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0 pointsajross10y ago0 comments

> bringing cases packed with electronics [...] adds up to trouble

Yeah, seriously. Gotta watch those non-ROHS solder compounds hobbyists like to use. Also, through-hole pins can be sharp and scratchy.

This is part of the ridiculous ignorance that has a lot of us upset. At what point did a printed circuit board outside an enclosure become a "weapon"? Are the decision makers in our society (and exodust here) really so divorced from the techical world that they're informing their opinions based on the blinking gadgets in cartoons?

It's a circuit board!

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exodust10y ago· 1 in thread

It wasn't just a circuit board. The whole issue is around it looking like a 'hoax suitcase bomb'. Check google images for the endless list of suitcase bombs. I don't think at any point anyone actually thought it was a threat. The school over-reacted, but they though he deliberately was making something look like a suitcase bomb.

Of course, he's not going to admit that is he. Just an innocent 14yo, who would never make something that looked like a suitbase bomb. Reminder: he's 14. When you're 14, fake suitcase bombs are cool.

Here's a picture of it:

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/10BF6/production/...

Obama says "it's a cool clock". But it runs off mains power, it's enclosed in a small suitcase (hobbyists don't use such enclosures). If you ask me, the kid was going for something that looked "secretive" or "spy games" at the very least.

mikeash10y ago

This "suitcase" is about 17cm wide. You can measure it from your picture using the conveniently-located power plug, whose prongs will be 12.7mm apart. If this kid wanted to make something that looked like a suitcase, surely he would use something big enough to actually hold at least one suit?

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