Playing the last wars Cold? Today you have very legal double tap drone strikes to deal with. Your vital civilian truck with war supplies is taken out by a drone, the first responders get a quality drone strike too.
The coordination by the defending leadership tracked and destroyed at will.
The Swiss had their plans for hidden installations, bomb shelters, and huge military reserve sites sold to the Soviet Union and who knows who else by trusted gov staff.
So the Swiss know most of their much older sites are mapped out and new works can be plotted in by any interested country.
Their officer corp unique in is training, part time officer support and the global private connections of its mid-top ranking "part time" officers.
That upper rank on the CV was always covered.
The Swiss also seem to have done a lot of work with the US war college system and seem to have a very good on going understanding of emerging US military education.
The US mil would also have very good, generational friendship in all things "Swiss".
The Swiss have spread the idea that they will let an army "in" and get stuck with constant small fights, blocked roads, a non helpful local population, raids....
ie make the price per road, tunnel, bridge repair, town, city way too costly.
Modern military thinking would just orbit ~drones...
Farmer... enemy combatant, group of workers... high ranking enemy combatants meeting, car/truck/van moving... enemy combatants moving heavy weapons or a leadership convoy.
The vision of the Swiss moving pre selected "civilian" trucks packed with vital war equipment is not so safe anymore.
The Swiss have one expensive option - bring total war to the enemy. Why ruin their small country when a much more 'clean' distant option exists:)
Really depends on the funding mix and vision of the state or federal govs.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get 60c back for every unit exported from tax payers and/or power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get 15c back for every unit exported from tax payers and/or power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get 4c back for every unit exported from the power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get a limited credit back for every unit exported from the power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get taxed for every unit exported from solar.
Mix in NET, tariffs with off-peak power rates and it gets more interesting:)
My guess would be a ~1970's Soviet or late ~1970's South Africa timeline. Time for some good sockpuppets, world events, self printed cash flow and theatrics to win the world back to the big brands.
Still time and the smart contractors have some really great ideas.
The US still has time to offer 'free', charm and totally effortless connectivity to 'everybody' for a while longer.
The real fun starts when the use of 'free' web 2.0 services becomes useless as its flooded with fun, recreation, hobbies, sport and brings back less international political insight.
The warnings of the GCHQ become reality: dont ever let the public know they are been watched 24/7.
Yes the NSA and GCHQ shaped national spy staff and gave them unaffordable tech gifts and long term support.
Generations have passed. Most 'top' staff in most European intelligence agencies would really, really enjoy their visits to see the 'future' in the US.
Many nations entire 'new' telco systems are just regional hubs to track dissent and mirror off all data to the US/UK.
We know the file systems via the big US brands is junk.
We know the operating systems via the big US brands is junk.
We know networking connections via the big US brands is junk.
We know the cryptography offered via the big US brands is junk.
NSL covers any internal developer or code 'changes' via the big US brands.
All you can do is air gap, get a file system that most spyware wont run on and re think any crypto use.
A unique filesystem and OS just for you would help a tiny bit more in some ways than more of the "big US brands" PR law reform efforts.
It gets politically embarrassing in open court, makes the most tame press report and is optically counter productive long term. Better just to politically shape/sideline or discredit the messenger via tame third parties in the shadows.
ie the UK has moved beyond the "charge them with 50 gazillion stupid "crimes" idea.
The US is still trying to understand the total benefits that the more charming and advanced UK method offers.
Yes sounds like the language skills/time to enter an online community, charm to get near the admins, have the code skills to over and run a web 2.0/forum site.
An IP trap/tracking and reshaping of the message back to busy work or to get close to admins/coders.
Spare time and weekends sounds like dedicated sockpuppet work to inject a long term 'story' on the benefits of war or minimising any bad press once 'reality' sets in.
Expect to see many more careful crafted comments by longterm sockpuppet 'names' vs a flood of AC junk.
The NSA and GCHQ always tried to project a very public vision of just that. Good pay, an expectation of foreign work, languages, "unlimited" funding and tech even during budget cuts in other gov/mil areas.
Legal, clean, smart, good pay long term and great advancement options.
That was hoped to out do anything the Soviet Union could offer poor or under appreciated staff. Blackmail attempts could be reported.
In theory the public image held together over many years, many whistleblowers, authors and political insights.
If you can 'think' about the acts and orders given you will not make it past the contractors who do the profiling and never move up the interview chain.
The UK has always needed to invite in the best and most creative, people with math, language skills or a who have had a deep immersion in other countries cultures.
Looking back the UK has the cold war history of been able to project, out think and shape many other larger nations military and political actions.
Apart from total Soviet penetration, Argentina and a few other staff issues the smart and creative hiring vision has worked well for the UK.
The other option is to go with safe profiled contractors, the unimaginative order taking personality, the unquestioning , the dull, the controllable, the end justifies the means sockpuppet types.
Many countries go with that safe option and find they are doing ok. The downside is never really been able to out think or out smart or predict much of anything and always been exposed long term.
The UK really wants a list of people who can hack, send in their CV and have a deep understanding of forums/games/web 2.0.
The kinds of honey trap and other compromising online 'friendships' would be a historically fitting result long term.
For that kind of direct operation you need the flow of slang, creativity and seduction.
The UK clandestine services need the 'gamer' sockpuppets for relevant slang to shape the public back into a more Anglosphere way of thinking when needed.
Just as you need the right tech touch for sockpuppets on slashdot to contain thinking on the latest NSA crypto news.
Yes bill it can be very strange. From the top of Australian anti commie efforts (spy) was the command for staff to be upstanding in all they did - no drink or other habits while defending the nation. The problem was the leadership was really totally drunk and the staff knew it:)
As for this story - the making of counterfit chips seems almost like a form of tech honeytrap but set internally or externally?
With Snowden, stories around other top US mil staff, the lack of traction on Syria - someone, an agency or a country is really working overtime on top US personal.
A soft coup/cleanout via the tame US press?
If your telco has a hardware/software layer and is activity decrypting for your gov all marketing talk of been resistant is a joke.
With a known conference room or free wifi cafe this method might get interesting for pure data entry by a person.
Yes strange so few seem to want to recall that moment in US cell history.
You still see the comments about needing to get into the device, OS protections and how keystrokes are magically encrypted.
As for this, it reminds me of early TEMPEST efforts and selling the world on end to end security with a tiny gidt in every crypto machine:)
Who knows where this tech will go, but great to see people experimenting and publishing real world results:)
Burner phones still get your voice print. The call you make is recorded and every hop from the people you call is referenced. What was used in South America for the drug wars years ago is now very much domestic tech.
If you read down the 'yay' comments you will see a mention of streaming video products becoming ~ "NSA's cameras" and later a reference to recorded memories by unauthorized personnel.
So lets try and add to the comments a bit more:
Video would give you facial recognition, sound gives voice prints, add in mapping location data, all the text messages and long term tracking. With the tame cooperation of US brands, emerging products could offer some useful insight into a users digital life.
The skull aspect is more for the contractors at a black site later on:)
Re The NSA is turning the internet into at best a panopticon, and at worst a prison for our whole society.
The need to keep the 1950-90's panopticon secret is now over. The next step, decades of domestic 'lock box' data for use in open court depending on any political whim.
Great, productivity, freedom, creativity and truth will always win out over DRM and mass market fake encryption:)
All the best with your projects and products like Loongson will gain traction too:)
The world will just encrypt around a "digital" East Germany. The drones, uniforms, constant surveillance, expensive contractors, searches, expanding budgets, brand name cooperation are all as easy to see as a Berlin Wall.
Slashdot Mirror
Playing the last wars Cold? Today you have very legal double tap drone strikes to deal with. Your vital civilian truck with war supplies is taken out by a drone, the first responders get a quality drone strike too.
The coordination by the defending leadership tracked and destroyed at will.
The Swiss had their plans for hidden installations, bomb shelters, and huge military reserve sites sold to the Soviet Union and who knows who else by trusted gov staff. ... enemy combatant, group of workers... high ranking enemy combatants meeting, car/truck/van moving ... enemy combatants moving heavy weapons or a leadership convoy. :)
So the Swiss know most of their much older sites are mapped out and new works can be plotted in by any interested country.
Their officer corp unique in is training, part time officer support and the global private connections of its mid-top ranking "part time" officers.
That upper rank on the CV was always covered.
The Swiss also seem to have done a lot of work with the US war college system and seem to have a very good on going understanding of emerging US military education.
The US mil would also have very good, generational friendship in all things "Swiss".
The Swiss have spread the idea that they will let an army "in" and get stuck with constant small fights, blocked roads, a non helpful local population, raids....
ie make the price per road, tunnel, bridge repair, town, city way too costly.
Modern military thinking would just orbit ~drones...
Farmer
The vision of the Swiss moving pre selected "civilian" trucks packed with vital war equipment is not so safe anymore.
The Swiss have one expensive option - bring total war to the enemy. Why ruin their small country when a much more 'clean' distant option exists
From the classic dual engine failure to new dual tablet failure?
Really depends on the funding mix and vision of the state or federal govs. :)
Power cost 30c per unit, you get 60c back for every unit exported from tax payers and/or power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get 15c back for every unit exported from tax payers and/or power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get 4c back for every unit exported from the power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get a limited credit back for every unit exported from the power company.
Power cost 30c per unit, you get taxed for every unit exported from solar.
Mix in NET, tariffs with off-peak power rates and it gets more interesting
Re What happens if the aircraft depressurizes?
In the old days with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_5390 and your guided down.
http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/1-1992%20G-BJRT%20Append.pdf
So the loss of tablet computer or charts is understood. The other aspect is keeping the tablet up to date eg. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossair_Flight_3597#Final_report.
My guess would be a ~1970's Soviet or late ~1970's South Africa timeline. Time for some good sockpuppets, world events, self printed cash flow and theatrics to win the world back to the big brands.
Still time and the smart contractors have some really great ideas.
The US still has time to offer 'free', charm and totally effortless connectivity to 'everybody' for a while longer.
The real fun starts when the use of 'free' web 2.0 services becomes useless as its flooded with fun, recreation, hobbies, sport and brings back less international political insight.
The warnings of the GCHQ become reality: dont ever let the public know they are been watched 24/7.
Yes the NSA and GCHQ shaped national spy staff and gave them unaffordable tech gifts and long term support.
Generations have passed. Most 'top' staff in most European intelligence agencies would really, really enjoy their visits to see the 'future' in the US.
Many nations entire 'new' telco systems are just regional hubs to track dissent and mirror off all data to the US/UK.
We know the file systems via the big US brands is junk.
We know the operating systems via the big US brands is junk.
We know networking connections via the big US brands is junk.
We know the cryptography offered via the big US brands is junk.
NSL covers any internal developer or code 'changes' via the big US brands.
All you can do is air gap, get a file system that most spyware wont run on and re think any crypto use.
A unique filesystem and OS just for you would help a tiny bit more in some ways than more of the "big US brands" PR law reform efforts.
It gets politically embarrassing in open court, makes the most tame press report and is optically counter productive long term. Better just to politically shape/sideline or discredit the messenger via tame third parties in the shadows.
ie the UK has moved beyond the "charge them with 50 gazillion stupid "crimes" idea.
The US is still trying to understand the total benefits that the more charming and advanced UK method offers.
Yes sounds like the language skills/time to enter an online community, charm to get near the admins, have the code skills to over and run a web 2.0/forum site.
An IP trap/tracking and reshaping of the message back to busy work or to get close to admins/coders.
Spare time and weekends sounds like dedicated sockpuppet work to inject a long term 'story' on the benefits of war or minimising any bad press once 'reality' sets in.
Expect to see many more careful crafted comments by longterm sockpuppet 'names' vs a flood of AC junk.
The NSA and GCHQ always tried to project a very public vision of just that. Good pay, an expectation of foreign work, languages, "unlimited" funding and tech even during budget cuts in other gov/mil areas.
Legal, clean, smart, good pay long term and great advancement options.
That was hoped to out do anything the Soviet Union could offer poor or under appreciated staff. Blackmail attempts could be reported.
In theory the public image held together over many years, many whistleblowers, authors and political insights.
If you can 'think' about the acts and orders given you will not make it past the contractors who do the profiling and never move up the interview chain.
The UK has always needed to invite in the best and most creative, people with math, language skills or a who have had a deep immersion in other countries cultures.
Looking back the UK has the cold war history of been able to project, out think and shape many other larger nations military and political actions.
Apart from total Soviet penetration, Argentina and a few other staff issues the smart and creative hiring vision has worked well for the UK.
The other option is to go with safe profiled contractors, the unimaginative order taking personality, the unquestioning , the dull, the controllable, the end justifies the means sockpuppet types.
Many countries go with that safe option and find they are doing ok. The downside is never really been able to out think or out smart or predict much of anything and always been exposed long term.
The UK really wants a list of people who can hack, send in their CV and have a deep understanding of forums/games/web 2.0.
The kinds of honey trap and other compromising online 'friendships' would be a historically fitting result long term.
For that kind of direct operation you need the flow of slang, creativity and seduction.
The UK clandestine services need the 'gamer' sockpuppets for relevant slang to shape the public back into a more Anglosphere way of thinking when needed.
Just as you need the right tech touch for sockpuppets on slashdot to contain thinking on the latest NSA crypto news.
Yes bill it can be very strange. From the top of Australian anti commie efforts (spy) was the command for staff to be upstanding in all they did - no drink or other habits while defending the nation. The problem was the leadership was really totally drunk and the staff knew it :)
As for this story - the making of counterfit chips seems almost like a form of tech honeytrap but set internally or externally?
With Snowden, stories around other top US mil staff, the lack of traction on Syria - someone, an agency or a country is really working overtime on top US personal.
A soft coup/cleanout via the tame US press?
If your telco has a hardware/software layer and is activity decrypting for your gov all marketing talk of been resistant is a joke.
With a known conference room or free wifi cafe this method might get interesting for pure data entry by a person.
Yes strange so few seem to want to recall that moment in US cell history. :) :)
You still see the comments about needing to get into the device, OS protections and how keystrokes are magically encrypted.
As for this, it reminds me of early TEMPEST efforts and selling the world on end to end security with a tiny gidt in every crypto machine
Who knows where this tech will go, but great to see people experimenting and publishing real world results
One NSL covers all citizens?
Burner phones still get your voice print. The call you make is recorded and every hop from the people you call is referenced. What was used in South America for the drug wars years ago is now very much domestic tech.
If you read down the 'yay' comments you will see a mention of streaming video products becoming ~ "NSA's cameras" and later a reference to recorded memories by unauthorized personnel. :)
So lets try and add to the comments a bit more:
Video would give you facial recognition, sound gives voice prints, add in mapping location data, all the text messages and long term tracking.
With the tame cooperation of US brands, emerging products could offer some useful insight into a users digital life.
The skull aspect is more for the contractors at a black site later on
The US has had this at a mil/gov level since about the late 1960's under ideas like the Community On-line Intelligence System.
PROMIS showed what networked law enforcement had in the 1970s and 80s.
http://consortiumnews.com/2013/07/11/prisms-controversial-forerunner/
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/18/patriot_games was the hint at what could be done US wide.
Another scary part is telling the pubic about using a lock box for generations of calls.
Re The NSA is turning the internet into at best a panopticon, and at worst a prison for our whole society.
The need to keep the 1950-90's panopticon secret is now over. The next step, decades of domestic 'lock box' data for use in open court depending on any political whim.
AC your missing the decrypting of messages, recording of sound, video too :)
Great, productivity, freedom, creativity and truth will always win out over DRM and mass market fake encryption :) :)
All the best with your projects and products like Loongson will gain traction too
The world will just encrypt around a "digital" East Germany. The drones, uniforms, constant surveillance, expensive contractors, searches, expanding budgets, brand name cooperation are all as easy to see as a Berlin Wall.