Is your son a computer hacker?

torrentg · 30 Oct 2009

smarteyeball said:

Ryoken said:

allthough , me and my daughter have been thrown out of pc world because she decided to try and change the passwords on a few of their pc's.

lol, I used to change passwords on Department Store display computers whenever I got a chance :)

lol

I had a trick back in the days where you would cut out an exact dollar bill sized piece from the plastic book report covers like you'd use in school. Placed it horizontally side by side with a real dollar bill and not overlap.

Then I'd use tape to adhere them together. (Picture like two widescreen monitors side by side.)

You could use this to let the vending machines think it took your money and yank it back out. Timing and technique was critical.

Result: Can of soda (or whatver it was selling) + change in return.

Repeat as time allows.

haha

Doesn't work anymore. The fixed most models of machines.

mickey megabyte · 30 Oct 2009

naughty naughty, torrentg -ve rep!

i used to use the igniters from certain disposable piezo lighters on the big video game machines in the arcades. a quick spark on the right place around the coin slot would give me free credits. it worked for a few years during the mid-to-late eighties, until slot design was changed.

i never thought about trying it on vending machines - stealing a game didn't seem as bad as stealing food or tangible 'stuff'...

Uber Philf · 30 Oct 2009

hahah, don't you just love malfunctioning machines, like the Vending machine at school, one of the slots for Chicken twisties has been reprogrammed to cost 32c instead of the usual $1.60, so when I'm short on cash, and need some food, "ohaii there vending machine"

Works a treat :)

smarteyeball · 30 Oct 2009

We have a drink machine at work where it costs a $1.20 a can. It only accepts $1 coins and 20c pieces. The beauty is that since it's a mechanical turn/slot machine, you only have to put 20c in the slot, turn the handle and viola! - a $1 discount

You have to love dodgy vending machines :)

Petey7 · 27 Jul 2010

I know the topic has changed a bit but I'd Thought I'd add this from Notalwaysright.com.

Caller: “I need to report a very serious computer crime! The local university is running an illegal computer system!”

Me: “Could you please repeat that?”

Caller: “The local university is running an illegal computer system! They’ve hacked it!”

Me: “How could you tell they’d hacked it?”

Caller: “Well, when it booted, it didn’t say Windows or Microsoft or anything! It said something about Deviant Linux, I think, and the main screen looked nothing like my good, legal Windows screen at home! I think they hacked that, too!”

Me: “Do you mean Debian Linux?”

Caller: “Yes, that! Is it some sort of computer mafia or something?”

Me: “Uh, no, it’s just a different operating system. Nothing to worry about.”

Caller: “But it’s illegal! It’s not Microsoft, not even Windows! They’re on a normal Microsoft computer, so they’re breaking the law! I think they stole my identity when I came in the building! I’m calling the FBI!” *hangs up*

Abhishek Ghosh · 27 Jul 2010

Petey7 : a nice thing to share with us. "Deviant Linux" Ha ha ha...

Everlong · 27 Jul 2010

smarteyeball said:

Ryoken said:

allthough , me and my daughter have been thrown out of pc world because she decided to try and change the passwords on a few of their pc's.

lol, I used to change passwords on Department Store display computers whenever I got a chance :)

They don't exactly use hard-to-guess passwords

The PC World near me has two different passwords. The clues are either "company", which is just the parent company of PC World (DSG), or "store number", which is located in various places all over the store.

Petey7 · 27 Jul 2010

Everlong said:

smarteyeball said:

Ryoken said:

allthough , me and my daughter have been thrown out of pc world because she decided to try and change the passwords on a few of their pc's.

lol, I used to change passwords on Department Store display computers whenever I got a chance :)

They don't exactly use hard-to-guess passwords

The PC World near me has two different passwords. The clues are either "company", which is just the parent company of PC World (DSG), or "store number", which is located in various places all over the store.

Must...resist...urge. Screw it, I'm doing this next time I'm at Sam's Club. I set off the alarm when picking up a laptop and no one even looked in my general direction. I doubt they'd notice me doing this.