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Originally Posted by mgmueller
BTW: I've always wondered, what such a quick start of a gadget should even prove. You could simulate a boot sequence via EEPROM and still load the battery compartment and the rest with drugs or explosives. Theoretically, in my opinion, they would have to test the actual functionality, not just accept some animation on a startup-screen.
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Back in the day when you had to power on all laptops before boarding -- long before 9/11, even -- the security agent gave me permission to go on while the laptop was still running the POST and the little numbers (memory locations) were cycling in the upper left corner of the screen. I looked at him and asked why I even needed to power up the laptop if they weren't going to wait to see if the operating system loaded. I pointed out that those numbers could be driven by a device as small as my watch and the entire rest of the interior of the laptop could hold bad stuff. And, if you remember, early laptops were BIG! I didn't get a satisfactory answer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tubemonkey
The problem I have with this security measure is if your device won't power up, they'll let you place it in your checked baggage. Well, if it's a threat as a carry on, why isn't it a threat in checked baggage?
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I suspect the threat is not so much that the device itself was a bomb. I heard some discussion last night that there is concern that terrorists could combine components from multiple devices to create a bomb with significant power. Also, the bags going into the hold may be subject to more tests than just simple X-rays.
Regardless -- I would never board an International flight without a fully charged e-Reader. I *need* to make sure I have plenty of reading material around.