Trains.com

Metro car espionage?

2082 views
22 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, January 17, 2019 5:38 PM

Murphy Siding
 SD70Dude

Semper Vaporo

Tape over the lens of the camera in your laptop PC screen is a good idea, but have you disabled the built-in microphone yet? 

I was told that the aluminum foil in my hat messed with the reception of those hidden cameras and microphones. 

All that does is block you from receiving the signals from them; thus it keeps you from knowing the devices are there!  Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    September 2017
  • 5,636 posts
Posted by charlie hebdo on Thursday, January 17, 2019 3:58 PM

Murphy Siding
I was told that the aluminum foil in my hat messed with the reception of those hidden cameras and microphones.

Maybe they could spy on the comings and goings of the DC Metro's vesion of (CMStPnP's) Joe Lunchpail?

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, January 17, 2019 3:54 PM

SD70Dude

 

 
Semper Vaporo

Tape over the lens of the camera in your laptop PC screen is a good idea, but have you disabled the built-in microphone yet?

 

 

I disabled the one I know about, but they could have hidden another one somewhere in there.

 

I was told that the aluminum foil in my hat messed with the reception of those hidden cameras and microphones. 

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Kenosha, WI
  • 6,567 posts
Posted by zardoz on Thursday, January 17, 2019 9:29 AM

China has no monopoly on naughty behavior.

"No matter how paranoid or conspiracy-minded you are, what the government is actually doing is worse than you imagine."  William Blum, 2006 (former State Department employee; author of Rogue State).

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 2,325 posts
Posted by rdamon on Thursday, January 17, 2019 7:29 AM

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 11:41 PM

I feel sorry for the Chineese spy that gets to monitor what I watch.

 

Guy probably has a drinking problem now.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

  • Member since
    December 2017
  • From: I've been everywhere, man
  • 4,269 posts
Posted by SD70Dude on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 11:37 PM

Semper Vaporo

Tape over the lens of the camera in your laptop PC screen is a good idea, but have you disabled the built-in microphone yet?

I disabled the one I know about, but they could have hidden another one somewhere in there.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Iowa
  • 3,293 posts
Posted by Semper Vaporo on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 11:33 PM

Tape over the lens of the camera in your laptop PC screen is a good idea, but have you disabled the built-in microphone yet?

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

  • Member since
    December 2017
  • From: I've been everywhere, man
  • 4,269 posts
Posted by SD70Dude on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 11:22 PM

Flintlock76

They're going to need plenty of patience to listen to hours of small talk before they get anything usable!  Then again, the Chinese are  supposed to be a very patient people.  

Why do it yourself when you can write a program to do it for you.  Considering what the consumer grade stuff (Siri and Alexa) does on a daily basis just imagine what the military/spy grade programs can do, with the computing power of that massive NSA data centre!  And that's just the stuff we know about!

As for the data collection, instead of forcibly installing telescreens in all residences wouldn't it have been smarter for Big Brother to slyly market them to the populace in the guise of advanced interpersonal communication devices, slowly introducing more and more advanced gadgets over time until they became ubiquitous and nearly impossible to live without, eventually progressing to the point were a TV that watches you is considered normal?

I guess since I use the devices I am part of the problem too, but I do it under protest.  I also felt quite vindicated when that picture of Mark Zuckerberg's laptop came out, I'd had duct tape over my laptop's camera for years before he made it cool.

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • 1,686 posts
Posted by Erik_Mag on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 11:09 PM

One of the pdf's in my digital collection is a scan of an 1880's Smithsonian paper on the history of rails for railroads in the US. The author mentioned that one of the complaints mentioned in the Declaration of Independence was the prohibition of any sort of heavy iron working machinery in the colonies. This was at a time when the colonies were producing as much iron as Great Britain, mainly due to the much greater access for wood used in smelting.

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 9:28 PM

Not being much of a sc-fi reader I've never read "Ringworld," but I have studied American history, and let me tell you there was a very  good reason why Founders like Alexander Hamilton and George Washington rejected Thomass Jefferson's vision of an America populated by yeoman farmers relying on importation for manufactured goods.  Having had to fight a war depending on availability of the same both Hamilton and Washington knew from first-hand experience relying on imports was a dagger that would always be pointed at the nations throat.  They wanted to get industry started here, the sooner the better. 

Do we have to learn the lesson all over again?  Makes me nervous, I admit it.

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • 399 posts
Posted by seppburgh2 on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 9:17 PM

Well, to see where this line of thinking can lead, read "Ringworld" by Larry Niven. What happens with an advanced civilization is build on superconductors supplyed by another civilization and then activates a "bug" in said conductors that crashes the advanced cilization's world.  Yes, its a bit of a read, but a solid lesson learned when you put your infrastructure in the hands of a not so friendly nation.  

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 2:48 PM

The thought hit me that if commuter train talk is anything like the office talk I've heard over the years then if the Chinese do hide microphones in those cars then all they're likely to get is an earful of who everyone's favorite sports teams are and why they're great (or why they suck), what the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" are up to this week, or what movies people are seeing, or what the DC club scene is like, or grumbling from people in the morning on the way to work, or grumbling from people in the evening because had a bad  day at work, or what the kids are up to in school, well, you get the picture.

They're going to need plenty of patience to listen to hours of small talk before they get anything usable!  Then again, the Chinese are  supposed to be a very patient people.  

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Toronto, Canada
  • 2,560 posts
Posted by 54light15 on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 2:10 PM

"Close the pod bay doors Hal and turn off the lights!" 

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 9:56 AM

Vince, that used to be one of our standard responses to customers when we were heavily involved trying to bring a cranky copier back to life...

"Is it making copies yet?"

"No, but it's making a pretty good cup of coffee right now!  Would you like some?"

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 6,199 posts
Posted by Miningman on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 9:46 AM

Yes. Brookfield is a pretty impressive outfit. Very capable.

Flintlock/Wayne-- Each time I use the copier I'm thinking " who else is getting this". I can only imagine the secret codes and reports the darn thing generates. The darn thing is HAL 9000 and it's watching my every move. Sings God Save the Queen and makes cappuccino too! ( not really, but I bet it could if you talked nice to it)

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 8:45 AM

Brookfield Engineerng is successfully building USA-made streetcars and interruban cas.  (OK, Light Rail cas, not always in interurban service.)  Maybe they will enter the passenger car business.  For a small non-standard order, they would be competitive now.

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 8:37 AM

Let me tell you, there's so many wild network-capable ancillary features being put in the machines now that I just can't get my head around no matter how hard I try.  I was more than happy to retire from the business before I made a fool out myself.  

That's one good thing about being a student of history.  I've read plenty of stories of men in various fields of endevour; business, the military, government, the arts, sciences, who hung around just a little too long instead of exiting gracefully and either caused disasters or made fools of themselves.  I figured I should profit from their example.

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • 1,686 posts
Posted by Erik_Mag on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 10:09 PM

Makes sense as almost all modern copiers are scan/print instead of the origonal Xerox variation of a overhead projector (i.e. purely optical).

Not sure if I'd be worried about a hidden nuke as sooner or later it would set off a radiation detector. OTOH a small nuke set off in an under city tunnel would be very bad thing...

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 10:04 AM

I'd be more concerned about them hiding an atomic bomb in the thing.

Just kidding!

Seriously though, and just for everyone's information, I just retired from Ricoh-USA and one of the requirements for sales of any Ricoh equipment to any US governmental agency was that ALL of the circuit boards in the machines had to be made in Japan and NOT in China, since all the copiers are network-capable now.

This was a requirement that Ricoh was more than happy to meet.  

Quite frankly though, I don't recall seeing any boards that weren't made in Japan.  Mechanical components yes, boards no.  

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 2,325 posts
Posted by rdamon on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 9:46 AM

Easier to just exploit the server storing all the camera footage.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 7:14 AM

American manufacturers left the passenger car market decades ago.  Most American-built cars are the products of American subsidiaries of foreign firms (Siemens, Bombardier, Alstom, Nippon Sharyo, etc.).

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    October 2014
  • 1,139 posts
Metro car espionage?
Posted by Gramp on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 5:39 AM

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy