Furgles?!

With cases like this, you’re pretty much assured that you’ll never ever get your CD/DVD’s back.

Even MORE H4xx0rz

As if that wasn’t enough, I also managed to get myself locked out of my car today. Like some kind of idiot, I had picked up something from Staples for work, and on my way back I was so engrossed in thinking about a project that I locked the door with the key still in the ignition. Shouldn’t cars not allow that?! In fact, it was probably a good thing I left the key in the ignition, because as I was walking away, I heard the quiet xA’s engine and wondered where it was coming from. Duh, obviously it’s coming from my car! That was when I realized, with dread in my heart, that I had done the unthinkable.

I called a locksmith, and within 20 minutes, the van of hope arrived. The first thing he said was, “Wow, that engine is really quiet.” In much the same vein as the last post, he didn’t even bother going for the lock at all (not really surprising). It was very slightly upsetting seeing him break into my car in under 10 minutes, but oh so convenient. His procedure was to jam a rubber wedge in the door and then use a deflated cloth pouch with a pump (like those blood pressure things) to push the door slightly ajar. This opening was wide enough to let him slide a hooked thick metal wire in to flip the door’s lock. The one nice thing was that since the lock was sorta indented in the door, he couldn’t see where the lock was from his side. So, I got to stand on the other side of the car and peer through the passenger side to direct him. Using my mad charades skillz, I guided our team to the win on the third try, and the only damage to the car was one very slight scratch on the door plastic on the interior (which is hardly noticeable and will probably be gone with normal wear/tear/erosion). I’m having mixed feelings about the whole experience.

I have no idea where my spare car keys are, but in this case they wouldn’t have helped me. I would have kept them at home, and my house keys are on the same keychain as my car keys. Still, I made a mental note to go and order some more spares.

Damn H4xx0rz

This rather simple hack of the Genuine Advantage check that Microsoft is trying to implement reminds me of that hack of the protected CD’s where you just had to hold down the SHIFT key. If you want to beat those 1337 h4xx0rz, you really can’t come with that weak stuff…

Speaking of which, check this interesting article about a blind teen who excels at video games. When I think about it, this is not as strange as it initially sounds, especially if you are next to your opponent at an arcade. There are lots of players who watch their opponent just as often as they watch the screen, and so I can see how it would work if you had a lot of skill and practice. Even without checking your opponent, many strategies eventually become fairly predictable, as do the counters. Still, very impressive, especially since it would be hard to judge the first flurry. I loved the part about the audio cues, haha!

Should Get a Raise

Today at work, I sent out email #1337.