EE reverse engineers Ahmed's clock

[Stonent]

Basically what I've been saying all along. He didn't make a clock, he just repackaged it.

http://blogs.artvoice.com/techvoice/2015/09/17/reverse-engineering-ahmed-mohameds-clock-and-ourselves/

EDIT: I did now see someone linked this article in the other thread. So I don't want to claim to be the first one to mention it on the forum.

[Vgkid]

That is a rather interesting link, thanks.

[LabSpokane]

The kid was looking for a mentor. He thought that if he showed interest that someone would take an interest in him and guide him in electronics. The clock, made or re-packaged really is beside the point.

[Stonent]

The kid was looking for a mentor. He thought that if he showed interest that someone would take an interest in him and guide him in electronics. The clock, made or re-packaged really is beside the point.

In the video interview with him he was showing things he had taken apart and then mentioned something he had made and they showed a picture of a USB hub with the case removed and some of the insulation taken off the cable.

I can understand an elementary aged kid saying "I invented this" but 14 seems a little mature to be saying things like that.

Apparently his dad is a local activist who the same day had heated argument with the mayor about her fight against allowing a sharia court to be formed within the city and have the city enforce its outcomes.

So if his dad is a bit wacko, I certainly hope he didn't try to coerce his kid to do this in any way. And yes, I hope this kid is honestly into electronics with no motives (either his or his family's) or coercion.

[linux-works]

why did you start a new thread??

[Stonent]

why did you start a new thread??

Different story.

[Joule Thief]

The clock, made or re-packaged really is beside the point.

I do not agree. The internet and news networks are fashioning him out to be a "near genius" who "designed" his own digital clock. I am not trying to belittle his interest or his effort, just calling it what it is - a repackage of a digital clock which probably did not require heating up a soldering iron or turning on a multimeter.

[LabSpokane]

So if his dad is a bit wacko, I certainly hope he didn't try to coerce his kid to do this in any way. And yes, I hope this kid is honestly into electronics with no motives (either his or his family's) or coercion.

I hope not as well. But what we don't do is punish children for the actions of their parents. The "made/invented" part always felt like a stretch, but I would never harsh on a kid for that. The correct course is to find them a mentor. If he is genuinely interested in STEM,he will continue.

Punishing a child for others' actions that they have no control over is very emotionally scarring - particularly when those "others" are parents or siblings.  If Ahmed is a pawn in a larger battle, then shame on every adult who is using him. But we don't punish Ahmed for that. In the midst of all the negative acts by adults, Ahmed deserves to know he is loved.

[Stonent]

The clock, made or re-packaged really is beside the point.

I do not agree. The internet and news networks are fashioning him out to be a "near genius" who "designed" his own digital clock. I am not trying to belittle his interest or his effort, just calling it what it is - a repackage of a digital clock which probably did not require heating up a soldering iron or turning on a multimeter.

There was however a screwdriver involved, because there are two screws. Therefore it would ever so slightly more accurate congratulate him for his skills in mechanical engineering.

[ez24]

Basically what I've been saying all along. He didn't make a clock, he just repackaged it.

http://blogs.artvoice.com/techvoice/2015/09/17/reverse-engineering-ahmed-mohameds-clock-and-ourselves/

EDIT: I did now see someone linked this article in the other thread. So I don't want to claim to be the first one to mention it on the forum.

I am glad someone else besides myself saw this:

I’m curious, why would “looking suspicious” have even crossed his mind before this whole event unfolded, if he was truly showing off a hobby project, something so innocuous as an alarm clock.

[LabSpokane]

The clock, made or re-packaged really is beside the point.

I do not agree. The internet and news networks are fashioning him out to be a "near genius" who "designed" his own digital clock.

I am fine with calling the act "brought a disassembled/repackaged digital clock to school."  That's accurate and fair. I initially thought he might have attached a larger display onto a smaller clock, but quite obviously that is not true. 

[Stonent]

So if his dad is a bit wacko, I certainly hope he didn't try to coerce his kid to do this in any way. And yes, I hope this kid is honestly into electronics with no motives (either his or his family's) or coercion.

I hope not as well. But what we don't do is punish children for the actions of their parents. The "made/invented" part always felt like a stretch, but I would never harsh on a kid for that. The correct course is to find them a mentor. If he is genuinely interested in STEM,he will continue.

Punishing a child for others' actions that they have no control over is very emotionally scarring - particularly when those "others" are parents or siblings.  If Ahmed is a pawn in a larger battle, then shame on every adult who is using him. But we don't punish Ahmed for that. In the midst of all the negative acts by adults, Ahmed deserves to know he is loved.

Hmm just thinking.  Imagine Dave as his mentor.  Dave's not a particular fan of religions and you have the kids dad... It probably wouldn't work out.   I did try to see if there were any youtube channels about electronics or maker related stuff hosted by a Sudanese person but didn't find anything. I do remember watching one youtube channel on electronics before hosted by a 20's-ish middle eastern (presumably muslim) guy. (Yes I do know geography, Sudan is in Northern Africa, not in the middle east, just going off of the stats that a middle eastern person has a higher chance of being a Muslim than most other regions.)

Now I'm not suggesting that he only learn from other muslims, that's not the case.  I just don't want to cause problems with the kid's dad.  Especially if we want to make sure this kid doesn't get pulled into his dad's activist stuff.

[Wytnucls]

He is known as a tinkerer by other students. He likes to take things apart and repair them when possible.
By his own admission, there was nothing special about this contraption, put together in a few minutes. So, why was he so eager to show the science teacher, as if it was a major achievement? He must have had more intricate projects to show off.
He also knew it might be mistaken for a triggering device, but still went ahead and took it to the classroom, probably against school rules.

Did his militant father have anything to do with it? Hard to believe, but it can't be dismissed entirely.

[Stonent]

Here's the law that was used to justify his detention:

Texas Statutes - Section 46.08: HOAX BOMBS

(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly manufactures, sells, purchases, transports, or possesses a hoax bomb with intent to use the hoax bomb to:

     (1) make another believe that the hoax bomb is an explosive or incendiary device; or

     (2) cause alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

And in the legal vernacular used in US states that put classifications on misdemeanors, a Class A is the most severe form, just under a felony.

So yes it is legal to own a hoax bomb, and you can buy them online, you only break the law if you have any bad intent behind the ownership of it.

[EEVblog]

The instant I saw that photo I knew very well it was an old clock re-packaged, any electronics sayvy person wouldn't know that.
But of course I didn't care, the kid is an electronics hobbyist either way, and deserves our support.
Heck, I bet half the people on this forum stared out doing just what Ahmed did.
I made the deliberate decision to support him and giving him the benefit of any doubt that he's nothing more than an innocent hobbyist. Guilty as charged.

[ez24]

I wonder if Obama will have him come to the White House to show a disassembled/repackaged digital clock.

Too bad Radio Shack is not around to take some of the credit.

[Joule Thief]

I wonder if Obama will have him come to the White House to show a disassembled/repackaged digital clock.

Anyone want to venture a guess if the president has this "only a clock" passed thru White House security without a thorough screening?

[Stonent]

I wonder if Obama will have him come to the White House to show a disassembled/repackaged digital clock.

Anyone want to venture a guess if the president has this "only a clock" passed thru White House security without a thorough screening?

Or as one comment I read "I'm sure the kid's clock and nether regions will be thoroughly inspected by security before he gets anywhere near the president"

Question is... How is he going to get that not-a-bomb-clock-in-a-case through the airport to see the President?

[Joule Thief]

My son in law did several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were watching the news when the phrase "just a clock" was mentioned. He laughed. I asked why the smirk?

He said he has never seen so many children people carrying "just a garage door opener" as when he was in hot regions in war zones. "Funny thing" he said, "I never saw any electric garage doors in Afghanistan."

[Macbeth]

Question is... How is he going to get that not-a-bomb-clock-in-a-case through the airport to see the President?

If he still has the screwdriver he can put it back together and then put the screwdriver in the little case. Then let TSA put them through their bomb detectors... It doesn't look like a theatrical bomb so they will wave him through.

Of course he can then reassemble it on the plane and threaten the pilots and force them to kamikaze the plane into the whitehouse. TSA didn't think of that did they? 

[DimitriP]

I wonder if Obama will have him come to the White House to show a disassembled/repackaged digital clock.

Too bad Radio Shack is not around to take some of the credit.

Whatcha talkin' 'bout ?

[nitro2k01]

My son in law did several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were watching the news when the phrase "just a clock" was mentioned. He laughed. I asked why the smirk?

He said he has never seen so many children carrying "just a garage door opener" as when he was in hot regions in war zones. "Funny thing" he said, "I never saw any electric garage doors in Afghanistan."

Of course, in Iraq or Afghanistan, there's a very real risk of getting blown up by a home-made explosive thingamabob, triggered by a cheap cellphone, or as you suggested, a garage door opener. Especially if you're a US soldier. On US soil, not so much. In the US you're very unlikely to be killed by a Muslim terrorist. I bet what went through the police officer's head was "Got one! Got one! Finally!" That's the difference between a warzone and an idle backwater town in the middle of nowhere.

And I think the mistake they was to not understand how terrorists operate. They want to spread fear, not threaten to blow something up to negotiate demands. In the former case it makes sense to be covert. Only in the latter case might it make sense to say "HEY LOOK AT ME, I HAVE A BOMB!" Maybe they ought to watch less movies.

[Galenbo]

...So yes it is legal to own a hoax bomb, and you can buy them online, you only break the law if you have any bad intent behind the ownership of it.

You also have the right to get shot if a security officer thinks it's time to prevent others from dying.

[Joule Thief]

My son in law did several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were watching the news when the phrase "just a clock" was mentioned. He laughed. I asked why the smirk?

He said he has never seen so many children carrying "just a garage door opener" as when he was in hot regions in war zones. "Funny thing" he said, "I never saw any electric garage doors in Afghanistan."

 I bet what went through the police officer's head was "Got one! Got one! Finally!" That's the difference between a warzone and an idle backwater town in the middle of nowhere.

Backwater town in the middle of nowhere? Dallas / Ft Worth area

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.862876,-96.9614334,10z

The Texas Urban Triangle is a region defined by three interstate highways – I-35 to the west (Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio), I-45 to the east (Dallas to Houston), and I-10 to the south (San Antonio to Houston). The region contains most of the state's largest cities and metropolitan areas, as well as nearly 75 percent of Texas' total population

[Macbeth]

Backwater town in the middle of nowhere? Dallas / Ft Worth area

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.862876,-96.9614334,10z

Indeed, it's more a hotbed of enlightened thinkers, scientists & artists.

I believe the father has pulled the lad from his school after this stunt and already has a place at another "school" already lined up... hmm...