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5126

Living Room / Re: Open source cell phone projects.

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 01:50 PM »

What about MIT?  Why do they bother experimenting with the cell technology in the way I describe?  They're not doing anything new...the cell companies already have done the research and have figured anything out.  So MIT research is not helping them...and they're not allowed to use it, so what is the point?

-superboyac (September 19, 2012, 01:34 PM)

MIT patents most everything they come up with. They never willingly relinquish title to IP.  Licensing is a very lucrative business for MIT. And many other universities as well.

13.1.2 Significant Use of MIT-Administered Resources

When Intellectual Property is developed by MIT faculty, students, staff, visitors, or others participating in MIT programs using significant MIT funds or facilities, MIT will own the Intellectual Property. If the material is not subject to a sponsored research or other agreement giving a third party rights, the issue of whether or not a significant use was made of MIT funds or facilities will be reviewed by the inventor's/author's laboratory director or department head, and a recommendation forwarded to the Technology Licensing Office (TLO). The Vice President for Research will make the final decision on this issue and on any dispute or interpretation of policy relating to Intellectual Property.

13.1.4 Invention and Proprietary Information Agreements

All members of the MIT community — including visiting scientists and fellows — who participate in either sponsored research or Institute-funded research or who use significant funds or facilities administered by the Institute must agree to the terms in MIT's Invention and Proprietary Information Agreement and sign the agreement. By accepting such funds or using such significant facilities, the individual agrees to assign to MIT or its designate his or her title to Intellectual Property created through the use of such funds or facilities.

And it will become even more profitable in the near future when the US joins the rest of the world in the "first to file" rather than the "first to invent" rule when it comes to awarding patents.

5127

Living Room / Re: Open source cell phone projects.

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 01:35 PM »

So what we're ultimately saying is, don't even bother.  There's not point trying to come up with a way to create a local cell network, however easy or hard that is to do, because it is illegal.  So don't play with cell technology, don't try to create a custom cell phone.  Why should I learn all that stuff and experiment with it if I'm not allowed to use it?

-superboyac (September 19, 2012, 01:18 PM)

Not so much that as know what you're getting into. And don't be surprised or get upset if some people (some of whom have legal clout behind them) start putting as many obstacles in your path as possible. You're talking about playing in an area of tech that's highly regulated.

But so is power generation, aircraft engineering, and a bunch of other things. That still didn't stop people from finding ways to legally generate their own power, design and fly their on aircraft, or generally following their own weird.

I guess what I'm saying (in too many words) is: It's not so much a technology issue, as it is a people issue.

The technical considerations for doing you own cell network are nowhere near as formidable as an entrenched industry (and somewhat justifiably worried group of regulators) who are concerned you may do something that causes service problems for the existing cellphone system - or jeopardizes a lucrative business model.

That's the real challenge for indy cellphone projects. Getting around the way things are as far as the players are concerned.

5128

Living Room / Re: Open source cell phone projects.

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 01:21 PM »

At least there's no FCC to stop me from playing piano, I suppose.

-superboyac (September 19, 2012, 01:18 PM)

Nope. But there is the RIAA. (Depending on what you're playing.)

5129

Living Room / Re: xkcd - password truth

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 01:17 PM »

I saw a portable app some time ago (can't remember where) that generated a very long and complex password out of a passphrase and a number you keyed into it. So if you entered something like: Eta kooram nah smech, and a number like: 314159 it would return a string like: r=+-~/[$=a^LADwR0t%W&JT011\b9^A~qrIgvvC]_tgY&f,P0;cO*ZfwD`r&(c. You could then copy and paste it as needed.

You could specify the length of the generated string. And there were checkboxes to select what type of characters (i.e UC, LC, number, symbol) to allow in the string.

Anybody know the name of this app?

5130

Living Room / Re: Open source cell phone projects.

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 12:46 PM »

That article above is very interesting.  Does this mean that if enough local people build these hack cell devices, you can create a local cell network?

-superboyac (September 19, 2012, 12:25 PM)

Nope. It would just mean the FCC enforcement division would have to start putting in a little more overtime. (As you already suspected.)

5131

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: I'm practicing how to make films

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 12:37 PM »

I've been convincing myself more and more to just trust myself and do it in the best way I know how.  That tends to work pretty well for me.

-superboyac (September 19, 2012, 12:12 PM)

The best advice I ever got about writing was to write something I'd want to read.

For music, to write and play the things I'd want to listen to.

Turns out both were solid.

I suspect movies probably work much the same way.

Looks like you're on the right track.

5132

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: I'm practicing how to make films

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 09:02 AM »

Look at that background.  That's a hand painted background and it's gorgeous.  People are not going to do that anymore.  Because there are so many easier ways to get a background in now with Flash, or photoshop, so there's no point.  It's like 20x more labor.  But that backdrop really does it for me.  Not to mention the tight hand crafted animations.  That music is also full symphonic highly skilled music.  I've heard that the Family Guy big band is like Seth Macfarlane's real baby; he loves that band.  And even that is an easier and more "pop" version of those Carl Stalling numbers.  It's like we've replaced quality with quantity.  Which I'm very happy about since it gives guys like me a chance to participate more easily.  But I love that style, and I'd probably try my best to get it back if I could

-superboyac (September 18, 2012, 09:50 PM)

I'll agree with that up to a point. But I think it's still possible to get as good (or even better) a look & feel with modern techniques provided you adopt a hybrid approach and mix the vintage with the modern to capitalize on the unique capabilities of each.

Like here:

As one of the Disney people pointed out, it would have been practically impossible to do that elaborate a design on the magic carpet without using digital techniques. (Can you imagine trying to hand draw a rippling carpet with a complex arabesque pattern at 30 frames per second? That would take years and years.) But going digital on "Rug Man" yielded a surprise benefit in that once they were able to do that, they thought outside the box and asked: why not make the carpet an endearing character in the story rather than just use it as a prop?

Brilliant! That added something valid and unique back to the classic Aladdin tale. (That IMO is true creativity.)

Then there's scenes like this which I think hold up to the best ever produced by Disney in the old days:

Of course what really makes it is the body language and expressions on the characters faces. The animator in charge of Jasmin said he based her entire character on the style, mannerisms, and personality on his own sister. (I'm guessing he came from one of those large 'traditional' families and she was one of those smart and feisty "good girls" we all knew and loved when we were growing up.) So once again, it's story that's critical to making it all work.

Japan's anime masters have "story" down cold. Which is why Japanese cartoons are better than most major movies currently being made.

One of the most brilliant is Grave of the Fireflies. A masterful example of how much can be accomplished with colored ink and a poignant, rock solid story. Here's the summary from IMDB which I edited to remove story spoilers:

Setsuko and Seita are brother and sister living in wartime Japan. After their mother is killed in an air raid they find a temporary home with relatives. Having quarreled with their aunt they leave the city and make their home in an abandoned shelter. While their soldier father's destiny is unknown, the two must depend on each other to somehow keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. When everything is in short supply, their only entertainment is the light of the fireflies.

This film primarily examines the horrors of war and the price our political differences extract from our children. It is an absolutely heartbreaking story. There's one minor night scene that's still etched in my head. Seita and Setsuko are sitting on a bench. After talking a bit, Seita suggests to his sister it's time for bed. She nods, leans her head down against his thigh, and immediately falls asleep, hand on her brother while still clutching her precious ragdoll and candy tin. (WARNING: This is not a Disney film. Best skip it if you get upset or depressed too easily.)



There's a couple of full uploads of it on Youtube right now. They'll probably get taken down soon, so check it out while you have the chance.

5133

Living Room / Re: ipv6-capable Linux/BSD firewall distribution

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 07:44 AM »

AFAIK pfSense can do dhcp6 in the most recent version. Here's what they have:

TODO List for IPv6 support on the pfSense-smos GIT repo. Updated April 25th 2011.

What currently works:
- Static IPv6 addressing on the Interfaces.
- DHCP6 addressing on interfaces
- DHCP6 Prefix Delegation for the LAN or OPT interfaces.
- IPv6 Firewall rules for inbound and outbound traffic.
- Accessing the pfSense machine via the WebUI or SSH on it's IPv6 address.
- Router Advertising for stateless configuration for LAN or OPT clients.
- Carp with IPv6 addresses and config syncing to a IPv6 peer. (kernel hangs snapshots older then jan 18th)
- Static Routes and gateways with IPv6 addresses.
- Network Prefix translation so that people can use a ULA on the LAN and translate to a Global Unicast network prefix.
- RRD graphs show IPv6 traffic
- You can configure IPv6 DNS servers for pfSense.
- IPv6 bogon network blocks and IPv6 reserved ranges blocks (needs documentation range as well?)
- DNS forwarder listens on udp6 socket, should work and resolve? Yes it does.
- IPsec should now work for v6 tunnel over v4 and vice versa, needs testing.
- OpenVPN now has the ability to send a IPv6 network over the link, clients need to be updated to support this. Viscosity does not work, client needs manual updating built from the patched OpenVPN tree.
- Prelimenary DHCP-PD support for the WAN and LAN. (11-05-2011)

What does not work:
- Does not automatically configure the IPv6 DNS servers and domain from the DHCP6 client.
- You can not use IPv6 gateways or groups in firewall rules, it results in filter rule errors if not careful about setting the correct protocol
- The initial console setup does not accept IPv6 addresses. It does show configured IPv6 addresses.
- The firewall logs do not correctly show the IPv6 protocols and ports for blocked or allowed traffic. (Partially fixed, 26-02-2011)
- None of the supported VPN options except IPsec and OpenVPN in pfSense are fixed to accept IPv6 addresses.


What isn't tested:
- A lot really
- WebUI anti lockout rules need testing and/or adjusting
- Check if address spoofing also works for inet6 (firewall rules)

TODO:
- Fix PPtP for IPv6 addresses.
- Fix DynDNS for IPv6
- Fix SNMP for IPv6
- The pfSense PHP module needs support for setting and retrieving ipv6 attributes.
- The rest

It is disabled by default because:

There is currently no IPv6 support available in stable releases, however many networks are using IPv6 in production using 2.1 snapshots. For the latest info, see the IPv6 board on the forum. This is being used in production by a number of locations, including all of our datacenters. This very site as well as all our other sites are reachable via IPv6 going through pfSense 2.1, and have been since mid 2011.

By default, in pfSense 1.2.3 and newer, all IPv6 is dropped by default since overly permissive rulesets can otherwise allow IPv6 traffic and that is likely undesirable in most cases. This behavior can be disabled under System -> Advanced.

Anyway, if you're feeling adventurous, they have a forum for IPv6 users here.

I really like pfSense. It's been a joy to work with. And properly configured, it's a bulletproof as it gets. But I haven't done anything with IPv6 on the LAN side so far. So I can't offer you much help with that.

Luck!

5134

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: I'm practicing how to make films

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 07:25 AM »

just like my fire video...i substituted that dramatic music to cover up my lack of content or creativity.  I didn't have much to say other than, "Hey, look!  I have a nice camera and I saw a cool looking fire."  There really isn't much more to it.

-superboyac (September 18, 2012, 09:50 PM)

No fault in that! Just toss in $250 million worth of CGI effects, add in the obligatory high speed chase scene or two, and you'll have a spiffy American action movie. That formula has worked for the studios for years - except they also make it a point to have a 'recognized name' in the picture - along with an exceptionally attractive (preferably naked) female body - just to up the odds a bit.

So lets up your ratings here! Next time, put in some nekkid' women. Much cheaper than doing a car chase. And it captures eyeballs just as effectively. (BTW: I'm joking! sorta.)

Plot? Script? Story?

We don' need no steenkin' story!
 

5135

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: I'm practicing how to make films

« Last post by 40hz on September 19, 2012, 07:04 AM »

I agree. The old ink and the perspective on the art is fading. I look at EU vintage art and feel the same. No more that holiday feel in the cards, cartoons or anything. I guess this is because many artists back in the time did this because they loved it and not because they were doing mass production like today's artists to meet their deadlines.

-mahesh2k (September 19, 2012, 06:20 AM)

And let's not forget the corrosive effect of unbridled "political correctness," cultural (hyper)sensitivity, plus the current wave of social and religious fundamentalism. (When was the last time you saw a devil costume on Halloween? I haven't seen one for at least 20 years now. It used to be one of the more popular characters when I was a kid. AFAIK they don't even sell them in the US any more. Same for the 'old hag' type witch. That's considered "insulting" to the elderly. Witch costumes - when you can find one - are now all cute and/or sexy.)

It's been said that if you don't have something nice to say it's best not to speak at all. Unfortunately, it's now reaching the point where virtually anything you say, or sing, or draw, or film, or do might offend somebody somewhere.

So the new rule, by extrapolation, seem to be that maybe it's best we not express ourselves - period.

And it can be seen in the chilling effect it's having on many people that do creative work for a living. "Safe art" rules the roost.

5136

Living Room / Re: SpammerScammer

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 07:43 PM »

Speaking of spam, anyone had trouble with spam text-messages being sent to your cell #? If so, were you able to make it stop and how?

-kyrathaba (September 17, 2012, 07:00 PM)

  It's illegal for marketers to contact mobile phones.   You can file a complaint here: 
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

-Tinman57 (September 18, 2012, 06:45 PM)

That's USA only last I heard.

5137

Living Room / Re: In rememberance of....The antiquated hardware/software reminiscence thread

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 07:35 PM »

@Josh -  

ROTFLMAO!!!

It's been a bloody crazy day. Thanks for making me laugh.

5138

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: I'm practicing how to make films

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 07:11 PM »

I'm wondering how the pros get relatively smooth handheld video - do they use a very heavy camera maybe?

-tomos (September 18, 2012, 05:57 PM)

For moving action, in addition to stabilizing systems built into the camera, they'll also either use something called a "steadycam" rig, or they'll roll the camera on a 'dolly' track - or operate it via a boom/crane.

The steadycam is exactly what you suggested. Its a counterweighted mounting system - usually attached to a harness or vest worn by the camera operator. The pro rigs cost a fortune. But DIY versions have become almost a cottage industry. So if you google:" make your own steadycam" you'll get a ton of hits for different versions film students and sites like MAKE and eHow have come up with. Pick one that looks doable and have at it! (Warning: it takes practice to get the best results. Just having a steadycam rig won't make everything smooth by itself. You have to work with it.

Looks like this:



There's tons more gadgets and gizmos you can make or buy. Just check out making movies or videos on YouTube or Google.

------------------------

To really be effective in setting up your shots however, you need to be aware of the visual lexicon movie directors use. These are ways to shoot things that film audiences have learned to understand and expect in a film. In the old days they'd throw obvious visual cues up on the screen (flipping calendars, lines moving on maps, asides to the audience) to let you know how to view the scene.

It's become more subtle today. You have things like "establishing shots" to quickly let the viewer know where and when the scene is taking place. You have foreshadowing shots to give them a subconscious "heads-up" about something coming in a later scene. Extreme tight close-ups sre used to create emotional intensity. Tracking shots to convey space and ''action." It goes on and on.

And you need to know about and how to use them. Not to say you're locked in. Hitchcock and other directors became famous by introducing new shots into the lexicon rather than breaking with established conventions. That's a subtle but important difference worth thinking about if you're the type that prides yourself on "breaking the rules."

OK. Book time! (Again.) Try to check out some of these:

IMO (and since I'm only an avid film viewer rather than a filmmaker, take it for what it's worth ) this is one of the best:



Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen

A complete catalogue of motion picture techniques for filmmakers. It concentrates on the 'storytelling' school of filmmaking, utilizing the work of the great stylists who established the versatile vocabulary of technique that has dominated the movies since 1915. This graphic approach includes comparisons of style by interpreting a 'model script', created for the book, in storyboard form.

This one is another more visual riff on the same topic. The title pretty much says it all:



Master Shots Vol 1, 2nd edition: 100 Advanced Camera Techniques to Get an Expensive Look on Your Low-Budget Movie

Master Shots gives filmmakers the techniques they need to execute complex, original shots on any budget. By using powerful master shots and well-executed moves, directors can develop a strong style and stand out from the crowd. Most low-budget movies look low-budget, because the director is forced to compromise at the last minute. Master Shots gives you so many powerful techniques that you’ll be able to respond, even under pressure, and create knock-out shots. Even when the clock is ticking and the light is fading, the techniques in this book can rescue your film, and make every shot look like it cost a fortune. Each technique is illustrated with samples from great feature films and computer-generated diagrams for absolute clarity.

And then....


For a good rundown on how effective storytelling translates (and gets translated) into an effective film project (Reread McKee's book Story   as you work with this one.)



Directing the Story: Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Live Action and Animation

Francis Glebas, a top Disney storyboard artist, teaches artists a structural approach to clearly and dramatically presenting visual stories. They will learn classic visual storytelling techniques such as conveying meaning with images and directing the viewer's eye. Glebas also teaches how to spot potential problems before they cost time and money, and he offers creative solutions on how to solve them.

* Uses the classic story of '1001 Arabian Nights' to show how to storyboard stories that will engage an audience's attention and emotions.
* With 1001 drawings in graphic novel format plus teaching concepts and commentary.
* All of the storyboarding examples have a real project context rather to engage a very visual audience on their own terms and teaches through demonstration.

There's also plenty of film how-tos up on YouTube. Some of it is junk, but much is really quite good. Eventually you'll have enough advice and hands-on experience under your belt to get an idea of who knows what they're talking about - and who doesn't. Which is fine. Because learning to separate the wheat from the chaff (and identify real resources) is part of what life-learning projects are all about.
 

5139

Living Room / Re: In rememberance of....The antiquated hardware/software reminiscence thread

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 03:19 PM »

In 1000 years when aliens visit this wasteland the LaserJet will work with their power source yet they will find historical records of some things starting with i for some unknown reason

-rgdot (September 18, 2012, 02:44 PM)

And even though there are no longer any humans, the replacement toner cartridges will still be ridiculously expensive.

(Shortly after landing, an ALB (autonomous legal bot*) will impound their ship and serve them with papers which claim ALL their advanced technology infringes on one or more of over 100 trillion registered patents belonging to entities with odd sounding names like: Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, Google, and Amazon.)

---------------------------------------

*Note: The automated legal system of the human race was specifically designed to outlast its creators and "function perfectly" without the need for any human interaction.

5140

Living Room / Re: Acoustic Levitation

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 03:17 PM »

My GF showed me the first video last Sunday. That is really amazing! 

5141

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: I'm practicing how to make films

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 03:13 PM »

found footage movies

-mahesh2k (September 18, 2012, 12:49 PM)

I'm not into those that much.  

-superboyac (September 18, 2012, 01:05 PM)

That gladdens me somewhat.

I was never that into musique concrète or "mashup" approaches to art. Found art is ok. But to me it's nowhere near as powerful as something conceived, created, and directed by someone from scratch. Most collage and mashup art seems (to me) to be little more than playing with digital Colorforms. And about the best I can say about that (when it succeeds) is: "Hmm...interesting"  or "How clever!"

But that's not the same thing I'll get when I see a photo, painting, film, or hear a piece of music, that completely overwhelms me. It's just a whole 'nother experience.

True, you can get some interesting results juxtaposing found images and sounds together. But it always struck me as playing the odds rather than practicing the craft of one's art. There's jut something about it that feels a less genuine to me. And, much like those established authors who resort to being deliberately obscure with hopes people will think them profound, there's something about it that feels dishonest if it's claiming to be 'art.'

So yeah - shoot your own footage!

5142

Living Room / Re: SpammerScammer

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 12:14 PM »

Email is just completely broken thanks to spammers.

-Renegade (September 18, 2012, 11:59 AM)

Got that right.

5143

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: I'm practicing how to make films

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 12:05 PM »

Hmm...electrical engineering, book publishing, jazz performance...I wonder just what SB is up to.

Maybe Tom Waits wrote this just for folks like Aram

here's the lyrics

Tom Waits
Mule Variations (1999)

What's He Building?

What's he building in there?
What the hell is he building
In there?
He has subscriptions to those
Magazines... He never
Waves when he goes by
He's hiding something from
The rest of us... He's all
To himself... I think I know
Why... He took down the
Tire swing from the Peppertree
He has no children of his
Own you see... He has no dog
And he has no friends and
His lawn is dying... and
What about all those packages
He sends. What's he building in there?
With that hook light
On the stairs. What's he building
In there... I'll tell you one thing
He's not building a playhouse for
The children what's he building
In there?

Now what's that sound from under the door?
He's pounding nails into a
Hardwood floor... and I
Swear to god I heard someone
Moaning low... and I keep
Seeing the blue light of a
T.V. show...
He has a router
And a table saw... and you
Won't believe what Mr. Sticha saw
There's poison underneath the sink
Of course... But there's also
Enough formaldehyde to choke
A horse... What's he building
In there. What the hell is he
Building in there? I heard he
Has an ex-wife in some place
Called Mayors Income, Tennessee
And he used to have a
consulting business in Indonesia...
but what is he building in there?
What the hell is building in there?

He has no friends
But he gets a lot of mail
I'll bet he spent a little
Time in jail...
I heard he was up on the
Roof last night
Signaling with a flashlight
And what's that tune he's
Always whistling...
What's he building in there?
What's he building in there?

We have a right to know...

5144

Living Room / Re: In rememberance of....The antiquated hardware/software reminiscence thread

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 11:42 AM »

Nothing wrong with the LaserJet 4, all they need is service and they be right for another 20 years

-woodss (September 18, 2012, 11:22 AM)

   

+1! I only retired my Laserjet III (with $$$ Postscript cartridge option!) when it finally got to be too much of a hassle to get toner for it locally.


I gave it away - and last I heard (about two years ago) it was still going strong.

Thing was built like a boat anchor for a navy destroyer. If it ever ends up in a landfill, it will probably still be recognizable for at least a thousand years.
 

5145

General Software Discussion / Re: What exactly is a "Windows idle time", anyone?

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 11:35 AM »

I don't know if this might be part of of it, but it may be a problem originating in your router. I've seen some Linksys DSL routers that seem to arbitrarily shut off or cause huge delays on very large (1.8 GB+) downloads. I've looked at all the settings that could have had an impact on the problem. But I didn't see anything that could be causing the timeout/shut-off. I checked in with Cisco, but they had nothing constructive to offer other than recommend some (useless) fiddling with QoS settings. Doing full 'factory' resets and updating the manufacturer's firmware didn't help - and in some instances made the problem worse.

Putting Polarcloud's Tomato firmware   on those routers fixed the problem.
 

5146

Living Room / Re: Thread to annoy mouser

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 11:19 AM »

I hate to be a party pooper

-mouser (September 18, 2012, 10:29 AM)

No you don't, its what you live for  

-Stephen66515 (September 18, 2012, 10:32 AM)

"Troubled is the head that wears a crown."

Especially if they're involved in, or responsible for, site maintenance.

Like I said: just wrong on so many levels.

(Even if it was pretty clever IMHO. )

5147

Living Room / Re: Open source cell phone projects.

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 11:13 AM »

^^That's also good stuff.
Ugh, I'm annoyed that the US gets lamer phones than other countries.  Feels like somehow Apple is the only company allowed to sell well made phones here?  

-superboyac (September 18, 2012, 10:14 AM)

Just goes to show that Apple has a good legal team.


@40hz - that was a cool article on the open systems there.

-Renegade (September 18, 2012, 10:38 AM)

Agree. Way cool!

But I'm a child from the Watergate era who grew up on Tom Swift stories, Ham Radio, and Popular Electronics magazine articles - and saw the the birth of the personal computer (my first 'real' computer was a Kim-1!) so my counter-culture/street-techno/DIY/Whole Earth Catalog/science fetish roots are showing.

And now, my thanks goes to those responsible for the Arundino and Raspberry Pi. Those little gadgets (plus Linus Torvalds) are taking me right back to my roots. Woo-hoo!
 

5148

Living Room / Re: Thread to annoy mouser

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 06:50 AM »

I'd think Stephen was joking around with DoCo a little bit. It's not easy to get a thread with what looks like no title. And it can be tricky to open it unless you find the spaces in the title. But now that some replied and allowed the "Re:" to get in their header, the trick/surprise is gone.
 

5149

Living Room / Re: Open source cell phone projects.

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 12:53 AM »

@SB - Related to what you're talking about.  (If you can't join them - beat them?)

Building a GSM network with open source
by Andrew Back

Over the last few years open source technology has enabled mobile phone networks to be set up on a shoestring budget at hacker conferences, on a tiny Pacific island and at a festival in the Nevada desert. Andrew Back takes a look at how this has been made possible and at what's involved in building a GSM network using OpenBTS and OpenBSC.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The origins of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) can be traced back to the early 1980s, and to agreements between European nations seeking network interoperability through a standards-based replacement for incompatible first generation networks. The initial GSM specifications were published in 1990 and networks were deployed soon after, with the GSM Association (GSMA) being set up in 1995 to drive standardisation and to promote the system.

The development of GSM has been led by incumbent telcos, large system integrators and multinational equipment providers, and its arcane terminology and formidable catalogue of specifications spread across more than 1,100 PDFs are not for the faint hearted. The comprehensive standards and recommendations produced cover everything from wireless protocols and voice codecs, to subscriber records and encryption. Many of these have been made freely available via the ETSI and 3GPP standards bodies, while some – for example, those detailing the encryption algorithms used for call privacy – are restricted to GSMA members.

The GSMA has been described as "one of the most powerful organisations in the world" – it boasts a membership of around 800 mobile operators across 220 countries, and entry to this prestigious club is a privilege and not a right, with subscriptions starting at an eye-watering £9,000 per year.

Fortunately, bewildering complexity and incomplete access to standards were not enough to dissuade a handful of determined open source developers, and thanks to them there are now two low cost routes to setting up a GSM network.

Full article here.
 

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Living Room / Re: Thread to annoy mouser

« Last post by 40hz on September 18, 2012, 12:41 AM »

@Stephen - that is 'just wrong' on so many levels