Thanks for these. For some reason I wasn't getting any sound with the Flash. I don't understand how they got MP3's on to wax cylinders but I'm glad they did!
No, no, they got flash onto the wax cylinders, then they converted the flash audio to MP3 later. Obviously in 1908 they didn't have the tech to convert MP3's directly to wax cylinders, sheesh! -Taylor
The onion did a piece on "World of World of Warcraft", where players play a character sitting in a lonely basement playing warcraft. The "your avatar is an avatar" part reminds me of that, though technically they imply different things... and actually that statement doesn't imply much...
Seriously, can we just start terraforming the damn thing already? Who cares if there is water there, lets just start sending over plants in protected spacecraft with their own water supply and see how they do with some exposure to the atmosphere. Hell, algae would probably do the trick better than plants. Or we could make some machines to do the conversion, if we even know how to do that. I'm sick of all this "oooh, it's not completely dead yet!" research, we should just start rebuilding the damn thing!
(i realize this is short sighted - i'm mostly just ranting - but in truth, i would love it if we actually did just do this, even though it would contaminate the planet and we'd never know its true past)
When i was playing around with one of the early builds on Vista, most of the error messages hadn't been written yet, so if I ever got an error, i got a completely blank error box. It still had the little blue taskbar, grey message window, and grey button, but nothing said anything. Some of them did say something, but it was just "?". That amused me a lot. -Taylor
And "call it what is is, a cracked phone."? Oh yes, please scare me by using scary words like cracked to make it sound worse. You're no worse than newscasters who use the word "hacker" solely in a negative connotation. You want to call it cracked to make it sound bad, but why? I have every right to install my own software on my own device that doesn't affect anyone else, why try to use negative-sounding verbiage?
OK, first off, I'm on your side with the whole newscaster bullshit. Don't get pissed when I happen to use an accurate term here.
Second, crack it all you want. The issue is we ALL assume a level of risk AND responsibility when "modding"(there, is that better?), and the fact that you do not know what the vendors code will do with yours or more to my point what someone else will do with it are the risks (both low and high) of screwing with something you "own".
The risk range goes anywhere from you bricking your phone and it only affecting YOU, to your bazooka-sized hole through the front door of the code of a bluetooth/wi-fi enabled device in the hands of millions globally being used as a springboard for the next virus, trojan, or worm.
And lastly... "...when someone breaks into a cracked phone and manages to cause physical harm to a consumer..." holy shit, my jailbroken phone just caused me physical harm! No wait, that was me tearing my eyes out after reading how insane you are. What are you even talking about? Did you seriously just say that cracking the iPhone might physically hurt someone? How much FUD are you trying to spread?
Todays iPhone is tomorrows Prius. One is a BT/wi-fi, and radio enabled deviced wrapped around a large battery you hold next to your head.. The other, a slightly larger version that happens to also travel at freeway speeds. Is exploding_battery.exe it THAT inconceivable to you? That kind of shit has been happening without the "assistance" of extra code on laptops.
You're insane. -Taylor
Ha! Why Thank you. Rather insane thoughts to better prepare for the worst is what keeps most alive and employed in InfoSec. Welcome to the real world. Kind of looks like a handbasket traveling south, doesn't it? Call it FUD all you want. Some of the most deadly viruses were created by accident in the lab, most likely based from the "innocent" work of others. The electronic world is not that different.
Assume the risk and go forth, almighty "modder", and innovate. I'm certain we'll chat again in 10 years, where reality may just cross the path of insanity.
Dude, are you serious? There is NOTHING special about a cracked iphone that makes it some big security threat. A windows mobile phone can and will run ANY code you put on it, and they have bluetooth/wifi, etc. If "exploding_battery.exe" was even possible, a cracked iphone is NO MORE likely to activate said weakness than a Nokia phone running Symbian, any windows mobile phone sold in the last five freaking years, or ANY LAPTOP at all, running windows, mac os, or linux. Hell, if killing cell networks was possible from an iphone, it would be FAR more likely with a laptop running an AirCard, etc.
Do you not understand how security works? I make a prius, etc that has a complex electrical system with potentially dangerous batteries, and i also give the car blutooth functionality.... but i connect the bluetooth to the stereo and give the stereo NO POSSIBLE ACCESS to the sensitive systems that govern battery charging. If i don't, I'm asking for trouble. It would be ridiculous to design my car in such a way that someone with a hacked device would do ANYTHING damaging to my vehicle.
Of course, flaws are found in these systems, but again, if someone does find a flaw, a hacked iphone is NO MORE likely to cause damage to my system than any other open device.
Hell, you must be scared SHITLESS of google's Android, a linux-base mobile phone
Enabling read/write access to the filesystem of an iPhone to install an application...
Where on the Apple website do I download such an application to enable my read/write access? Certainly it's supported by the vendor, yes?
...every freaking time jailbreaking comes up, someone in the comments has to go and mention how it's "illegal" It is so annoying because it's ignorant, and spreads FUD... -Taylor
Maybe if we didn't call it "jailbreaking"? Perhaps we should stop mincing words and call it what it is, a cracked phone. As I clarified in a previous response, perhaps "illegal" was too strong. I therefore stand somewhat corrected. However, there's a fine line separated only by litigation between "illegal" and "unsupported". God forbid, but when someone breaks into a cracked phone and manages to cause physical harm to a consumer, once the lawyer dust settles, you might find more truth and accuracy to my initial post.
Where on the Microsoft website do i download my copy of Firefox for Windows? What you say? Microsoft doesn't support Firefox!? I'd better not use it then, because there clearly is a fine line between unsupported and illegal...
Oh wait, WTF are you talking about? There is a HUGE difference between unsupported and illegal. Apple doesn't have to support something and they even might not like it (much like MS doesn't like Firefox eating into their market share) but it's our RIGHT to install Firefox on our PCs, and i don't see how we have any different rights with the iPhone, even if apple made doing so more difficult.
And "call it what is is, a cracked phone."? Oh yes, please scare me by using scary words like cracked to make it sound worse. You're no worse than newscasters who use the word "hacker" solely in a negative connotation. You want to call it cracked to make it sound bad, but why? I have every right to install my own software on my own device that doesn't affect anyone else, why try to use negative-sounding verbiage?
And lastly... "...when someone breaks into a cracked phone and manages to cause physical harm to a consumer..." holy shit, my jailbroken phone just caused me physical harm! No wait, that was me tearing my eyes out after reading how insane you are. What are you even talking about? Did you seriously just say that cracking the iPhone might physically hurt someone? How much FUD are you trying to spread?
"Apple is applying for a patent...which could be detrimental to the original manufacturer of the software, who is actively selling it for Jailbroken iPhones"
Wow. Patent against software being sold for illegal phones. I'd sue, but I'm not quite sure where to start on that one.
God you're an idiot. Why do people still think that hacking a device you own is illegal!? Enabling read/write access to the filesystem of an iPhone to install an application isn't even close to illegal, yet every freaking time jailbreaking comes up, someone in the comments has to go and mention how it's "illegal"... It is so annoying because it's ignorant, and spreads FUD... -Taylor
"Glad the ads are dead. There's "cool" surreal. (See: Rutger Hauer Guinness commercials [youtube.com] in the late 80's and early 90's) Then there is utterly retarded. That was these."
And the thing is....someone, probably multiple people in a committee...actually thought these commercials were a GOOD idea!! I mean, even a company with the assets MS has doesn't just throw millions of dollars around on ads without a lot of people approving this.
Was there not a single, normal person that saw these say said...WTF?
Someone in charge of marketing at MS really needs to be encouraged to find greener pastures at another company over this one....
I thought the ads were fucking hilarious! I like strange humor, and they were certainly strange but in a funny way! I thought they were great - The first one mostly. I mean, two insanely rich men buying shoes at a discount shoe store? It was great, especially the discourse they had with each other!
The question actually was: Is killing people to protect your servers considered "evil" ?
Nobody is in danger.
If someone goes to the trouble of going all the way out to sea with the intent of breaking into a multi-billion-dollar company's offshore datacenter to steal or damage property, they are obviously pretty damn serious and may very well not be worried about injuring or killing people that try to get in their way. Generally the assumption is that if someone wants to harm your stuff, they're the ones being unfair and if you have to assume the worst (within reason... so obviously not kids egging your house, but serious criminals, yes...) and protect yourself accordingly. I'm not big on violence but self defense is one of those things where you don't want to find out the hard way that you shouldn't have been so easy on the person trying to hurt you or your stuff! -Taylor
Hmm... sounds good. I'll donate 2TB of space each from multiple computers at different locations and between all of them i'm bound to have two critical pieces of your files, then all i have to do is shut them all down! Muah haha haaaa!
And actually, what would happen if a major disaster shut down all the PC's in a major metropolitan area? Does the service provide enough redundancy that even if everyone in silicon valley went offline, my files would still be safe? I'd rather know where my data is.
Also, slashverteisment? The concept is interesting but the story doesn't bring up the more interesting issue of privacy, it seems like just an ad. -Taylor
I have a 2003 Civic hybrid, and right on cue to the warranty on the battery expiring (80k) it's performance dropped fairly significantly.
It's still completely functional, but depletes it's charge *much* faster. My mileage has dropped from about 45-48 to 42-45 as well.
The conspiracy nut in me says they programmed it that way;-)
in any event it's what they said it would do (80k) so i can't be terribly upset. And it's fully functional and still getting better mileage than most other cars out there.
At this rate then i wonder if it would be worth it to remove the batteries and shed all that weight? Sure the hybrid drive system helps efficiency but when it loses its effectiveness, can that gain in efficiency still overcome the loss from the added weight? That's what i'd like to know. -Taylor
Hulu has Ghostbusters 1 and 2 freely and legally available to watch online. You have to deal with commercials, but meh, it didn't bother me, i watched it last week! -Taylor
Well, i actually have read the Wikipedia page before, because my friend and i have a thing about pointing out non-ironic situations that are labeled ironic, and i did say my definition was rough, but it more or less follows with what Wikipedia says, which is:
"Situational irony is the disparity of intention and result: when the result of an action is contrary to the desired or expected effect."
So, contrary.. opposite... since I admitted I was being rough my definition really isn't that bad.
And going along with that, a song that tried to educate people about censorship getting censored isn't irony, it's just unfortunate... If the song trying to educate people about censorship somehow ended up reducing people's awareness of censorship, THAT would be ironic... Or if the song spurred a reaction from the government that increased their level of censorship... THAT would be ironic too. But just that song being censored doesn't necessarily indicate a large increase in censorship, so i don't think this situation counts.
Trust me, most people don't get irony, and it's actually a pretty complex concept, but i'd like to think i understand it. -Taylor
Soo... I hate to say it (err, okay, that's a lie, i love pointing these out!), but china blocking a song protesting china blocking things isn't irony! It's just not!
Irony is (roughly) when something happens that is the opposite of what expected... but if you criticize a tyrant... you can expect to get censored! -Taylor
The whole idea behind a fuel cell is the factory fills it up and then you use it until it's empty and swap it out and the factory refils it.
That's just wrong, sorry. The whole idea behind a fuel cell is that it's like a battery only you fill it with fuel instead of recharging it, and they last much longer in between fillings than a a battery does between charges. Fuel cells are generally intended to be quickly refilled by the user. There are variations on the concept but that's the most common scenario. Quick refilling is one of the two main advantages of fuel cells, yet you seem to have missed that... -Taylor
...As for fuel cells, you better have special ordered a new one if you run out cuz you can't recharge it like a lithium one or run to a gas station to get more like AAs.
From everything i've seen about fuel cells, when they get low you just refill them with alcohol or whatever fuel they use, which only takes a few seconds. You don't have to "special order a new one" when it runs low... Where did you even get that information? Did you honestly think this was a non-replenishable technology? -Taylor
One time about a year ago i was going to NASA at Moffet Field to show off a robot i was working on. The robot was in a big black pelican case (the kind of thing you might also store weapons or a bomb in) in my trunk.
Moffet Field is open to all US citizens and they even have some random businesses there so it's pretty much a public place, but they do have armed guards in a booth there who check your ID (usually a very laid back glance) and let you in. Well when i drove in they pulled me aside for a "random" security check.
I got out of my car and they looked in the front seat, the back seat, even under the front seats. Then i opened the trunk, and there was this big black pelican case that i personally thought looked a bit ominous.
The security guard looked around in my trunk a bit, around the case, and then... said thanks and walked away.
I'm certainly not looking for a police state, but i figure if you've got armed guards checking out your car for security reasons, they might as well ask you what's in the big black case...
It just struck me as odd.
As far as the cops not bugging the guys at DEFCON... for all we knew they were aware of the conference and knew they were generally good people... Someone suggested getting the information of the vehicle, but i disagree... I don't want the cops collecting information on everyone... though i wouldn't have minded if the cops asked the guys what was going on at least, so long as they were reasonable about it... -Taylor
Slashdot Mirror
Well, i have lots to say!
I just don't feel like saying it.
-Taylor
Thanks for these. For some reason I wasn't getting any sound with the Flash. I don't understand how they got MP3's on to wax cylinders but I'm glad they did!
No, no, they got flash onto the wax cylinders, then they converted the flash audio to MP3 later. Obviously in 1908 they didn't have the tech to convert MP3's directly to wax cylinders, sheesh!
-Taylor
The onion did a piece on "World of World of Warcraft", where players play a character sitting in a lonely basement playing warcraft. The "your avatar is an avatar" part reminds me of that, though technically they imply different things... and actually that statement doesn't imply much...
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/warcraft_sequel_lets_gamers_play
-Taylor
With a hammer?
-Taylor
Seriously, can we just start terraforming the damn thing already? Who cares if there is water there, lets just start sending over plants in protected spacecraft with their own water supply and see how they do with some exposure to the atmosphere. Hell, algae would probably do the trick better than plants. Or we could make some machines to do the conversion, if we even know how to do that. I'm sick of all this "oooh, it's not completely dead yet!" research, we should just start rebuilding the damn thing!
(i realize this is short sighted - i'm mostly just ranting - but in truth, i would love it if we actually did just do this, even though it would contaminate the planet and we'd never know its true past)
-Taylor
When i was playing around with one of the early builds on Vista, most of the error messages hadn't been written yet, so if I ever got an error, i got a completely blank error box.
It still had the little blue taskbar, grey message window, and grey button, but nothing said anything.
Some of them did say something, but it was just "?".
That amused me a lot.
-Taylor
And "call it what is is, a cracked phone."? Oh yes, please scare me by using scary words like cracked to make it sound worse. You're no worse than newscasters who use the word "hacker" solely in a negative connotation. You want to call it cracked to make it sound bad, but why? I have every right to install my own software on my own device that doesn't affect anyone else, why try to use negative-sounding verbiage?
OK, first off, I'm on your side with the whole newscaster bullshit. Don't get pissed when I happen to use an accurate term here.
Second, crack it all you want. The issue is we ALL assume a level of risk AND responsibility when "modding"(there, is that better?), and the fact that you do not know what the vendors code will do with yours or more to my point what someone else will do with it are the risks (both low and high) of screwing with something you "own".
The risk range goes anywhere from you bricking your phone and it only affecting YOU, to your bazooka-sized hole through the front door of the code of a bluetooth/wi-fi enabled device in the hands of millions globally being used as a springboard for the next virus, trojan, or worm.
And lastly... "...when someone breaks into a cracked phone and manages to cause physical harm to a consumer..."
holy shit, my jailbroken phone just caused me physical harm! No wait, that was me tearing my eyes out after reading how insane you are. What are you even talking about? Did you seriously just say that cracking the iPhone might physically hurt someone? How much FUD are you trying to spread?
Todays iPhone is tomorrows Prius. One is a BT/wi-fi, and radio enabled deviced wrapped around a large battery you hold next to your head.. The other, a slightly larger version that happens to also travel at freeway speeds. Is exploding_battery.exe it THAT inconceivable to you? That kind of shit has been happening without the "assistance" of extra code on laptops.
You're insane.
-Taylor
Ha! Why Thank you. Rather insane thoughts to better prepare for the worst is what keeps most alive and employed in InfoSec. Welcome to the real world. Kind of looks like a handbasket traveling south, doesn't it? Call it FUD all you want. Some of the most deadly viruses were created by accident in the lab, most likely based from the "innocent" work of others. The electronic world is not that different.
Assume the risk and go forth, almighty "modder", and innovate. I'm certain we'll chat again in 10 years, where reality may just cross the path of insanity.
Dude, are you serious? There is NOTHING special about a cracked iphone that makes it some big security threat. A windows mobile phone can and will run ANY code you put on it, and they have bluetooth/wifi, etc. If "exploding_battery.exe" was even possible, a cracked iphone is NO MORE likely to activate said weakness than a Nokia phone running Symbian, any windows mobile phone sold in the last five freaking years, or ANY LAPTOP at all, running windows, mac os, or linux. Hell, if killing cell networks was possible from an iphone, it would be FAR more likely with a laptop running an AirCard, etc.
Do you not understand how security works? I make a prius, etc that has a complex electrical system with potentially dangerous batteries, and i also give the car blutooth functionality.... but i connect the bluetooth to the stereo and give the stereo NO POSSIBLE ACCESS to the sensitive systems that govern battery charging. If i don't, I'm asking for trouble. It would be ridiculous to design my car in such a way that someone with a hacked device would do ANYTHING damaging to my vehicle.
Of course, flaws are found in these systems, but again, if someone does find a flaw, a hacked iphone is NO MORE likely to cause damage to my system than any other open device.
Hell, you must be scared SHITLESS of google's Android, a linux-base mobile phone
Enabling read/write access to the filesystem of an iPhone to install an application...
Where on the Apple website do I download such an application to enable my read/write access? Certainly it's supported by the vendor, yes?
...every freaking time jailbreaking comes up, someone in the comments has to go and mention how it's "illegal" It is so annoying because it's ignorant, and spreads FUD...
-Taylor
Maybe if we didn't call it "jailbreaking"? Perhaps we should stop mincing words and call it what it is, a cracked phone. As I clarified in a previous response, perhaps "illegal" was too strong. I therefore stand somewhat corrected. However, there's a fine line separated only by litigation between "illegal" and "unsupported". God forbid, but when someone breaks into a cracked phone and manages to cause physical harm to a consumer, once the lawyer dust settles, you might find more truth and accuracy to my initial post.
Where on the Microsoft website do i download my copy of Firefox for Windows? What you say? Microsoft doesn't support Firefox!? I'd better not use it then, because there clearly is a fine line between unsupported and illegal...
Oh wait, WTF are you talking about? There is a HUGE difference between unsupported and illegal. Apple doesn't have to support something and they even might not like it (much like MS doesn't like Firefox eating into their market share) but it's our RIGHT to install Firefox on our PCs, and i don't see how we have any different rights with the iPhone, even if apple made doing so more difficult.
And "call it what is is, a cracked phone."? Oh yes, please scare me by using scary words like cracked to make it sound worse. You're no worse than newscasters who use the word "hacker" solely in a negative connotation. You want to call it cracked to make it sound bad, but why? I have every right to install my own software on my own device that doesn't affect anyone else, why try to use negative-sounding verbiage?
And lastly... "...when someone breaks into a cracked phone and manages to cause physical harm to a consumer..."
holy shit, my jailbroken phone just caused me physical harm! No wait, that was me tearing my eyes out after reading how insane you are. What are you even talking about? Did you seriously just say that cracking the iPhone might physically hurt someone? How much FUD are you trying to spread?
You're insane.
-Taylor
"Apple is applying for a patent...which could be detrimental to the original manufacturer of the software, who is actively selling it for Jailbroken iPhones"
Wow. Patent against software being sold for illegal phones. I'd sue, but I'm not quite sure where to start on that one.
God you're an idiot.
Why do people still think that hacking a device you own is illegal!?
Enabling read/write access to the filesystem of an iPhone to install an application isn't even close to illegal, yet every freaking time jailbreaking comes up, someone in the comments has to go and mention how it's "illegal"...
It is so annoying because it's ignorant, and spreads FUD...
-Taylor
"Glad the ads are dead. There's "cool" surreal. (See: Rutger Hauer Guinness commercials [youtube.com] in the late 80's and early 90's) Then there is utterly retarded. That was these."
And the thing is....someone, probably multiple people in a committee...actually thought these commercials were a GOOD idea!! I mean, even a company with the assets MS has doesn't just throw millions of dollars around on ads without a lot of people approving this.
Was there not a single, normal person that saw these say said...WTF?
Someone in charge of marketing at MS really needs to be encouraged to find greener pastures at another company over this one....
I thought the ads were fucking hilarious! I like strange humor, and they were certainly strange but in a funny way! I thought they were great - The first one mostly. I mean, two insanely rich men buying shoes at a discount shoe store? It was great, especially the discourse they had with each other!
*sigh*
-Taylor
For once I'm reading an 'xzy is going to die' article that doesn't sound like utter rubbish.
Look, over there! An iPod killer!
*giggles*
-Taylor
The question actually was: Is killing people to protect your servers considered "evil" ?
Nobody is in danger.
If someone goes to the trouble of going all the way out to sea with the intent of breaking into a multi-billion-dollar company's offshore datacenter to steal or damage property, they are obviously pretty damn serious and may very well not be worried about injuring or killing people that try to get in their way. Generally the assumption is that if someone wants to harm your stuff, they're the ones being unfair and if you have to assume the worst (within reason... so obviously not kids egging your house, but serious criminals, yes...) and protect yourself accordingly. I'm not big on violence but self defense is one of those things where you don't want to find out the hard way that you shouldn't have been so easy on the person trying to hurt you or your stuff!
-Taylor
Hmm... sounds good. I'll donate 2TB of space each from multiple computers at different locations and between all of them i'm bound to have two critical pieces of your files, then all i have to do is shut them all down! Muah haha haaaa!
And actually, what would happen if a major disaster shut down all the PC's in a major metropolitan area? Does the service provide enough redundancy that even if everyone in silicon valley went offline, my files would still be safe? I'd rather know where my data is.
Also, slashverteisment? The concept is interesting but the story doesn't bring up the more interesting issue of privacy, it seems like just an ad.
-Taylor
I have a 2003 Civic hybrid, and right on cue to the warranty on the battery expiring (80k) it's performance dropped fairly significantly.
It's still completely functional, but depletes it's charge *much* faster. My mileage has dropped from about 45-48 to 42-45 as well.
The conspiracy nut in me says they programmed it that way ;-)
in any event it's what they said it would do (80k) so i can't be terribly upset. And it's fully functional and still getting better mileage than most other cars out there.
At this rate then i wonder if it would be worth it to remove the batteries and shed all that weight? Sure the hybrid drive system helps efficiency but when it loses its effectiveness, can that gain in efficiency still overcome the loss from the added weight? That's what i'd like to know.
-Taylor
Yeah, i have 3TB of HDD's on my desktop. Someone let me know when they make 3TB SSD's that i can afford. :)
-Taylor
Then give him brownies!
-Taylor
Hulu has Ghostbusters 1 and 2 freely and legally available to watch online. You have to deal with commercials, but meh, it didn't bother me, i watched it last week!
-Taylor
I was going to make a comment about Ron Jeremy, but i'll spare you...
-Taylor
Well, you may feel that way, but i know all those people who camp out for hours to pick up a game might be interested in this.
-Taylor
So... the entire universe may just be an infinite porn collection encoded in matter and energy? Damn it! Where's the key?
A bottle of Jagermeister?
-Taylor
Well, i actually have read the Wikipedia page before, because my friend and i have a thing about pointing out non-ironic situations that are labeled ironic, and i did say my definition was rough, but it more or less follows with what Wikipedia says, which is:
"Situational irony is the disparity of intention and result: when the result of an action is contrary to the desired or expected effect."
So, contrary.. opposite... since I admitted I was being rough my definition really isn't that bad.
And going along with that, a song that tried to educate people about censorship getting censored isn't irony, it's just unfortunate... If the song trying to educate people about censorship somehow ended up reducing people's awareness of censorship, THAT would be ironic... Or if the song spurred a reaction from the government that increased their level of censorship... THAT would be ironic too. But just that song being censored doesn't necessarily indicate a large increase in censorship, so i don't think this situation counts.
Trust me, most people don't get irony, and it's actually a pretty complex concept, but i'd like to think i understand it.
-Taylor
Soo... I hate to say it (err, okay, that's a lie, i love pointing these out!), but china blocking a song protesting china blocking things isn't irony! It's just not!
Irony is (roughly) when something happens that is the opposite of what expected... but if you criticize a tyrant... you can expect to get censored!
-Taylor
The whole idea behind a fuel cell is the factory fills it up and then you use it until it's empty and swap it out and the factory refils it.
That's just wrong, sorry. The whole idea behind a fuel cell is that it's like a battery only you fill it with fuel instead of recharging it, and they last much longer in between fillings than a a battery does between charges. Fuel cells are generally intended to be quickly refilled by the user. There are variations on the concept but that's the most common scenario. Quick refilling is one of the two main advantages of fuel cells, yet you seem to have missed that...
-Taylor
...As for fuel cells, you better have special ordered a new one if you run out cuz you can't recharge it like a lithium one or run to a gas station to get more like AAs.
From everything i've seen about fuel cells, when they get low you just refill them with alcohol or whatever fuel they use, which only takes a few seconds. You don't have to "special order a new one" when it runs low... Where did you even get that information? Did you honestly think this was a non-replenishable technology?
-Taylor
One time about a year ago i was going to NASA at Moffet Field to show off a robot i was working on. The robot was in a big black pelican case (the kind of thing you might also store weapons or a bomb in) in my trunk.
Moffet Field is open to all US citizens and they even have some random businesses there so it's pretty much a public place, but they do have armed guards in a booth there who check your ID (usually a very laid back glance) and let you in. Well when i drove in they pulled me aside for a "random" security check.
I got out of my car and they looked in the front seat, the back seat, even under the front seats. Then i opened the trunk, and there was this big black pelican case that i personally thought looked a bit ominous.
The security guard looked around in my trunk a bit, around the case, and then... said thanks and walked away.
I'm certainly not looking for a police state, but i figure if you've got armed guards checking out your car for security reasons, they might as well ask you what's in the big black case...
It just struck me as odd.
As far as the cops not bugging the guys at DEFCON... for all we knew they were aware of the conference and knew they were generally good people... Someone suggested getting the information of the vehicle, but i disagree... I don't want the cops collecting information on everyone... though i wouldn't have minded if the cops asked the guys what was going on at least, so long as they were reasonable about it...
-Taylor