Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but … after a shooting, the problem is the gun?
My Uncle Frank was a staunch Conservative and voted straight Republican until the day he died in Chicago. Since then he has voted Democrat. Shrug
Oops! I misread the thread title. I thought it said "Secret massages only". I was just about to offer my services to one lucky member.
On My! We're starting to learn all kinds of things about our membership.
(Not that there's anything wrong with that.) ------------------ Ron
Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but … after a shooting, the problem is the gun?
My Uncle Frank was a staunch Conservative and voted straight Republican until the day he died in Chicago. Since then he has voted Democrat. Shrug
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 10-15-2015).]
Fun with steganography ... hiding secret messages in plain sight. Here is a picture of a favorite end-of-the-trail watering hole for my wife and me:
Here is the same picture, but with a detailed map hidden in it, revealing where the picture was taken:
If you run an MD or SHA hash on the two images you can verify that their contents are indeed different, but even side-by-side it's hard to discern any difference visually. If I hadn't told you, you probably wouldn't even have noticed. FWIW, the hidden map data comprises more than 12% of the final composite image, which is a much higher payload ratio than usual.
For those who want to try to extract the map on your own, the software I used is simple, free for personal use, and legal: JPHS. JPHS was written more than 15 years ago, but you can still find copies for DOS/Windows posted around the Internet, and no installation is required. The pass phrase you will need to extract the map from the image above is "pennocks". For the less highly motivated, here is a "click to see" copy of the hidden map:
Click to show
Using other steganographic software you can similarly hide covert data in audio files files (MP3, etc.) and video files (e.g. MPEG, MP4, etc.) ... any encoded format with a lot of detail, rapid changes, and/or embedded noise will do. At its most basic level, this kind of steganography works by hiding messages in the low-level "background noise."
N.B. If any of you have ideas about using JPHS or steganography for illegal activities ... DON'T! The "bad guys" have been using it for years, and the U.S. Military, the NSA, the CIA, the FBI, and the computer forensics units of your state and local police agencies know all about steganography, how to detect it, and how to nail you for any contraband content.
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 10-16-2015).]
Can the human subconscious mind pick up on the message?
I assume you're thinking of embedded subliminal messages, which are a totally different subject. Steganographic techniques usually encrypt messages multiple times ... both to thwart detection and to obscure the messages even if they are detected ... before embedding them in a carrier, so the answer is, "Not bloody likely." Our eyes and ears just perceive the hidden messages as background noise, e.g. film grain or barely-audible hiss. (Yes, John and George are dead, Paul was still alive the last time I checked, and Elvis has permanently left the building.)
[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 10-15-2015).]
I assume you're thinking of embedded subliminal messages, which are a totally different subject. Steganographic techniques usually encrypt messages multiple times ... both to thwart detection and to obscure the messages even if they are detected ... before embedding them in a carrier, so the answer is, "Not bloody likely." Our eyes and ears just perceive the hidden messages as background noise, e.g. film grain or barely-audible hiss. (Yes, John and George are dead, Paul was still alive the last time I checked, and Elvis has permanently left the building.)
How about those deals where you stare at them, cross your eyes a little and you are supposed to be able to then see the 3d shape in the background? Popular about 15 years ago. Similar?
I'm pretty sure Roger Goodell is in secret meetings with Ted Wells this morning trying to figure out a way to blame this loss all on Bill Belichick and suspend Brady for it.
I'll admit, I had to look that one up. The movie it's from doesn't feel familiar. I'll have to look it up and watch it later.
If you liked Hackers you will probably like Pump Up the Volume also. It came out about 5 years prior to Hackers so expect a more end of the 80's feel to the movie. It's one of my favorites like Hackers.
I misread the thread title. I thought it said "Secret massages only". I was just about to offer my services to one lucky member. 
We're starting to learn all kinds of things about our membership.
