asciilifeform checks inventory. no harem, but plenty of custom gizmos of every variety.

asciilifeform: unlike gurlz, widgets don't wiggle away if you're inept. persistence can substitute for talent in the case of trivial problem, hence the existence of 'instructables', 'make', et al.

asciilifeform: just have to want enough.

asciilifeform: hence 'everybody who wants, has'

asciilifeform: cookbook: http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-and-Effective-USB-Write-Blocker

asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: as i eventually found out - device in its simplest form (simply deny write) - is commercially available (if expensive, for reasons of golden toilet.)

asciilifeform: 'Was born in february of 1979 in city Kiev (the USSR), grew disobedient. Favourite toys: designer's sets and matches.'

asciilifeform: (same neg result)

asciilifeform: that one's classic, tried it myself

asciilifeform: e.g. http://lamat.me/video/BD.html

asciilifeform: unrelated to anything whatsoever: http://lamat.me

asciilifeform: for the innocent: most usb flash drives have reprogrammable micros, with various amounts of code space.

asciilifeform: good gift for folks contemplating but not yet escaped from microshit.

asciilifeform: likewise enumerates as optical disk.

asciilifeform: it, incidentally, isn't a u3 stick. but a much earlier (circa '03?) chipset for which i found docs

asciilifeform: (pops up happy box)

asciilifeform: i've a 'you could have been owned' stick i like to lend to xp users.

asciilifeform: afaik, u3 was phased out because win-xp will autorun any volume that mounts as optical disk, to this day.

asciilifeform: but for 'civilian' use, adequate

asciilifeform: so, not really hardware wp. kernel level turd can (and will) diddle an u3 partition

asciilifeform: writeable with that tool only

asciilifeform: no switch. but has magic partition that enumerates as cdrom

asciilifeform: http://u3-tool.sourceforge.net/

asciilifeform: U3

asciilifeform: strike that

asciilifeform: but they're still common

asciilifeform: no longer sold

asciilifeform: dignork: sandisk used to make a line of usb micros called 's3', that had this feature ☟︎

asciilifeform: every flash rom comes with a 'we' pin

asciilifeform: no need to add another micro

asciilifeform: nope

asciilifeform: (why? ask the folks responsible, not me...)

asciilifeform: but to the microcontroller, which gives os (winblows naturally) an ignorable 'pretty please don't write.'

asciilifeform: a more interesting fact is that, if you open a consumer usb turd that has a wp toggle, it is - afaik - never connected to the flash rom proper

asciilifeform: sha256sum /dev/sdwhateverthefuck > hash.txt

asciilifeform: ;;google write blocker

asciilifeform: incidentally, there are commercial incarnations of this. used by official disk diddlers:

asciilifeform: (try booting any os - not patched for this purpose - from a wp'd disk, see what i mean here)

asciilifeform: there are really not many applications that will behave well with this.

asciilifeform: for those who don't - many (traditional spindle) drives still have wp jumpers. bring it out to a toggle.

asciilifeform: i kinda suspect that usb disk wp is one of those gizmos that everyone who needs - already has.

asciilifeform: dignork: cardano comes with wp dip

asciilifeform: built.

asciilifeform: gotta implement the mass storage command stack on both ends - a bit of a bitch

asciilifeform: dignork: it's a useful gadget. i have one.

asciilifeform: experience not so different from tasting WD-40 << mircea_popescu clearly tasted the local 'cheese' in usa

asciilifeform: funny part is, betcha no one alive remembers how to pick these.

asciilifeform: soviet import?

asciilifeform: lol re: lever lock keys

asciilifeform: and he dealt with problems that are rather familiar to us, if superficially unrelated.

asciilifeform: whatever else could be said about herr naggum - the man had actual thoughts.

asciilifeform: lol

asciilifeform: almost like inhabiting some sort of solipsist hell

asciilifeform: it gets rather annoying.

asciilifeform: (it's dumb, of course. a shaped-charge would plasma-jet through the cover, like butter.)

asciilifeform: damn.

asciilifeform: ;;google imponator imponade

asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: imponade.

asciilifeform: ^ turns out they used to do proper welds?

asciilifeform: http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/files/2013/11/manhole.jpg

asciilifeform didn't believe the legend of them actually doing this, until seeing the tabs. they look like pull tabs from soda cans.

asciilifeform: (how i know? they don't always remember to... take them off.)

asciilifeform: phun phact: when the seekrit skvirrels in wash. dc weld the manholes shut prior to Führer-motorcade, they just spot-weld little tabs.

asciilifeform: ;;later tell BingoBoingo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3kwpQbVHBo << illustrated.

asciilifeform: ;;later tell BingoBoingo: while I weld the server shut to drop off at the colo << if you don't already own one, a very usable spot-welder can be made from the ubiquitous 1F+ capacitors sold for use with automotive 'boom-booms.'

asciilifeform: challenge?

asciilifeform: (how many consumer widgets do?)

asciilifeform: even comes with calibration certs

asciilifeform: aye

asciilifeform: incidentally 'mitutoyo' makes a perfectly acceptable Schtangen-zirkul.

asciilifeform couldn't resist

asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: nein. http://imgur.com/Jhmfp3B

asciilifeform wouldn't, but likes carrying thought experiments to logical conclusion.

asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: too big (thick, bulky) for my taste << thought was, use elastomer, 0.4mm or so. but, sure, it'd be an amazing waste.

asciilifeform: ;;unrate TheButterZone

asciilifeform: BingoBoingo: do yourself favour and use a box with an mmu (yes, abandon stone age, do bronze age at least)

asciilifeform: 'Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.'

asciilifeform: and they call us (folks who glue own linuxen from toothpicks in bottles) crazy.

asciilifeform: lolz, somebody actually uses gnash?

asciilifeform: from the lolpharms: http://www.blacklistedbitcoins.com

asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: if you're 'mad hatter' enough to have these baked, i'll send you the vectors.

asciilifeform: (top, bottom)

asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: click the remaining 2

asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: it isn't. that's a 2-layer composite photo

asciilifeform: BingoBoingo: well, if there's an r-kansas...

asciilifeform: usg cries

asciilifeform: kakobrekla: turdschmeissers

asciilifeform bares chest for firing squad

asciilifeform: ;;unrate Ssateneth

asciilifeform: pankkake: ty

asciilifeform: ;;rate Blazedout419 -1 spamming in #bitcoin-assets.

asciilifeform: ;;rate Blazedout419 -10 spamming in #bitcoin-assets.

asciilifeform: http://www.informnny.com/media/lib/21/1/3/6/136dce14-6c04-4957-90df-44bb8c6c8190/Story.jpg

asciilifeform remembers turning on light in kitchen in old flat, middle of night, all the creepy crawlies came out

asciilifeform: lol

asciilifeform: ;;rate TheButterZone -10 sockmuppet

asciilifeform: ;;rate Ssateneth -10 sockmuppet

asciilifeform: ;;rate Blazedout419 -10 sp4mz0r

asciilifeform: TheNewDeal: he did say 'can anyone make gold leaf on black' - sure. now he can.

asciilifeform: TheNewDeal: rope (or keyring, whatever) through the borehole on upper left hand corner.