The Little-Known Firm Helping the FBI Crack iPhones • Hacker News Board

Re: The Little-Known Firm Helping the FBI Crack iPhones

#41

Post by dkopi » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:52 PM UTC

vinalia wrote: post #38

jo909 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say this is mainly financial news, where the ownership and stock market representation is actually relevant. But it's a very weak piece to learn much about Cellebrite, and makes it sound like they build pinball machines and games before hacking iPhones.

It sounds like Cellebrite employees are largely ex unit 8200 members (Israel's SIGNIT program).[1] The article really doesn't seem to talk about Cellebrite's history much at all. [1] http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/fbi-cracks-the-locked-iphone-... (he says unit 822 :/, doh)

Any tech company in israel is largely ex unit 8200 members, along with other military tech units such as Mamram, Lotem, Matzov, Ofek and more.

The Israeli military enlists every 18 year old in the country, and if you've studied computers in high-school or at home as a hobby, you're more than likely to spend 3-6 years in a technological unit.

Re: The Little-Known Firm Helping the FBI Crack iPhones

#42

Post by s_q_b » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:53 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #32

s_q_b wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Far more importantly, strategically. But Japan has a fairly firm and stable political position compared to Israel. So it does not weigh on either side.

Israel's political position is not under serious threat except maybe the governance of the occupied territories. I suppose they have more vocal allies in the US Congress.

Israel's unknown unknowns make it far more precarious.

The wrong suicide strike at the wrong religious site... and 190 million Arab Muslims are now faced off against a:

• nuclear-armed nation

• populated largely by the survivors of genocide and their descendants

• with one of the most advanced militaries in the world,

• squeezed into a space no bigger than New Jersey

• surrounded by enemies on all sides.

If that's not a recipe for regional chaos.... I really don't know what is.

Which is probably why their lobbying of the United States (and Russia as well) is so sophisticated.

Re: The Little-Known Firm Helping the FBI Crack iPhones

#43

Post by ethanbond » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 11:44 PM UTC

dkopi wrote: post #41

vinalia wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like Cellebrite employees are largely ex unit 8200 members (Israel's SIGNIT program).[1] The article really doesn't seem to talk about Cellebrite's history much at all. [1] http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/fbi-cracks-the-locked-iphone-... (he says unit 822 :/, doh)

Any tech company in israel is largely ex unit 8200 members, along with other military tech units such as Mamram, Lotem, Matzov, Ofek and more. The Israeli military enlists every 18 year old in the country, and if you've studied computers in high-school or at home as a hobby, you're more than likely to spend 3-6 years in a technological unit.

Is 8200 really considered to be just a "technological unit?" They're one of the most advanced military SIGINT organizations on earth, aren't they?

Re: The Little-Known Firm Helping the FBI Crack iPhones

#44

Post by gr3yh47 » Fri, Apr 01, 2016, 1:34 PM UTC

gr3yh47 wrote: post #18

spaceisballer wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While pachinko is huge in Japan, pinball is also very popular. Source: My Uncle worked for Williams pinball, and Japan is where they made most of their money.

Would love to see a non-anecdotal source on this, as my understanding is that pinball sales in the US absolutley dwarfs totals for the rest of the world. Not saying Williams didn't do lots of other sales in Japan, but pinball-as-in-two-ish-flippers pinball sales should be highest in the US.

source to my point:

>Yuske believes that Japan’s love of video games is part of the reason why pinball has had trouble taking hold—why the game is more of a foreign curiosity for most than a cultural mainstay.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-silver-ball-planet-insi...