#Commercial Wiring Devices

[reality-detective]

John Christie Electric Generator – Generates 24 Kilowatts Of Free Electricity

The John Christie Electric Generator was shown to the world in 2001 – a device capable of generating a full 24 kilowatts of electricity. In this article, I will tell you about John Christie, the inventor, and how he and his friend, Lou Brits, came up with the generator. I will also explain to you how free electricity works and how you too can generate your own electricity at home too.

John Christie And Lou Brits

Australian mechanical engineer, John Christie, and his electrician friend, Lou Brits, worked hard through the 90s to come up with their own version of the magnetic generator. In 2001, they launched it to the public as the Lutec 1000, a device capable of generating 24 kilowatts of electricity (enough to power a few houses).

The main claim to fame at the time was that the Lutec 1000 was “the first free energy machine to be developed to commercial stage anywhere in the world”. This was perhaps an exaggeration as, although the device worked, it was far from being full tested and developed to the point where you could buy one off the shelf in the marketplace.

How Does “Free Energy” Work?

Part of the problem lies in the name. “Free energy” sounds almost impossible to believe, I prefer to call this concept “zero point” as it is known in physics.

Zero point is an area of physics that has been studied for over one hundred years. Nikola Tesla, the man who is called by some the “grandfather of electricity”, dedicated half of his life to studying zero point. He even published his work and it met with great approval. Unfortunately, his legacy in this area did not live on after his death due to existing commercial interests using their power to bury it.

Zero point speaks of obtaining energy without fuel, from a source that is not widely acknowledged in conventional physics. It does this via the use of strategically placed magnets.

Fast forward around a century later and there has been a resurgence of interest in this area, especially in the last year or two. While Christie and Brits may have been a little premature with their “commercial” launch, real working generators are now being built by enthusiasts in their garages, right across the world, numbering somewhere in the tens of thousands and possibly more.

How Can You Generate Your Own Electricity?

The average home does not need 24 kilowatts. In fact, a basic motor is easily constructed for next to nothing that can generate a good 7 kilowatts of power which is more than enough for most households.

The basic electric generator is a rotor, some magnets and some electrical wiring. John Christie and Lou Brits made their own version but I suggest you keep things very simple. In fact, I strongly recommend that you spend a nominal amount of around 50 dollars on a good set of plans which will give you diagrams and step by step instructions on building your magnetic motor generator. Or you can try to do it for “free” which will see you spending several months on your motor, all the while still paying your monthly bill to the power company. 🤔

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The surveillance advertising to financial fraud pipeline

Monday (October 2), I'll be in Boise to host an event with VE Schwab. On October 7–8, I'm in Milan to keynote Wired Nextfest.

Being watched sucks. Of all the parenting mistakes I've made, none haunt me more than the times my daughter caught me watching her while she was learning to do something, discovered she was being observed in a vulnerable moment, and abandoned her attempt:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2014/may/09/cybersecurity-begins-with-integrity-not-surveillance

It's hard to be your authentic self while you're under surveillance. For that reason alone, the rise and rise of the surveillance industry – an unholy public-private partnership between cops, spooks, and ad-tech scum – is a plague on humanity and a scourge on the Earth:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/16/the-second-best-time-is-now/#the-point-of-a-system-is-what-it-does

But beyond the psychic damage surveillance metes out, there are immediate, concrete ways in which surveillance brings us to harm. Ad-tech follows us into abortion clinics and then sells the info to the cops back home in the forced birth states run by Handmaid's Tale LARPers:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/29/no-i-in-uter-us/#egged-on

And even if you have the good fortune to live in a state whose motto isn't "There's no 'I" in uter-US," ad-tech also lets anti-abortion propagandists trick you into visiting fake "clinics" who defraud you into giving birth by running out the clock on terminating your pregnancy:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/15/paid-medical-disinformation/#crisis-pregnancy-centers

The commercial surveillance industry fuels SWATting, where sociopaths who don't like your internet opinions or are steamed because you beat them at Call of Duty trick the cops into thinking that there's an "active shooter" at your house, provoking the kind of American policing autoimmune reaction that can get you killed:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/14/us/swatting-sentence-casey-viner/index.html

There's just a lot of ways that compiling deep, nonconsensual, population-scale surveillance dossiers can bring safety and financial harm to the unwilling subjects of our experiment in digital spying. The wave of "business email compromises" (the infosec term for impersonating your boss to you and tricking you into cleaning out the company bank accounts)? They start with spear phishing, a phishing attack that uses personal information – bought from commercial sources or ganked from leaks – to craft a virtual Big Store con:

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise

It's not just spear-phishers. There are plenty of financial predators who run petty grifts – stock swindles, identity theft, and other petty cons. These scams depend on commercial surveillance, both to target victims (e.g. buying Facebook ads targeting people struggling with medical debt and worried about losing their homes) and to run the con itself (by getting the information needed to pull of a successful identity theft).

In "Consumer Surveillance and Financial Fraud," a new National Bureau of Academic Research paper, a trio of business-school profs – Bo Bian (UBC), Michaela Pagel (WUSTL) and Huan Tang (Wharton) quantify the commercial surveillance industry's relationship to finance crimes:

https://www.nber.org/papers/w31692

The authors take advantage of a time-series of ZIP-code-accurate fraud complaint data from the Consumer Finance Protection Board, supplemented by complaints from the FTC, along with Apple's rollout of App Tracking Transparency, a change to app-based tracking on Apple mobile devices that turned of third-party commercial surveillance unless users explicitly opted into being spied on. More than 96% of Apple users blocked spying:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/96-of-us-users-opt-out-of-app-tracking-in-ios-14-5-analytics-find/

In other words, they were able to see, neighborhood by neighborhood, what happened to financial fraud when users were able to block commercial surveillance.

What happened is, fraud plunged. Deprived of the raw material for committing fraud, criminals were substantially hampered in their ability to steal from internet users.

While this is something that security professionals have understood for years, this study puts some empirical spine into the large corpus of qualitative accounts of the surveillance-to-fraud pipeline.

As the authors note in their conclusion, this analysis is timely. Google has just rolled out a new surveillance system, the deceptively named "Privacy Sandbox," that every Chrome user is being opted in to unless they find and untick three separate preference tickboxes. You should find and untick these boxes:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/09/how-turn-googles-privacy-sandbox-ad-tracking-and-why-you-should

Google has spun, lied and bullied Privacy Sandbox into existence; whenever this program draws enough fire, they rename it (it used to be called FLoC). But as the Apple example showed, no one wants to be spied on – that's why Google makes you find and untick three boxes to opt out of this new form of surveillance.

There is no consensual basis for mass commercial surveillance. The story that "people don't mind ads so long as they're relevant" is a lie. But even if it was true, it wouldn't be enough, because beyond the harms to being our authentic selves that come from the knowledge that we're being observed, surveillance data is a crucial ingredient for all kinds of crime, harassment, and deception.

We can't rely on companies to spy on us responsibly. Apple may have blocked third-party app spying, but they effect nonconsensual, continuous surveillance of every Apple mobile device user, and lie about it:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

That's why we should ban commercial surveillance. We should outlaw surveillance advertising. Period:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/03/ban-online-behavioral-advertising

Contrary to the claims of surveillance profiteers, this wouldn't reduce the income to ad-supported news and other media – it would increase their revenues, by letting them place ads without relying on the surveillance troves assembled by the Google/Meta ad-tech duopoly, who take the majority of ad-revenue:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/05/save-news-we-must-ban-surveillance-advertising

We're 30 years into the commercial surveillance pandemic and Congress still hasn't passed a federal privacy law with a private right of action. But other agencies aren't waiting for Congress. The FTC and DoJ Antitrust Divsision have proposed new merger guidelines that allow regulators to consider privacy harms when companies merge:

https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FTC-2023-0043-1569

Think here of how Google devoured Fitbit and claimed massive troves of extremely personal data, much of which was collected because employers required workers to wear biometric trackers to get the best deal on health care:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/04/google-fitbit-merger-would-cement-googles-data-empire

Companies can't be trusted to collect, retain or use our personal data wisely. The right "balance" here is to simply ban that collection, without an explicit opt-in. The way this should work is that companies can't collect private data unless users hunt down and untick three "don't spy on me" boxes. After all, that's the standard that Google has set.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/29/ban-surveillance-ads/#sucker-funnel

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[mariacallous]

Startup founder Tara Langdale-Schmidt says her company’s devices, known as VuVa, are designed to soothe the pelvic and vaginal pain and discomfort that she and millions of other women have experienced. But over the past decade, Langdale-Schmidt alleges, Amazon has repeatedly shut down VuVatech’s product listings—sometimes she says for violating what she views as prudish “adult” content rules. Last year, Amazon blocked VuVatech from adding a discount coupon to one product because its automated systems identified the item as “potentially embarrassing or offensive,” according to a screenshot seen by WIRED.

“We just have to stop this insanity with being embarrassed about things,” Langdale-Schmidt says. “There's no difference from your vagina than your ear, your nose, your mouth. It is another place on your body, and I don't know how we got to this point where it's not OK to talk about it. I just don't get it.”

Amazon spokesperson Juliana Karber tells WIRED that no VuVatech products have been blocked for adult policy violations over the past year, though Langdale-Schmidt says that’s because she’s given up trying to list new items. Karber adds that Amazon understands the importance of sexual health and wellness products to its customers and has thousands of merchants offering them. The small fraction of those products categorized as “adult” are subject to additional policies “to best ensure we serve them to intending customers and not surprise customers who are not looking for them,” Karber says.

Companies and organizations working in sexual health and wellness have for years railed against what they view as excessive restrictions on their content by shopping, advertising, and social platforms. A new survey and an accompanying report shared exclusively with WIRED by the Center for Intimacy Justice, a nonprofit that advocates for more fair online policies and draws some funding from sexual health organizations, underscore just how widespread these concerns are.

In the survey, which was completed in March 2024, VuVatech and more than 150 other businesses, nonprofit groups, and content creators spanning six continents reported challenging experiences sharing content about their work, promoting products, and using other services from Amazon, Meta, Google, and TikTok. Those surveyed included organizations offering tools and support for pregnancy, menopause, and other health topics.

Jackie Rotman, founder and CEO of the Center for Intimacy Justice, says ending what she describes as biased censorship against women’s health would unlock valuable commercial opportunities for tech platforms, and is also simply the right thing to do. “Bots, algorithms, and employees who are not knowledgeable in this topic should not be prohibiting women’s access to important and valuable health products,” she says.

Google, Meta, TikTok, and Amazon say they stand by their policies, some of which are aimed at protecting minors from encountering potentially sensitive content. The companies also all note that they offer ways for users and advertisers to appeal enforcement actions.

Some of the offerings cited in the Center for Intimacy Justice’s survey include unregulated products that have limited or mixed evidence supporting their effectiveness. Complaints about content moderation on tech platforms also extend well beyond sexual health issues. But Rotman, the nonprofit group leader, says its survey findings show how widely sexual health tools and information are suppressed across the internet.

Sixty-four percent of the 28 survey respondents who sold goods on Amazon reported the ecommerce giant had removed their offerings at some point, and about a third of the merchants claimed Amazon had suspended their selling accounts altogether. Karber, the Amazon spokesperson, says that the survey reflects experiences of “a very small number of selling partners.”

Langdale-Schdmit alleges some versions of the VuVa remain blocked on Amazon today and none are eligible to be featured in paid advertisements. (Amazon bars ads for “adult products” including toys and products promoted for “sexual purposes.”) Despite earning about $6.5 million in lifetime sales, Langdale-Schmidt says VuVatech is losing money, a problem she attributes in part to the volatility of selling on Amazon, which is responsible for half of the company’s revenue.

Around 2022, Langdale-Schmidt noticed something else frustrating about Amazon: When she typed “vaginal” into Amazon’s search bar, it barely triggered any suggested search queries, while “erectile” resulted in a plethora of suggestions, like pills and supplements. “They took away all the sexual wellness prompts for the word ‘vaginal,’” Langdale-Schmidt alleges. For broad search queries, Amazon excludes from the results any product flagged as “adult,” including the VuVa, according to Langdale-Schmidt. This, for instance, prevents someone searching for “toy” from encountering a listing for a dildo.

The company’s adult products policy mentions a variety of sex toys and objects such as dildos and wand massagers, but doesn't specifically list dilators or similar pelvic health devices, such as the VuVa. Amazon’s Karber says that customers looking for adult products are able to search directly for them using specific search terms or browsing product catalogs.

A former engineering leader at Amazon theorizes the search bar suggestions for “vaginal,” may be aggressively filtered because algorithms trained on internet content tend to associate women’s genitalia with porn-related terms. (Oddly, many of the search suggestions for “penis” include misspellings such as “penisen largement tool.”)

“That doesn’t mean Amazon shouldn’t be pressured to implement smarter search [technology] that can tell the difference between health products and porn,” says the ex-employee, who was granted anonymity to maintain their professional relationships.

“Vaginal Dryness”

In another case from 2023 cited in the Center for Intimacy Justice report, Google limited who was shown some ads from Aquafit Intimate, a small Israeli startup that develops pelvic and vaginal care products. In an email to Aquafit seen by WIRED, a Google representative explained the decision by citing references on Aquafit’s website to “bodily fluids such as vaginal dryness,” the display of body parts “unnecessarily,” and content about “itching” and “burning” that was likely to trigger a negative reaction among viewers.

Rebecca Sternberg, Aquafit’s cofounder and CEO, says she and her team tried appealing Google’s decision twice to no avail. “I said, well, you know vaginal dryness is not a secretion. Quite the opposite,” she says. Aquafit ultimately gave up on that form of Google advertising.

Google spokesperson Nate Funkhouser says the “moderately restricted” designation it applied to Aquafit’s ads under the ad giant’s sexual content policy was appropriate.

Aquafit continues to buy keyword-based Google search ads without issue, including for the term “vaginal dryness.” Sternberg says the paid promotions are crucial because every dollar spent on them has generally returned $3 or $4 in sales for the Aquafit. But Sternberg remains cautious. “If Google says you cannot say, you cannot buy the words ‘vaginal,’ ‘itching,’ ‘burning,’ ‘discharge,’ we're up shit creek,” she says. “If we didn't have Google ads, we'd be dead.”

Overall, about two-thirds of the 74 businesses and individuals the Center for Intimacy Justice surveyed that advertise on Google reported the tech giant blocked some of their ads, largely citing rules around sexual or inappropriate content. Funkhouser says that Google has long allowed ads for a variety of sexual health products and services, and that last year, it loosened its rules to allow for promoting additional products, including pubic grooming tools.

The report alleged that Google’s biggest online advertising competitor, Meta, unfairly rejected ads for a urinary tract infection treatment and a guide to recognizing sexual coercion, which showed a hand touching a body. Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts says the UTI ad had violated policies limiting prescription drug ads; the other ad had been incorrectly blocked under a ban on nudity. Roberts says Meta generally allows ads that promote sexual health, wellness, and reproductive products and services.

Among the 97 organizations and individuals surveyed who use TikTok, about half reported facing instances of their posts or ads being removed, often without explanation. Some organizations responded that they haven’t bothered with advertising on TikTok because they feared the company would block their ads. TikTok declined to comment. The video app’s policies prohibit nudity, restrict content with semi-nudity, and don’t allow advertising for what it calls sexual "enhancement" products.

Some organizations reported that they have tried to avert potential restrictions on TikTok and other platforms by writing in what is called “algospeak,” intentionally including misspellings of words or representing them with emojis so that they aren’t detected by automated filtering systems. For example, sex can become “seggs,” lube turn into “loob,” or the word “butt” could be represented by the peach emoji. Avoiding proper language can lead to confusion and exacerbate stigmas, some businesses said. But they also felt like they had no choice but to self-censor to get their message out.

[brown-forking-weed]

Electricity is a myth. The wires in your walls are just extremely long tube that contains a miniscule series of newtons cradles. A person at the "electricity" distributor starts the chain going by dropping the first ball, which starts a chain reaction which travels through thousands of meters of vacuum-tight tubing (in order to minimize loss due to friction with air) before finally arriving at your tablelamp, where the final ball in the series bumps against the head of the slave elf that lives inside every electronic device and gives it a jolt, ensuring that the elf doesn't fall asleep on the job and fail in its duty to turn the light via magic whenever you flick a switch. Early electric pioneers such as Nikola Tesla briefly experimented with the idea giving the elf coffee, but the method proved far too impractical for commercial use.

[handeaux]

Cincinnati Was Fascinated By Talking Machines Whether Good, Bad Or Bogus

Professor Faber’s amazing “talking machine” arrived in Cincinnati to great fanfare in 1872 when that contraption shared a bill at Wood’s Theater with the famous Bandmanns, Daniel and Millicent. The celebrity thespians presented “The Merchant of Venice” and “The Corsican Brothers.” The talking machine recited whatever the professor told it to.

As early as 1844, the Cincinnati Enquirer carried reports of Austrian Joseph Faber’s progress in developing a mechanical device that could replicate human speech. The original “Professor” Faber, unhappy with progress on his own invention, killed himself in 1850, but the project was taken on by his nephew, also named Joseph Faber, who perfected the device and took it on tour. The Enquirer [25 January 1872] described it in some detail:

“On looking at it you see a table, on one end of which is a key-board with a number of levers similar to the hammers of a piano leading to an upright beam. At the front of this beam you see a mask from which you hear, in tones that remind one of a child’s trumpet, the measured enunciation of words. Back of this beam stands a pair of bellows which is operated by a treadle, and furnishes the air that is required to supply the instrument.”

Faber’s device was a sort of analog speech synthesizer, an ancestor of the Vocoder and similar electronic devices of the Twentieth Century. The operator, by pumping pedals and pressing keys, generated sounds resembling human speech. The Enquirer’s reporter, imagining no “practical utility,” was nevertheless impressed with the machine’s performance.

“During the exhibition the machine was made to speak in English, German, Greek and Hebrew. It beats the Professor speaking English, and but for the example of broken English he sets would speak almost as closely as anyone. It pronounced such words as Mississippi, Cincinnati, Chicago, Philadelphia with ease and clearness. Although it speaks with a decided German accent, one has less difficulty understanding it than the average German who has been three or four years in this country.”

While touring the United States, Professor Faber impressed impresario Phineas Taylor Barnum so much that the great showman renamed the machine as The Euphonium and engaged it and its operator for six months on a contract worth $20,000. Barnum brought the newly christened Euphonium back to Cincinnati in July 1872 as a highlight of his “Great Traveling World’s Fair.” That extravaganza also featured four giraffes, sea lions, herds of trained elephants, Fiji cannibals, American Indians, various dwarves and midgets and three rings of continual circus acts. Barnum’s Fair occupied the Union Baseball Grounds for four summer days at a time when Cincinnati had no professional baseball team. Reports indicate that Barnum got his money’s worth as his show became the hottest ticket in town. Barnum did well enough that he extended Faber’s contract for at least another year. The Euphonium continued to receive star billing when Barnum’s circus returned to Cincinnati in 1873.

Professor Faber continued to exhibit his talking machine well into the 1880s, several years after a very different sort of talking machine made its debut. Thomas Edison, the Genius of Menlo Park, unveiled his phonograph in 1877 and Cincinnati shifted its attentions to the new gadget in town. The Cincinnati Commercial dispatched a reporter to Edison’s laboratory and he filed [3 April 1878] a breathless dispatch:

“I saw the talking-machine, talked to it, and it talked back. You have heard about it, of course, but the story can not be an old one for years to come, and although the phonograph is as simple as a jackknife, it excites the awe of the beholder as a telegraph wire stirs up an Indian’s superstition”

It was another year before an actual phonograph arrived in Cincinnati, almost simultaneously with an early telephone. The Enquirer [5 June 1878] announced the dawn of a new age:

“The phonograph now on exhibition at Greenwood Hall had an increased number of visitors yesterday, our most prominent citizens leading what must become a rush to witness this real wonder, which, with the telephone, marks an era in science. It is impossible to describe the sensation created by this ‘talking’ machine, which gives back to one his own very words and tones in either speaking or singing, and which, many believe, is to revolutionize many things in social and business life.”

Edison’s mind-blowing machine inspired a couple of Cincinnati con artists to offer talking machine service to the great unwashed. At a time when phonographs cost the equivalent of $500 and cylinders the equivalent of $15 per in today’s coin, the opportunity to try out this revolutionary device for one thin dime was irresistible. According to Frank Y. Grayson’s wonderful book, “Pioneers of Night Life on Vine Street,” the flim-flam men set up shop just south of the canal.

“Across the front of the dump, spread a canvas which bore these words: ‘Come In and for a Dime Hear the Most Amazing Invention of the Age – the Talking Machine Extraordinary.’”

The dupes who fell for the pitch surrendered their ten cents and were handed a rubber mouthpiece attached to a long hose. They said their piece while the operator furiously cranked a large wheel, waited a moment and – voila! – their words of wisdom emerged from a rubber bulb sprouting a tin funnel.

“News of the wonderful invention flashed up and down the good old avenue, and the come-ons fell all over themselves getting into the place. The crooks made hay while the sun shone.”

Their demise came when the local beat cop stopped by and tested his elocution. He shouted, “What am I?” into the mouthpiece, the customary pause ensued and “What am I?” emerged faintly from the funnel – followed by a sneeze. “I didn’t sneeze,” said the cop and descended into the basement where he found a fat man in shirtsleeves, managing the other end of a couple of rubber hoses.

Talking machines so excited the imagination of Cincinnati’s residents that they infested the hallucinations of our cranks. The Enquirer [21 October 1900] related the case of Mrs. F.C. Lykins of Walnut Hills, who sent letters accusing a young man residing at the Union Bethel of annoying her with his talking machine. A detective determined that there was no such resident at the Union Bethel, and no one by that name living in the area. Mrs. Lykins insisted that voices from a talking machine filled the air around her head. The detective just smiled, closed his notebook, and headed back downtown.

[ausetkmt]

In recent years, commercial spyware has been deployed by more actors against a wider range of victims, but the prevailing narrative has still been that the malware is used in targeted attacks against an extremely small number of people. At the same time, though, it has been difficult to check devices for infection, leading individuals to navigate an ad hoc array of academic institutions and NGOs that have been on the front lines of developing forensic techniques to detect mobile spyware. On Tuesday, the mobile device security firm iVerify is publishing findings from a spyware detection feature it launched in May. Of 2,500 device scans that the company's customers elected to submit for inspection, seven revealed infections by the notorious NSO Group malware known as Pegasus.

The company’s Mobile Threat Hunting feature uses a combination of malware signature-based detection, heuristics, and machine learning to look for anomalies in iOS and Android device activity or telltale signs of spyware infection. For paying iVerify customers, the tool regularly checks devices for potential compromise. But the company also offers a free version of the feature for anyone who downloads the iVerify Basics app for $1. These users can walk through steps to generate and send a special diagnostic utility file to iVerify and receive analysis within hours. Free users can use the tool once a month. iVerify's infrastructure is built to be privacy-preserving, but to run the Mobile Threat Hunting feature, users must enter an email address so the company has a way to contact them if a scan turns up spyware—as it did in the seven recent Pegasus discoveries.

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“The really fascinating thing is that the people who were targeted were not just journalists and activists, but business leaders, people running commercial enterprises, people in government positions,” says Rocky Cole, chief operating officer of iVerify and a former US National Security Agency analyst. “It looks a lot more like the targeting profile of your average piece of malware or your average APT group than it does the narrative that’s been out there that mercenary spyware is being abused to target activists. It is doing that, absolutely, but this cross section of society was surprising to find.”

Seven out of 2,500 scans may sound like a small group, especially in the somewhat self-selecting customer base of iVerify users, whether paying or free, who want to be monitoring their mobile device security at all, much less checking specifically for spyware. But the fact that the tool has already found a handful of infections at all speaks to how widely the use of spyware has proliferated around the world. Having an easy tool for diagnosing spyware compromises may well expand the picture of just how often such malware is being used.

“NSO Group sells its products exclusively to vetted US & Israel-allied intelligence and law enforcement agencies,” NSO Group spokesperson Gil Lainer told WIRED in a statement. "Our customers use these technologies daily.”

iVerify vice president of research Matthias Frielingsdorf will present the group's Pegasus findings at the Objective by the Sea security conference in Maui, Hawaii on Friday. He says that it took significant investment to develop the detection tool because mobile operating systems like Android, and particularly iOS, are more locked down than traditional desktop operating systems and don't allow monitoring software to have kernel access at the heart of the system. Cole says that the crucial insight was to use telemetry taken from as close to the kernel as possible to tune machine learning models for detection. Some spyware, like Pegasus, also has characteristic traits that make it easier to flag. In the seven detections, Mobile Threat Hunting caught Pegasus using diagnostic data, shutdown logs, and crash logs. But the challenge, Cole says, is in refining mobile monitoring tools to reduce false positives.

Developing the detection capability has already been invaluable, though. Cole says that it helped iVerify identify signs of compromise on the smartphone of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer and Sikh political activist who was the target of an alleged, foiled assassination attempt by an Indian government employee in New York City. The Mobile Threat Hunting feature also flagged suspected nation state activity on the mobile devices of two Harris-Walz campaign officials—a senior member of the campaign and an IT department member—during the presidential race.

“The age of assuming that iPhones and Android phones are safe out of the box is over,” Cole says. “The sorts of capabilities to know if your phone has spyware on it were not widespread. There were technical barriers and it was leaving a lot of people behind. Now you have the ability to know if your phone is infected with commercial spyware. And the rate is much higher than the prevailing narrative.”

[starqueensthings]

Dork Love: Part Three

Summary: Tech returns to Coruscant to take charge of the required repairs on the reader's electrical panel, and his anxiety is only intensified by the unexpected surprise waiting for him at your shop.

Rating/WC/POV: Teen 16+ for slight whumpage. 6161 words, 2nd POV (though this chapter follows Tech, and reader is only alluded to).

Warnings: casual conversations about anxiety, mentions of blood splatter, mentions of blood soaked objects (LOL this one took me down a weird path).

A/N: this one was a challenge and a half, my friends, so I apologize that it’s not up to my usual standard. I just need to finish it and move on before I pluck my eyebrows off my face. But pls enjoy! LMAO. And thanks to the queen of whump herself for proof reading @staycalmandhugaclone

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Four | ao3

As if it were funneling every effort in to soothing his nerves, the weather had fashioned itself significantly more pleasant than when he last traversed this pathway; the cool drizzle falling that day managed to dampen the typically unabsorbent collar of his blacks with an irksome ease, and had lingered unpleasantly against his skin for several hours afterward. Despite now being favourably warm and dry, elongated shadows cast by the sun’s obtuse position over the mouth of the underworld was making the screen of his datapad annoyingly difficult to discern, the intermittent bouts of intense glare blinding him to the articles that he was only absentmindedly scanning, yet relentlessly fetching.

Bemused that the apex of Tech’s affection had landed itself upon a person and not a superfluous piece of technology, Hunter was insistent that he accompany his brother on today’s voyage, though the guise he’d chosen to conceal his disbelief was a weak one. The coils of wire that he had absurdly deemed “too heavy” for one man to carry, swung daintily from the crooks of their elbows with every stride, and despite having bore witness to the innumerable sleepless nights that Tech had spent meticulously studying current commercial Electrical Code, Hunter remained unwavering in his adamance that his heightened senses may prove valuable – (“what if you need me to sense where the wires are in the wall?”)

‘If only the journey to Coruscant had been for a more inconsequential reason,’ Tech found himself longing as the armoured duo departed the ship. ‘Simply a mission to seek a replacement part, or a simple separatist data decryption.’ Had this been the case, his sergeant’s company would have been welcomed and even encouraged; independent as he was, Tech rarely declined an opportunity to be accompanied by a brother, particularly so if it meant freeing the cockpit of any officious, unsupervised visitation in his absence. Today on the other hand, as his mind continued to shirk his every offer of distraction, and perpetually whirred with cyclical, desultory thoughts, he would have much preferred to make the journey solo.

As they typically did to pacify his overactive mind, his fingers danced fervently across the illuminated buttons of the device clutched tightly in his left hand, the absentminded prods and swipes of his fingers triggering a near constant pull of new, yet continuously marginalized information. Most recently ignored was a collection of graphs depicting the primary effects of seasonal climate changes on the pollination schedule of Felucia’s native flora, though more imperative to Tech in that moment, was calculating the likelihood that you would notice the droplets of engine oil still splattered across the toes of his boots; the only remnants of a night spent repairing the damage that Wreckers most recent attempt at landing the ship had caused to the Marauder’s undercarriage.

Regrettably, the poor condition of his boots was only one of several trivial misgivings. In its company was the budding dread that his lenses had dirtied themselves again despite having mastered the disinfection process, and the fear that the callouses emerging on his palms from several hours of dismantling and reassembling the hyperdrive would deter you from initiating the contact that he’d found himself near-addicted to.

But anchoring all of the other menial anxieties, was the gnawing possibility that the entirety of this adventure could be naught but a misunderstanding; those were, admittedly, frequent occurrences for Tech. The disfigurement of his genetics had rendered him largely unable to accurately identify and categorize the infinite array of human behavior, particularly when expressed by those with whom he was unfamiliar.

What if this was one of those times? What if the request that he come find you was merely a parting statement made with the sole intent of being complaisant, and not one that you intended he act on? Much to his dismay, it was a hypothesis that warranted investigation; after all, you were quite polite… and intelligent… and munificent… and welcoming… and so very becoming to him. What if the profound sense of adoration that welled inside him at only the thought of you, was not a feeling mutually shared? What if the unrelenting desire to be back in your company, with your chilled yet capable hands curled around his, was simply unreciprocated? Could all of this be yet another miscategorization of body language, and was he presently walking toward a potentially crippling rejection? And why did Hunter have to insist that he come along?

Seeking any semblance of reprieve or solace from the advice of a brother was an idea banished from his mind almost as swiftly as it presented itself, as even the most casual, off-hand comments regarding a squad mate’s possible love interest typically had Wrecker jeering so extravagantly that even droids in the immediate vicinity saw their circuits overheating under a potent, secondhand indignity.

Crosshair’s passive yet targeted quip of being to spot “dorks in love” from a mile away had caught Tech entirely off guard as the squad marched otherwise silently through the arid and brittle forest abutting a Separatist ComHub on Sullust, yet the sardonic remark, while unprovoked and initially jarring, did succeed in diminishing a portion of Tech’s uncertainty, and he clung to it as if it were a talisman against the degenerative doubt.

That was until today. With boots clunking noisily along a familiar pathway now bathed in a radiant sunlight that in no way mirrored the turbulence in his mind, his every step toward the bright, yellow door of his emotional demise saw the protection of his brother’s sentiment almost entirely stripped of its integrity.

Tech swallowed heavily, stumbling over the fragmented motions of his feet, the fluidity of their typically athletic movements interrupted by the sudden and irrepressible urge to try and remove the oil from the toe of his left boot with the back of his right pant leg. Hunter, nostrils flared against the onslaught of foreign underworld aromas, remained tactfully blind to the uncharacteristic stumble on his right, only concealing the first signs of a smirk by shifting the coil of wire from the crook of his elbow to the ridge of his shoulder bell, and offering the tip of his nose an absentminded scratch.

“You, uh… excited?” the sergeant probed, waiting until the pair had fallen back into a casual cadence to cast an inquisitive glance toward his brother.

“I am most eager to begin the installation, yes,” Tech answered smartly, his response somehow void of the apprehension currently plaguing his thoughts. “I suspect this to be a multi-faceted problem requiring an equally detailed and well-planned solution. The existing circuitry was designed to house breakers of a 15-amperage allotment, and was thus outfitted with 14-gauge wiring throughout. The previous owner was, regrettably, an amateur in the field of electrical requirements and failed to investigate the symbiotic correlation of breaker-to-wiring before interchanging several breakers, thus rendering the preexisting wires incapable of transporting the increased charge and escalating the likelihood of an electrical fire. A complete overhaul of the electrical panel, including all new breakers of the correct specifications, paired with a 10-gauge wire that appropriately fulfills the demand of several different amperage allotments, would serve the in building’s best interests. Additionally, I will need to determine which of the machinery have a load requirement exceeding that of the common 20 amperages. I suspect both the generator and the lens polisher will both require a replacement breaker with a higher allotment, which may, in turn, require me to reconfigure neighbouring breaker requirements to accommoda—”

“That’s not what I was asking,” Hunter interrupted, the vocoder in his helmet failing to smother the exasperation that wreathed his words. “And I think you know that.”

Offering only a guilty glance toward his sergeant, Tech pursed his lips and refocused his gaze upon his datapad. All too aware of the heat surging to his cheeks, and the failure of his helmet to completely veil its presence from the attuned senses of his brother, he maintained a contemplative silence while earnestly scrolling back to the beginning of the article he’d been thoughtlessly skimming (an abstract on the ‘Primitive Parasocial Behavior Patterns of the Felucian Flying Manta’, a species they were likely to encounter during their next mission).

“You know, you don’t need to deflect, Tech.” Hunter finished the assertion by pulling his helmet from his head and shaking his long locks from his shoulders, an absentminded smile peeling across his lips as the radiant sunlight warmed his tattooed features. “I’ve been in your shoes before… I can help you sort out your feelings if you want.”

The gentle, yet, surveying gaze that his sergeant turned toward him while a discomfited silence expanded the space between them saw Tech nearly flinching; not entirely prepared to respond to his brother’s request for vulnerability, he inculpably reattuned his attention to his hands.

“The Felucian Flying Manta bears the ‘Repatavian’ genus, unlike its fellow Manta counterparts with the Reptaquatic subclassification, though socially maintains a similar hierarchy—” he read futilely for the ninth time. “—A lone alpha maintains a symbiotic and systematic breeding schedule with the females of the colony, and remains largely unchallenged for his position as protector and genetic contributor. Rival males must only challenge the alpha for authority during that of a waning gibbous moon, when shifts in the atmospheric currents bring forth—”

“Or… we don’t have to talk about it at all,” Hunter continued with a small shrug, noting both the redoubled avoidance and the subsequent microshift in Tech’s posture. “That’s cool too, but don’t feel like you need to suffer in silence. You know that I’m here for you.”

The likelihood of retaining any imperative information about the flying Manta continued to reduce at a rate that nearly matched the dwindling of Tech’s confidence; the source material slipping from the clutches of his mind as if both the memory of you (and the remnant oil on his boots) were expropriating any and all available cranial space.

Despite his sergeant’s head swiveling about next to him, eagerly taking in the domestic sights of the under-city and offering respectful nods to passing pedestrians, Tech could spare no consideration for the surroundings attempting to permeate his attention. It was likely that they’d already passed the seamstress’ shop that he knew to be only a dozen doors from yours, its impeccably maintained windows exposing the myriad of wealthy politicians pompously designing their senatorial wardrobe from scratch. And if that were true, then surely the cobbler’s shop would be approaching imminently, its windows nearly opaque under the duress of a hundred exuberantly colourful signs, all iterating the implausible claim that Mr. Purble’s shoe repairs were “out of this world!” Yet… despite the dwindling proximity, he still could not summon the resolve to lift his gaze and watch that jubilant yellow door draw nearer.

Tech cleared his throat quietly, nudging his goggles further against his brow in a motion as soothing as it was unnecessary, as he’d long since modified the bridge of his helmet to keep them securely in place on his nose. With time continuing to betray him, now seemed an appropriate opportunity as ever to seek a moment of private counsel.

“I… I am not sure how to quantify the nature of my feelings,” he admitted with a sigh, conceding to Hunter’s periodic glances of encouragement. “I am undeniably excited to be returning, as I have been anticipating this reunion for several weeks, yet I am unreasonably apprehensive. I fear that I may have misconstrued the entirety of this situation and am walking toward an… ignominious encounter.”

Hunter’s sharp eyes softened under the admission, lips momentarily compressing into an empathetic grimace before offering his reply. “I’d argue that’s a pretty normal emotional reaction,” he acknowledged with a reassuring nod, “though even normal is a spectrum from person to person. And some degree of insecurity is to be expected in a situation like this, especially when we’ve placed a high value on someone else’s opinion of us. But your actions speak volumes about how you feel if you take a step back and look at logically: for one, I couldn’t tell you the last time you put your datapad down and forgot about it, let alone for hours and immediately before a mission. That’s gotta mean something, right?”

A moment’s hesitation stilled Tech’s response on his tongue, his eyes narrowing against the embarrassment of his previous, neglectful mistake. Discarding both his datapad and the com system on his gauntlet had been a highly irresponsible oversight, but the hours hidden away in the blissful seclusion of your workshop had seen him too enraptured by your capabilities and intelligence to spare his squad even a transient thought.

“I suppose that is accurate,” he beseeched, apologetically glancing downward to the aforementioned device still encircled by his hands.

“And I have a scar on my wrist from the last time that I tried to touch your goggles. From the few details that you’ve agreed to share, you seem to have no issue letting this mysterious ‘labcoat’ completely dismantle them. Surely, that means something too?”

“Well… yes. Yes, I would agree.” He barely managed to get the words past his lips before they began to curl into a reminiscent smile; the petrification that had coursed through his veins upon hearing the audible snap of his lens unceremoniously snapped out of his goggles, now only a comical memory.

“And you tried every trick in your arsenal to keep me from joining you today,” the sergeant continued with an amused scoff. “So there is obviously an element of confidence here that you’re just overlooking in the shadow of nerves. Seems to me that you really like this person. As far as if the feelings are reciprocated or not? There’s no way of knowing until it plays out, but show me a person that holds hands with a stranger platonically and I’ll eat my fucking boots.”

A chuckle that perfectly matched the hoarse nature of his smoky voice, left lips now smirking under his feeble attempt at humour. “And speaking of boots,” he continued, the smile slipping from his features and replaced with the ghost of a mildly disgusted grimace. “You should have thought about giving yours a quick wipe before we lef— Tech?”

But the sage advice had utterly dissipated into that moment’s soft gust of summer wind; frozen mid step on the pathway, Tech had fallen long out of stride with his brother, the response stolen off his tongue by the peculiar and devastating sight that had finally torn his attention from his hands.

The vibrant entryway that he’d deliberately forestalled seeing was, quite frankly, nowhere near as welcoming as he’d remembered it to be, the joy of its vibrant colour almost entirely negated by a new and… obtrusive… addition.

A perplexity as dense as the furrow in his brow triggered those magnified eyes to fervently dart across the unexpected dereliction in front of him, and a prickle unrelated to the blissful daydream of which he’d just been yanked quickly raised the fine hairs along the back of his neck.

Hunter reappeared at his elbow a moment later, his posture quickly moving to mirror that of his brother with bewilderment knitting his brows, and his head tipping delicately toward one shoulder. “Is this the place?” he asked Tech, his query dripping in skepticism.

“Yes.” A solitary word was all that Tech could formulate, the shambolic disrepair having entirely robbed him of both breath and understanding, his mind whirring near frantically as he tried to make sense of the unheralded situation.

Almost every inch of glass had been opacified; the oversized windows spanning the entirety of the storefront, now completely obscured by the adherence of several, nondescript wood panels affixed into place from the interior of the store. They’d been hung somewhat impetuously; this was apparent on first glance with the lopsided positioning and the subsequent gaps created between panels intensifying the appearance of arrant abandonment. The smaller window inset into the entry door appeared to have been treated similarly, but it was the barrier hung hastily behind its panes that had seized Tech’s attention and refused to free it.

An untidy, scrawling note had been imprudently scrawled across the wood, the dark ink of each letter seeping into the surrounding fibers and ominously distorting the redundant message.

“Temporarily Closed.”

His lips wrapped their way around the pairing of words though no sound left them, his throat bobbing under the duress of a heavy swallow as his heart slipped unsettlingly from his chest to his stomach.

“Looks, er… welcoming…” Hunter chirruped from Tech’s left side, removing the thick loop of wire from his shoulder and tossing it unceremoniously to the ground at his feet.

Tech remained deaf to everything except the trepidation still tickling the hair on his neck. Even the dull ache radiating from his elbow as the joint began to mutiny against the prolonged oppression of its freight was rebuffed, disappointment and a puzzling sense of foreboding fighting for position at the forefront of his mind.

He stepped over Hunter’s abandoned cargo, deftly stowing his datapad away into its respective pouch as he neared the door. “Temporarily closed,” he repeated to himself, as if the act of voicing the phrase might provide some semblance of the understanding that he just couldn’t seem to excogitate.

‘This is highly nonsensical.’ The thought flashed like a warning across his mind as he cautiously pressed a palm to the glass. It was unsurprisingly warm to the touch, the heat of the sun trapped between the glass and the wood panel on its other side, radiating easily through the pliant yet protective Kevlar of his gloves; a sensation that entirely juxtaposed the blossoming dread prickling his skin.

“Safe to assume this isn’t what you expected?” Hunter mused, the soft chortle that encapsulated his words exposing his equanimity, but something sinister had caught Tech’s eye as he tipped his head back and reread the sloppy message. A smattering of red dots, soaked deeply into the fibers of the wood below the scrawling penmanship that he did not recognize to be yours…

Something near a gasp left his lips as he yanked his hand from the window, quickly jerking the wire from his arm and hurrying to engage the mechanical visor on his helmet. Hunter continued to mutter queries over his shoulder, but Tech remained incognizant to it all, too intent on initiating a scan of the liquid that he was praying he’d misidentified upon first glance.

“Sanguination: POSITIVE.” flashed devastatingly across his vision. “Origin: HUMAN- HS.”

“I… I do not like the looks of this.” He pushed the visor up and out of his line of sight, the presumption spoken lowly, and saturated in a sense of foreboding that could not be immediately rationalized.

“Talk to me, Tech,” Hunter probed, knotting his arms semi-impatiently over his chest. “What am I looking at? Other than a sign that looks like someone wrote it with their kriffing toes…”

“There… there are several things amiss,” Tech muttered unhelpfully, wrenching his gaze from the carnage only long enough to tug his helmet from his head and lower it sightlessly to the ground beside the abandoned wire. “I cannot make sense of this.”

“Sense of what, exactly?” Hunter urged through another infuriating chuckle.

But all desire to answer his brother had dissipated, its urgency overtaken by the dread surging through his veins and pounding heavily in his ears. He turned his attention toward the window on his right, eyeing the linear gap between the frayed edge of the wood board and the window frame. Desperate for a clue as to why there would be blood splattered ominously across a barrier hung where it shouldn’t be, he jammed his eye to the glass; the audible clunk of his goggles hitting the window went completely ignored, his attention funneled blindly toward only that which would provide him even an inkling of plausible reasoning. But the opacification of the boards had rendered the inside of the shop completely enshadowed, and the only detectable movement in the dim was the soft cycling orange glow of the sleep light on your computer monitor.

He affixed his gaze to it determinedly, squinting his eyes to near-closed in an effort to focus on anything in the area that its glow may illuminate, but the same irksome glare that had rendered the screen of his datapad nearly indiscernible minutes previously continued to rob his eyes of the clarity that he desperately sought, and while the cupping of his hands around his face helped marginally, he was soon wincing against the pain of his goggles digging forcefully into the side of his nose as he pressed his eyes ever further against the rigid glass.

“Anything?” Hunter probed curiously.

“No,” Tech lamented, shifting his feet below him to further alter his vantage. “It is too dark to differentiate anything.”

“Well, here…” the sergeant chuckled. “Here, Tech… Tech!… Maker, will you just take the damn flashlight?”

Tech permitted his gaze to depart the shadows for only long enough to snatch the offering from his brother’s outstretched hand, igniting it with a deft flick of the switch and aiming at as precisely as he could through the infuriatingly small gap, but the presence of any obvious clues remained shrouded in darkness… evading him, and every panicked exhale accumulating like a cloud on the glass in front of him, saw the simmering panic in his chest continue to boil until even the innate act of swallowing became a challenge.

“Well… I don’t sense anything weird,” Hunter offered, his voice perfectly pairing the phlegmatic way he stepped backward and looked casually toward the direction they’d come from. “I thought I could smell blaster fire a few minutes ago, but it might have been that pair of shifty looking Rodian’s we passed. And, if I’m being honest, it’s hard to smell anything over the rank trash scattered everywhere in his hell of a hole-in-the-ground. How does anyone even bre—”

“There is a mug,” Tech interrupted gravely, his gauntlet clunking against the glass as he impatiently moved to wipe away the condensation collecting in his line of sight again.

“A what?” Hunter chirruped, cocking an eyebrow.

“A mug,” Tech repeated, stepping away from the window and pointing uselessly at the gap he’d been peering through. “On the counter nearest to us. During my last visit, the sullied dishes had been collected and arranged in the sink in preparation for washing. I– I cannot fathom that someone partaking in a planned, prolonged absence would abandon dishes to garner bacteria.”

But those lips, pressed thin with worry, relaxed only long enough to shift into an indignant frown at the nature of his sergeant’s suceeding reaction; Hunter’s long hair brushing gently atop worn, painted shoulder bells as his head tipped back, and his chest heaved beneath uninhibited laughter.

“Come on, Tech,” the sergeant chuckled. “You’ve lived with Wrecker your whole life. You’ve seen how he leaves his bunk on Kamino… wrappers everywhere… used spoons hiding under his pillow… dirty socks crammed at the bottom of the bed…”

Growing increasingly inexorable, and frustrated that his brother continued to make light of a clearly ominous situation, Tech shook his head. “The Fichus is limp, Hunter,” he spoke intently, jabbing his finger toward the narrow space between wood boards.

“The what-now is limp?”

“The fichus,” he repeated unhelpfully. “The potted plant beside the computer. It appears as if it’s been severely neglected in my absence.”

“Probably,” Hunter agreed, his shoulders jerking lightly in motion of delicate frustration. “It’s dark as hell in there. It’s likely starving for sunlight.”

“Precisely.”

Tech disengaged the flashlight and held it loosely at his side, jamming his goggles back up his nose as he turned pleadingly to his brother. “That is precisely my concern, Hunter. During my last visitation, I observed several written reminders. There was every intention to ensure that all the soiled dishes were sanitized, that each of the various plants were watered, and that the electrical panel was urgently cared for. It was written in ink clearer than this foreign writing. I saw it; I kissed it.”

Hunter’s eyes shifted behind a lagging, unhurried blink, the weight of his skepticism apparent as he looked doubtfully back at the anguished hitch in his brother’s eyebrows, those large brown eyes peering at him in something near a plea behind now crooked goggles. “I don’t know, Tech,” the sergeant sighed, tightening the fold of his arms across his chest and dropping his gaze to the small pebble below his boot. “I’ll agree it’s unusual that someone would board the windows for a temporary closure, but it probably has a valid explanation. I hate to say it because you’re usually not one to jump to conclusions, but… I think you might be overreacting on this.”

“I’m going inside.”

It was not a question nor a request, and Tech didn’t spare his brother even a glance before pocketing the flashlight and stooping to collect both his helmet and the coils of wire from the pathway at his feet.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Hunter protested immediately, unknotting his arms and extending a hand to still his brother’s seemingly impulsive movements. “I can see you’re a little worried, Tech, but this isn’t a separatist stronghold. It’s a private place of business, and we can’t just break our way in and sniff around. It’s an invasion of property and privacy.”

“I familiarized myself with the locking mechanism during my last visit,” Tech answered smartly, throwing a heavy coil over each shoulder. “So nothing is required to be broken for me to gain entry, and my scanners will ensure that neither of us are required to make determinations based on the evidence gathered by the use of our respective olfactory systems.”

“Tech…”

But Hunter’s impatience was matched by only that of the man in front of him now jamming his helmet back onto his head and reengaging his visor.

“I will not cause a disturbance of any kind, I assure you,” Tech continued, dropping to a knee in front of the door and examining the keyhole with narrowed eyes. “My objective is simply to gather the evidence capable of disproving my emerging theory that a perilous, possibly life-threatening event has taken place.”

“Perilous and life threatening?” Hunter repeated after an indignant scoff left his lips. “What in Maker’s name do you think happened here? It’s likely this is just a planned vacation and the topic just didn’t come up in conversation last time. Let’s just take a deep breath and head back to the ship for now. If everything goes to plan on Felucia, we can stop back here on the way to Kaliida Sho—”

“Hunter,” Tech interrupted, pivoting on a knee to look upward at his brother. “My feelings on this are clear and unclouded. I– I feel an admittedly unprecedented yet intense sense of unease, and I am confident neither will subside until I am able to disprove my suspicions. Several aspects of the present situation do not stand to reason. Our final conversation, while frenzied by the urgency of my departure, left me with the premise that I was to return here at my earliest convenience. There is no mistaking the task list that I observed: ‘wash mugs, water plants, call electrician.’ And– and my scanner indicates that there is substantial sanguineous residue embedded into that sign. I suspect the source of the blood is inside, so I must go in and investig—”

“Okay okay okay,” Hunter appeased, his dark eyes thankfully beginning to soften again as he acceded to his brother’s concern. “I don’t necessarily understand your fear, but it’s very unlike you to lose your cool so I’ll heed your curiousity. But make it quick; this walkway is a little too crowded for my liking and we’re already turning heads by loitering.”

Anything even resembling an argumentative retaliation didn’t dare depart Tech’s tongue, the risk of Hunter redacting his already precariously offered blessing was simply too probable, and this was too important. It was imperative that he gain entry.

“I’ll go up top and keep a lookout,” Hunter continued, gesturing with a nod to the roofline above them. “Poke around, but don't linger. Can you get in there without making a mess?”

“Well, of course I can,” Tech answered immediately. “The door is equipped with a primitive deadbolt system; one easily disengaged with the right leverage of a micro tool similar to that of—”

“Okay, do it.” Hunter waved away the unnecessarily lengthy explanation, impatience and regret beginning to ghost across his features. “If you’re interrupted for whatever reason, Plan-11.”

Tech signaled his understanding with an appreciative nod and a heavy swallow, returning his attention to the door while Hunter’s heavy footsteps vanished amongst the crowd of passing children, their raucous screeches and laughter echoing tauntingly into Tech’s ears.

His composure began to dwindle, adrenaline inciting a tremble in his fingers as he retrieved the soldering needle from his belt, sitting back on his heel to reevaluate the best method for a clean and concise entry. Overriding a lock system with his datapad was child’s play, but manually disengaging a deadbolt was not something he practiced regularly. After a deliberative pause, he jabbed the fine tip into the keyhole and began to methodically maneuver it around. With ears attuned for the nearly inaudible clicks that would affirm his success, he redirected his efforts into preventing the simmering panic from permitting his mind to wander; concerns for what potentially lay on the other side of the door pulling droplets of sweat to his furrowed brow. Fear was not a commonplace emotion for soldiers, particularly not for a squad of enhanced commando’s with a 100% mission success rate, but fear for the safety of someone else… a civilian… was both a foreign and a potent feeling, and not one that he was eager to reexperience.

The deadbolt released with a click audible enough to warrant Tech quickly glancing over his shoulder for prying eyes. When satisfied that he hadn’t garnered any unwanted attention, he quickly turned the handle and pushed the door ajar. Long stagnant dust particles danced about in the beam of stark luminescence as the disturbance imbued them with new life, yet Tech observed them for only moments before hurriedly shutting the door behind him; he could not risk a pedestrian risking the open door as an invitation to enter.

He reactivated the borrowed flashlight, his eyes hungrily following the beam as it darted toward the darkened corners. Was it worth calling for you? Making his presence known before clearing the area of perpetrators seemed a foolhardy action given your obvious incapacitation, but his frantic need to establish any semblance of your safety, paired with Hunter’s request for efficiency, demanded that he at least try. The echoing silence in response to his call only succeeded in inflating the now undeniable dread sending his blood pounding heavily through his veins.

He engaged the visor over his eyes again, ignoring the strobing alert in the upper corner warning him of his increased heart rate, and directed both the beam of light and his line of sight toward the floor beneath his boots. Despite having anticipated its presence, the blood splattered amongst the floorboards threatened to tear the breath from his lungs.

Sporadically smattered like a trail of morbid breadcrumbs, he followed the droplets into the open space of your shop, peering around in the oppressive darkness. The familiar orange glow from the computer stole his attention almost immediately, and after casting a final glimpse at the gruesome implications dotted across the floor, he departed their path and made for the counter. The dilapidated ficus was offered only a fleeting glance as he passed, as was its equally dehydrated fern counterpart and the ivy trailing down the wall, their dilapidation having already been registered. No, he was more interested in the mug; the second clue.

The degradation of its contents became obvious within seconds of stepping into its proximity, yet despite the aroma of its putrefaction forcing his top lip to flatten, Tech continued toward it without hesitation. Milk had coagulated densely in the center of the unfinished liquid, and a quick activation of his scanner indicated a bacteria progression only achievable by several weeks in an undisturbed environment.

“Unusual,” he mumbled to himself, stooping to observe the sparse layer of crystallization forming around the rim where the anemic looking liquid met the white ceramic.

A sudden, booming thud against the window sent his shoulders jerking in alarm; his datapad stowed deftly into its pocket and his pistol departing its holster in the span of a blink, but the ringing laughter and jeers of the passing children outside quickly exposed the intrusion as nothing more than an inopportune distraction, and a reminder that time was of the essence.

Tech cast one last surveying look at the mold festering in its unmolested paradise before departing the area and retracing his steps back toward the droplets of blood scattered atop the floor. Like the worn footpath that his own boots had traversed during his last visit, the red blemishes formed a direct path toward the back room, scattered at near precise intervals as if a gruesomely soiled object had been dripping as its holder tread across the store, yet the macabre trail was but a walk in the park compared to the door to which it led. He stared, horrified to the point of immobility at the once glimmering gold knob that would permit his entry, its radiance hidden by a crusted, red handprint.

The grip around his pistol tightened until his hand began to tremble, yet despite its demand for absolute security, he longed to simply drop it and reach instead for his datapad, his always reliable source of information… his comfort, but too much unknown still lingered in the air; too many enshadowed spaces still to explore. A horrifyingly developing theory needed disproving if he were to be able to leave this place with his heart intact.

He dared not disturb the third clue lest it be scanned at a later time and tested for identification purposes, so an assertive kick of his boot saw the door swinging ajar, the hallway opposite as hauntingly enshadowed as the one in which he stood. A seemingly endless trail of blood lay on the floor in front of him, nearly stealing what was left of his resolve; the droplets increasing in frequency and size before diverging into a small room on the left that he knew to be the kitchenette.

His fear only intensified at the sight of another morbid handprint, this one smeared across the faucet of the sink where… in the depths of the aluminum basin, was a soiled hammer.

The threat of suffocation encompassed him as a sinister realization began to fit puzzle pieces into place, but he was robbed of the opportunity to process the additions by the chirp of his comm.

“Tech,” Hunter urged. “I think you may have a visitor inbound. Someone is hovering by the door but I can’t get a clear line of sight through the crowd.”

Plan-11: The Perceiver. Hide and observe; do not engage until you’ve established a visual on your approaching backup.

A degree of focus that only imminent danger could provide saw his jaw tensing beneath his helmet, his gaze darting from the bloody tool in the sink toward the door in which he’d just passed through. He raised his pistol, crossing one wrist over the other so that blanching beam of light may guide him back through the din.

Your workshop, the haven in which he’d mentally prepared himself to spend the next several hours in, was as dark as it was silent, and for the first time hesitation stilled his steps from exploring the the uncharacteristically lifeless space, as there were numerous shadowed corners in which further clues, or dare he think it, your body might be found.

But time had seemingly diminished, and every extended blink into the darkness was a moment wasted; a moment he needed to enact Plan-11 while he still could. He disengaged his flashlight, and a quick nudge of the door with his knee saw him reentering the retail space, his eyes immediately darting around to search for any semblance of cover; somewhere he could stoop and watch until Hunter appeared in the doorway to flank the intruder, but his moment of hesitation had cost him.

Poised to welcome the perpetrator who’d likely come to clean up their mess, he refused to squint against the onslaught of sunlight as the door creaked slowly open and exposed the intruder.

Final Chapter coming soon!

taglist: @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @starrylothcat @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @dystopicjumpsuit @freesia-writes @blueink-bluesoul @littlemissmanga @523rdrebel @wings-and-beskar @sunshinesdaydream @clonemedickix @drafthorsemath @jediknightjana

**if you are on my taglist but were not tagged, it's because you indicated whump is a no for you**

[almondenterprise]

Best Practices for Safe and Efficient LV Electrical Installations in 2025

Introduction

Low Voltage (LV) electrical installations are the backbone of safe and reliable power distribution in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. In 2025, as energy demands rise and smart technologies evolve, following best practices in LV installations is more important than ever to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance.

This blog outlines the latest best practices for designing, installing, and maintaining LV electrical systems according to international standards and industry trends.

What Is an LV Electrical Installation?

LV (Low Voltage) refers to electrical systems that operate at voltages up to 1000V AC or 1500V DC. These installations include:

· Electrical panels and switchboards

· Distribution circuits

· Lighting systems

· Sockets and fixed appliances

· Motor control systems

Proper LV installation ensures that power is distributed safely and efficiently without risk of fire, equipment failure, or personnel injury.

Why Best Practices Matter in 2025

In the age of smart buildings, renewable integration, and digital energy management, the quality of your LV installation affects:

· Operational reliability

· Energy efficiency

· System lifespan

· User safety

· Regulatory compliance

Failing to adhere to best practices can result in costly downtime, legal penalties, and even life-threatening hazards.

Top Best Practices for Safe and Efficient LV Electrical Installations

1. Conduct Detailed Load Analysis

Before starting any LV installation, carry out a comprehensive load assessment to determine the power requirements, load types, and future expansion needs. This ensures:

· Proper cable sizing

· Correct protection device selection

· Optimized system capacity

Use load flow software tools and factor in diversity and demand coefficients for accuracy.

2. Follow International Standards (IEC, NEC)

Compliance with recognized standards ensures installations meet safety and performance benchmarks. Key references include:

· IEC 60364 for LV electrical installations

· NEC (NFPA 70) for code-compliant wiring in the U.S.

· ISO 50001 for energy management integration

Also, refer to local electrical regulations where applicable.

3. Use Certified, High-Quality Components

Always use LV components from certified manufacturers — this includes:

· Circuit breakers (MCCBs/MCBs)

· Residual current devices (RCDs)

· Surge protection devices (SPDs)

· Busbars, cables, and enclosures

Poor-quality components may not withstand fault conditions, leading to short circuits, fires, or system failure.

4. Ensure Proper Cable Management and Sizing

Correct cable selection and layout are critical:

· Size cables based on current capacity, voltage drop, and ambient temperature

· Use LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) cables for fire safety

· Label and route cables cleanly using trays, ducts, and tie-downs

Improper cable management is a leading cause of overheating and system inefficiency.

5. Install Proper Earthing and Grounding Systems

An effective earthing system protects against:

· Electric shock

· Equipment damage

· Lightning surges

Use TT, TN, or IT systems as per the application and ensure resistance values are within acceptable limits (e.g., <1 ohm for sensitive equipment).

6. Use Protection Coordination and Selectivity

Install protective devices in a coordinated hierarchy to ensure:

· Quick isolation of faults

· Minimal disruption to unaffected areas

· Avoidance of cascading tripping

Selectivity between breakers and fuses enhances safety and ensures continuity of service.

7. Integrate Smart Monitoring and Control

Modern LV installations benefit from IoT-enabled devices and energy monitoring software. This helps with:

· Real-time energy usage tracking

· Predictive maintenance alerts

· Power quality monitoring

· Remote switching and control

Smart LV systems are increasingly used in data centers, green buildings, and industrial automation setups.

8. Conduct Periodic Testing and Maintenance

Post-installation, regular inspection and testing ensure sustained safety and performance. Best practices include:

· Thermal imaging to detect overheating

· Insulation resistance testing

· RCD trip time checks

· Earth loop impedance measurement

Document all tests and create a preventive maintenance schedule based on manufacturer recommendations and operating conditions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

· Overloading circuits without upgrading breakers

· Skipping grounding in temporary setups

· Using outdated wiring diagrams

· Mixing incompatible components

· Neglecting ventilation in panel enclosures

Conclusion

Safe and efficient LV electrical installations in 2025 require more than just technical knowledge — they demand a proactive approach that combines regulatory compliance, technology integration, and quality workmanship. By following these best practices, contractors and facility managers can minimize risks, optimize performance, and build future-ready electrical systems.

Whether you’re designing a commercial building, upgrading an industrial site, or installing a smart home system, investing in safe LV practices today is the smartest move for tomorrow.

Connect With Us

Whether you’re a project engineer, contractor, facility manager, or developer — Almond Enterprise is ready to support your next electrical challenge with confidence and capability.

🔗 Visit: www.almondenterprise.com 📞 Contact: sales.almond@almondenterprise.com | +974 33858416

[daleeltrading]

Low Voltage Switchgear for Commercial Buildings: Key Requirements, Standards, and Best Practices

In the construction and modernization of commercial buildings, low voltage switchgear plays a critical role in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient power distribution. From office complexes and retail malls to hospitals and data centers, these buildings rely on robust electrical infrastructure — and low voltage switchgear is the backbone of that system.

Whether you’re an electrical panel manufacturer, a building contractor, or a facility manager, understanding the key requirements for selecting and integrating LV switchgear in commercial buildings is essential.

What Is Low Voltage Switchgear?

Low voltage switchgear is an assembly of electrical devices designed to control, protect, and isolate electrical circuits under 1,000V AC. It typically includes:

· Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs)

· Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs)

· Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs)

· Contactors and Relays

· Busbars

· Metering and Protection Devices

Why LV Switchgear Is Critical in Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings demand:

· Continuous power availability

· High energy efficiency

· Electrical safety for occupants

· Scalability for future expansion

Low voltage switchgear delivers:

· Protection against overloads and short circuits

· Isolation for maintenance and fault conditions

· Load management for energy optimization

· Monitoring via smart metering and IoT integration

Key Requirements for LV Switchgear in Commercial Applications

Safety & Protection Standards

Must comply with IEC 61439 or UL 891 depending on the region

Must include overcurrent, short-circuit, and earth fault protection

Arc flash safety features (like arc fault containment) are crucial in populated buildings

2. Compact Footprint and Modular Design

Space is often limited in commercial utility rooms. LV switchgear should be:

Compact to fit tight electrical rooms

Modular for easy expansion as building loads increase

3. Smart Metering and Monitoring

Today’s commercial buildings demand energy-efficient and intelligent systems. Choose LV switchgear with:

Integrated smart meters

IoT-based energy monitoring

Remote control via BMS (Building Management Systems)

4. High Service Continuity (Form Segregation)

To ensure maintenance without full shutdowns, opt for:

Form 3b or Form 4b segregation

Withdrawable ACBs or MCCBs

Dual incomer and bus coupler arrangements for redundancy

5. Scalability and Flexibility

Commercial facilities evolve. Your switchgear must too:

Allow for load expansion

Be compatible with renewable sources (like solar panels)

Support future retrofits and upgrades

Standards to Follow

Ensure LV switchgear in commercial buildings is compliant with:

IEC 61439–1/2 — General and Power Switchgear Assemblies

UL 891 — US Standard for Dead-Front Switchboards

NEC (National Electrical Code) or local building codes

Also factor in:

Ingress Protection (IP Ratings) — IP54/IP65 for dusty or humid environments

Short Circuit Withstand Ratings — Ensure it matches building fault levels

Best Practices for Installation in Commercial Building

Centralize the switchgear for easy maintenance and reduced cable runs

Provide ample ventilation or forced cooling

Use color-coded wiring for clear identification

Ensure emergency shutdown mechanisms are accessible

Document the system with single-line diagrams and load calculations

Applications in Commercial Buildings

Office Buildings: Smart load shedding and energy metering

Hospitals: Redundant systems for life safety

Data Centers: N+1 configurations and continuous monitoring

Malls & Retail: Segmented load distribution for different zones

Hotels: Backup and emergency panel integration

Choosing the Right LV Switchgear Partner

Look for a supplier who provides

Customized switchgear assemblies

Fast lead times and local support

Engineering assistance for layout and specs

Pre-tested or type-tested assemblies

Future Trends in Commercial LV Switchgear

Digitization & predictive maintenance

Energy-efficient, low-loss designs

AI-assisted load forecasting

SF6-free eco-friendly designs

Need Help Choosing LV Switchgear for Your Next Commercial Project?

At Daleel Trading, we supply certified, compact, and smart low voltage switchgear solutions tailored for commercial buildings. Whether it’s a small retail site or a multi-floor office tower, we deliver performance, compliance, and reliability — on time.

👉 Contact us today for a quote, a technical consultation, or a custom panel solution.

[altaqwaelectric]

From Design to Deployment: How Switchgear Systems Are Built

In the modern world of electrical engineering, switchgear systems play a critical role in ensuring the safe distribution and control of electrical power. From substations and factories to commercial buildings and critical infrastructure, switchgear is the silent guardian that protects equipment, ensures safety, and minimizes power failures.

But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes, from the idea to the actual installation? Let’s dive into the full journey — from design to deployment — of how a switchgear system is built.

Step 1: Requirement Analysis and Load Study

Every switchgear project begins with requirement analysis. This includes:

Understanding the electrical load requirements

Calculating voltage levels, short-circuit ratings, and operating current

Identifying environmental conditions: indoor, outdoor, temperature, humidity

Reviewing applicable industry standards like IEC, ANSI, or DEWA regulations (especially in UAE)

This stage helps engineers determine whether the project needs low voltage (LV), medium voltage (MV), or high voltage (HV) switchgear.

Step 2: Conceptual Design & Engineering

Once the requirements are clear, the conceptual design begins.

Selection of switchgear type (air insulated, gas insulated, metal-enclosed, metal-clad, etc.)

Deciding on protection devices: MCCBs, ACBs, relays, CTs, VTs, and fuses

Creating single-line diagrams (SLDs) and layout drawings

Choosing the busbar material (copper or aluminum), insulation type, and earthing arrangements

Software like AutoCAD, EPLAN, and ETAP are commonly used for precise engineering drawings and simulations.

Step 3: Manufacturing & Fabrication

This is where the physical structure comes to life.

Sheet metal is cut, punched, and bent to form the panel enclosures

Powder coating or galvanizing is done for corrosion protection

Assembly of circuit breakers, contactors, protection relays, meters, etc.

Internal wiring is installed according to the schematic

Every switchgear panel is built with precision and must undergo quality control checks at each stage.

Step 4: Factory Testing (FAT)

Before deployment, every switchgear unit undergoes Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to ensure it meets technical and safety standards.

Typical FAT includes:

High-voltage insulation testing

Continuity and phase sequence testing

Functionality check of all protection relays and interlocks

Mechanical operations of breakers and switches

Thermal imaging to detect hotspots

Only after passing FAT, the switchgear is cleared for shipping.

Step 5: Transportation & Site Installation

Transportation must be handled with care to avoid damage to components. At the site:

Panels are unloaded and moved to their final location

Cabling and bus duct connections are established

Earthing systems are connected

Environmental sealing is done if installed outdoors or in dusty environments

Step 6: Commissioning & Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)

This final stage ensures the switchgear is ready for live operation.

Final checks and Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) are performed

System integration is tested with other components like transformers, UPS, and generators

Load tests and trial runs are conducted

Commissioning report is generated, and documentation is handed over to the client

Conclusion

From idea to execution, the journey of building a switchgear system is highly technical, safety-driven, and precision-based. Whether you’re in power generation, industrial automation, or commercial construction, understanding this process ensures you choose the right system for your needs.

[bryantselectricalltd]

Emergency Electrical Solutions for Businesses: Be Prepared for Power Failures

A power failure can severely impact business operations, causing downtime, revenue loss, and safety risks. Having a plan in place for electrical emergencies is crucial for minimizing disruptions. Hiring a reliable emergency electrician in Red Deer ensures quick response times and professional solutions to restore power safely. Businesses must be proactive in addressing electrical risks to maintain continuity and protect assets.

Common Causes of Business Power Failures

Understanding the causes of power failures helps businesses prepare for emergencies and reduce risks. The most common causes include:

1. Weather-Related Issues

Storms, heavy winds, and lightning strikes can damage power lines and transformers, leading to outages. Businesses should invest in surge protectors and backup power systems to mitigate the impact of weather-related disruptions.

2. Electrical Overloads

Using too many high-power devices simultaneously can overload circuits, causing tripped breakers or equipment failures. Upgrading electrical panels and distributing loads effectively can prevent overload issues.

3. Faulty Wiring and Aging Infrastructure

Old or poorly maintained wiring increases the risk of short circuits, overheating, and fire hazards. Regular inspections by professional electricians help identify and replace outdated electrical components.

4. Utility Failures

Grid failures or transformer issues from the utility provider can lead to unexpected power outages. Businesses should have contingency plans in place, such as backup generators and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

5. Equipment Malfunctions

Power surges, faulty electrical components, or system failures can disrupt operations. Routine maintenance and surge protection systems help reduce the risk of equipment-related power failures.

The Importance of Emergency Electrical Solutions

Power failures can be costly and dangerous for businesses. Implementing emergency electrical solutions ensures:

Minimal Downtime — Quick restoration of power to prevent business interruptions.

Employee and Customer Safety — Reduces risks associated with sudden outages and electrical hazards.

Protection of Equipment — Prevents damage to sensitive electrical systems and machinery.

Regulatory Compliance — Meets safety codes and business continuity requirements.

Best Practices for Emergency Electrical Preparedness

1. Backup Power Systems

Investing in generators or UPS systems provides an immediate power source during outages. These solutions help maintain essential operations, such as lighting, security systems, and IT infrastructure.

2. Regular Electrical Inspections

Routine inspections by licensed electricians ensure that wiring, panels, and backup systems are functioning properly. Preventative maintenance helps identify and fix potential issues before they cause major failures.

3. Emergency Lighting Systems

Installing emergency lighting ensures visibility and safety during power failures. Exit signs, stairway lighting, and battery-operated lights help guide employees and customers to safety.

4. Surge Protection Devices

Power surges can damage expensive equipment and disrupt business operations. Surge protectors and voltage regulators help prevent damage caused by sudden electrical spikes.

5. Employee Training on Electrical Safety

Educating employees on power failure protocols ensures a quick and organized response. Training should cover:

Locating and operating emergency shutoffs.

Safe evacuation procedures.

Reporting electrical hazards immediately.

Choosing the Right Emergency Electrician in Red Deer

When selecting an emergency electrician, consider the following factors:

1. Availability and Response Time

A reliable emergency electrician offers 24/7 services to handle urgent electrical issues promptly. Fast response times reduce downtime and restore operations quickly.

2. Experience with Commercial Electrical Systems

Businesses require electricians who specialize in commercial electrical systems, including:

High-voltage installations

Industrial machinery wiring

Energy-efficient upgrades

3. Licensing and Certifications

Ensure the electrician is fully licensed and certified to operate in Red Deer. Compliance with local electrical codes guarantees safe and professional repairs.

4. Positive Reviews and Reputation

Checking customer testimonials and online reviews helps assess the reliability and expertise of the electrician. Look for professionals with a track record of providing efficient emergency services.

Why Choose Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. for Emergency Electrical Solutions?

Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. is a trusted provider of emergency electrical services in Red Deer. Their expert team offers:

Rapid response to power failures and electrical emergencies

Comprehensive electrical diagnostics and repairs

Installation and maintenance of backup power systems

Customized solutions for businesses of all sizes

With a commitment to safety, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. ensures that businesses remain operational during electrical emergencies.

Conclusion

Power failures can disrupt business operations and create serious safety risks. By implementing proactive emergency electrical solutions, businesses can minimize downtime and protect employees and equipment. Partnering with a reliable commercial electrician in Red Deer, like Bryant’s Electrical Ltd., ensures expert electrical services for emergency repairs, maintenance, and system upgrades.

[mariacallous]

In recent years, commercial spyware has been deployed by more actors against a wider range of victims, but the prevailing narrative has still been that the malware is used in targeted attacks against an extremely small number of people. At the same time, though, it has been difficult to check devices for infection, leading individuals to navigate an ad hoc array of academic institutions and NGOs that have been on the front lines of developing forensic techniques to detect mobile spyware. On Tuesday, the mobile device security firm iVerify is publishing findings from a spyware detection feature it launched in May. Of 2,500 device scans that the company's customers elected to submit for inspection, seven revealed infections by the notorious NSO Group malware known as Pegasus.

The company’s Mobile Threat Hunting feature uses a combination of malware signature-based detection, heuristics, and machine learning to look for anomalies in iOS and Android device activity or telltale signs of spyware infection. For paying iVerify customers, the tool regularly checks devices for potential compromise. But the company also offers a free version of the feature for anyone who downloads the iVerify Basics app for $1. These users can walk through steps to generate and send a special diagnostic utility file to iVerify and receive analysis within hours. Free users can use the tool once a month. iVerify's infrastructure is built to be privacy-preserving, but to run the Mobile Threat Hunting feature, users must enter an email address so the company has a way to contact them if a scan turns up spyware—as it did in the seven recent Pegasus discoveries.

“The really fascinating thing is that the people who were targeted were not just journalists and activists, but business leaders, people running commercial enterprises, people in government positions,” says Rocky Cole, chief operating officer of iVerify and a former US National Security Agency analyst. “It looks a lot more like the targeting profile of your average piece of malware or your average APT group than it does the narrative that’s been out there that mercenary spyware is being abused to target activists. It is doing that, absolutely, but this cross section of society was surprising to find.”

Seven out of 2,500 scans may sound like a small group, especially in the somewhat self-selecting customer base of iVerify users, whether paying or free, who want to be monitoring their mobile device security at all, much less checking specifically for spyware. But the fact that the tool has already found a handful of infections at all speaks to how widely the use of spyware has proliferated around the world. Having an easy tool for diagnosing spyware compromises may well expand the picture of just how often such malware is being used.

“NSO Group sells its products exclusively to vetted US & Israel-allied intelligence and law enforcement agencies,” NSO Group spokesperson Gil Lainer told WIRED in a statement. "Our customers use these technologies daily.”

iVerify vice president of research Matthias Frielingsdorf will present the group's Pegasus findings at the Objective by the Sea security conference in Maui, Hawaii on Friday. He says that it took significant investment to develop the detection tool because mobile operating systems like Android, and particularly iOS, are more locked down than traditional desktop operating systems and don't allow monitoring software to have kernel access at the heart of the system. Cole says that the crucial insight was to use telemetry taken from as close to the kernel as possible to tune machine learning models for detection. Some spyware, like Pegasus, also has characteristic traits that make it easier to flag. In the seven detections, Mobile Threat Hunting caught Pegasus using diagnostic data, shutdown logs, and crash logs. But the challenge, Cole says, is in refining mobile monitoring tools to reduce false positives.

Developing the detection capability has already been invaluable, though. Cole says that it helped iVerify identify signs of compromise on the smartphone of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer and Sikh political activist who was the target of an alleged, foiled assassination attempt by an Indian government employee in New York City. The Mobile Threat Hunting feature also flagged suspected nation state activity on the mobile devices of two Harris-Walz campaign officials—a senior member of the campaign and an IT department member—during the presidential race.

“The age of assuming that iPhones and Android phones are safe out of the box is over,” Cole says. “The sorts of capabilities to know if your phone has spyware on it were not widespread. There were technical barriers and it was leaving a lot of people behind. Now you have the ability to know if your phone is infected with commercial spyware. And the rate is much higher than the prevailing narrative.”

[twocutlines]

the great 911 season 8 airplane analysis

disclaimer: this is just for fun! i know 911 on abc was never going to produce a perfect, error-free replica of a commercial jet aircraft, and i don't expect them to. i just like to look at and talk about planes; this was purely for my own amusement. also, i am not by any means a trained expert in this field – i did a pretty significant amount of research in an attempt to make sure i was getting things right, but there might still be mistakes, so if anything is off that is my bad.

PART 1: THE PLANE

so, what kind of a plane is it?

it is definitely modeled after an airbus. this was already pretty obvious by them referring to it as a "skytrain" (lol), but it is evident from the set as well:

the copilot is using a side-stick controller, which was pioneered by airbus with the A320 along with fly-by-wire flight control systems. to my knowledge, the only commercial jet aircraft that currently have side-stick controllers are airbus-built; boeing still uses more traditional control columns/yokes (which you can see here in a 737 max cockpit).

airbus has come out with 8 different families of passenger jets. since the first fully fly-by-wire, side-stick-controlled model was the A320, this takes the A300 and A310 out of the running. that leaves 6 possibilities: the A320, A330, A340, A350, A380, and A220 (though the A220 was not originally designed and produced by airbus so i would not consider it a serious candidate here).

as jem says at the beginning of 8x02, this is a twinjet (2 engines), so it is not an A340 or A380, which both have 4. the A380 also has two(!) full-length passenger decks and is the largest passenger aircraft in the world; this plane is not nearly big enough.

additionally, later-model airbuses, starting with the A350, have a distinctive black mask around their windscreen (below), which is pretty clearly not present here.

moving on to the cabin:

since it has two aisles, this is a wide-body aircraft (as jem also points out). that eliminates the A220 and A320, which are narrow-body/single-aisle models, so it must be either an A330 or A350.

beyond the number of aisles, the actual number and configuration of seats (this is 9-abreast/3-3-3 configuration, so 9 seats per row) does not necessarily tell us much because airlines can reconfigure seating plans, including adding/removing seats. the A350 is a bit bigger than the A330 and was originally designed for a 3-3-3 seating configuration like we see here, but 9-abreast A330s do exist (here is a page with seat maps of 9-abreast A330s operated by air transat).

back to the cockpit!

the A330 and A350 have a few differences in the design/layout of the cockpit and flight instruments, a major one being that the A350 has a third screen to the right of the flight and navigation displays (it would be roughly where the yellow arrow is pointing). this screen is absent in the A330, which has a display layout pretty much identical to what we see in the show.

here are photos of actual A330 (left) vs A350 (right) cockpits:

neither is an exact match, but the A330 cockpit is much closer.

MISCELLANEOUS GRIEVANCES/ETC:

back to this:

airbus and boeing planes have different windscreen designs, which are pretty distinctive once you start looking for them. you can see some of the general differences here (with airbus in back and boeing in front):

some airbus models, such as the A350 with its funny little mask, have a different appearance, with windows that are rounded on the ends. the plane in 911 looks a lot more similar to a boeing to me, but it is blurry, so i suppose i can give them the benefit of the doubt.

however, it also doesn't have wingtip devices (you can also see an example of these in the background of the A350 mask photo), which is pretty rare for a modern commercial jet aircraft. the one major exception i can think of is the boeing 777, so with that plus the window thing, i'm guessing this model was probably generated based off a boeing 777 and not an airbus. but, you know, whatever. moving on.

the navigation and flight displays on the copilot's side (green box) are flipped (you can see the actual positions of them in the real cockpit photos above). i am not sure if this is something you can switch at will since it's a digital display, but i was not able to find any images of real A330 cockpits with the displays in this configuration.

the DCDU (blue boxes), which sends/receives electronic messages between pilots and air traffic control, is missing the buttons on the side (again, you can see them in the A330 cockpit photo above). a few other instruments seem to have been removed as well.

a chunk of the landing gear and autobrake controls have also been been removed in this shot (yellow box). however, when we see a shot of the whole cockpit again later, they seem to have come back:

the thing highlighted by the red box is a clock.

this would not be that egregious were it not for the fact that: 1. they specifically chose to use a close-up shot of this during the traffic alert, implying that the clock is somehow able to sense nearby aircraft; 2. it is very clearly not even part of the original instrument panel (you can see that it doesn't fit into the slot they screwed it into and a button on the top right is fully blocked by the instrument panel); and 3. i am less confident about this, but i'm fairly convinced that this is a boeing instrument, not from an airbus, which tend to have clocks that look more like this. here is a video that goes into more detail about the clocks on boeing and airbus aircraft if you are curious.

i am harping on this issue so much because of point #2 – they had to actively go out of their way to do this. i don't understand it at all. there are, as i will get into in the next section, far easier (and more accurate!) ways to convey the traffic alert, but instead there is a shot of a clock that isn't even from the same airplane. fascinating stuff.

next up is the actual collision/accident itself!

[shantanusontakke]

In today's world, safety is paramount, especially when it comes to fire hazards. Fire alarm detection systems play a crucial role in safeguarding lives and property. This blog explores the various components, types, and importance of these systems.

What is a Fire Alarm Detection System?

A fire alarm detection system is designed to detect and alert occupants of a building to the presence of smoke, fire, or other hazards. These systems can vary in complexity, ranging from simple smoke detectors to sophisticated integrated systems that monitor multiple buildings.

Key Components of Fire Alarm Systems

1. Smoke Detectors: These devices sense smoke as an indicator of fire. There are two primary types:

- Ionization Detectors: More responsive to flaming fires.

- Photoelectric Detectors: Better at detecting smoldering fires.

2. Heat Detectors: These activate when a specific temperature is reached or when there’s a rapid increase in temperature.

3. Manual Pull Stations: Located throughout buildings, these allow individuals to manually signal an alarm in the event of a fire.

4. Alarm Notification Devices: This includes horns, bells, and strobe lights that alert occupants of the danger.

5. Control Panel: The brain of the system, it receives signals from detectors and activates alarms and notifications.

6. Fire Suppression Systems: Some systems integrate fire suppression technologies, such as sprinklers, to control or extinguish fires automatically.

Types of Fire Alarm Detection Systems

1. Conventional Systems: These are typically used in smaller buildings. They group detectors into zones, making it easy to locate the source of the alarm.

2. Addressable Systems: More advanced, these systems provide specific information about the location of the alarm, allowing for quicker response times.

3. Wireless Systems: Ideal for buildings where wiring is impractical, wireless systems use radio signals to communicate between detectors and the control panel.

4. Smart Fire Alarms: Integrating with IoT technology, these systems can send alerts to smartphones, providing real-time information about fire conditions.

Importance of Fire Alarm Detection Systems

- Life Safety: The primary purpose is to alert occupants early, allowing them time to evacuate safely.

- Property Protection: Early detection can minimize damage to property and assets.

- Compliance with Regulations: Many local codes and regulations require the installation of fire alarm systems in commercial and residential buildings.

- Insurance Benefits: Having a functioning fire alarm system can lower insurance premiums and provide peace of mind.

Maintenance and Testing

Regular maintenance and testing of fire alarm systems are crucial for ensuring their functionality. This includes:

- Monthly visual inspections.

- Semi-annual testing of alarm devices.

- Annual professional inspections by certified technicians.

Conclusion

Investing in a fire alarm detection system is essential for any building. Understanding the components, types, and importance of these systems can help in making informed decisions about safety measures. Prioritizing fire safety not only protects lives but also enhances the overall security of property and assets. Remember, in a fire emergency, every second counts—early detection can make all the difference.

[techav]

It's been quite some time since I last wrote anything about A/V, despite it being my url and the reason I created this blog in the first place. But I find myself back in that world full-time these days, and the news this week is just disturbing enough to make it past the filter.

As reported by Commercial Integrator, Acuity Brands is set to purchase A/V manufacturer QSC for over $1B.

QSC has been well known for decades in the live events and performance venue A/V verticals, and over the past 15 years has made quite a name for themselves with a solid DSP-turned-control-system platform, Q-Sys.

Acuity is mostly known for lighting and lighting controls. Their proprietary nLight system has been the go-to for renovations and new construction at the last three higher education institutions I worked for.

My work in A/V and my work in IT management has often required working with building trades outside of those two. I've built A/V systems that interfaced with lighting systems. I've helped bring building automation systems online and tied them together. If it has wires, at some point I've probably been responsible for maintaining it and keeping it communicating with something else.

I have used and reverse-engineered proprietary systems. I worked with commercial products with hard-coded back-door passwords. I've supported devices where UI/UX clearly didn't even reach the level of an afterthought. I've installed devices that couldn't actually do even half of what they were advertised to do. I've integrated devices that transmitted passwords cleartext over the network.

And then I met Acuity.

I have had the misfortune of working with a few different lighting control systems that fall under the umbrella of Acuity Brands and I don't feel it's hyperbole when I say, each was worse than the last. Every technological sin imaginable I have met in the unholy abominations that Acuity Brands produces. (And if by chance you're reading this and work in some capacity with Facilities IT, for the love of god get those devices off your network)

I actually liked QSC. They made some decent products. I have CX-series amplifiers that survived decades of abuse and are still in service. Their Q-Sys platform was a joy to use in a segment that was always overly-complicated.

I did have some concerns about the direction of QSC after seeing they were outsourcing engineering and development jobs. But based on my experience with other products from Acuity Brands, I no longer have any faith in the future output of QSC. I expect we will see the brand languish from here, culminating in a scandalous CVE disclosure rivalling that from AMX in 2017.