Criminal Jusctice and Police bill

[Jonathan Care]

On Friday 09 February 2001 14:27, Brewis, Mark wrote:
> I flew back from Munich last week, and German C&E/Security are very hot=
 on
> seeing all laptops booted - but only to BIOS.  They don't wait to see a=
n
> operating system initialise, although a number of people had pre-booted
> their machines.  What exactly is the benefit to them in seeing this?  M=
y
> machines were x-rayed (well worth a quick look at the false colour-imag=
e,
> too) and must have appeared to have the requisite number of bits for a
> laptop and nothing particularly untoward in addition.  They didn't requ=
ire
> the hub and switch I was carrying powered up.

There is an exciting new trend for laptops and mobile phones to be used a=
s=20
containers/innocuous housings for weapons. Unfortunately, due to the=20
complexity of machinery inside, it is often not possible to tell whether =
the=20
device is a real mobile phone, or a compressed-air flechette, for example=
=2E

Since the instructions given to the officers do not include hubs and=20
switches, only laptops, PDA's and mobile phones, this is probably why you=
=20
were not asked to demonstrate their operation.

--=20
         jonc@lacunae.org - Jonathan Care - +44 7061 170337 - 42147 48
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