The Thing • Hacker News Board

Re: The Thing

#41

Post by maxlybbert » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 12:58 PM UTC

wyc wrote: post #33

huhtenberg wrote: post #8

Soviets attempted to repeat this in the 80s when passive eavesdropping devices were embedded into concrete slabs and columns used in a construction of new US embassy and supplied by local contractors [1]. From what I remember the case lingered well into Perestroika period when complete documentation on this project was passed to the Americans as a gesture of "goodwill and friendship", presumably in exchange for chick…

Once on an international flight, I overheard some construction workers describe how the US government must fly in US citizenship-holding personnel and US sourced materials in construction of certain foreign projects for security reasons. Does anyone know more about this?

I worked on a software project that was targeted at the federal government and required all programmers to be US citizens. It didn’t require us to have special security training or anything, though; and there was a different project that required programmers to leave their cell phones in lockers during the day.

I’m convinced that the government doesn’t believe citizens are any more loyal or hard to bribe than other people, but insisting on citizenship would make it easier to charge us with particular crimes if the need arose.

Re: The Thing

#42

Post by L_226 » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:00 PM UTC

wyc wrote: post #33

huhtenberg wrote: post #8

Soviets attempted to repeat this in the 80s when passive eavesdropping devices were embedded into concrete slabs and columns used in a construction of new US embassy and supplied by local contractors [1]. From what I remember the case lingered well into Perestroika period when complete documentation on this project was passed to the Americans as a gesture of "goodwill and friendship", presumably in exchange for chick…

Once on an international flight, I overheard some construction workers describe how the US government must fly in US citizenship-holding personnel and US sourced materials in construction of certain foreign projects for security reasons. Does anyone know more about this?

I have heard that the US embassy in Canberra, Australia is made entirely out of US materials that were shipped there specifically, as well as the first meter or so of topsoil for the whole complex. Unsure if true, but wouldn't surprise me.

Re: The Thing

#43

Post by Bakary » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:00 PM UTC

Are there any good books on Communist science and innovations?

Re: The Thing

#44

Post by aaronharnly » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:10 PM UTC

acqq wrote: post #11

The creator is interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Léon_Theremin And his most famous creation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin

There's a great 80-minute documentary about Theremin – I heartily recommend it. The highlight is a very trippy interview with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys -- the interview really has to be seen to be believed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_0WmqnC6eA

Looks like the documentary is no longer on Netflix, but it is on Amazon Prime streaming. Rotten Tomatoes for the movie:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/theremin_an_electronic_odys...

Re: The Thing

#45

Post by mcv » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:13 PM UTC

gloflo wrote: post #39

artur_makly wrote: post #38

and now..just imagine what China has been listening to on all the cells sent out from their factories into our homes ;-) Privacy & Secrets are soo 2000.

Can't be worse than all the software manufactured in the US.

I think it's entirely sensible in this day and age to avoid electronic products from China, Russia or the US.

Back to Nokia, I guess.

Re: The Thing

#46

Post by some_random » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:18 PM UTC

maxlybbert wrote: post #41

wyc wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once on an international flight, I overheard some construction workers describe how the US government must fly in US citizenship-holding personnel and US sourced materials in construction of certain foreign projects for security reasons. Does anyone know more about this?

I worked on a software project that was targeted at the federal government and required all programmers to be US citizens. It didn’t require us to have special security training or anything, though; and there was a different project that required programmers to leave their cell phones in lockers during the day. I’m convinced that the government doesn’t believe citizens are any more loyal or hard to bribe than other p…

>I’m convinced that the government doesn’t believe citizens are any more loyal or hard to bribe than other people

Seriously? While they have to plan for an inside threat, do you really think that they don't view their own citizens as being more reliable than foreign nationals?

Re: The Thing

#47

Post by stone-monkey » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:19 PM UTC

maxlybbert wrote: post #41

wyc wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once on an international flight, I overheard some construction workers describe how the US government must fly in US citizenship-holding personnel and US sourced materials in construction of certain foreign projects for security reasons. Does anyone know more about this?

I worked on a software project that was targeted at the federal government and required all programmers to be US citizens. It didn’t require us to have special security training or anything, though; and there was a different project that required programmers to leave their cell phones in lockers during the day. I’m convinced that the government doesn’t believe citizens are any more loyal or hard to bribe than other p…

>I’m convinced that the government doesn’t believe citizens are any more loyal or hard to bribe than other people, but insisting on citizenship would make it easier to charge us with particular crimes if the need arose

Hm.. I definitely feel it's easier to mitigate some risk by using US citizens. One of the goals is to limit possibility of foreign interference via these citizens. By using your own people, you can track their interactions with foreign entities via their trips outside of the US and their self documented contacts with foreign nationals. It'd be a lot harder to track these things when you hire someone from a different country because you're not going to have as meticulous records and all their friends and family are liable to be foreign nationals.

Re: The Thing

#48

Post by ambicapter » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:27 PM UTC

ascagnel_ wrote: post #34

elvecinodeabajo wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it stills classified because it stills being in use.

This wouldn't surprise me -- some stuff, even if it's older, is still in use because it works well. Numbers stations[0] are still a thing because they're (relatively) cheap to set up, reliable, and virtually impossible to trace the source.

You forgot to link your citation.

Re: The Thing

#49

Post by canada_dry » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:29 PM UTC

It isn't hard to imagine that the recent occurrence of mysterious illnesses at US and Canadian embassies (news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17891427) may be related to this. Perhaps they are activating or experimenting with some new type of device. Given that the Theremin type of device confounded detection for years we probably won't actually know for a while.

Re: The Thing

#50

Post by wil421 » Wed, Jun 12, 2019, 1:30 PM UTC

maxlybbert wrote: post #41

wyc wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once on an international flight, I overheard some construction workers describe how the US government must fly in US citizenship-holding personnel and US sourced materials in construction of certain foreign projects for security reasons. Does anyone know more about this?

I worked on a software project that was targeted at the federal government and required all programmers to be US citizens. It didn’t require us to have special security training or anything, though; and there was a different project that required programmers to leave their cell phones in lockers during the day. I’m convinced that the government doesn’t believe citizens are any more loyal or hard to bribe than other p…

They leave cellphones in lockers because they have cameras. There are corporations that have similar places. I’m sure Apple doesn’t allow cellphones in certain rooms with prototypes.