and Apple keep it down to a handful. The OEMs have done this to themselves, obviously, and they're working on fixing it now that it's becoming clear that users do care about updates.
Thanks to that, carriers are being forced to get updated software through QA faster
Why is that even a thing? I can understand changes to the modem being an issue but isn't Android modular enough that things like a kernel patch, or some updated software can be delivered without a carrier having to vet anything?
Hell if I know. It makes no sense to me, either.
How are consumers going to demand that when all the OEMs are varying levels of useless. Google has the power to pressure them to be better but doesn't seem to want to use it.
Google has a lot less power than you think. We have to tread carefully to keep the ecosystem unified and moving forward together. If Google is too heavy-handed, some of the bigger OEMs are totally capable of taking AOSP and going their own way.
Except when Google discontinues your device support. :(
Please encourage your superiors to release official Marshmallow images and updates for the Google Nexus 4.
Two years of updates and three years of security patches is better than anyone else is offering. Apple sometimes does a bit better than that, but they don't make any promises.
Also, I do prefer the iOS permissions model, in which users are specifically asked to enable permissions for particular apps as needed.
Android moved to that model in Android Marshmallow.
Do you really think it's an accident every time?
Yes.
It wouldn't surprise me if there were that many gun-lovers who think they have a right to carry regardless of the circumstances, or at least just like to see what they can get away with.
Given that being caught with a gun in the airport almost certainly means you'll be prosecuted for a federal crime... not likely.
Also makes me wonder how many guns make it past TSA.
Lots. My dad got stopped by TSA on a return flight. They'd noticed that his bag contained a loaded magazine. He barely avoided being prosecuted for it... and possibly would not have avoided it weren't it for the embarrassment the TSA would have suffered when the story hit the press... because he'd had that same bag and that same loaded magazine on the outbound flight.
If you think about that prior to getting to the airport that the carryon has been sitting around somewhere in their home for long enough that the owner forgot that there was a gun in it, then I'd say the problem extends well past "guns on planes".
Bah. You're making multiple invalid assumptions there.
First, there's no reason to assume that the gun is in the carryon all the time. Many people who carry off-body (backpack, briefcase, purse, whatever) still lock the gun up every evening, taking it out of the bag and putting it in a safe, and reversing the process in the morning. And they make a habit of never leaving the bag unattended, to the extent of always keeping a hand or a foot through a strap. But that becomes an ingrained habit -- which is a good thing! -- and they don't think about it regularly.
Other people don't secure the bag at home, because there's no one there to secure it from. I lock up my carry gun every night, but it's arguably unnecessary since my youngest kids are teenagers who know how to handle guns safely and respect them. In a few years they'll move out and there will be no reason to lock it up.
Personally, I carry on-body and I have almost walked through airport security with a gun in my pocket (in a pocket holster) on two occasions. It's easy to do. I ensured it doesn't happen to me again by altering my travel ritual to include emptying my pockets before I leave the car.
> but the mistake is understandable in that example No it's not. You don't get to have mistakes with deadly weapons. That is how things like three year old's shooting themselves with your gun happen. It is irresponsible to not know where your firearm. You decide to own one your are responsible for it 24/7.
Sure. You need to keep your gun locked up when it's not on your body. But that doesn't mean that you're constantly aware of its presence when it is on your body. It's easy to forget to disarm when you're accustomed to carrying every day, and when air travel is a regular thing for you. I almost took a gun through airport security myself, twice. I solved the problem by making it part of my travel ritual to empty all of my pockets (I carry a small gun in a pocket holster, generally) when I get out of the car in the parking lot.
For people who carry off-body (which I don't recommend, but it can be done safely), it's even tougher to ensure that they don't inadvertently leave their gun in their briefcase or whatever. That doesn't mean their normal routine ever leaves the gun unsecured.
But so forgetful that you leave it in your carry-on accidentally?
It's not hard to forget. I've almost done it, twice.
My daily carry gun is a small pocket pistol. I keep it secured in a safe when it's not on my body, and it's in a pocket holster to protect the trigger when it's on my body. I've also trained myself to never, ever use that pocket for anything else, lest some object press the trigger (assuming the holster fell off? Never happened, but...). I think I'm adequately responsible and careful.
But, because the gun is in that pocket all day, every day, I don't often think about it during the day. When I get dressed in the morning, it's just part of the ritual... keys, phone, wallet, pepper spray, gun, all go in their respective pockets, and the reverse in the evening. So, when I fly (I travel once per month or so, and it used to be several times per month), I have to remember to remove the gun and pepper spray and store them in the car before I go into the terminal. On two occasions, of hundreds, I forgot.
On the first occasion I just happened to notice as I was in line, approaching the security checkpoint. I got out of line and went back to the car to lock the gun away. After that, I changed my routine so I always empty all of my pockets before I get in the security line, retaining only my ID and my phone (which has my boarding pass). Everything else goes in my carry-on bag. That ensured that I noticed the gun the second time, but that time when I turned around I got stopped by a TSA agent, because they consider it suspicious when someone gets to security and then suddenly leaves. I explained the situation, he chastised me a bit (though the gun wasn't illegal in that part of the airport) and I went back to the car.
After the second incident, I changed my routine again. I now empty my pockets while I'm at my car, so I can't even get close to taking a gun in again. But I can absolutely see how people who carry every day could forget to disarm before going into security.