Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#1

Post by MatBailey » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 1:44 PM UTC

Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens
alexandrosmaragos.com

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#2

Post by philthy » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:04 PM UTC

Screen syncing and screen sharing seems to be the theme of HN today...

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#3

Post by pyre » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:07 PM UTC

I'm waiting for the explanation. It looks cool, but the description sounds like a Hollywood understanding of computers:

  > the transmitter instantly sends the video signal to the video
  > repeater and the video repeater overrides any video screen
  > that it's being held next to

It almost sound like they are hacking from some computer with six monitors and an interactive 3d OS. I'll be waiting for the explanation of the prototype though. If it's real (which the video seems to imply), it's some seriously cool stuff.

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#4

Post by jrockway » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:10 PM UTC

99% chance this is just a Photoshop. The blog is about "visuals", not hacking or computer security, and I doubt that being a graphics designer is the key to figuring out how to transmit video to a Times Square video screen.

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#5

Post by fosk » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:11 PM UTC

Great demonstration, bad explaination

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#6

Post by michaeldhopkins » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:11 PM UTC

Several comments on the Youtube page say it's fake, chiefly because the iPhone jack cannot output video.

Is this true? If so, is it possible he wrote an app with special drivers to pull this off?

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#7

Post by haentz » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:12 PM UTC

This is obviously a fake. I very much doubt that the audio out of the iPhone has enough power to transmit the radio signal, at least there would be analog noise/jitter. Also, I dont believe you could push that much data over the analog out. And at 0:55 you can see they use the built in video player of the iPhone. How would the signal even go to the audio output? But nicely done.

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#8

Post by trystero » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:13 PM UTC

This HAS to be fake, right?

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#9

Post by lt » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:13 PM UTC

pyre wrote: post #3

I'm waiting for the explanation. It looks cool, but the description sounds like a Hollywood understanding of computers: > the transmitter instantly sends the video signal to the video > repeater and the video repeater overrides any video screen > that it's being held next to It almost sound like they are hacking from some computer with six monitors and an interactive 3d OS. I'll be waiting for the explanation of the…

The odds of it being real are not looking too good.

Apart of all the handwaving on how the override work, there's many others technical issues with it. For example, videos played from the camera roll wouldn't be outputted to the audio jack.

Re: Hacker with iPhone takes over Times Square screens

#10

Post by starnix17 » Mon, Mar 14, 2011, 2:13 PM UTC

jrockway wrote: post #4

99% chance this is just a Photoshop. The blog is about "visuals", not hacking or computer security, and I doubt that being a graphics designer is the key to figuring out how to transmit video to a Times Square video screen.

I agree, in the video it's kind of surprising how no one notices it.