Big Brother is living in your printer....

[UpsideDownFlag]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1093&u=/pcworld/118664&printer=1

..."several printer companies quietly encode the serial number and the manufacturing code of their color laser printers and color copiers on every document those machines produce. Governments, including the United States, already use the hidden markings to track counterfeiters.


Peter Crean, a senior research fellow at Xerox, says his company's laser printers, copiers and multifunction workstations, such as its WorkCentre Pro series, put the "serial number of each machine coded in little yellow dots" in every printout. The millimeter-sized dots appear about every inch on a page, nestled within the printed words and margins.


"It's a trail back to you, like a license plate," Crean says."

[Ducks In A Row]

1. what if the printer is only black&white, no color?

what's it do then?

[Must_B_Free]

2. "Crean says Xerox pioneered this technology about 20 years ago,"

"Crean says Xerox and the government have a good relationship. "The U.S. government had been on board all along--they would actually come out to our labs," Crean says."

Shhh. Don't tell anyone that their cell phone can be used to eavesdrop on them any time that its not in use... Wait about 20 years or so, first.

Onstar? No I'm sure that's never used to listen in on people...

[UpsideDownFlag]

I'm NEVER getting onstar in any of my cars. nt

[UpsideDownFlag]

7. dupe

[Dogmudgeon]

3. Until hardware hackers figure out how to disable it

That should pose no problem whatsoever.

Somewhere, the serial number exists as data. Clear that number or alter it, and no serial number.

This is why RFIDs do not threaten me. As soon as the hardware hackers get wind of some new instrument of Big Brother's list for control, they turn it against BB.

--p!

[Must_B_Free]

4. I hear the US gear in Iraq was RFIDed until some enterprising Iraqi

insurgent figured out how to locate all the US supplies with it so the insurgents knew where to target.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. Not surprising

First, we (that is, our military planners) seem to think that non-Americans are incapable of figuring out "our" technology, let alone producing hackers.

Second, it's a common mistake to think that a new technology will not produce unintended consequences. Most of the time, these consequences are benign, and even useful. But using RFIDs in a theater of combat is like putting one's troops in day-glow pink clothing.

That's why I'm not fearful of a techno-apocalypse. Technology sows the seeds of its own democratization unless a very tight grip is maintained.

--p!

[jmowreader]

12. And it was really potent RFID, too...

not the kind you'd see on a pack of Gillette Mach3 razor blades.

The logisticians put RFID readers on poles outside the brigade trains; when a truck bearing supplies came past the poles, a computer attached to the readers would know what was on the truck.

Neat system, but not exactly appropriate to combat.

[pinniped]

6. I am not the original owner of my HP Laserjet 3100.

Was I supposed to register it with the proper authorities?

Can they still trace me?:tinfoilhat:

Edit: Nevermind, my HP is b/w.:smoke:

[carrotguy]

8. hmm

color laser printers and copiers are very high-end IIRC and most people don't use them, only businesses.

[CBGLuthier]

9. not as high end as they used to be

A quick google can find some for under $1,000. May not be as good of a quality but even an HP can be found for $699.00

http://www.superwarehouse.com/HP_Color_LaserJet_3500/Q1319A/p/364448

[newyawker99]

11. Hi carrotguy!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Arkana]

10. Track this, assholes!

*throws printer out window* :argh:

*realizes that now he doesn't have a printer*