• TSA blocking uncharged mobile devices from flights at some international airports
    93 replies, posted
[img]http://america.aljazeera.com/content/dam/ajam/images/articles/TSA_officials_11213.jpg[/img] [quote]The new measure is part of the TSA's effort announced last week to boost security amid concerns that Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamist Nusra Front, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, are plotting to blow up an airliner, U.S. officials said. As part of the increased scrutiny at certain airports, security agents may ask travelers to turn on their electronic devices at checkpoints and if they do not have power, the devices will not be allowed on planes, the TSA said.[/quote] Sources: [url]http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-tightens-security-electronics-overseas-airports-n149186[/url] [url]http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/6/5875449/tsa-blocking-uncharged-mobile-devices-from-flights-at-some[/url] [url]http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcneal/2014/07/06/tsa-enhanced-screening-for-electronic-devices/[/url] [url]http://time.com/2960370/tsa-cell-phones-overseas-airports/[/url]
Wait, why? what kind of threat does a dead phone have?
Doesn't the indication of the battery being empty that all chemical reactions have finished therefore minimizing the risk of battery exploding?
[QUOTE=surfur;45316219]Wait, why? what kind of threat does a dead phone have?[/QUOTE] IF the phone works then it implies most of the stuff inside is still present. These baddies have been bragging about undetectable phone bombs, for such a bomb to be effective they would need to replace some of the bits inside with explosive, rendering the device useless. "checking if the battery is dead" is just their way of "checking if the phone works as a phone and not a bomb"
Is my phone allowed in if I can make it show the "your battery is dead charge it" logo when it's empty?
[quote]As part of the increased scrutiny at certain airports, security agents may ask travelers to turn on their electronic devices at checkpoints and if they do not have power, the devices will not be allowed on planes, the TSA said.[/quote] Maybe it's just to see if your phone/tablet/laptop/whatever is not a bomb? Obviously a gutted device chock full of explosive material wouldn't turn on. And if you were a terrorist and for some reason made the bomb's detonator activate by pressing the power button, you'd probably be hesitant to "turn it on" when they ask you to, raising even more suspicion. It's not really as dumb as it sounds at first
Whats next are they going to weigh phones ??!!
[QUOTE=cra0kalo;45316373]Whats next are they going to weigh phones ??!![/QUOTE] That's probably a legit means anyways, considering most phone manufactures list the physical specs of their products on their websites nowadays (Or with just a simple datasheet request).
[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;45316432]That's probably a legit means anyways, considering most phone manufactures list the physical specs of their products on their websites nowadays (Or with just a simple datasheet request).[/QUOTE] This would probably not 100% work for laptops because some people tend to swap out their hard drive for a bigger one or an ssd or just remove their disk drive en favor of a hdd/ssd
[QUOTE=Thunderbolt;45316255]Maybe it's just to see if your phone/tablet/laptop/whatever is not a bomb? Obviously a gutted device chock full of explosive material wouldn't turn on. And if you were a terrorist and for some reason made the bomb's detonator activate by pressing the power button, you'd probably be hesitant to "turn it on" when they ask you to, raising even more suspicion. It's not really as dumb as it sounds at first[/QUOTE] It is quite dumb when you realize if nothing else since this information is now public that the terrorists can easily gut most of the computer (or whatever) and leave just enough to get it to boot. You do realize the bomb doesn't have to be triggered by pressing the ON button right? [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] I mean it is not like they will expect everyone to do a full boot and ask them to make a call or something (even that could theoretically be possible). [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] Also as someone else said, a laptop that can actually boot might be more dangerous since the battery can pack quite a punch.
Surely you can't blow up a plane with a phone sized bomb. Even the galaxy note 8.0
[QUOTE=Fetret;45316547]It is quite dumb when you realize if nothing else since this information is now public that the terrorists can easily gut most of the computer (or whatever) and leave just enough to get it to boot. You do realize the bomb doesn't have to be triggered by pressing the ON button right? [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] I mean it is not like they will expect everyone to do a full boot and ask them to make a call or something (even that could theoretically be possible). [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] Also as someone else said, a laptop that can actually boot might be more dangerous since the battery can pack quite a punch.[/QUOTE] There's not enough space inside mobile devices to have it function normally and be a bomb at the same time, not even in a laptop because most of the space is taken up by the motherboard, and you can't really boot without that. And there's no way a faulty battery in a real laptop would be more dangerous than a "laptop" full of C4 Batteries don't even explode nearly as violently as proper explosives, they just expand, and quickly release the toxic gas that's been building up inside of them, then catch on fire. [quote][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTbUP0sGQT8[/media][/quote] Best you could do with that is force an emergency landing, and this is the worst case scenario where all the cells in the battery blow up, too [QUOTE=Scot;45316676]Surely you can't blow up a plane with a phone sized bomb. Even the galaxy note 8.0[/QUOTE] Maybe not, but you could definitely use it to kill someone, or blow up the door to the pilot's cabin
[QUOTE=Mega1mpact;45316472]This would probably not 100% work for laptops because some people tend to swap out their hard drive for a bigger one or an ssd or just remove their disk drive en favor of a hdd/ssd[/QUOTE] In that case, it'd be easier to disassemble/take-a-cross-section-with-x-ray, and then do the mass math.
Its a pain in the ass just to get a laptop through and now I might have to wait for my slow ass laptop to turn on :|
[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;45316765]In that case, it'd be easier to disassemble/take-a-cross-section-with-x-ray, and then do the mass math.[/QUOTE] That would be a huge waste of time.
[QUOTE=Saxon;45316813]Its a pain in the ass just to get a laptop through and now I might have to wait for my slow ass laptop to turn on :|[/QUOTE] Tell me about it! I'm currently travelling through Europe and at every security check point they either tell me to take my laptop and charger out of my laptop bag or scan the laptop like 2times
TSA: one step forward, two flights of stairs and a iron man marathon backwards.
...And what happens if your battery is [I]really [/I]dead? My Nexus 7, by example, can't run the 'No battery' logo when it's out of it, and you can't even turn it on until you have like 15% of the battery charged. [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] It's right on the name. "Battery dead". As in, not working anymore. Why would you expect a not-working battery to work?
[QUOTE=cra0kalo;45316970]Tell me about it! I'm currently travelling through Europe and at every security check point they either tell me to take my laptop and charger out of my laptop bag or scan the laptop like 2times[/QUOTE] I fly a lot and I never have this issue. Doesn't matter if I'm flying through the EU or to the US etc. Just take out your laptop and put it in a sepperate tray with the charger when you put your backpack in a tray with your keys etc. Takes 10 seconds tops. [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Coment;45316998]...And what happens if your battery is [I]really [/I]dead? My Nexus 7, by example, can't run the 'No battery' logo when it's out of it, and you can't even turn it on until you have like 15% of the battery charged. [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] It's right on the name. "Battery dead". As in, not working anymore. Why would you expect a not-working battery to work?[/QUOTE] The EU recently got a new law that states that new phones should use a standard micro usb to charge. They'd probably have a small charging station that you could plug your phone in for 30 seconds to make it show the charging logo.
on the other hand, what kind of person would forget to charge their phone before a plane trip
[QUOTE=Coment;45316998]...And what happens if your battery is [I]really [/I]dead? My Nexus 7, by example, can't run the 'No battery' logo when it's out of it, and you can't even turn it on until you have like 15% of the battery charged. [editline]7th July 2014[/editline] It's right on the name. "Battery dead". As in, not working anymore. Why would you expect a not-working battery to work?[/QUOTE] Just have it charged when you go to the airport. Its not that hard.
[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;45316241]IF the phone works then it implies most of the stuff inside is still present. These baddies have been bragging about undetectable phone bombs, for such a bomb to be effective they would need to replace some of the bits inside with explosive, rendering the device useless. "checking if the battery is dead" is just their way of "checking if the phone works as a phone and not a bomb"[/QUOTE] That honestly seems fairly reasonable.
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;45317198]on the other hand, what kind of person would forget to charge their phone before a plane trip[/QUOTE] You might be onto something. A sure fire way of identifying terrorists!
[QUOTE=BusterBluth;45317221]Just have it charged when you go to the airport. Its not that hard.[/QUOTE] Yeah, makes sense to have it charged, but I don't think it would be fair to leave your device behind/miss the flight just because you didn't put the charger all the way on the hole the previous night.
[QUOTE=Coment;45317258]Yeah, makes sense to have it charged, but I don't think it would be fair to leave your device behind/miss the flight just because you didn't put the charger all the way on the hole the previous night.[/QUOTE] You gotta bring other stuff to board, it's kind of the same thing
[QUOTE=Mega1mpact;45316251]Is my phone allowed in if I can make it show the "your battery is dead charge it" logo when it's empty?[/QUOTE] [video=youtube;63u6b-eHYzU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63u6b-eHYzU[/video] You could easily fake that, so i doubt it. skip to about 1:43
[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;45316226]Doesn't the indication of the battery being empty that all chemical reactions have finished therefore minimizing the risk of battery exploding?[/QUOTE] It's also an indication that the battery compartment has been replaced with explosives.
It's nothing but assumptions. Believe it or not you could mod a laptop or phone to have seperate hardware and be bootable(small enough to fit explosives); it's kinda stretching at thin air
They're doing this to get people used to the idea of opening their devices for TSA agents. Few years from now, this will go from "you have to power your laptop on" to "you have to give us the password to your full disk encryption". I'd seriously rather visit fucking North Korea nowadays than the US.
[QUOTE=Map in a box;45317942]It's nothing but assumptions. Believe it or not you could mod a laptop or phone to have seperate hardware and be bootable(small enough to fit explosives); it's kinda stretching at thin air[/QUOTE] The odds of them making said changes and still have it look like a phone through an xray make it worth doing
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