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[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1999

Wherever the chips may fall

By Michael Hyatt

Since embedded chips carry the potential to wreak the most havoc come Y2K, I'm often asked what types of devices and appliances rely upon embedded systems. What follows is an partial list of various items which use embedded chips, arranged topically.

***Office systems:

Answering machines

Cellular telephones

Desktop computers

Fax machines

Laptop and notebook computers

Personal digital assistants and organizers

Photocopiers

Printers

Scanners

Still and video cameras

Telephone systems

Time recording systems

Voice mail

***Building systems:

Air conditioning

Backup lighting and generators

Building management systems

Burglar and fire alarms

CCTV systems

Door locks and keypad access systems

Elevators, escalators, and lifts

Fire control systems

Heating and ventilating systems

Lighting systems

Safes and vaults

Security access control systems

Security cameras

Sprinkler systems

Surveillance and security systems

Switching systems

***Manufacturing and process control:

Automated factories

Bottling plants

CAD systems

Energy control systems

Manufacturing systems

Nuclear power stations

Oil refineries and related storage facilities

Power grid systems (transformers, vibration monitors, etc.)

Robots and other automated machinery

Switching systems

Time/clock stamps

Water and sewage systems (pumps, flow regulators)

***Transportation:

Air traffic control systems

Airplanes (avionics, flight and cabin systems)

Automated check-in systems

Automobiles

Baggage handling

Buses

Car parking and other meters

Command and control systems

Emergency equipment

Marine craft

Passenger information systems

Photo surveillance systems

Radar systems

Signaling systems

Speed cameras, radar detectors

Ticketing systems/machines

Traffic lights

Trains

***Communications:

Telephone exchanges and PBXs

Cable systems

Telephone switches

Satellites

Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers

***Banking and finance:

Automated tellers

Credit card authorization systems

Credit card systems

Safes and vaults

***Medical:

Automated intravenous drip machines

CT scan machines

Monitoring systems (heart, ECG)

Pacemakers

Sonogram machines

X-ray equipment

***Home equipment:

Automated sprinkler systems

Central heating and cooling

Microwaves

VCRs and entertainment equipment

URL: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_hyatt/19991227_xcmhy_wherever_c.shtml

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-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), December 27, 1999

Answers

Man this list doesn't even scratch the surface of where all embedds are.

-- Johnny (jljtm@bellsouth.com), December 27, 1999.

If racambab is right, the oil systems alone will cripple the economy.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), December 27, 1999.

I have always been pretty skeptical of prophecy, but Michael's post reminded me of this gem I had saved off last year. After reading the Washington Post's article on Russian missles, this doesn't sound that far fetched. Take it with a grain of salt....

"The conveniences and comforts of humanity in general will be linked up by one mechanism, which will produce comforts and conveniences beyond human imagination. But the smallest mistake will bring the whole mechanism to a certain collapse. In this way the end of the world will be brought about."

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan, 1922 (Sufi Prophet)

-- Stars and Stripes (stars_n_stripes@my-deja.com), December 27, 1999.

Ok--so let me make sure We all have this right.

NOT ONE MANUFACTURER OF ANY OF THESE CHIPS HAS ANY IDEA IF THEY WILL COMPROMISE THE FUNTIONING OF THE ((ENGINEERED)) DEVICE IN QUESTIONS?

c'mon--How can you design something and not know or be able to test its limitation?? Somebody please!!?? Help me. Is this the biggest con job in history or are we in the habit of making things that we have no clue.

I surmise that its a looking into the abyss and the human mind cannot fathom the answer. What else could it be? With all the Goodhousekeeping seals out there, they would know if when the micro- chip turns to 1/01/00 . (the good housekeeping seal is said in jest)

-- d----- (dciinc@aol.com), December 27, 1999.