Obviously this was posted by someone from the "Other" makerspace in town.
Physically we have much more than 20 people, there are several hundred working directly with The Geek Group on a daily basis. Anyone can become a member - just visit the website and sign up it's free. If you want to work on projects at the lab, it's $40/month. The Geek Group is much more than a physical building, it's a community. It's geeks online and at the multiple facilities around the globe. It's crowd sourced engineering and science. It's a place to learn and teach technology. The Geek Group isn't just a makerspace, it's an entire community of folks trying to learn and teach technology.
The fire here at the lab is a huge blow to what we've been working so hard on for so long. To sit on your armchair soapbox and dismiss it as you do and post as an anonymous coward speaks volumes as to the type of person you are. I'm sorry you hold so much contempt for such a great place. If you had any kind of soul, you would come out and help out with the rest of community. The Geek Group will get the mess cleaned up and get back open to the public. In the meantime, come volunteer at the greatest hackerspace around and show what your made of.
Slewfoot
As a controls engineer, I program these type of systems all the time. A simple incorrect setting for when the pumps turn on and off (Lead,Lag) could cause this type of problem. It could literally be a new operator that fat fingered a parameter in the SCADA system.
To hack these systems requires specific knowledge of exactly what kind of control architecture is in place at the facility and then having the appropriate software to gain access to the control system. Not that this type of hack cannot be done, but it does require specific knowledge.
This really sounds like operator error to me.
I'm sorry that the word "FACT" hurt your feelings. I'm actually amazed that you were able to spew that much hate and inference from one single word. It really is quite a feat. Congratulations!
As President Ronald Reagan said, "Facts are stubborn things"
Drilling for oil - So while the rest of the world goes out and drills for oil, going so far as to cross drill under US soil, the United States should take a back seat and watch these resources be taken and used against us. Gee, I certainly hope the countries that are actually drilling for oil don't stop sending it to us. I'd hate to see what that would do to our economy.
Running multi-room audio can be challenging. Some things to consider... a typical amplifier will only work at 8 or 4 ohms per channel. This means you can only run 1 or 2 speakers on each channel before you run into trouble and put too much load on your amplifier. That being said, consider a 70v amplifier and speakers. A 70v system allows you to run multiple speakers from one amplifier and select the speaker wattage at the speaker. you still need to do the math to make sure you don't go over the amplifiers rating, but this is how restaurants and grocery stores do it. Since the feed signal is always at 70v, the speakers can be run in series. The speakers have a small transformer on them to select the wattage for each one. You can also get a volume control that does the same thing. One thing to note, Audio quality can suffer with a 70v system, but the trade off is long speaker runs in series and wattage selectable speakers. TOA makes a good 70v amplifier as does Peavey. Here is a site to get you started... http://www.allprosound.com/catalog/viewproducts~m~Amplifiers~s~70-Volt-Power-Amplifiers~fsubcatid~9.htm
It's not really about rich people as much is it is corporations. It's really simple economics... if I have a business that earns money from selling a product and my costs increase due to increased taxes on my business, I am going to raise the price of my product to cover the increased costs. In an economy that is struggling, any increase in tax (Especially to the companies that sell us goods and services) will drive up the cost of everything! The consumers end up footing the bill and the corporations become the middle man for the taxes that end up back to Uncle Sam. I don't know where everyone else stands on this, but to me, the choice is clear.
Interesting concept... I don't think it looks very user friendly though. If the idea is to create a book like feel with an electronic device, the mark was missed by a long shot. IMHO the user needs to be able to flip pages just like a regular book. Now... when someone finally makes a book with e-paper...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeaT62OMi8M
Then I'll be interested. Until that day comes... I'll stick with my laptop.
Actually... Siemens does have a SCADA system that runs on Linux. I worked on the project myself. It was custom developed for the customer. At any rate, you are correct that control is done at the PLC level, but it is also done at the SCADA level. As a system integrator, I write scripts for our SCADA software that does all sorts of things... including controlling the PLC... Also, many SCADA systems use OPC (OLE for Process Control) to communicate with the PLC's. OPC servers aren't particularly secure, and with access to an OPC server, you have access to EVERY located memory location in the PLC. It's fairly trivial to write a program to access and write any data on a PLC if the SCADA system is using OPC for the comm link between the PLC and SCADA.
Since I know that the Output Stacker won't be available for long... I have posted it on our website. It is available here for download...
http://forums.grtg.org/index.php?showtopic=214
- Slew -
When are online music companies going to figure out the people are not interested in using the Windows Media Format for their music? Does anyone out in Slashdot land use anything besides MP3 and OGG?
One of coolest programs I have seen in a while is Total Recorder from High Criteria. This software basically installs it's own virtual sound card that allows you to capture anything that comes through it. You can literally capture anything that can be listened to on your computer. With technology like this, I really don't care what they do to CDs as long as I can listen to it on my PC.
Linux is more secure than Windows out of the box by default, but what makes Linux less susceptable to worms and things like ILUVYOU is that no 2 linux systems are alike (Well, almost). If you look at a Windows package, you'll notice that Outlook Express is the default mail program, Internet Explorer is the default Web Browser, plus a whole host of other "Default" tools, utils, programs, etc. The average Joe user just installs this stuff and uses default everything complete with errata. A Linux user doesn't really have a default anything... Each user will have their own flavor of a web browser... An E-Mail Program... etc... Since these worms rely on a common piece of software for the exploit to work, making a worm to exploit Linux is difficult at best.
It looks to me that their whole approach here is to try to claim that Linux is a direct derivitive work of Unix... They are similar, But I don't know if it will fly in court. It would be like saying that Open Office is a derivitive of MS Office. Same kind of thing I suppose...
This whole thing with code has me baffled too... what did they do, claim that all the for...next loops are theirs??? How far can they can take this stuff?
If anyone has a copy of the System 5 source code, please do us all a favor and do a compare between it and the 2.4 source for Linux and post the code that is identical. I think we would all appreciate knowing if there is any truth to this crap.
The next step is Microsoft buying SCO. What an interesting turn that would be! I wouldn't doubt that that has been the plan all along, but who knows...
What SCO is trying to do is forever change the way Linux is licensed. They basically stated this in their conference call. They claim that Linux developers want to have their work protected and that the GPL is not really the way to go anymore. (at least if your SCO) Then, to top that off, they want to make their few lines of code worth more than the punch card it was written on! It's no wonder Microsoft paid for a license... It's the same kinda philosophy Micro-Soft came out with in 1976 in Bill's Open Letter to Hobbyists. It was just as misguided then as it is now.
SCO even went on to say that they would eventually target end-users as well. I guess they are taking lessons form the RIAA now too.
I would change to a non-microsoft OS, but the applications won't port. They aren't written by our company and I have no control over them. As for file X-fer, it is VERY limited. I would only use it 1 or 2 times per year max. This box is only used during situations where we have to drill into the facility from a support standpoint and help the end user find and repair a problem that they are unable to fix otherwise.
I needed a device that would work in an industrial environment where I would not have to worry about moving parts and failures. I'm using embedded XP as an OS and the applications that I use require all of that space. These are custom built boxes for our customer that provide industrial network bridging capabilities, Remote troubleshooting and diagnostics, and file storage.
Slashdot Mirror
Obviously this was posted by someone from the "Other" makerspace in town. Physically we have much more than 20 people, there are several hundred working directly with The Geek Group on a daily basis. Anyone can become a member - just visit the website and sign up it's free. If you want to work on projects at the lab, it's $40/month. The Geek Group is much more than a physical building, it's a community. It's geeks online and at the multiple facilities around the globe. It's crowd sourced engineering and science. It's a place to learn and teach technology. The Geek Group isn't just a makerspace, it's an entire community of folks trying to learn and teach technology. The fire here at the lab is a huge blow to what we've been working so hard on for so long. To sit on your armchair soapbox and dismiss it as you do and post as an anonymous coward speaks volumes as to the type of person you are. I'm sorry you hold so much contempt for such a great place. If you had any kind of soul, you would come out and help out with the rest of community. The Geek Group will get the mess cleaned up and get back open to the public. In the meantime, come volunteer at the greatest hackerspace around and show what your made of. Slewfoot
As a controls engineer, I program these type of systems all the time. A simple incorrect setting for when the pumps turn on and off (Lead,Lag) could cause this type of problem. It could literally be a new operator that fat fingered a parameter in the SCADA system. To hack these systems requires specific knowledge of exactly what kind of control architecture is in place at the facility and then having the appropriate software to gain access to the control system. Not that this type of hack cannot be done, but it does require specific knowledge. This really sounds like operator error to me.
I'm sorry that the word "FACT" hurt your feelings.
I'm actually amazed that you were able to spew that much hate and inference from one single word. It really is quite a feat. Congratulations!
As President Ronald Reagan said, "Facts are stubborn things"
I'd be just as comfortable with a Pebble Bed reactor...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_reactor
But... micro nuclear reactors DO exist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_4S
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_Power_Generation
Ahh, I see the eco-nuts are in full force with this post... Putting on tin-foil hat...
Nuclear power - PLEASE put one of these in my back yard! http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-toshiba-micro-nuclear-12.17b.html
Mercury - Here are some mercury FACTS from the department of energy... http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/pollutioncontrols/overview_mercurycontrols.html.
Drilling for oil - So while the rest of the world goes out and drills for oil, going so far as to cross drill under US soil, the United States should take a back seat and watch these resources be taken and used against us. Gee, I certainly hope the countries that are actually drilling for oil don't stop sending it to us. I'd hate to see what that would do to our economy.
Running multi-room audio can be challenging. Some things to consider... a typical amplifier will only work at 8 or 4 ohms per channel. This means you can only run 1 or 2 speakers on each channel before you run into trouble and put too much load on your amplifier. That being said, consider a 70v amplifier and speakers. A 70v system allows you to run multiple speakers from one amplifier and select the speaker wattage at the speaker. you still need to do the math to make sure you don't go over the amplifiers rating, but this is how restaurants and grocery stores do it. Since the feed signal is always at 70v, the speakers can be run in series. The speakers have a small transformer on them to select the wattage for each one. You can also get a volume control that does the same thing. One thing to note, Audio quality can suffer with a 70v system, but the trade off is long speaker runs in series and wattage selectable speakers. TOA makes a good 70v amplifier as does Peavey. Here is a site to get you started... http://www.allprosound.com/catalog/viewproducts~m~Amplifiers~s~70-Volt-Power-Amplifiers~fsubcatid~9.htm
It's not really about rich people as much is it is corporations. It's really simple economics... if I have a business that earns money from selling a product and my costs increase due to increased taxes on my business, I am going to raise the price of my product to cover the increased costs. In an economy that is struggling, any increase in tax (Especially to the companies that sell us goods and services) will drive up the cost of everything! The consumers end up footing the bill and the corporations become the middle man for the taxes that end up back to Uncle Sam. I don't know where everyone else stands on this, but to me, the choice is clear.
Interesting concept... I don't think it looks very user friendly though. If the idea is to create a book like feel with an electronic device, the mark was missed by a long shot. IMHO the user needs to be able to flip pages just like a regular book. Now... when someone finally makes a book with e-paper... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeaT62OMi8M Then I'll be interested. Until that day comes... I'll stick with my laptop.
Great projects that encompass all types of electronics. My favorite place to find kits! http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=20 Enjoy! Slewfoot
Seems to me that the new advancements in diamond manufacturing will pave the way for diamonds to be the next step.
Great articles on it...
http://www.geek.com/81ghz-diamond-semiconductor-created/
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond.html
Slew
Actually... Siemens does have a SCADA system that runs on Linux. I worked on the project myself. It was custom developed for the customer. At any rate, you are correct that control is done at the PLC level, but it is also done at the SCADA level. As a system integrator, I write scripts for our SCADA software that does all sorts of things... including controlling the PLC...
Also, many SCADA systems use OPC (OLE for Process Control) to communicate with the PLC's. OPC servers aren't particularly secure, and with access to an OPC server, you have access to EVERY located memory location in the PLC. It's fairly trivial to write a program to access and write any data on a PLC if the SCADA system is using OPC for the comm link between the PLC and SCADA.
Actualy.... RFID Printers DO exist. Wal-Mart has been testing them for some time now... Here's just one example... http://www.datamaxcorp.com/products/rfid/
I work in the Wal-Mart group @ Siemens... We build their Distribution Centers.
Since I know that the Output Stacker won't be available for long... I have posted it on our website. It is available here for download... http://forums.grtg.org/index.php?showtopic=214 - Slew -
What is the significance of MOBIL AVE ?
This was written all over the walls at the the train station... any ideas?
- Slew -
When are online music companies going to figure out the people are not interested in using the Windows Media Format for their music? Does anyone out in Slashdot land use anything besides MP3 and OGG?
One of coolest programs I have seen in a while is Total Recorder from High Criteria. This software basically installs it's own virtual sound card that allows you to capture anything that comes through it. You can literally capture anything that can be listened to on your computer. With technology like this, I really don't care what they do to CDs as long as I can listen to it on my PC.
Linux is more secure than Windows out of the box by default, but what makes Linux less susceptable to worms and things like ILUVYOU is that no 2 linux systems are alike (Well, almost). If you look at a Windows package, you'll notice that Outlook Express is the default mail program, Internet Explorer is the default Web Browser, plus a whole host of other "Default" tools, utils, programs, etc. The average Joe user just installs this stuff and uses default everything complete with errata. A Linux user doesn't really have a default anything... Each user will have their own flavor of a web browser... An E-Mail Program... etc... Since these worms rely on a common piece of software for the exploit to work, making a worm to exploit Linux is difficult at best.
- Slew -
It looks to me that their whole approach here is to try to claim that Linux is a direct derivitive work of Unix... They are similar, But I don't know if it will fly in court. It would be like saying that Open Office is a derivitive of MS Office. Same kind of thing I suppose...
This whole thing with code has me baffled too... what did they do, claim that all the for...next loops are theirs??? How far can they can take this stuff?
- Slew -
SCO has come up with a FAQ for current and potential users... Check out SCO's Decision to Suspend Linux Activities Frequently Asked Questions. I believe they say that previous owners of THEIR Linux Distro is exempt from the $699 fee. (Go figure)
- Slew -
If anyone has a copy of the System 5 source code, please do us all a favor and do a compare between it and the 2.4 source for Linux and post the code that is identical. I think we would all appreciate knowing if there is any truth to this crap.
- Slew -
The next step is Microsoft buying SCO. What an interesting turn that would be! I wouldn't doubt that that has been the plan all along, but who knows...
Sign the petition to end this nonsense here.
- Slew -
What SCO is trying to do is forever change the way Linux is licensed. They basically stated this in their conference call. They claim that Linux developers want to have their work protected and that the GPL is not really the way to go anymore. (at least if your SCO) Then, to top that off, they want to make their few lines of code worth more than the punch card it was written on! It's no wonder Microsoft paid for a license... It's the same kinda philosophy Micro-Soft came out with in 1976 in Bill's Open Letter to Hobbyists. It was just as misguided then as it is now.
SCO even went on to say that they would eventually target end-users as well. I guess they are taking lessons form the RIAA now too.
- Slew -
After October 15th, the price will be $1399. You can visit SCO's website if you want a full price disclosure. - Slew -
I would change to a non-microsoft OS, but the applications won't port. They aren't written by our company and I have no control over them. As for file X-fer, it is VERY limited. I would only use it 1 or 2 times per year max. This box is only used during situations where we have to drill into the facility from a support standpoint and help the end user find and repair a problem that they are unable to fix otherwise.
- Slew -
I needed a device that would work in an industrial environment where I would not have to worry about moving parts and failures. I'm using embedded XP as an OS and the applications that I use require all of that space. These are custom built boxes for our customer that provide industrial network bridging capabilities, Remote troubleshooting and diagnostics, and file storage.
- Slew -