illtud - Slashdot User

Submission + - Mains hum used to time locate any digital recording (bbc.co.uk) 1

Submitted by illtud on Thursday December 13, 2012 @07:23PM

illtud writes: Heard this on BBC Radio 4 last night, and I'm not sure what to make of it. It appears that the Metropolitan Police in London have been recording the frequency of the mains supply for the past 7 years. With this, they claim to be able to pick up the hum from any digital recording and tell when the recording was made.

I know the mains drifts in frequency, but I'm sceptical about a couple of things and I wondered if /. readers could help:

Does it really drift enough within a typical length of a recording for you to be able to fingerprint it from the frequency history?

Is the frequency totally constant across the UK grid?

If this is on the level, then hats off to them, I'm very impressed, and also surprised that they've publicised it. Note to future kidnappers — make your ransom tape outdoors on a battery operated device!

Submission + - DHS will ow vets UK air passengers to Mexico, Canada, Cuba (independent.co.uk)

Submitted by illtud on Saturday March 31, 2012 @07:01PM

illtud writes: From April, EU passengers flying to Mexico, Eastern Canada or Cuba will have to submit their details at least 72 hours before boarding to the Department of Homeland Security for pre-flight vetting (as all passengers to the US have had to do for a while). If they find against you, you're not getting on the plane, even though you're not going to the US.

The Independent's (UK quality newspaper) has the story here:http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/planning-a-trip-to-canada-or-the-caribbean-us-immigration-may-have-other-ideas-7584912.html

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