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Further to the Kremlin purchasing 20 Cyrillic/Latin typewriters and sparking a media frenzy, RT reports that:
An increasing number of businesses are opting out of staying virtually connected and are reverting back to old technologies to avoid being spied on. The move has led to a surge in typewriter sales in Germany.
German typewriter makers such as Bandermann and Olympia have cited climbing sales amid NSA spying revelations. "We sell about 10,000 [typewriters] every year," Bandermann manager Rolf Bonnen told The Local. "We've seen an increase because Brother left the market [in 2012]," he added. The company's sales jumped by one-third over last year since 2012.
Triumph Adler, which is part of Bandermann, began advertising its typewriters as "Bug proof. NSA proof" in 2013 in order to attract more consumers.
Typewriters aren't quite bug proof because analysis can be done on the sound of each strike, or even by simply removing the ribbon which can hold an imprint of the most recently typed document. A larger concern is to be careful about photocopying. Modern, proprietary photocopiers have hard disks which are huge for the task of photocopying. And in a separate issue, some photocopiers have issues when copying fonts and monospaced fonts in particular.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday July 23 2014, @08:33PM
Just because sales went up for the survivors AFTER a market consolidation doesn't mean that sales are surging.
Nor does it mean that people are more security aware or worried.
It might just be replacement sales on worn out units when printing on multiple copy forms are required and fighting computer driven printers is more trouble than its worth.
Says something about Russian security and tech experts if they feel the only way they can protect themselves is to revert to typewriters.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Wednesday July 23 2014, @10:09PM
FTFY. Trolling again?
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday July 23 2014, @10:47PM
Germans have an excuse to be worried, they have Embedded US cia/nsa liaison officers and we tapped Merkel's phone.
Russians: Not so much.
Why is it if you disagree with someone you have to accuse them of trolling?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Geotti on Thursday July 24 2014, @12:10AM
Why do you think you know me so well to accuse me of acting like that? You take every. single. chance. to lash out against Russia. Would you have left your last sentence out, it would have been fine.
Really? Aren't they the enemy #1 of the neo-cons? Aren't they spied upon as well (them spying back notwithstanding)?
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday July 24 2014, @07:48AM
The Russians aren't so stupid at to allow CIA and NSA liaison officers into their headquarters and then act all surprised when they find they've been bugged (like the Germans did).
It wasn't a lashing out of Russia, it was more of a compliment to them for not letting the camel's nose under the tent in the first place. Since the Russians were smart enough to keep the CIA from wandering around in their buildings, they have very little worry about CIA planting bugs in their air-gapped computer systems.
I think you owe me an apology. I'd settle for just a little more careful reading on your part.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Thursday July 24 2014, @11:23PM
In this case, I guess I've misread your original comment and stand corrected.
I'm sorry, Cpt. Obvious! ;)