Posts by JaitcH

So you think the USA leads the digital revolution?

The USA might, just, have a claim to being the world's leading technology country but when it comes to implementation it stinks.

I was involved in communications implementation in the 4-Corners area - the conjunction of southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico - and especially in the Durango area of Colorado.

The terrain comprises many deep rock valleys radiating like spokes from a hub - it is the ridgeline of the Rockies - and very hard to cross from one valley to the next. There was zero communications is even the well populated valleys - not even landline.

The residents of several valleys formed a telephone cooperative and then they hired the Canadian company I worked for to install, literally, anything that would connect them to the outside world. We decided to install mountain-top systems so two valleys could be served by a single chain of stations. Lots of mountain climbing and helicopter rides!

After we were well advanced with the installation up pops a big-time carrier and they start stringing a few cables where the cost could be recovered.

Now, after 10-years plus, this private venture has beaten back the 'big' guys, maintained the radio backbone and fully-financed fibre optic feeds using lower-cost Chinese equipment. The 'big' guys withdrew - and sold their paltry assets for a nominal USD$1. It was either that or the cost of removing all their poles.

And last I heard the company was still busy connecting remote parts of the States with the rest of the world.

Kentucky and the other States are to be congratulated on taking these initiatives because the commercial outfits aren't - even though fibre optic is so relatively cheap.

US Trade Agreements benefit the USA ONLY!

When the US signs a free trade agreement it means they will benefit over other parties.

Take NAFTA - the North American Free Trade Agreement - signed by Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Canada is big in trees, it's trees are better as they are reared in bloody cold areas and this makes lumber (Pine trees to you) better, as well as Shingles (wooden roof tiles to you).

Then the woodcutters in the US complain and the USA sticks an import duty on Lumber and Shingles from Canada. The dispute goes to arbitration. Canada WINS!

So the USA, always devious, thinks of other schemes to stop Canadian imports - again they stick duties on Canadian wood, forcing the US price higher. (The US government keeps the duties, natch).

Back to arbitration, Canada wins again and again. The USA ignores the rulings again and again. And it keeps the illegal duties, naturally. Finally, to stop this stupidity they sign the Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA).

One thing excluded from NAFTA is water! And Canada is BIG in water - Ontario alone has 250,000 fresh water lakes. And the USA is a touch short of water.

Payback time, jerks.

America is threatening to “go it alone” on spectrum policy - What's New?

The USA is always “go it alone”, be it the Geneva Convention, torture, country invasions, etc.

There only two countries that will be affected are Canada and Mexico as well as all the pockets of people who have to buy non-standard equipment.

Fortunately, transmissions at 5 GHz and 28 GHz don't go too far, and forcing US automobile manufacturers go off standard will affect their exports to countries who follow the ITU plans.

Sorry, Mad May of Hurst, Berkshire, you will never succeed in ...

BANNING, that favourite British political pastime, any software especially secure communications software.

And how will you stop it? WhatsApp sees 50 billion messages per day - not to count the billions of SMS messages - the computer basement in MI5 isn't big enough, unless they go under the Thames, and even Telco's can only store messages for a day or two.

Get real, lady, a term I use pejoratively in her case, you can never do it even with the multi-BILLION Pound computer you are trying to buy.

Perhaps Trump can't / doesn't read newspapers

Apple announced on 2013 November that its newest US manufacturing facility is slated to be built in Mesa, Arizona. Apple aims to create thousands of jobs and run the facility on 100 percent renewable energy.

According to Arizona's governor's office, the facility will employ 700 people and will create 1,300 construction and management jobs.

If this is "government-grade security."

who can blame the Chinese, et al, for listening?

The fact GCHQ even tried to fob this off illustrates how dumb GCHQ is and how bereft of ideas they are.

And this is bleeding-edge cyberwarcraft?

More groundless fear-mongering from an Agency that stages 'terrorism'

QUOTE: "Well, the primary fact is that their chance of being killed in a terrorist attack on any given year is about 1 in 4 million. Their chance of being killed in an automobile accident, for example, is about 1 in 6- or 7,000. If we talk about the period since 9/11, your chance of being killed is 1 in 90 million per year. So, that is where the discussion should start. It isn’t where it should end, but certainly the basis should be there. Instead of constantly talking about, “Are we safer?” The beginning question should be, “How safe are we?” And these statistics and odds are an indication of how safe we are. Salon: 2016 JAN 18-“More than a trillion dollars has been misspent”

The UK government ... would lose international standing and reputation

Given the serial continuum of UK Governments acting in amoral ways, how much "international standing and reputation" remains?

From the castration of Kenyan POWs through mass surveillance, is there much further to go down in the Slough of Despond**?

** 'This miry Slough is such a place as cannot be mended; it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore is it called the Slough of Despond: for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there ariseth in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place; and this is the reason of the badness of this ground.' John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

And the USA complains about technology 'theft'

This is the most common way that is used to transfer technology from the West to the East.

As for 'restricted' exports, a couple of years ago US companies subcontracted software writing to some Russians, in Russia. Obviously they had detailed knowledge of the product.

After their handiwork was installed, or loaded in to the complete product, US trade restrictions prohibited the very same Russians from even touching the product!

The Electronic Key Impressioner from Alternative Product Solutions

requires a computer to attach to this devices USB connector and when the probe is inserted in to a lock, the pins are analysed / profiled. The data is then used to cut keys.

Locks that use 'flat' keys, where the inserted part of the key has no profile other than dimples, it is possible to 'pick' the lock with two simple tools. Totally insecure.

Locksmiths often suggest the use of German locks as they have very low tolerances and therefore less susceptible to picking. On the other hand, Chinese locks are less secure as they often make batches of 500 or 1000 locks all with the same combination. The combination is changed and another batch is made.

The various batches are then 'mixed' by hand, in Mahjong this is called 'dry swimming', so there is some variety on the shipped product.

Anything, buy anything ...

to keep the corporate name on the public's mind.

Take Heart MET - the NYC First Responders 'Fusion' Centre ...

was a total cock-up when it first went on line on top of all the turf wars.

But their PR system is smooth ... " Office of Counter Terrorism (OCT) Intelligence Unit also staff the New York State Intelligence Centre (NYSIC). Managed by the New York State Police, the NYSIC serves as the State's Fusion Centre, bringing together federal, state and local agencies to analyse and share information related to terrorism and other crimes."

Meanwhile, the FBI is getting it's security theatre to produce 'terrorists' for the New York State Intelligence Centre to look good.

Has anyone ever found out why the RAF helicopters are flying nightly sorties sniffing RF signals over London and the fixed wing MET aircraft - all based at RAF Northolt - a CIA rendition flight centre - are flying every night sniffing cell signals from the south of England in to Scotland?

Just Tories looking after their friends in Industry

Britain is almost unique in expecting users to pay for their own meters.

The old boys, down at the club, must be buying their Tory MPs endless rounds of drinks over this one!

In the USA, and Canada, heavy adopters of these technologies, the power companies install these meters at their own cost. And these things either employ MESH radio or wire communications.

Adafruit, NYC, has a neat jammer - http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/ - that will fix the MESH radio and ferrites, around the power feed INTO the meter, will stop the signals dead.

Developers in Toronto, Ontario, have gone one rip-off better - METERED HOT WATER. The catch? Any water, regardless of temperature, flowing out of any 'hot water' tap costs money!

MORE of what Apple calls ...

'Open Software'?

Have HSBC data centres been flooded?

Perhaps the HSBC bunker which can be found between Sheffield and Barnsley in the former mining community of Tankersley in the UK, GPS 53.48935, -1.4918, has been flooded.

It's just off the M1 and can be found by following the A61 to Wentworth Way then along Maple Road.

The locals call it "Teletubbyland" because of all the ventilation funnels surrounding the site that resemble the voice trumpets on the TV show!.

The data centre, completed in Summer 2009, has a server hall measuring 250 metres long by 100 metres wide. There is an Argon fire suppression system, along with underground fuel tanks for the two DRUPS (Diesel Rotary Uninterruptible Power Supplies), as well as a couple of dedicated electricity sub-stations.

Also in 2009 HSBC opened a new data centre "at a secret location in suburban North London" which is actually located at what was formerly an old Glaxo Smith Kline Beecham site, now known as Quadrant Park, Mundells, Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire.

Since when has Hertfordshire been called "suburban North London"?

No flooding reported there.

P.S. All those waiting for Fibre Optic services might like to know that both these sites have Fibre Optic cables described as 'thick as your wrist'.

Just say ...

you are valued customer from Mexico and HSBC will leap into action.

HSBC keeps all it's central computers in the States - New Jersey is their landing point - and they service ATMs all over the world from there. So much for being called a 'British' bank.

How difficult is it for Cupertino to ascertain ...

the hardware revision information?

Apple loves tracking it's products - so there is no difficulty there.

Other OS can do this and prevent unsuitable upgrades - of course such companies care about their customers.

Since when has ACPO actually needed anyone's permission?

ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers, officially The Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland) was replaced by the National Police Chiefs' Council. IACPO was incorporated in 1997 as a private company limited by guarantee, and as such, ACPO was not subject to freedom of information legislation.

ACPO set up the camera spy system and it runs on the Hendon Plod computer.

ACPO supervised the creation of one of the world's largest per-capita DNA databases, containing the DNA profiles of more than one million innocent people.

Another failure by the Mad May of Hurst, Berkshire?

Yet more of what Apple calls ...

'Open Software'.

And they have the Gaul to complain about Samsung using a few pixels that are similar to the iThingy?

Apple even pinched their logo and name way back in the day!

Next, the US Tech Whiz OBAMA will make another world tour declaring ...

that HuaWei products are a security risk and that only American (made in China) products should be used, as he did with their modems.

His best buddy Cameron had GCHQ keep on eye HuaWei products in their UK lab. Imperial College-HuaWei has acquired the Centre for Integrated Photonics (CIP) in 2012 and Neul, the Cambridge Internet of Things Data Science Innovation Lab right in the centre of London!

Then there's the HCSEC facility in Banbury, Oxfordshire, owned by Huawei Technologies (UK) Co Ltd.The HCSEC provides assurance that any risks to UK national security from HuaWei’s involvement in the UK’s critical networks are sufficiently mitigated.

Meanwhile, down in Gloucestershire, the GCHQ continues to collect selfies. Strange world we live in.

The US military has announced that if ...

Galileo doesn't comply / match the US GPS system crippling regimes, such as over a war zone - which might be the whole world - they will destroy Galileo satellites.

Meanwhile we have the Russian GLONASS system - currently GLONASS-K - GLONASS compatible GPS receivers can acquire satellites up to 20% faster than devices that rely on US-GPS alone. It is less accurate than the US-GPS system but now covers the world. GLONASS has better performance in dense urban areas.

Many smartphones sold in the Far East are Glonass ready. GARMIN has dual system receivers (see their web site) but activating GLONASS may require changing the Satellite System setting to GPS+GLONASS from the Setup System menu.

The standard-precision GLONASS signal offers horizontal positioning accuracy within 5–10 metres, vertical positioning within 15 metres (49 ft), a velocity vector measuring within 10 centimetres per second (3.9 in/s), and timing within 200 ns, all based on measurements from four first-generation satellites simultaneously - the minimum required by receivers.

The Chinese Beidou system - whose name translates as "Big Dipper" - the system is able to pinpoint locations to within 33 feet (10 m). The US' GPS system currently relies on 24 satellites, China aims to have 35 in the constellation by 2020.

Firefox 64-bit STILL needs COMCTL32.DLL

A custom ASUS computer we have been trialling has kept on loosing the COMCTL32.DLL file since we added some MS updates.

I had hoped Rev 43 would eliminate this problem but ... NO ... FF is still bitching it can't find COMCTL32.DLL!

My Chinese assembly shop contractor ...

always makes a couple of pre-production boards, tests them and them sends them back to us for acceptance.

What's with CISCO - used to be so reliable. At least you would have expected the NSA to query non-functioning indicators.

These Fibre Optic 'advances' in the world's 'leading' technological country ...

(according to the US) are a source of humour in countries such as Korea and Japan as well as China.

Even here in VietNam it is impossible to get an ADSL InterNet connection from the government owned VNPT - all their technicians are carrying their ubiquitous orange Fibre Optic jointing kit boxes - with reels of overhead drop cable tucked under their arms.

The ADSL feed to an apartment over one of our workshops was damaged - and it was replaced by an optical feed that carries 50 Mbit InterNet, voice lines for our telephone switch as well as cable TV signals. Our service fees increased a little to the equivalent of USD$35/month for unlimited 50 Mbit InterNet, cable TV and three voice channels (usage metered).

By the way, it takes one whole day from placing the order for the installation to be completed.

How is BT doing these days with fibre service?

ATM security threatened by Windows XP support cutoff? What about Vietnamese police?

Almost every street level Vietnamese police station and office, as well as the data entry centres for the Internal Security Police, are filled with aged computers running that great OS - Windows XP.

Another curious feature is the fact most have the same serial number! Of course, since the very same police monitor software piracy, the latter shouldn't prove an insurmountable problem.

Perhaps the solution is to switch to Linux to avoid a big hardware bill.

Just another reason ...

for the Tories to quit the EU.

Apple Ordered To Pay $234m In Damages To University Of Wisconsin

A lawsuit filed against Apple with regards to patent infringement back in 2014, in which it was alleged that Apple had infringed upon a patent for a predictor circuit that was used in the A7, A8, and A8X chipsets.

Apple attempted to get the patent invalidated with no success.

Perhaps this is what Apple calls 'open source software'. Another word is theft.

Nice to know they are rebutting the US data demands

I have a trusted, real-life, travel agent who books all my travel needs.

Her office address is my home address, there are no mobile phone numbers, frequent flyer plans are for the birds, email addresses are on her agencies servers and forwarded on demand. As for credit card data - she books hundreds of thousands of dollars of travel on her agency plastic.

And she uses EU-based Amadeus res system as all the US systems such as Sabre, Apollo, Expedia all pump their data straight into US Government computers.

Land transportation is still the best way to cross a border with minimal mouse trails - ask Nick Leeson (Barings Bank spectacular failure) and CHOY Hon-Tim (USD$14-million Singapore bribery case) who both used air transport.

And with all the sources for fake ID, including passports, there are still many holes to close.

Keith Vaz says National Crime Agency is more like Keystone Cops than FBI

Although I don't agree with this Tories politics, his labeling the National Crime Agency as more like Keystone Cops is right on!

And how much is this outfit costing the UK taxpayer?

" ... any data protection guarantee that a US company makes in Europe is worthless ..."

Given that GCHQ would be on the 'inside' and that NSA'a main EU spying office is Germany - where it accesses Russia and satellite InterNet signals - where is the protection?

Another scene from Security Theatre.

If a 'Doctrine' has ...

no legal force, how much reliance can be placed on government 'guidelines' or 'guidance'?

Since GCHQ operates under government 'guidelines' and 'guidance', does this ruling mean that the amoral scum in Cheltenham are free to do whatever they want?

Does this mean ...

Jails X-Ray inmates without the protection of 'pinafores' filled with Lead to protect their 'Crown Jewels'?

What about all those SWIFT Transfers, and banks like HSBC who keep their WORLD data in the USA?

The USA is one huge data sink hole.

Whether you are departing Bangkok or Singapore International Airports, transferring money using SWIFT (Moneygram and Western Union are hard-wired in to US security) or using any HSBC ATM in the WORLD, your data is in the USA.

And, for those who don't know, your voice analysis, made whenever you talk to any HSBC telephone number, is stored in New Jersey, too. Imagine what security forces could do with THAT!

The good news is HSBC voice analysis is paralysed if you play Canadian Inuit Throat singing (Tanya Tagaq), or a loud newscast loudly in the background.

Stumbled across some The Two Ronnies Torrents ...

recently and their material is a fresh today as it was when originally broadcast.

Time flies, he retired so long ago.

Yes, Minister is still doing the rounds, too, on some US Public TV stations. Just proves it's hard to beat the BBC oldies.

Just ordered a bunch of ASUS UN62V Core-7 units ...

and even though they are customised for us, ASUS insists they come with NAND drives. Unlike some competitions vertical stack computers there is not even physical provision for regular drives.

And the added cost of NAND, even at manufacturers quantity discounts, sure would buy very large spinners.

Let's see if Lenovo comes up with some answers.

What's with the FOUR MINUTES?

This article reminded me of a much shown movie many years ago.

LONDON TO BRIGHTON IN FOUR MINUTES.

In those days the clever tricks they used were much more complicated to execute but notwithstanding very entertaining.

Of course, anyone who has recently travelled from London to Gatwick, or vice versa, realises that little has been done to even approach that speed depicted in the film in the decades since it was made.

Unfortunately, another film, Genevieve, circa 1953, better depicts the London / Brighton link, and was a British comedy film of two couples comedically involved in a veteran automobile rally.

Fiorina - offers the goods to the highest bidder ...

just like a hooker - except hookers / prostitutes have morals.

Let's Hope Uncle Sam's Latest Wet Dream Works Better Than P25!

P25, the universal 2-way radio, with encryption, for use by all government agencies at all levels in the States was a roaring failure.

Unfortunately, a $39 Mattel girl's toy rendered many of the features less than useful.

What about the banks? HSBC ATMs and accounts all housed in New Jersey

Whenever an HSBC ATM is used, including from the Far East and Australia, all those bits and bytes find their home in New Jersey where the allegedly British bank keeps it's computers.

And, if you talk (voice) the data is recorded AND subject to real time analysis.

Having spoken to HCBC in Canada only this morning I learned that the audio analysis software gets confused (as in doesn't work) if you play Canadian throat singing in the background or news closer to the mic.

So much for Euro data protection.

One needed feature - the ability to read incoming e-mails as text only

Banks take all incoming e-mails, strip out everything and simply present the bare-bones message. This renders scripts neutered.

Airbnb should get prepared for a Uber-type governmental attack

Many countries require accommodation guests to be registered with the 'appropriate authorities', some to keep their tracking records accurate and others to make sure the tax man gets his cut.

And before an accommodation provider goes into business, they have to get inspected as to fitness for purpose by the said Cong An and registered with aforementioned tax people.

In VietNam everyone's but everyone's sleeping accommodation has to registered with the designated branch of the Cong An (aka People's Police). Same applies to homes, temporary accommodation such as those for itinerant farm workers and construction types.

Many Foreigners here in Ho Chi Minh City/SaiGon have seized the opportunity to make money and have rented apartments by the year and sublet through Airbnb which violates the lease and numerous applicable statutes.

And, just like Uber, all it takes is an e-mail or phone call and the gendarmes have all the information they need for a take down!

A ban in the USA is not a Worldwide Ban ...

so the effect will be even less in Africa, Asia and Europe.

The USA is likely one of the biggest markets in the world but the churn is far less than in Asia where cell handsets are often sold without carrier plans, which is often required by law, and therefore it's not uncommon for users to buy new units after 6-12 months - and just toss the old units.

There's a street market in Ho Chi Minh City's District 5 where used iThingies - versions 4 or older - can be had for USD$10-15! Seems a fair price.

BT should stick to what it knows - communications

BT was a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) only company and now it is a communications company.

And even then it is not a very good communications company - witness the UK Fibre Optic roll out fiasco. Hardly an endorsement for BT. Compared to other countries, the UK is in the Dark Ages of Fibre Optic.

China, which is considerably larger than the UK, has many parts of it's extreme landmass is fed through Fibre Optic. Same with Canada. My summer cottage is in a small hamlet with fewer than 20 homes yet we each have 20 Mbyte Fibre service, And the hamlet is half-way between Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot - neither of which are large centres,