5 ms·

Might have protected Ross Ulbricht, but he’s an edge case. Anyone had their laptop yanked away while using it?

by mmaunder 5y ago

snypher 5y ago
I thought standard practice was to run no battery, AC adapter only mode.
- Jerrrry 5y ago
  They will hit the outlet and bring the AC with them, without bumping voltage.
  - DarylZero 5y ago
    What kind of equipment does one use to do this?
    - Jerrrry 5y ago
      I'm sure a power-supply-person with more knowledge can expand, but essentially a USP brick with cabling. They will bridge the outlet, and take the outlet, AC adapter, and everything connected, without the AC adapter even reading a voltage drop.
    - chipsa 5y ago
      It's a specialized tool, but basically the plug get pulled out slightly (which isn't enough to disconnect power in the US), and then the tool goes over the line and neutral pins, which supplies power from what is basically an UPS. After that, the entire plug can be pulled and capped (because you've got 120V across the exposed end of a plug now). Probably wouldn't work the same in Euro countries which have other plug types.
      - toomanybeersies 5y ago
        Even easier: just pull the wall plate out, then hook up the UPS behind it with couple of tap splices.
  - snypher 5y ago
    I think would work only if the user wasn't at the keys. Plus if the adversary has full access to the hardware then what are they doing under my library table!
k1rcher 5y ago
This was my immediate thought as well. Oh Ross, if only you closed that damn laptop lid (and didn't incriminate yourself blatantly on stack overflow)
323 5y ago
Actually we know it wouldn't. The agents arresting him did in such a way that they prevented him from touching his laptop (by creating a diversion), because they were feared that such a protection might exist.
- zionic 5y ago
  If done properly the agents grabbing his laptop/snatching it away from him would have severed the power connection to the battery-remove laptop locking it permanently.
  - Hamuko 5y ago
    >If done properly The man was running a multi-million dollar drug marketplace in a public library.
    - FearlessNebula 5y ago
      What was the logic behind that? So he couldn’t be traced back to his house?
      - 323 5y ago
        There was no logic. A public library is even worse for that purpose, because of security cameras and witnesses.
- FearlessNebula 5y ago
  What if he clipped it to his belt?
- SamBam 5y ago
  > The agents arresting him did in such a way that they prevented him from touching his laptop (by creating a diversion), because they were feared that such a protection might exist. But that's literally the scenario this physical-separation killswitch was designed for. He wouldn't have had to touch his laptop to trigger this. Quite the opposite.

Might have protected Ross Ulbricht, but he’s an edge case. Anyone had their laptop yanked away while using it?

snypher 5y ago

I thought standard practice was to run no battery, AC adapter only mode.

Jerrrry 5y ago
They will hit the outlet and bring the AC with them, without bumping voltage.
- DarylZero 5y ago
  What kind of equipment does one use to do this?
  - Jerrrry 5y ago
    I'm sure a power-supply-person with more knowledge can expand, but essentially a USP brick with cabling. They will bridge the outlet, and take the outlet, AC adapter, and everything connected, without the AC adapter even reading a voltage drop.
  - chipsa 5y ago
    It's a specialized tool, but basically the plug get pulled out slightly (which isn't enough to disconnect power in the US), and then the tool goes over the line and neutral pins, which supplies power from what is basically an UPS. After that, the entire plug can be pulled and capped (because you've got 120V across the exposed end of a plug now). Probably wouldn't work the same in Euro countries which have other plug types.
    - toomanybeersies 5y ago
      Even easier: just pull the wall plate out, then hook up the UPS behind it with couple of tap splices.
- snypher 5y ago
  I think would work only if the user wasn't at the keys. Plus if the adversary has full access to the hardware then what are they doing under my library table!

k1rcher 5y ago

This was my immediate thought as well. Oh Ross, if only you closed that damn laptop lid (and didn't incriminate yourself blatantly on stack overflow)

323 5y ago

Actually we know it wouldn't. The agents arresting him did in such a way that they prevented him from touching his laptop (by creating a diversion), because they were feared that such a protection might exist.

zionic 5y ago
If done properly the agents grabbing his laptop/snatching it away from him would have severed the power connection to the battery-remove laptop locking it permanently.
- Hamuko 5y ago
  >If done properly The man was running a multi-million dollar drug marketplace in a public library.
  - FearlessNebula 5y ago
    What was the logic behind that? So he couldn’t be traced back to his house?
    - 323 5y ago
      There was no logic. A public library is even worse for that purpose, because of security cameras and witnesses.
FearlessNebula 5y ago
What if he clipped it to his belt?
SamBam 5y ago
> The agents arresting him did in such a way that they prevented him from touching his laptop (by creating a diversion), because they were feared that such a protection might exist. But that's literally the scenario this physical-separation killswitch was designed for. He wouldn't have had to touch his laptop to trigger this. Quite the opposite.