h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: TEMPEST - A4003453
Author: DaveBlackeye - failure is not an option, it's an inevitability - U656560

Closely related to my EMC entry that has just been picked for the EG, may I present the next lengthy episode...

And here I was hoping for info on my favorite old arcade video game ...

INTERESTING, though, if you like that sort of thing, which I do!

As a fan of English literature, I left then.

That is, I find it hard to believe that anybody would be interested in this. But I know it as a fact that lots of people are.

When you've settled on the content, give me a shout and I'll proofread it for typing errors.

I've just read it and found it very interesting - it talks about spies and covert listening activities and all sorts of cool underhand stuff for the conspiracy theorist. I love the bit where you ask the Shakespeare fans to stop reading now, but I would not say its too dry (even if you spell "a little" incorrectly ).

The name of the entry was my biggest problem with it. When I see titles in capitals my first reaction is usually to think that this is yet another entry trying to convince me that our thought patterns are being manipulated by the lizard people.

What about changing it to "The TEMPEST anti-spying standard"? Don't take my word for it though - I'm crap at naming entries myself. One of my last entries was "Life Tables - Mortality Profiles in the Developed World" and for that I deservedly got about 3 people to review my entry.

Well done,

W

Thank you all Most impressed to have three reviews in under an hour.

Woodpigeon - perhaps the ambiguity of the title is why you took the time to read it? Perhaps subject matter this dry needs a bit of intrigue. Perhaps I should reinstate the section about the lizard people monitoring our thought patterns .... OK, perhaps not - I've renamed it but want to keep the capitals. And typo corrected.

Lady B - can you provide any more details of this arcade game? I would add it to the list of things the article's not about, but I've never heard of it.

You sound as if you know more about the subject than me...

One question then...

Certain MOD and military buildings I've seen have been fitted with a network of external copper conductors, around all the windows, etc. now, these are obviously too far apart to be effective at blocking UHF/SHF signals - but are they actually part of the 'tempesting' of the building?

I can't say I've ever seen that, but it seems logical. The screening only has to be effective at the frequencies used. It could have been fitted when their computers were running at 1MHz (and probably still are, knowing the MoD). Many existing secure data links use very low data rates, 64kpbs or less. If the mesh is say 1m x 1m it would still give some protection against anything below about 150MHz, so a large mesh could certainly provide screening for a secure data link, especially if the building was on a restricted site and a snooper couldn't get up close to the gaps.

Were these buildings always colocated with large aerials? It could also be to shield the inside from a local transmitter, although this seems more unlikely in these safety-obsessed times.

Gladly! "Tempest" was released in 1980 by Atari. You'll get more information than you'll ever need at the Coin-Op Museum website: http://www.klov.com/T/Tempest.html

Just a typo for you. In the section titled 'Example 1, The Mundane', there is a line at the end of the 5th paragraph that reads 'soothe risk is still low'. Whilst I accept that there is little in the article that will actively soothe anyone of a paranoid nature, I suspect it should be 'so the risk is still low'.

I'd also change the commas in the section headings of 'Example 1, The Mundane' and 'Example 2, The Cold War' to hyphens or colons.

Interesting stuff, though.

What are the chances of moving next door to someone with satellite TV and being able to watch for nothing, then?

Very slim I'm afraid. The picture would be rubbish, there'd be no sound and you'd probably be cheaper just buying satellite TV.

Changes are made, and references to arcade games and lizard people added.

Woo hoo!

And when I was doing a search for info on the game, I found out that they have released an "Aracde Classics" series, and I can get a brand-new 'Tempest' arcade game! Only #3000.00 on eBay. A bit more in euros, a LOT more in pounds!

You can usually download free PC-compatible versions of these old games from various places - you'd be amazed just how small the files are.

But if it's not Asteroids I'm not interested

I always liked Battlezone.

Ah, yes, tank driving. For those who couldn't keep up with the no-fear, high octane world of rock-shooting

I *totallY* suck at rock shooting! Really - if the Earth is ever threatened by out-of-control space debris, they will NOT be calling me!

Weird crab-like creatures from the depths, however....

Call me! Call me! Unless the space debris moved in three dimensions of course, then I'd be screwed.

Some people wasted their youths playing pool, I wasted mine playing asteroids. Sadly you still get pool tables in pubs

I thought it was very interesting. I have to find one typo - just to prove that I read it all.

lets scale it up to

I heard that it was even possible to detect what was typed on an old electric typewriter. Every key had a different electrical signature. If you analysed them long enough and did some statistics you could work out what an E was, and them some common words, and eventually, the alphabet.

Awu.

Just to think that someone would have the patience to DO that boggles my mind!

Typo corrected

I think this is a very interesting entry. I was vaguely aware of TEMPEST, as it was mentioned in my IT A-Level, but not in much detail.

Anyway, there are a few niggles.

I think it would be good to give a footnote for CRT, at least giving the full form (Cathode Ray Tube), and perhaps a brief explanation, if possible, on why the experiment won't work on a flat screen TV.

listen into and decipher to enemy communications -> listen into and decipher enemy communications

You talk about the credit company. I think credit card company would be better.

individual's -> individuals'
This combined with the -> This, combined with the
This data is termed red: your sensitive bank -> This data is termined red: Your sensitive bank (I think, anyway)

Apart from those points, I think this is ready for the edited guide. Well done