Comments on: MacBook Air confuses airport security http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/ Applegeeks weblog Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:01:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Compass http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222867 Compass Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:22:04 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222867 You know, that was the only thing that I could think of at the time that would make even the slightest bit of sense to you guys. I could say that most of our "high tech" planes use a POS GPS system which takes roughly 8 minutes Time To First Fix (your hand held GPS has around a 60 second TTFF) and that's only IF the almanac is good. If this system dumps the almanac in flight, you can pretty much forget about using GPS navigation for the next 3 to 4 hours. Oh, and here's the skinny on that processor - it isn't that it's "hardened" or modified in any way. The processor was the best available when they designed the system. Had they done it a year sooner that plane would be flying with 200MHz Dual Pentium Pros with a 1MB L2 cache (that's Socket 7 for you IBM users). Maybe that makes a little more sense as to how "behind the times" the government is with technology. You know, that was the only thing that I could think of at the time that would make even the slightest bit of sense to you guys. I could say that most of our “high tech” planes use a POS GPS system which takes roughly 8 minutes Time To First Fix (your hand held GPS has around a 60 second TTFF) and that’s only IF the almanac is good. If this system dumps the almanac in flight, you can pretty much forget about using GPS navigation for the next 3 to 4 hours. Oh, and here’s the skinny on that processor - it isn’t that it’s “hardened” or modified in any way. The processor was the best available when they designed the system. Had they done it a year sooner that plane would be flying with 200MHz Dual Pentium Pros with a 1MB L2 cache (that’s Socket 7 for you IBM users).

Maybe that makes a little more sense as to how “behind the times” the government is with technology.

]]> By: ariel http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222823 ariel Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:11:12 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222823 I once got held up because of my cd player. Yep. CD player. You know, the little handheld ones with the headphones (back before they had those newfangled ipods). But you know, some of the simplest (or most complex) electronics can power bombs (at least according to popular television, lol), and I doubt it's THAT much of a stretch to make something nefarious look like harmless, everyday electronics. Airport security obviously is not going to know how to distinguish new electronics -- brand-name or otherwise -- from home-made bombs until they actually see some of the new electronics react to their sensors (tv commercials obviously don't show how something will look in an x-ray machine or react to their fume sniffers). The crappy part is that your first time through that line just might be the first time they see... whatever it is you have. And yeah that will make it take longer to get you through the line, but that is the price we pay for mainstream America's petty little fears of terrorism. I once got held up because of my cd player. Yep. CD player. You know, the little handheld ones with the headphones (back before they had those newfangled ipods).

But you know, some of the simplest (or most complex) electronics can power bombs (at least according to popular television, lol), and I doubt it’s THAT much of a stretch to make something nefarious look like harmless, everyday electronics. Airport security obviously is not going to know how to distinguish new electronics — brand-name or otherwise — from home-made bombs until they actually see some of the new electronics react to their sensors (tv commercials obviously don’t show how something will look in an x-ray machine or react to their fume sniffers). The crappy part is that your first time through that line just might be the first time they see… whatever it is you have. And yeah that will make it take longer to get you through the line, but that is the price we pay for mainstream America’s petty little fears of terrorism.

]]> By: Bloska http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222771 Bloska Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:09:43 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222771 Well, doesn't surprise me as its standard protocol to REMOVE your personal computers from carry-on luggage...Happened to me from Toronto to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Minneapolis and Minneapolis to Toronto....but even still you would hope that they have seen enough laptops to know what one scans like >_< Well, doesn’t surprise me as its standard protocol to REMOVE your personal computers from carry-on luggage…Happened to me from Toronto to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Minneapolis and Minneapolis to Toronto….but even still you would hope that they have seen enough laptops to know what one scans like >_<

]]> By: weatherguy http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222726 weatherguy Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:27:08 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222726 Indeed. Did you know the MER (Mars Exploration Rovers - Spirit and Opportunity) work on a 20 Mhz processor? Dude, that's only a little higher than the clock speed of my TI-89. It's quite surprising at first glance, but then again, it takes time to harden a processor - you don't want a stray cosmic ray destroying a multi-million dollar spacecraft (or aircraft, or missile, or so on...) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover#Power_and_electronic_systems) I heard on a documentary somewhere that the processing power was so low that the flight engineers were worried that the CPU couldn't handle all the data/calculations during the entry into the Martian atmosphere. Pretty amazing when you think about it. Indeed. Did you know the MER (Mars Exploration Rovers - Spirit and Opportunity) work on a 20 Mhz processor? Dude, that’s only a little higher than the clock speed of my TI-89. It’s quite surprising at first glance, but then again, it takes time to harden a processor - you don’t want a stray cosmic ray destroying a multi-million dollar spacecraft (or aircraft, or missile, or so on…) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover#Power_and_electronic_systems)

I heard on a documentary somewhere that the processing power was so low that the flight engineers were worried that the CPU couldn’t handle all the data/calculations during the entry into the Martian atmosphere. Pretty amazing when you think about it.

]]> By: weatherguy http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222718 weatherguy Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:01:44 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222718 nooo kidding. I remember when my Dad got one of those for a christmas present - although I think it was a Rio - 32 meg though. nooo kidding. I remember when my Dad got one of those for a christmas present - although I think it was a Rio - 32 meg though.

]]> By: weatherguy http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222717 weatherguy Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:00:17 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222717 *twitch* *cringe* *falls over* The worst part? The black plastic (and metal?) smoke. That can't be good for you... Well, it did blend alright.... *twitch* *cringe* *falls over*

The worst part? The black plastic (and metal?) smoke. That can’t be good for you… Well, it did blend alright….

]]> By: Jaci http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222712 Jaci Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:43:34 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222712 Actually...he does do it to an iPod. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=8344739 I'm so pleased to see that I can cause havoc and mayhem. First, Apple lovers. Next, the WORLD!!! [Que maniacal laughter] Actually…he does do it to an iPod. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=8344739

I’m so pleased to see that I can cause havoc and mayhem. First, Apple lovers. Next, the WORLD!!! [Que maniacal laughter]

]]> By: Kisori http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222710 Kisori Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:39:12 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222710 I just took a glange at my lego and thought," Would the security look at my lego if it looks like a military item?" Trust me, people have made rubberband P-90s out of lego, M16s, Ak-47s. I'll laugh my ass off if they "Confiscate" my lego... I just took a glange at my lego and thought,” Would the security look at my lego if it looks like a military item?” Trust me, people have made rubberband P-90s out of lego, M16s, Ak-47s. I’ll laugh my ass off if they “Confiscate” my lego…

]]> By: Chris http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222695 Chris Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:43:32 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222695 Simple solution to all this--quit flying. Take a bus, train, or other similar form of transportation. Unfortunately, probably the only way to get this kind of silliness reined in is to let it hit the airlines in their weak spot--the wallet. Cut into their bottom line enough by having people *avoid* using them due to TSA antics, and they'll start putting their collective feet down. Simple solution to all this–quit flying. Take a bus, train, or other similar form of transportation. Unfortunately, probably the only way to get this kind of silliness reined in is to let it hit the airlines in their weak spot–the wallet. Cut into their bottom line enough by having people *avoid* using them due to TSA antics, and they’ll start putting their collective feet down.

]]> By: abynormal http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222676 abynormal Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:02:34 +0000 http://www.applegeeks.com/blog/2008/03/10/macbook-air-confuses-airport-security/#comment-222676 As pointed out elsewhere, these people are trained to look for certain things. So when they saw a laptop going in they expected to find a hard drive and motherboard. When they saw something completely different from their training, they went "hold the phone, now!" Granted, a little common sense and a few questions (even turning the thing on) would have solved that. Nevertheless, that's how they spot things. Bank tellers are trained the same way. They learn how real dollar bills look and feel so when a counterfeit comes their way, they spot it immediately. And I think you could pack enough C4 into a MBA to punch a hole in the side of a plane. Their concerns are legitimate, but applying a little common sense never hurt, either. As pointed out elsewhere, these people are trained to look for certain things. So when they saw a laptop going in they expected to find a hard drive and motherboard. When they saw something completely different from their training, they went “hold the phone, now!” Granted, a little common sense and a few questions (even turning the thing on) would have solved that. Nevertheless, that’s how they spot things. Bank tellers are trained the same way. They learn how real dollar bills look and feel so when a counterfeit comes their way, they spot it immediately.

And I think you could pack enough C4 into a MBA to punch a hole in the side of a plane. Their concerns are legitimate, but applying a little common sense never hurt, either.

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