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Message no. 1
From: One Ronin <ronin@*******.COM>
Subject: Tracing chips in cyberterminals.....
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 13:54:48 PST
According to Shadowrun canon, one of the big differences between a
cyberterminal and a cyberdeck is that the former has a sort of
tracking/ID software/firmware that lets the host/grid know who the
terminal operator is (and/or whatever other info you have to submit to
be able to purchase/operate a cyberterminal). This sounds really
farfetched, right? It's not. In fact, it's right around the corner.

http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/17478.html

Check it out.

"Life isn't a trip....it's a backwards, downhill, handcuffed, downhill
luge race."

-Ronin




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Message no. 2
From: Lehlan Decker <DeckerL@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Tracing chips in cyberterminals.....
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 16:58:58 -0500
>According to Shadowrun canon, one of the big differences
>between a cyberterminal and a cyberdeck is that the former has
>a sort of
>tracking/ID software/firmware that lets the host/grid know who
>the terminal operator is (and/or whatever other info you have to
>submit to be able to purchase/operate a cyberterminal). This
>sounds really farfetched, right? It's not. In fact, it's right around
>the corner.
>http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/17478.html

If your talking about Intel's idea to put unique serial numbers into
chips, I thought about that myself. Scary...they say today's science
fiction, is tommorow.
Whatever the case its causing an uproar, even read an article
about Arizona threatening to boycott Intel's next set of chips,
because of the privacy issue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lehlan Decker, Unix Admin (704)331-1149
deckerl@******.com Fax 378-1939
Moore & Van Allen, PLLC Pager 1-888-608-9633
Message no. 3
From: Sommers <sommers@*****.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Tracing chips in cyberterminals.....
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 17:18:58 -0500
At 04:54 PM 1/27/99 , you wrote:
>According to Shadowrun canon, one of the big differences between a
>cyberterminal and a cyberdeck is that the former has a sort of
>tracking/ID software/firmware that lets the host/grid know who the
>terminal operator is (and/or whatever other info you have to submit to
>be able to purchase/operate a cyberterminal). This sounds really
>farfetched, right? It's not. In fact, it's right around the corner.

Actually, the differnce is that the deck has an additional chip, the
masking chip, that works to cover up that trail that the legitimate user
leaves. From the rest of the article, the hackers were saying that someone
would very quickly come out with a patch to prevent the chip's signal from
being broadcast. Cook it into a piece of firmware and you have a maskin chip.

Sommers
Homepage here now!
http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~sommers/shadowrun.htm
Message no. 4
From: K in the Shadows <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tracing chips in cyberterminals.....
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 06:56:49 EST
In a message dated 1/27/1999 4:55:40 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
ronin@*******.COM writes:

> According to Shadowrun canon, one of the big differences between a
> cyberterminal and a cyberdeck is that the former has a sort of
> tracking/ID software/firmware that lets the host/grid know who the
> terminal operator is (and/or whatever other info you have to submit to
> be able to purchase/operate a cyberterminal). This sounds really
> farfetched, right? It's not. In fact, it's right around the corner.
>
Actually, that (IMO) isn't the big difference between a cyberdeck and a
cyberterminal. There are rules for "Breadboarding" in the VR2.0 IIRC. Check
those out, because to me, that is the real difference between the two.

-K
Message no. 5
From: Mongoose <m0ng005e@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Tracing chips in cyberterminals.....
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 13:36:53 -0600
:> According to Shadowrun canon, one of the big differences between a
:> cyberterminal and a cyberdeck is that the former has a sort of
:> tracking/ID software/firmware that lets the host/grid know who the
:> terminal operator is (and/or whatever other info you have to submit to
:> be able to purchase/operate a cyberterminal). This sounds really
:> farfetched, right? It's not. In fact, it's right around the corner.
:>
:Actually, that (IMO) isn't the big difference between a cyberdeck and a
:cyberterminal. There are rules for "Breadboarding" in the VR2.0 IIRC.
Check
:those out, because to me, that is the real difference between the two.


Don't tell that to the Decker character I made- his handle was "The
Baker", and his breadbox was a damn fine 'deck, not a lousy terminal. :)
(He also had a less powerful portable 'deck- same software ratings, minus
a few expensive pieces of hardware)
A cyberterminal has not masking and can not run hot (afaik- hot level
Simsense being illegal). They are basically cyberdecks without any of the
illegal components. Without masking, you need passcodes to accomplish
anything (though maybe you could let the Decker try, and assume the system
rolls ALL successes on security tests). Early street-decks were modified
terminals, but that is no longer true. I don't think you could (any
longer) make a terminal into a cyberdeck.

Mongoose
Message no. 6
From: K in the Shadows <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Tracing chips in cyberterminals.....
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 15:56:31 EST
In a message dated 1/28/1999 2:34:39 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
m0ng005e@*********.COM writes:

> Don't tell that to the Decker character I made- his handle was "The
> Baker", and his breadbox was a damn fine 'deck, not a lousy terminal. :)
> (He also had a less powerful portable 'deck- same software ratings, minus
> a few expensive pieces of hardware)

Okay, I won't, but I have to ask. How much shortening of the bread-box code
went into the pie???

> A cyberterminal has not masking and can not run hot (afaik- hot level
> Simsense being illegal). They are basically cyberdecks without any of the
> illegal components. Without masking, you need passcodes to accomplish
> anything (though maybe you could let the Decker try, and assume the system
> rolls ALL successes on security tests). Early street-decks were modified
> terminals, but that is no longer true. I don't think you could (any
> longer) make a terminal into a cyberdeck.

Actually, according to the rules in VR2.0 for such (which were not overruled
by SR3 btw), breadboarding is still an option. And, if you think about it
from the POV of cost, it is even effective. Hell, put a BBCyberdeck/terminal
into a station at a CCSS Network. Sure, the character can't really cart it
all over the place on his back (unless your a troll I guess... ;-), but it
could go into a van with a tracking satellite connection.

-K
Message no. 7
From: Mongoose <m0ng005e@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Tracing chips in cyberterminals.....
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 15:18:01 -0600
:> Don't tell that to the Decker character I made- his handle was "The
:> Baker", and his breadbox was a damn fine 'deck, not a lousy terminal.
:)
:> (He also had a less powerful portable 'deck- same software ratings,
minus
:> a few expensive pieces of hardware)
:
:Okay, I won't, but I have to ask. How much shortening of the bread-box
code
:went into the pie???

The pie could not run hot- the pie was always cold. The pie alone
against Black ICE could never hold. :)


:Actually, according to the rules in VR2.0 for such (which were not
overruled
:by SR3 btw), breadboarding is still an option. And, if you think about
it
:from the POV of cost, it is even effective. Hell, put a
BBCyberdeck/terminal
:into a station at a CCSS Network. Sure, the character can't really cart
it
:all over the place on his back (unless your a troll I guess... ;-), but
it
:could go into a van with a tracking satellite connection.
:-K

Yes, the cost saving is pretty good (if you already have paid for the
code), which is why I did it. Its better the higher the deck's ratings
get. It's worth it to almost any decker, just so he can have a backup.
In my case, the decker had gobs of utilities and an average quality deck;
he was a tech-school dropout who built the breadbox as a test / proof of
cocept for his deck. I did it partly so I could afford multiple sets of
MPCP chips- I figured changing Icons frequently would be fun, and it also
helps avoid trouble with worms.
And yes, "The Baker" was in fact an orc, so lugging it around woulnd't
be TO much trouble. (nor would making the body tests against black ICE
be, I was hoping). Baker also owned about 10 chip cookers and a really
nice desktop computer (something like 2000mp memeory and a programing
shop)- hence his name.


Mongoose

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