Eldakka 's Techdirt Comments

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  • On the post: Woman Gives Nigerian Scammer $500k After Meeting Him On ChristianMingle.com

    Eldakka ( profile ), 19 Jan, 2014 @ 06:14pm

    Re:

    But maybe SHE's the scammer (no I don't think this, devil's advocate) and is trying to get people to donate money to her?

  • On the post: Woman Gives Nigerian Scammer $500k After Meeting Him On ChristianMingle.com

    Eldakka ( profile ), 19 Jan, 2014 @ 06:00pm

    Re:

    ?When so many are lonely as seem to be lonely, it would be inexcusably selfish to be lonely alone.?

    ― Tennessee Williams, Camino Real

  • On the post: NSA Spying Includes Wireless Transmitters To Get Data Off 'Air Gapped' Computers

    Eldakka ( profile ), 15 Jan, 2014 @ 04:05pm

    Re: Re: what would be the power requirement

    In the catalog released by Der Spiegel there are additional items that are basically boosters.

    So, there's an micro transmitter that can be placed directly in things like USB cables (in the connector shroud) or tiny devices that can be placed on a motherboard or on the surface of the case itself. These all usually have a broadcast range of a few ten's of metres, e.g. 10-30 metres or so.

    Then there are other catalog items, small receivers/transmitters, say the size of a disposable cigarette lighter, that can be placed within that 10-30 metre rage but outside the room/building, that can pickup the signal from the micro-transmitter and boost it for pickup by the 'briefcase' sized receiver that can be 100's of metres away. Since this booster is outside the immediate area of the device being eavesdropped on, even if the booster is detected it's unlikely to be seen as a 'bug' as the signal would be coming from outside the immediate sensitive area. It would be lost amongst (or considered a part of) all the other general background traffic you'd expect to see outdoors (cell, CBs, radio, TV etc).

  • On the post: Court Rules That Woman Wrongfully Placed On No Fly List Should Be Taken Off The List… We Think

    Eldakka ( profile ), 15 Jan, 2014 @ 03:32pm

    Re: Re:

    Or flying to Canada/Mexico and walking/driving across the border...

  • On the post: CBP 'Discovers' An Additional 200 Drone Flights It Didn't Originally Include In Its FOIA Response

    Eldakka ( profile ), 15 Jan, 2014 @ 04:28pm

    If the CBP has enough 'spare' drone hours to 'lend out' drones for 700 non-CBP flights in 2 years, then they have more drones than they need and their drone budget should be audited for efficient use of government funds.

  • On the post: South Carolina Senator Aims To Criminalize The Recording Of Criminal Activity

    Eldakka ( profile ), 14 Jan, 2014 @ 02:08pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    It's not a 'security' camera.

    It's a safety camera to monitor the 'safety' of people in case they hurt themselves so you can call an ambulance.

    Or it's an 'auditing' camera to keep a log of all who enter/leave the premises.

    Or it's a 'historical' camera, so it can be included in my memoirs/family video library.

  • On the post: Researcher Says Simple Security Fixes From Carriers Would Have Prevented NSA Collection Of Cell Communications

    Eldakka ( profile ), 14 Jan, 2014 @ 01:31pm

    Re: Re:

    If (and it's a big 'if') the patches significantly increased resource requirements (CPU/Memory) of the telco-side devices, then from a commercial perspective it is not beyond the realm of possibility that a BUSINESS-level decision overrode any techie-level decision and the business decided not to apply them due to the cost requirements in purchasing new kit/facilities space.

    But I do prefer the conspiracy theory ;)

  • On the post: India Developing Additional National Surveillance System; US Has No Moral High Ground To Protest

    Eldakka ( profile ), 14 Jan, 2014 @ 01:02pm

    Re: Google Developing Additional In-home Surveillance System; Mike and minions have No Moral High Ground To Protest

    Dude u have what seems to be an awesome job: Monitor and Troll Techdirt rubbishing Google at any opportunity.

    That must be easy money. Read 10-20 posts a day, write one or two responses to each of them bashing Techdirt, Google and Mike. It would take, what? 2 hours a day?

    How much does it pay and who should I contact for a similiar job? Microsoft? Apple? NSA/Whitehouse?

  • On the post: Many In Congress Opposed To Fast Track Authority: An Obsolete Concept For An Obsolete Trade Negotiation

    Eldakka ( profile ), 13 Jan, 2014 @ 03:06pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    ...many unconstitutional laws can be enacted and enforced until such time as a legal challenge is brought...


    That is how the system works.

    That is why the NSA/Government are saying that the NSA hasn't done anything illegal, because they haven't. They've acted within the law (or at least the secret internpretations of the law). Unless (hopefully 'until') the Supreme Court rules those laws as unconstitutional, then technically they are correct, what they are doing is not illegal.

  • On the post: Shia Labeouf Brilliantly Parodies Intellectual Property With Plagiarized Apologies And Defense Of Plagiarism

    Eldakka ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 11:56pm

    Re: Re:

    not even for Megan Fox?

  • On the post: NY Times Argues, Forcefully, That The US Should Offer Snowden Clemency

    Eldakka ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 11:47pm

    Re: Pardons and such

    He has never stepped inside a courtroom to be officially given a list of them, nor has he ever been able to answer such charges in court, which is one of the steps in due process.


    Tell that to Anwar Al-Awlaki who was put on a kill list and specifically targeted for death by a US drone strike without ever having stepped into court either.

  • On the post: Cost-Benefit Analysis On Why We Should Just Do Away With The TSA Completely

    Eldakka ( profile ), 02 Jan, 2014 @ 11:08pm

    Re: I invite you to fly

    I can just picture slightly drunk fliers settling an argument by pulling out their pistols from their carry on luggage and having at it in the air.


    How often does this happen on buses, trains, ships, ferries and other forms of mass transit?

    What makes you think it'd be a more frequent occurrence on air travel than other forms? Sure it'll probably happen, at the same rate as on other forms of mass transit. Does that risk stop you taking the train or bus? Why would it stop you taking a plane?

    How much do you want to pay for perfect security? Safety? As the article states the most effective way to stop plane hijackings is to stop all planes.

    Even with today's secure cockpit doors, the other airplane staff and passengers can still be held hostage and the pilots coerced to fly to an alternate destination.


    Do you really think after the events of 9/11 where all the passengers died anyway that people would just sit passively by and allow this to happen? That the pilots would really allow a hostage taken from amongst the passengers/crew to coerce them into opening the cockpit door? They know that EVERYONE will die if they do that.

    Since 9/11 there have been instances of passengers/crews foiling hijacking attempts (in some cases at cost of their own lives as in the plane in 9/11 that crashed in an empty field after the passengers heard about the other attacks as part of 9/11 and didn't let the terrorists use the plane).

  • On the post: Task Force Report's Langauge Hints At Backdoors In Software

    Eldakka ( profile ), 20 Dec, 2013 @ 05:22pm

    unauthorized access

    ...there is no vulnerability , or ?backdoor,? that makes it possible for the US Government or anyone else to achieve unauthorized access.


    If the access is approved by the various FISA rulings/congress approved programs that are used for data collection, or via the NSA internal processes, then isn't it, by definition, authorized? At least from an NSA perspective?

    Sure I may not have authorized the NSA to decrypt my data, but some other process, warrant, internal NSA process or whatnot may have authorized it.

  • On the post: Unfortunate: ACLU On The Wrong Side Of A Free Speech Case

    Eldakka ( profile ), 17 Dec, 2013 @ 06:37pm

    Is it free speech?

    Say I created a business to offer 'court recording' type services. I offered my services to law firms for depositions and had some certification that said I could be an official recorder at depositions. either taking hand/steno notes, or using a recorder. The purpose of the 'recording' is to document facts. What was/was not said, what actions were taken and so on so it could later be produced in a court of law or kept on file etc.

    Could I then say "I'm not going to provide my services to law firm X as they represent gays. "? Or blacks? Asians? Arabs? Whites?

    I mean, I'm producing a 'work of art'. Either a recording or a 'book' if I take written notes using a steno machine.

    Is this 'free speech' or am I just documenting an event?

    How is taking paid photography work to record a wedding any different?

    The PURPOSE isn't to create a work of art. The purpose is to document an event. Who was there, what shenanigans (who threw up in the pot plant, who got naked and ran across the dance floor...) they got up to, and so on.

    The photographer hasn't been asked to make any comment about the wedding. Just like a court reporter isn't asked to provide any personal comment ("I think they did/didn't do it." or "They're pastafarians, they should be boiled until al dente then eaten, with meat ball sauce") or express any views regarding the event they are documenting.

    If the customers wanted the service provider to SUPPORT the event, THEN the provider would be within their rights to refuse service, as that is definitely a free speech issue.

    Has the photographer been engaged to support the event? Or have they been engaged to DOCUMENT the event?

  • On the post: Photographer Sends C&D To Something Awful Over Photo 'Shopped To Add A Butt To A Bird

    Eldakka ( profile ), 10 Dec, 2013 @ 05:51pm

    If THIS is amicable, I'd hate to see adversarial...

    To resolve this matter amicably, we must demand that you remove the infringing material 'from the website immediately. Additionally, we must also demand that you provide compensation to Ms. McPherson in the amount of $1,250.00 per infringing photograph, plus $2,500.00 as the statutory minimum for the removal of Ms. McPherson's copyright notice.


    If they regard issuing demands for $4k plus other actions as amicable, I'd hate to see it if they were really pissed!

  • On the post: As White House Makes Final Push On TPP, Congress Slams On The Brakes

    Eldakka ( profile ), 24 Nov, 2013 @ 07:15pm

    I'm confused

    If the Constitution mandates that that is Congress' role, then how can congress "give it up"?

    Wouldn't it require a change to the Constitution to "give it up"?

  • On the post: NSA Has Spurred Renewed Interest In Thorough Security Audits Of Popular 'Secure' Software

    Eldakka ( profile ), 15 Oct, 2013 @ 04:41pm

    What about the compilers?

    Even if the truecrypt source code passes an audit, what about the compiled code?

    Just because the source code is fine doesn't mean the compiled executables consist solely of the audited source code.

    Has there been an audit done of the GCC (and other) compilers and libraries (e.g. random number generators) to see if they insert additional subroutines into compiled code?

  • On the post: Welcome To The Danger Zone: An App For Not Getting Shot And Blown Up

    Eldakka ( profile ), 14 Oct, 2013 @ 07:05pm

    I already check my smartphone...

    I don't want to picture myself rising for the morning coffee, heading for the door on my way to work, only to whip out my smart phone and check where the IEDs and snipers might be on my way to the bus.


    I already always check my smartphone whenever I leave a location for mobile speed cameras/RBTs. I avoid the cameras as it's too easy to creep a few km/h above the speed limit and get done. And RBTs are such a huge waste of time, sometimes costing me 10 minutes sitting in the queue to get RBT and sent on my way, turning a 10 minute dash into a 20 minute annoyance.

  • On the post: NSA Seeks To Reassure Family & Friends Of NSA Employees & Contractors By Sending A Letter With More Lies

    Eldakka ( profile ), 22 Sep, 2013 @ 06:00pm

    Re: Careful parsing required, as with any NSA statement

    I agree, I had the same thought myself when i was reading this.

    it is in fact TRUE that "In open hearings this year, we spoke to Congress.. ". Yes, they did speak to congress, and in that speech they did make the claim. However this quote does not make reference to or statement of support or truth on "54 different terrorist plots".

    Therefore calling the quoted statement a lie cannot be supported.

    If they had of said something more like "NSA/CSS actions contributed to keeping the Nation and its allies safe from 54 different terrorist plots as was reported to Congress..." then maybe it could be called a lie.

  • On the post: Fire Sale: TSA Now Offering You Your Civil Liberties For A Fee!

    Eldakka ( profile ), 09 Sep, 2013 @ 01:00am

    Get everyone's fingerprints

    The government has been trying for years to get ID cards, fingerprints and other biometrics on all it's citizens.

    Maybe the whole point is not security, but a grab at getting everyone's fingerprints on file.

    This way we'll seem grateful to give our fingerprints over to the government to avoid the TSA hassle, and we'll even pay them for the scoop-up of them all.

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