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Unorthodox Links to the Internet: Signalling dissent

It seems not even the president is able to stop savvy techies from accessing the internet these days. According to Jeff Moss, a communications adviser to America’s Department of Homeland Security, politically motivated shutdowns of the internet in countries such as Egypt, Libya and elsewhere are being circumvented by tech-savvy revolutionaries, with the help of some homemade antenna, and a little know-how. These tech savvy revolutionists are using their DIY antennae in conjunction with their mobile phones to effectively communicate with network towers situated well beyond the normal 3-mile range. These antennae serve to link not only mobile phones but computers as well orthodox transmission equipment in neighboring countries. Technologies that allow for the communication of data in “pain sigh” of repressive authorities, such as nifty makeshift antennae, are becoming wildly popular among pro-democracy groups. If fact, creative ideas for circumventing cyber-attacks have now even extended to the redesign of seeming innocent domestic appliances, such as the microwave oven.

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