Dave 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (306)

• On the post: Even Powering Down A Cell Phone Can't Keep The NSA From Tracking Its Location

  

  Dave ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2013 @ 09:04pm

  Re: Re:

  "Using tinfoil to defeat government tracking is not against any current law."
  
  Thank you. Now some idiot in Washington is going to propose a law to do just that!

• On the post: Even Powering Down A Cell Phone Can't Keep The NSA From Tracking Its Location

  

  Dave ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2013 @ 09:16pm

  So Test The Theory

  Needed: one large, real, Faraday cage. One broadband spectrum analyzer with data storage capability. Place phone (with battery removed) and spectrum analyzer in cage. Monitor for 24 hours. Look for microburst communication attempts. A microburst is a short period (milliseconds or microseconds long) data burst. IF the unit is using the backup battery to power communications, it can only do so by charging a capacitor and using that charge to power a very short burst occasionally.

• On the post: Even Powering Down A Cell Phone Can't Keep The NSA From Tracking Its Location

  

  Dave ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2013 @ 08:58pm

  Product Idea

  A small, RF tight, maybe foam lined, metal box - Faraday Cage. Think souped up Altoids box big enough for a phone or tablet. The RF tight parameter is required, so all metal surfaces between the base and cover need to be clean to allow good electrical contact. Gold plated fingers on the base might be required. Finished price should be in the $20 range.

• On the post: Even Powering Down A Cell Phone Can't Keep The NSA From Tracking Its Location

  

  Dave ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2013 @ 08:42pm

  Actually, the problem revolves around the entire concept of the "Smart Phone". First off, most people DON'T NEED ONE. They're nice, and convenient, I grant you, but they're TOO SMART. You don't NEED the equivalent of a 5 year old desktop computer in your pocket to make a few calls. You don't NEED internet access in your phone. You don't NEED the $100+ per month charges. You don't NEED a device with the ability to monitor your every move and word. You don't NEED the $2500+ total cost of that fancy phone over the 2 year contract period. I would suggest we return to the old, reliable feature-phone, perhaps with a QWERTY keyboard for texting, and maybe a camera, but with a removable battery. None of us, except maybe some corporate customers, have any real need for a "smart phone" in any form.

• On the post: Irony Alert: Obama Opposes Amash Amendment Because It's A 'Blunt Approach' And Not A Product Of 'Open' Process

  

  Dave ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2013 @ 08:20pm

  Greevar:
  
  "I demand the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and the Bank that it created DEMOLISHED."
  
  and all of the gold they have stolen returned to Ft Knox.
  
  "I demand the government to be the sole agency permitted to create and issue currency. No fractional reserve."
  
  and based on hard currency, such as gold or platinum or palladium. No more imaginary money.

• On the post: Irony Alert: Obama Opposes Amash Amendment Because It's A 'Blunt Approach' And Not A Product Of 'Open' Process

  

  Dave ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2013 @ 08:10pm

  A pile of crap, by any other name, still stinks!

• On the post: DOJ/FBI Admit They May Have Abused Hair Analysis To Convict Hundreds To Thousands Of Innocent People

  

  Dave ( profile ), 23 Jul, 2013 @ 09:17am

  This and other similar failures are to be expected. The DOJ, all departments, and in fact most government agencies, promote people and base their salaries on their successes, meaning won prosecutions. People who encourage the defendant to present dissenting or exculpatory evidence, lose cases and don't get promoted (or maybe end up in Alaska).

• On the post: If The Feds Say Collecting Data Is Not A Search Until It Looks At Them, Is It Not Piracy Until You View The File?

  

  Dave ( profile ), 22 Jul, 2013 @ 08:33pm

  A pile of crap, by any other name, still stinks.

• On the post: Congresswoman Claims 'Fair Use' And 'Transparency' Are Just 'Buzz Terms'

  

  Dave ( profile ), 11 Jul, 2013 @ 03:28pm

  Yoo Hoo! Is Anybody There?

  Mike:
  Even though I agree with you totally, and even though she SHOULD be listening to you, Marsha Blackburn AIN'T LISTENING. If she had even a small amount of intellectual honesty, none of her spewing and regurgitation of the MAFIAA's applied B.S. would have seen the light of day. No, this is all about grabbing as much money as possible, for as long as possible while applying as much FUD as possible to make that effort easier, hopefully with a fair amount of it ending up in her pockets. This is just more greed and avarice talking.

• On the post: States Attorneys General Want Special Exception To Blame Sites For Actions Of Users

  

  Dave ( profile ), 18 Jun, 2013 @ 08:19pm

  I would suggest you re-read the first amendment. This guy has the right to his own opinion, whether you like it or not. The First Amendment basically gives him the right to express opinions you absolutely loath, freely, and without restraint. Your brand of censorship IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
  .

• On the post: NYPD Commissioner Blasts NSA Secret Monitoring For Being Secret

  

  Dave ( profile ), 18 Jun, 2013 @ 07:20pm

  I agree it's getting close to the time for revolution. However, we need to keep in mind that this government has many somewhat less than savory weapons at it's disposal. Weapons such as chemical and tactical nukes which, I'm afraid, if the government were sufficiently threatened, they would not hesitate to use.
  .

• On the post: States Attorneys General Want Special Exception To Blame Sites For Actions Of Users

  

  Dave ( profile ), 18 Jun, 2013 @ 07:05pm

  They're All Crooks!

  It can be shown, by facts and figures, that the only true criminal class in this country is politicians, of any stripe. They have no morals, they have no ethics, they only have an overriding lust for money and power.
  
  - with apologies to Mark Twain -

• On the post: High School Girl Faces Felony Charges For Yearbook Prank

  

  Dave ( profile ), 29 May, 2013 @ 05:36am

  I read a SciFi short story several decades ago where, because of overpopulation and crowding, the enforcement of law had gotten to the point where EVERYTHING was regarded as a felony, punishable by death...jaywalking, traffic violations, spitting on the sidewalk, you name it. Seems like we're getting there pretty damn quick. Not to mention "1984" happening as we speak.

• On the post: Chicago School System On FOIA Requests: Stonewalling, Obfuscation, & Paper-Shredding

  

  Dave ( profile ), 24 May, 2013 @ 01:31am

  Two subject areas I never enter into: Politics and Religion. I suggest the rest of you follow suit. Both are deadly.
  .

• On the post: Kitchen Nightmares Lawyers Threaten Infamous Samy And Amy If They Talk About Their Experience On The Show

  

  Dave ( profile ), 21 May, 2013 @ 12:48pm

  Re: No more Fox for me...

  There's always some idiot who cares more about "being on TV" than the contents of some document they had to sign, didn't understand a single word of, and therefore didn't care. There'll always be fodder for such shows.
  .

• On the post: Canadian Airline Files $4 Million Libel Suit Against 22 Striking Fuel Workers Over Twitter Account With ~200 Followers

  

  Dave ( profile ), 14 May, 2013 @ 04:45pm

  And, up to this point, I had never heard of the Airline or the union. The Streisand Effect strikes again.
  .

• On the post: Canadian Airline Files $4 Million Libel Suit Against 22 Striking Fuel Workers Over Twitter Account With ~200 Followers

  

  Dave ( profile ), 14 May, 2013 @ 04:44pm

  And, up to this point, I had never heard of the Airline or the union. The Streisand Effect strikes again.
  .

• On the post: Team Prenda Not Only Still Shaking Down People, But Also Threatening To Tell Their Neighbors About Porn Habits

  

  Dave ( profile ), 13 May, 2013 @ 06:25pm

  Since the law and court system has no apparent effect on these folks, maybe it's time for cousin Guido and friends to pay them a visit and take 'em for a little ride, ya know?

• On the post: Doctors Call Out Novartis For Insane Pricing On Cancer Drug

  

  Dave ( profile ), 03 May, 2013 @ 11:25pm

  IF the drug companies understood 10% of what the drugs they push actually do (which they don't), and IF they understood how and why they work (which they don't), I might have a little sympathy for them. As it is, they are little different from the snake-oil salesmen of old. The fact that the PTO issues patents to them, on chemicals they have no idea of the long term effects or the mechanisms of operation is totally outrageous and should be stopped immediately, and all issued patents revoked

• On the post: Our Patent System Incentivizes Drug Companies To Pay Doctors Kickbacks

  

  Dave ( profile ), 03 May, 2013 @ 12:10pm

  Big Pharma Tricks

  I don't know why this is such a shock. In 1984, Arthur Hailey published "Strong Medicine" which exposed most of their practices. Good read.

Next >>