Ah yes, I noticed when I scrolled all the way to the bottom.
Ohh, I see. Nice, shiny new hardware. Pancakes and stuff, huh? That's neat -- you sure do have the spirit.
Yes, I've read about it. Cisco, the manufacturer of the networking equipment pictured (look at the logo on the cardboard box), responded by complaining to Obama -- though in my view it's little more than a PR gesture. A "beacon" in this case is basically something like a transceiver, something that gathers data going through the equipment (e.g. a router or modem) and sends it back home (i.e. the NSA). It can also inform the spies when the equipment it infects is turned on or doing something specific so that they can initiate further action against the infected equipment (insert specific backdoors, etc). It's called a "beacon" because it acts like one -- giving off light and informing its owners (the spies) about what's inside.
Yes, I've read about it. Cisco, the manufacturer of the networking equipment pictured (look at the logo on the cardboard box), responded by complaining to Obama -- though in my view it's little more than a PR gesture. A "beacon" in this case is basically something like a transceiver, something that gathers data going through the equipment (e.g. a router or modem) and sends it back home (i.e. the NSA). It can also inform the spies when the equipment it infects is turned on or doing something specific so that they can initiate further action against the infected equipment (insert specific backdoors, etc). It's called a "beacon" because it acts like one -- giving off light and informing its owners (the spies) about what's inside.