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This reminds me of that section in the book Cryptonomicon, where our hero is programming on a laptop that he knows is being spied upon using Tempest and probabl
by linsomniac 2y ago
This reminds me of that section in the book Cryptonomicon, where our hero is programming on a laptop that he knows is being spied upon using Tempest and probably more, and is using clandestine input via morse code on the shift (?) key. I really enjoyed that book.
- AcerbicZero 2y agoWelp, I know what I'm reading on my next flight :)
- WD-42 2y agoYou won't regret it, classic book.
- anfractuosity 2y agoI think it was something to do with one of the keyboard keys with an LED if I recall correctly, so possibly caps/numlock. Edit: seems I'm misremembering, just read - https://www.reddit.com/r/programmerchat/comments/3aknvw/prison_scene_in_cryptonomicon/ https://www.reddit.com/r/programmerchat/comments/3aknvw/pris... the LED was to output data, but they used another key to tap code
- JJMcJ 2y agoInput in Morse by space bar, output by LEDs.
- mulmen 2y ago> on the shift (?) key. Disabling Windows accessibility features is an indication of anti-social behavior.
- xp84 2y ago? even on one's own computer? I don't follow It would follow from your statement that not disabling the screen lock is also anti-social.
- omoikane 2y agoWindows has a "sticky keys" accessibility feature that is enabled by pressing "shift" many times. I believe it's intended for people who have a hard time holding multiple keys at the same time. It's something that would be easy to trigger accidentally if you are using the shift keys to play pinball or type morse code.
- grvbck 2y agoSame on MacOS, press shift 5x to activate.
- pests 2y agoAny gamer who maps shift to something discovers this very quickly
- xp84 2y agoRight, I know, all OSs have those same features. I always disable them on my own computers because they get in the way when triggered accidentally, like with gaming. The poster I replied to suggested it’s evil to do so, and I’m confused why.
- mulmen 2y agoThe comment I replied to mentioned using the shift key to covertly transmit morse code.
- taneq 2y agoWas that not tongue-in-cheek? The sticky-keys popup used to be a fun way to get past the screen lock used at computer shops etc. since it took focus off the screen lock window, which then let you use other hot keys. :D
- samatman 2y agoLaptops are not generally social objects. The notion makes me a bit nauseous actually.
- eru 2y agoNot more nauseous than any other shared keyboard, I assume?
- lelandbatey 2y agoThat book directly inspired my "blink my caps lock light when someone visits a web page" hack from nearly 8 years ago: http://lelandbatey.com/posts/2016/12/Making-lights-blink-for-each-HTTP-request/ http://lelandbatey.com/posts/2016/12/Making-lights-blink-for...
- rrjjww 2y agoAt risk of derailing the conversation, I finished Cryptonomicon earlier this year and really enjoyed it. Any recommendations for similar books?
- brk 2y agoSnowcrash? REAMDE was also good.
- themadturk 2y agoSo nice to find someone else who enjoyed REAMDE.
- james_marks 2y agoMy favorite of his, and I’ve read most of them.
- jaggederest 2y agoThe Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is the sequel to Snow Crash, and is excellent and in many ways more relevant and subversive now, given that more or less Snow Crash has passed into retrofuturism as all the things kind of happened, like Jules Verne.
- eru 2y agoThe Baroque Cycle by the same author. I didn't like Snowcrash nearly as much. His Diamond Age is pretty good, too.
- roughly 2y agoIf you can get past the absolute slog of a beginning, Anathem is amazing.
- xarope 2y agoyes, give it a try and try to get past the first few chapters. The first time I read it, the world building almost put me to sleep. Somehow I decided to give it another try on a long flight, and this time I grok'd the world building, and thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through to the end.