Things that make you go "Hmmmm…"

[kladner]

Between July and October, there were roughly 100 reported cases at Schiphol.

After an appeal to Dutch television viewers, the national police said Wednesday (Google Translate) that they have received 70 tips regarding laser strikes at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Europe's fifth-busiest airport.

Authorities say that between July and October 2015, there have been about 100 reported incidents. The sale of high-powered laser pointers is banned in the Netherlands.


Since 2012, shining a laser at aircraft has become a criminal offense in the Netherlands and carries a maximum prison term of 15 years. Earlier this year, two males were arrested for two laser incidents in the country.

[Brian-E]

Originally Posted by kladner

Between July and October, there were roughly 100 reported cases at Schiphol.

I may have been the victim of whoever is doing this myself about a year ago. I drive buses in the area, including in Hoofddorp where the perpertrator is thought to be operating from. In Hoofddorp one late evening I was suddenly dazzled by a laser light which was clearly being targeted at me, and this continued for about a minute on the lengthy straight street on which I was driving. I reported the incident at the time, but I didn't hear anything more about it or hear of any colleagues having any similar experience.

If it's the same person now, they've since upped the stakes to the airport runways, possibly having got hold of a more powerful laser pen.

[kladner]

I can only hope for such people to be found and stopped from endangering the transportation system and its users.

[only_human]

Twenty aircraft hit with lasers overnight. What's the FBI doing?

The FAA said laser strikes were reported overnight by other aircraft in New York, Salt Lake City, Detroit, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Sacramento, Newark, New Jersey; Jamestown, New York; Oakland, California; Covington, Kentucky; Danville, Kentucky; Palm Springs, California; Ontario, California; St. Petersburg, Florida; Springfield, Illinois and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

[LaurV]

Originally Posted by kladner

I can only hope for such people to be found and stopped from endangering the transportation system and its users.

I can only hope for such individuals that someone catch them and tie then bottom-up, hands to ankles, and point a not-very-powerful (i.e. it should not burn instantly, but only after many minutes) laser on their ass, and keep it long enough to go beyond the pleasant sensation of itching that could appear in the beginning... (I am only guessing )

[ixfd64]

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...-paris-airport

[kladner]

http://www.mersenneforum.org/showpos...postcount=1686

[jasong]

Originally Posted by ixfd64

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...-paris-airport

The more essential the system, the more essential it becomes to use Linux.

I'd be on Linux myself if I didn't have this weird notion that I'll become a serious gamer someday. If it hasn't happened by age 41, it's probably never going to happen.

[science_man_88]

http://www.zdnet.com/article/unsw-un...tag=YHFb1d24ec

According to the university, a quantum version of computer code can be written and manipulated using two quantum bits in a silicon microchip. UNSW said that in achieving this breakthrough, the team has removed lingering doubts that such operations can be made reliably enough to allow powerful quantum computers to become a reality.

hmmmm....

[only_human]

Police body cams found pre-installed with notorious Conficker worm

According to a blog post published last week by security firm iPower, multiple police cams manufactured by Martel Electronics came pre-installed with Win32/Conficker.B!inf. When one such camera was attached to a computer in the iPower lab, it immediately triggered the PC's antivirus program. When company researchers allowed the worm to infect the computer, the computer then attempted to spread the infection to other machines on the network.

"iPower initiated a call and multiple emails to the camera manufacturer, Martel, on November 11th 2015," the researchers wrote in the blog post. "Martel staff has yet to provide iPower with an official acknowledgement of the security vulnerability. iPower President, Jarrett Pavao, decided to take the story public due to the huge security implications of these cameras being shipped to government agencies and police departments all over the country."
/.../
A report that police cameras are shipping with Conficker.B preinstalled is testament to the worm's relentlessness. It's also troubling because the cameras can be crucial in criminal trials. If an attorney can prove that a camera is infected with malware, it's plausible that the vulnerability could be grounds for the video it generated to be thrown out of court, or at least to create reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors. Infected cameras can also infect and badly bog down the networks of police forces, some of which still use outdated computers and ineffective security measures.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by only_human

Police body cams found pre-installed with notorious Conficker worm

O. M. G.