Provisioning is Non-Trivial (Some thoughts on jailbroken iPhones and unique IDs)

(And now for something really different than most of the other posts on this blog...)

One of my friends commented "OMG, Seton, the transmitter and its identifier are under application s/w control? Be afraid. Be very afraid" when reading the CNET item on jailbreaking the iPhone (http://bit.ly/4bxraS).

This made me think how non-trivial it can be to provision devices and services. Way back in the 80's there was this thing called "DECnet". It ran over this rather new technology called "Ethernet". When I went to work at PBS HQ in 1986 we had this big thick (think half an inch in diameter) cable making a "U" in our building and all our nice little 80 character by 24 line CRT terminals were attached via DECnet. My techie friends said I should be proud. I just enjoyed making it work.

DECnet worked (at one point) by allowing the software to change the ID of the Network Interface Card. The Ethernet ID of the NIC was programmed to include the DECnet address assigned to the NIC. The other devices didn't need to keep tables of addresses, "discover" their own address, etc. You just programmed the node address right into the Ethernet interface.

Bad guys do the same thing with our Wireless Access Points all the time - one of the attacks is to program the attacking wireless device with the same MAC address as the "victim", then send with more power than the victim. We create whole classes of additional programs, authorization, and encryption to get around this. One that worked for a bit was called WEP, now BROKEN. For Wireless we now have moved to WPA and WPA2, where we trade bits of "secret" information back and forth to ensure we are really who we think we are.

So What About the iPhone ?
So if I can change ID of a phone (and since almost everything is done via computer these days it is likely I can do so if I can "break out" of the "jail" of the box) it is easy to make the phone do funny things. So to ensure there is one and only one unique me the phone I have in my hand and the system I am talking with need to share some unique (and perhaps "secret") information. Thus "Provisioning".

Apple and AT&T want to make it easy (read "doesn't cost much") to uniquely identify the phone, and to make it easy for the system to talk with the phone. I am guessing the fewer things they have to change after building the phone, and the fewer things we have to do or install on the phone, the happier we all are.

The statement about the "Jailbroken" iPhone simply identifies one of the hidden costs in keeping it cheap: By using software to create the ID Apple avoids the infrastructure for uniquely branding each phone and trading "secret" infromation as part of the purchase process (that is as they "provision" the device) and you and I don't need to take time to create or buy a special token of some sort...

But for the bad guys time costs almost nothing so they are willing to spend lots of time finding something that is common to every device and then they will use that one trick for quite a while. Meanwhile Apple and AT&T have to fix the infrastructure. Something that can take significant amounts of time (and quite a few people).

(This made me think of trying to reboot several hundred Internet routers, each one with a whole bunch of customers connected. All in one night. Another non-trivial activity.)

Taking Pictures, Sharing Pictures, and Growing

065/365 - 04-Jun-09 - Rainy Places
Originally uploaded by Seton Droppers

What is it about taking pictures? And why do I share them?

I have never really figured this out. I know I love several aspects of taking pictures. Sometimes it is simply the technical act of capturing the picture in the first place. I love it when technology does something neat. There has always been magic in seeing something in front of me and attempting to "catch" it, and later sharing what I have captured. There is transformation as well. When I was in seventh or eighth grade art class we had our first lessons in darkroom technique. What fun to process our film, then project the image through the enlarger, and create the print. Of course the alchemy of watching the print develop, the stop bath, the fixer, and the washing were important.

Today I have gone all digital. Being a good geek I love watching my computer churn for a while to produce some amazing new creation. My work life has been technology. Filling the "pipes" to the Internet and web. Can I find an application that completely fills the technology I am charged with caring for? Disks, fiber optics, data bases, CPU cycles -- Watch the application chew them up. Movies are great places to wonder about technology. Exactly how many computers did they use to create the latest Star Trek movie, for example?

OK, so what does all this have to do with photography? The answer, I think, is now I am not satisfied simply taking the picture -- The picture needs to "say" something. Now I am not talking about technology. I am not talking about something I can write down a list of rule that make it work. I just don't always get it. I see something that attracts my attention, I attempt to capture that, and I try to print it and share it and it looks just, well, not "special". At least to me. Some of you disagree with the "not special", you tell me about how the image speaks to you, or you find it an interesting and new way of seeing, or that it captures the moment. Thank you. I enjoy the encouragement, perhaps more than you know.

But I am still not satisified. I have images and ideas that are fighting to get out and I simply can't figure out what questions to ask, how to capture the magic, what makes the picture. And it is even harder when I am using the Web. Back in art class there were people and we talked. Well some of us/you tried while others (me for example) built the habit of hiding in a corner and not risking hearing what you would say. So here I am in my little world, taking pictures, trying to biuld some friendships where I am willing to trust the comments and criticism without crying (too much) and improving. But I just can't quite seem to do it since every says Trust Yourself. I will keep working, but can I also find a place to get encouragement and help figuring out what I am?

Endings and Beginnings

"They shall perish, but you will endure;
they all shall wear out like a garment;
as clothing you will change them,
and they shall be changed;

But you are always the same,
and your years will never end.

The children of your servants shall continue,
and their offspring shall stand fast in your sight."

Psalm 102:26-28


This morning I am contemplating taking my final picture for my "365" project on Flickr (you can see it on my flicker site here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/seton-droppers/sets/72157602264295732/).

Projects and our lives illustrate some of the principals mentioned in the Psalm verses: The project has a definite beginning and ending, but our life came before the project and continues after.

It will be an interesting day, since there are many projects in my life not ending, and others just beginning.

Trouble and Peace

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;

Though its waters rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Psalm 46:1-4

You rule the raging of the sea
and still the surging of its waves
Psalm 89:9

Verses from two different Psalms speaking to our Lord's power to calm us and keep us. I have been attempting to read from the Psalms near the beginning and end of each day recently. Last night, as I attempted to end my day I started the Psalm readings assigned. I was feeling anything but close to God, I only opened the prayer book because I have, recently, made it a habit. Two Psalms were listed, and I read the first with little, if any, enthusiasm, and started the second, Psalm 46, and was greeted with "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". I could only laugh. Here is God speaking to me from the pages of a book as I am sitting on my bed and stewing about life.

This morning the assigned reading was from Psalm 89. The Psalm starts with the line "Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing; from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness." Certainly a great line to start Monday morning on. Being typically human (or at least so I think) I had not forgotten both the my discomfort at the end of the day, nor the wonderful response from God, I read verse 9 about God ruling the sea and stilling the surging waves.

Can I remember to listen?

Obedience, A Timeless Choice

Hear my teaching, O my people;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us,
we will not hide from their children

We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord,
and the wonderful works he has done.
Psalm 78:1-4

As I started my day today, I looked out on my balcony and saw the moon and morning stars. I had already read from a portion of St. Benedict's Rule a continuation of his chapter on Obedience: "This very obedience, however, will be acceptable to God and agreeable to people only if compliance with what is commanded is not cringing or sluggish or halfhearted, but free from any grumbling or any reaction of unwillingness."

"Compliance" and "obedience", ancient concepts still used. It seems they bring a negative resonance all to often. It's not what we want to do, most especially when we are told we must be compliant, that our obedience is required. Perhaps we don't use the word obedience very much, but I expect many of us are issued rules, expectations, directives, policies, and regulations so often we simply want to crawl under the desk (or tractor, fishing net, or oil rig) and have the rest of the world deal with it all.

St. Benedict reminds us of our free will, our choice. We will always struggle with both our wanting our own way (read the next 35 verses of Psalm 78 for a vision of human desire in the face of God's gifts) and making a choice to obey.

Obedience by choice, the generations that have said and lived the Psalms, and God's gift of light, or more surely God's gift of our world, remind me (perhaps each us?) how I am in the company of many both here and now, and throughout time, as I struggle to freely choose to be obedient in God's call to me.

To be formed in God's good time

From Sister Joan Chittister's commentary on the daily Benedictine Rule reading for September 21 we read "A willingness to be formed is the basis of formation", and in Chapter 5 of Benedict's Rule itself (in a portion commonly read on September 22) we read "Such people as these immediately put aside their own concerns, abandon their own will, and lay down whatever they have in hand, leaving it unfinished".

These two passages ask something of me I find quite difficult: To be formed in God's good time. I am quite willing to give up the hard and boring activities required of me at work. I am more than happy to have an excuse to skip the household chores when I think of something "more important" to do.

In Sister Joan's commentary for today (September 22) we read "This voice of God in the demands of community life is not something to be dallied with or contended with or speculated about or debated". So there it is, God calling me when I don't want to listen.

I have been in quite the "tizzy" of not listening (at least some of the time) in the past few weeks, attempting to force my spiritual life or spiritual path into some vision I have, adjusting my support group meetings to match "my" schedule, getting new and more work assignments, joining a photo club. All of this and I catch myself in the troubling habit of comparing how successful I am feeling inside with all of the apparent "success" of others I see, read, or hear about.

God, I DO want to be formed, please give me the willingness to accept your advice, and the patience and insight to do all that is needed, rather than all that I want. Thank You.

Photography or Info Sec - Oh Wait I CAN Have It All!

A couple months ago on my Flickr stream I mentioned I had created a "sketchbook" and I intend to create a formal photography portfolio. I did this after a discussion with a photographer friend and the realization that I really do love photography.

I am having a great time at work as well. I am working for my employer as the in-house Information Security professional, have successfully achieved industry certification in that field, and enjoy working on projects and further study in the field.

I find it interesting how my mind works with things I do. Having made the photography statement I proceeded to run a couple different scenarios in my head imagining my life as a "photographer", thinking how much better it would be to do something I love for a career. While I was happily imagining myself making money with photography I also found myself taking fewer pictures and not always getting very excited about picture possibilities.

And, as it has a habit of doing, "Life" invaded my mind as well. This spring and summer Patty and I have spent a little time thinking about The Future and taking stock of where we are and what our resources are. Do we have any? Well, yes, of course. Do we have everything we want? No. (Does anybody?) Do we have most or all of what we need? Yes. But working, for more than a few years, is definitely part of our future.

So, you ask, where is all of this going, anyway? (If your not asking I sure am...)

Well, here is what I realized in the past couple of weeks: I CAN have it both ways! I have many wonderful examples of professionals successfully enjoying both professional careers AND significant artistic lifestyles, living all around me. A month or so ago I ran across an article in The Washington Post about a very well respected local Jazz combo that was playing one last gig at the club it had been playing in for the past twenty or more years. Why the breakup? Three of the members are all retiring from successful professional careers and moving out of town. Add the amateur choruses, church choirs, and other groups. And that is just the musicians. When I am visiting work sites there are wonderful collections of paintings, photographs, sculpture, and other art on the walls and in display cases, created by full-time employees, people that love art and love working.

So here is my new plan, a new scenario: Go to work, take pictures, and enjoy life a whole lot! I DO plan on becoming a better photographer, and I DO plan to improve "Information Security", and no, I don't currently have a plan to give one up and only do the other. (But I will most likely always think the "other" is "so much better" when I am in the middle of a long, boring, assignment in the first, no matter which I am in.