a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

[renderman]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

next steps:

1. format with EXT file system
2. acquire pelican case
3. add all my content
4. send to eric michaud for some of his content
5. send to someone to add past defcon content
6. formulate list of recipients overseas
7. start shipping 'round the world

8. Profit...!
9. Require recipients to apply a sticker to the pelican case for where it's been

[astcell]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

I wouldn't even want to guess how long it would take to get mail to this place!

I can drop it off on my next trip...can we meet in Qatar?

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

latest update: pelican case and enclosures are ordered. i was actually debating some other drive enclosures in addition to the MPD model that i linked to. the MPD is mostly plastic, but some others seemed to be manufactured out of more rugged materials. one or two competetors seemed to have slightly better cooling, but i figure the embedded fans on the MPD should do a good enough job. i may install some custom filters to keep sand and other debris from fouling the innards of the system in really harsh climates, however. all in all, the ones i found at first had the best reported support under *NIX environments (eventhough the vendor doesn't list that specifically, certain reviewers had mentioned good results in that area)

next question: the enclosure specs state a power input of 100V-240V AC... does this make our electrical conversion process easier for people overseas? what sort of adapter / voltage changer would be a good idea to include in the TerraByte package?

[astcell]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

The voltage is fine, we just need to be sure that the plug itself has the right shape. You can usually get a kit for under ten bucks.

[Thorn]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

The voltage is fine, we just need to be sure that the plug itself has the right shape. You can usually get a kit for under ten bucks.

Yeah, Targus sells a international plug kit for computers. It comes with power plugs to convert a standard US/Can plug to wherever, and international phone plugs too.

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

i'm thinking about this model by Targus. they offer a wide array of converter solutions, but this little "salt shaker" one (as i've taken to calling it) seems to be the best mix of low cost and wide nation/region support. (geez... look at that country list on their details page. can't imagine us needing more than that at the moment)

[theprez98]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

I can drop it off on my next trip...can we meet in Qatar?

That's pretty much the default location for 4-day R&R. Not sure when I'll be taking that, although the end of the summer/beginning of the fall sounds about right.

[theprez98]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

i'm thinking about this model by Targus. they offer a wide array of converter solutions, but this little "salt shaker" one (as i've taken to calling it) seems to be the best mix of low cost and wide nation/region support. (geez... look at that country list on their details page. can't imagine us needing more than that at the moment)

Looks good to me. I know it'll work here. That is, WHEN the power is actually working.

[Thorn]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

i'm thinking about this model by Targus. they offer a wide array of converter solutions, but this little "salt shaker" one (as i've taken to calling it) seems to be the best mix of low cost and wide nation/region support. (geez... look at that country list on their details page. can't imagine us needing more than that at the moment)

Specifically, I was thinking of this one (at the bottom of the page on your second link.) It's the one I own, and it's served me well. The "salt shaker" is really slick though. That may go on my geek list, just because it is so slick.

Deviant, when you get it whole TT Project completed, are you going to host some pictures on your server?

[The Dark Tangent]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

I hope the case(s) are shock mounted and can do firewaire / usb and take universal power input. That would be sweet.

I've gotten into this thread late, but years ago there was a FedEx club where to get in you had to donate a drive. Then everyone rotated their drives around in a big slow circle. It worked well I am told until the net sped up, and people took other jobs. But the idea is still solid.

[Virosa]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

I can drop it off on my next trip...can we meet in Qatar?

I'd like to offer my services as mule also.

I'm going to be in Eastern Turkey/Northern Syria next month. If anyone can benefit from me bringing a unit out that way, pipe up (or if you just want to send out a prototype unit to see how foreign customs/desert heat impact the system). I'd love to help out however I can in spreading such a great idea. My itinerary is flexible++.

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

I hope the case(s) are shock mounted and can do firewaire / usb and take universal power input. That would be sweet.

that's all in the plans as of now. well, the hard drive cases themselves don't utilize shock-absorbing technology, but their main package of transport will be a pelican case... that's about the best i can think of in terms of protection against rough handling.

a FedEx club where to get in you had to donate a drive

a smart policy on their part. i can recall when a friend of mine had a huge data loss (mostly his music collection) so i copied all 100+ GB of my MP3s onto a drive (i think it was a 160 Gigger) and offered to send it his way, saying "much of whatever you lost could be on there... grab whatever you're missing." well, he MSGed me about a week later saying how he'd gotten back loads of his albums, then proceeded to loose all contact with our group and ignore my occasional messages about when the drive (which was only being loaned) would make its way back to me. i tend to be a pretty mellow cat, but that really aggravated me, i have to admit. this must have been four years ago or so, since the last time i saw him in person was DefCon 9 (he's the dude passed out on the floor and poolside grounds in a few of those photos) so 160 Gigs was quite a sizeable drive. ah well, live and learn.

Deviant, when you get it whole TT Project completed, are you going to host some pictures on your server?

i'm thinking that i might register a whole domain for the project and host information, photos, etc. about it there. not only does that solve the problem of my woeful upstream speed, it also allows for things to be 100% anonymous (or at least gives me a semi-plausible deniability of involvement) if it ever becomes large enough to attract too much bad attention.

personally, i'd like to see the project grow to a significant enough size that wider and wider ciricles of our friends are able to avail themselves of this service. eventuall, if/when the terabyte begins to travel to people whom we don't know personally there should be a system in place that can provide some protection against mistreatment and/or theft of the drives. i'd like to see a system utilizing paypal (or, perferably, some much better and reputable online cash service since paypal sucks ass and will freeze/steal people's funds at the drop of a hat) whereby some party who wants the terabyte to come their way would transfer ~$500 (or whatever the current market value is for the drives, enclosures, case, etc) into the TTB account, and would then get that money back in full as soon as the next recipient acknowledged secure receipt of the drives.

well, i'm probably thinking of growth that would take longer than evolution of the internet speeds which will make even terabyte sneakernet/fedexnet obsolete. ah, what a fascinating modern age we live in.

I'm going to be in Eastern Turkey/Northern Syria next month. If anyone can benefit from me bringing a unit out that way, pipe up

i'm sure that there are those who could benefit... pretty much anyone who's deployed and has a computer with them. (heh, it would take practically a whole platoon of guys -- all with laptops -- to generate enough free space to copy most of this content.) in any case, the TTB volumes will be coming your direction (we'll coordinate schedules somehow) and you're free to get them into the hands of whomever could enjoy what they offer.

[TheCotMan]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

I suggest a quote for your project, to paraphrase Tannenbaum:

"Never Underestimate the throughput of International mail passed from person to person by trains, planes and Armored Troop Transports."

Andrew Tannenbaum

Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway. Andrew Tannenbaum

1 TB = 1000 GB == 8000Gb == 8,000,000Mb == 8,000,000,000 kb

3 days of transport = 259200 seconds.

8,000,000,000 kb / 259200 seconds = 30,864 kbps == 30Mbps
That is nearly T3 speed. :-)

[theprez98]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

My laptop is nearly full as it is, so I am planning on grabbing an external USB hard drive eventually so that I can at least get some content when and if the drives make it this far (I sure hope so)!

I certainly wouldn't expect any problems travelling through US military mail, at least nothing that I can think of off the top of my head. Assuming the customs declaration is (at least semi) accurate. As for non-US mail and customs, I have no idea.

The major downside to all this is generally slow travel. US mail to hubs like Balad and Baghdad is pretty fast (generally, less than a week, even for packages), but once you move out from there it can really slow down.

[astcell]

Re: a new happening - the Traveling Terabyte Project

We have folks going to Qatar on a regular basis. Just gotta see if they are willing to have my carry-on and not thiers.