Security On A 'Air' Trigger...

If you have a MacBook Air and you're traveling, be prepared to miss your flight while the security folks freak out. This story has been around the web for the last week, so it's a little old, but apparently the Security genius' at airports stopped a guy who had a MacBook Air because they thought it was a suspicious device. They couldn't figure out how it could be a computer laptop without a "hard drive" and no ports on the back. Eventually, another younger security bloke (who must have rare internet access) came over to the group and explained to them (slowly and in small words, I'd guess) what they were looking at. Unfortunately, it took so long the poor traveller missed his flight. Wow, just wow. They wig out about 6 oz bottles of shampoo and laptops with Solid State Drives, and these are the guys who are supposed to catch a real threat heading for the blue skies? Way to stay current there, security. While you're ogling the Air, might want to crack a peak at that bazooka rolling down the luggage belt. Apple (read, movie studios) has their so called Digital Copy Program adding support from Lionsgate films. This is where the studio puts an iTunes mp4 movie file on the DVD that can be "easily" transferred to your iPod or iPhone. However, this also requires you entering a password when adding it to iTunes and an iTunes account that is logged in (I guess when it phones home for something). Really, what is this for? People who want to put a movie on their iPod can quickly find out how to do that on the net with a quick Google search. With FREE software. Without an iTunes account or DRM or a password. Five years ago this might have been something cutting edge, but once again the Hollywood studios prove just how far behind the times they are. And over on Warren Ellis' blog (a fun read from a great author - the Desolation Jones comic is excellent), he's been posting about various computer and ISP problems with his DSL down and computer dead. Here is a great little write up on his bandwidth without DSL. Interesting how we pretty much take the 'net for granted (or those of us blessed with high speed anyway) and how our daily consumption of all things 'net related have gone up. It's a one stop shop for our daily media connections and more. I'd hate to be strapped with 7GB bandwidth like he mentions. That'd be gone in a night or two. As it is, my ISP (cough, cough, Rogers ripoff, cough, cough) has recently introduced a hard line on their monthly bandwidth. I get a 60 GB cap per month on my rate. I don't think I've ever exceeded that, but then my download habits used to be lower too. But that's been changing, especially as more and more media hits the web - streaming or otherwise. I downloaded almost seven gigs in one night a week or two ago when I heard Stage6 was shutting down. Had to grab as much video as I could before it disappeared into the ether. Don't like being capped, but then I can't afford the unlimited options either and I have to use cable high speed as my phone lines can't seem to handle DSL. So once again, the screws are tightened on the customers of the ripoff artists known as Canadian Telecom companies. Enjoy that drive on the information super highway.