2023-07-23

etc

The UAP Disclosure Act of 2023 and its implications

the authors of the amendment explicitly separate what they call UAPs from any phenomenon which can be explained away as human technology based on the currently known laws of physics. They also make sure not to include phenomena that remain unexplained due to lack of data. My reading of these definitions is that some phenomenon is characterized as an Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon only when the available data explicitly rules out any other potential explanation involving "current physics". While I am unsure if say a Chinese or Russian drone operating on some kind of unknown antigravity device would be considered a UAP, the fact that the term "non-human intelligence" is encountered multiple times in the text seems to indicate that the authors have a different origin in mind for these unexplained phenomena.
- interesting comments; "orthodoxy uber Alles" is strong.

Rooting the Amazon Echo Dot

I have added a script into the code repository which allows somebody to run a web server and covertly receive recorded audio over the internet using a bash script, with the LED ring appearing to be enabled to be in the mute state. If this exploit were untethered, that could be a relatively significant issue, but thanks to the good practices of Lab126 during the design process, this would not be possible to start on boot. For most customers, the existence of this rooting solution should not be a big issue. It would take considerable technical knowledge and physical access for a moderate period of time for an attacker to be able to carry out this attack.
Hacking Little Computer People on the Commodore Amiga
EU: Man Found Guilty of Child Porn, Because He Ran a Tor Exit Node | Hacker News

Why America’s Largest Tool Company Couldn’t Make a Wrench in America - WSJ

Former workers said inventory accumulated at the factory. Scheffer said that when top executives and board members visited, he and his colleagues were told to rearrange bins of unfinished sockets so they would be less noticeable.
- But the few "Made in USA" Craftsman(TM) socket sets on store shelves now are sure to be collector's items, go snap one up! We did!
- HN comments
The Bear Market Has Nearly Been Erased, Fewer Than 20 Months After It Began | Hacker News
FedNow launch hints at payments wars to come