Insomnia – Dreamyoga

Last night I was having a little trouble drifting off to sleep and it occurred to me that I do not know how mobile ‘phones work….

The first thing that came mind was that they must have analogue to digital converters (ADC). These must change voice into digital and digital into sound. Then I wondered if the carrier frequency of the ‘phone signal is amplitude or frequency modulated. Which means that there must be demodulators.

The precision or resolution in terms of bit per volt need not be overly high for sound given that the loudspeakers or headphones are not audiophile quality. High resolution at 32 or 64 bit would make for big files and large data.

But the business IS data. People want to flog you ever more data so whilst there is a speed – dollar trade off, they must be pushing towards more data throughput – more dollars.

The big bucks are in images and video which need giga-dollars to send and vast increases in the global carbon budget to store.

Who needs more selfies, vacuous influencer posts and cat videos?

The purveyors of data…you can find one on each street corner {man}.

I learned today that some ‘phones have microphones to sample background noise for noise cancelling…

If it is possible to receive a mobile phone call or SMS message it must be possible to intercept it. There is no copper or fibre optic. The message floats freely. It must be possible to clone a ‘phone. Two ‘phones receiving the same signal do not weaken it. How can you detect an intercept. You probably can’t from the intercept alone; subsequent actions might give a hint…

So how does a ‘phone uniquely identify itself as the recipient of a message / call? Has it a unique identity? In principle yes, but these must also not be clone proof…If you can set up digital identity on one ‘phone its should be possible to copy it.

When a call comes does it open a gate which allows the ‘phone company to allow the message to flow? There must be some “switch” flicked.

“Hey, I am ready for your call..”

People talk of end to end encryption? How does that work? Is there a sender’s key and a receiver’s key. How easily copied are these keys?

Which caused the ancillary question how does this encryption work?

I suspect that calls and data fly around willy nilly without people worrying about intercepts.

As an aside we have recently watched a number of “spy” dramas in which people are using their mobile ‘phones to chat, text and take pictures of evidence. It seems markedly non clandestine to me. Is this real life or transference of ‘phone junkie thinking into drama? Surely you would not take a traceable device into a sneaky meeting with your favourite mole on a Berlin bridge?

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“Quantum communication has seen some big announcements in 2024, with smartphone markets and data centers turning to the technology for secure and robust data security that can be trusted. IDTechEx’s report, “Quantum Communication Market 2024-2034: Technology, Trends, Players, Forecasts”, details the many national and international benefits and uses for quantum communication alongside some of the main challenges of implementation.

Safer smartphone security

Smartphones today contain an abundance of personal data, including passwords to banking and email accounts and online purchase histories. 2024 saw the announcement of the Galaxy Quantum 5, with Samsung literally alluding to the smartphone’s quantum capabilities with its name. The smallest quantum random number generator available has been installed within the device to provide users with the highest levels of authentication and encryption, ensuring that communications and authentication features are safe and can be trusted. As smartphones today are relied upon as small computers that can access and store any information, quantum technology will enable them to do their job reliably and securely.

{https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/quantum-communication-satellites-and-smart-phone-security/32332}

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As usual there is a hyper large amount of hype.

The Q word has cropped up already…

It kind of suggests that ownership of the quantum key is the route to secure call and answer communication. The pitfall of any QKD has to be trust. If you do not trust the locksmith… who assures you that the key is unique – you are buggered. That is unless you yourself supply the key. {possible idea here?}

One could imagine a quantum spam blocker…

Basically the best assurance against being spied upon is introversion. If you don’t say anything it can’t be heard.

Maybe I need to get a “Mobile ‘Phone Communications for Dummies” book…

Clearly I don’t know how the devil spawned devices work…

Still struggling to get a decent night’s seep. I am on a protocol of Zopiclone and 500/30 paracetamol codeine before bed. I have long been aware that my per kilogram body mass ability to handle alcohol and cannabis was at the higher end of the spectrum. I can still function when others might not. The attempts to sleep might be hindered by a state of “vigilance” and I am building up a psychological conditioning in which I do not want to try to go to bed. This is not healthy. In the “pharmacy” there are a number of synthetic and non-synthetic “narcotics” which I might use. At the moment the dosage is minimal, a maximum of 60mg codeine a night. This sleeping is clearly the thing I want to ameliorate now.

The morning’s dreams are in two segments. The first I would characterise as very boring and very old hat. Yawn.

The scene opens in UK research council offices. People known to me from the late eighties, the nineties and early two thousands. The people are exclusively London and South East based are conspiring amongst themselves about me. They, whilst pretending to be my friends, are undermining me and otherwise plotting and whispering amongst themselves. They have a fear of being found out and exposed. They are stuck and badly so. At the time they thought that the plotting was clever even cunning. They are now less convinced of this and far less amused by it. They are worried. In the dream they imagine they can interact with me in the same way as they once did. They are arrogant and complacent. They have no idea of the extent to which I have changed. In the dream I am bored that the same old shit is again being presented. I know that what they may deem important is ultra petty and trivial to me.

I awake it is around 6 AM. I have a loo break going back to bed assuming that I will not sleep.

The wife and I are walking through an airport. We have already cleared customs and border check. It is a huge airport in America. {Query Denver} There are shops and food concessions on either side. The wife pops into a shop. I continue along the corridor and a tall woman in dark navy cop like uniform stops me. She has immaculately ironed grey trousers and a paramilitary shirt. She is armed and has her long black hair in a tight pony-tail. She addresses me by name, “Dr Taylor can we have a word with you in private?”

“Yes, what about my wife?”

“My colleague will look after her. You are not being detained, we would just like a word.”

She ushers us off through an identity pass on lanyard secure door and into what looks like a high technology operations room. She ushers me down the corridor into a glass walled cubicle / office. All the while she is chatting with me in an accomplished and highly skilled manner. She is a pleasure to be with. She has a mild west coast accent and is very high functioning. I can tell that they are taking multiple images of me and she asks if I would mind giving a blood sample. I have nothing to hide.

I say that she is not what she at first seems to be and is probably secret service. She agrees that she is. I ask her if I can have a look at my file. She says that she cannot think of a reason why not and pulls up a chair her side of the desk. She shows me image after image of me reaching back decades. There are some from Tokyo some from Santa Clara and even some from Brittany France. I comment that they have been busy. She says with some pride that this is what they do. I ask her if there is anything else she wants to know. No. She looks at my passport and identity card, scans them. She gives me another card which is of US origin. It is for me to use, if needed, during our stay. It is high end official. If in doubt just show this card.

She then ushers me back to the main terminal where the wife is waiting. The wife asks and I say that US secret service have just taken a blood sample and have had me under surveillance for a very long time.

The dream ends and I gingerly role over onto my back. It is a little after 7 AM.

Tag: Insomnia

How Do ‘Phones Work?

Post Anaesthesia – Insomnia – UK Shenanigans – US Security Services Dream 02-12-2025