Pingfs: Stores your data in ICMP ping packets

It's humbling to know that the RAM of computers like ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 would fit in a single IP packet. It took minutes to load that "paket" from cassette tape.

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cakemedia an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

A software version of a mercury delay line! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delay-line_memory

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EvanAnderson an hour ago | parent [-]

Yep. ICMP delay line memory.

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cbdevidal 25 minutes ago | parent [-]

Okay, but could someone ELI5 how it works? Because I am heckin’ confused

	▲	leoc 17 minutes ago \| parent \| next [-]
		The UK's National Musuem of Computing has a nice demonstration video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGEAPVCuwvY . Apparently delay-line memory also went on to have wide use in colour TVs before the arrival of cheap semiconductor memory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPQq7xd3WdA , which was quite appropriate as it had come from radar in the first place https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZLpbhsE72I&t=675s .
	▲	adzm 22 minutes ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Imagine a continuously-moving loop that stores bits. When you want a certain bit you just wait for it to loop back to the position you want.

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xvilka an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The concept is widely covered in the amazing book Silence on the Wire[1] by Michal Zalewski. I wish he or someone else would write modern equivalent (or at least a new, updated edition) of the book.

[1] https://nostarch.com/silence.htm

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cinntaile an hour ago | parent [-]

He's on HN, maybe he reads your post.

	▲	xvilka an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I believe he found new solace - woodwork[1][2]. Given the state of security and things in general in the IT, I definitely understand. Especially with the AI slop influx. His blog is quite interesting to read though, highly recommend. [1] https://lcamtuf.substack.com/p/how-do-wood-finishes-hold-up [2] https://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/woodworking/

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_jholland 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Obligatory Tom7 reference: [Harder Drive: Hard drives we didn't want or need](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJSW7Rprio)

He stores data in ICMP ping packets, but also Tetris board states, among others. If you are not familiar with Tom7, let this be an introduction to a heavyweight whimsical internet nerd

	▲	leoc an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		38:37 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZLpbhsE72I&t=2317s in Jay Forrester's "The Design Environment and Innovations of Project Whirlwind" talk ( https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/10270308... ): > There was a desperate search for better memory. We seriously considered. at one stage. renting a television microwave link from Boston to Buffalo and back so that one could store something like 3,000 bits in the 3 milliseconds of round-trip transit time. Though I'm not sure why they wouldn't have just used a delay line for that task: that form of memory was already in use in computers, as discussed by Forrester himself from 11:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZLpbhsE72I&t=675s .
	▲	EvanAnderson an hour ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Tom7 is a gem. Anything by Tom7 is worth your time. Always.
	▲	cbm-vic-20 30 minutes ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		"Tetris is an inventory-management survival-horror game."

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lysace 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9844725 (2015, great comments)