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Domain: mckoss.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to mckoss.com.

Comments · 7

  1. Enigma Machine is Fascinating by Webcommando · · Score: 4, Interesting · on The Spanish Link In Cracking the Enigma Code

    The story behind the Enigma and how the codes were cracked are fascinating. I fell in love with the machine and the concept of rotors, symmetric encode/decode, and how the circuit and mechanical systems worked.

    I was so into it that I wrote a simple free simulator for the iPhone that faithfully simulated a set of rotors and include quirks in behavior. It is old and not full featured (one set of rotors, no plug board, etc) but was a labor of love! Someone also has a full featured one for sale in the store now and there are numerous simulators on the net.

    There is a paper based Enigma that is an excellent tool for teaching students about this historical device. If you are a WW2 buff, the Enigma is a must on your research list.

  2. Re:Dodgy Math by Webcommando · · Score: 1 · on The Machines That Sparked the Beginning of the Computer Age

    I don't know if the math is dodgy but I do know the use of the Enigma was also a good example of how poor use of the device can lesson the effectiveness.

    Many of the messages sent between stations using the Enigma had similar sets of characters. For example, messages would end with praise to the fuhrer or start with something related to weather (that's two I can recall). This gave the allies a chance to have a known set of plain text and would greatly limit the problem space.

    I actually wrote an Enigma simulator for the iPhone because it is a fascinating device (e.g.. being a symmetric code/decode machine). It is a little dated and might not work on modern iPhone OS's but I did it as a labor of love and how cool the machine was.

    There is a great little tool to teach students about the Enigma machine as part of a WWII curriculum call the Paper Enigma.

  3. How about an enigma machine made out of paper? by sean_nestor · · Score: 2 · on Toy Converted Into an Enigma Machine

    Could be fun for educational projects...

  4. Re:Why build one when you can play with an emulati by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Enigma Machine for Sale on eBay

    Why play with an emulation when you can have a real, functioning, paper enigma machine in the time it takes to print and use a scissor?

    http://mckoss.com/Crypto/Enigma.htm

  5. Re:Build your own Enigma Machine by realbadjuju · · Score: 2, Informative · on Help Break Original Enigma Messages

    And here's a paper 3-rotor version... Print out and play.

  6. Re:Goddard? by JCMay · · Score: 1 · on X-Prize Progress Update
    Actually, Goddard came along way before von Braun, and was one of von Braun's main influences. Goddard's published works saved the German rocket design effort years of research; von Braun even said as much when he came to the United States:

    Braun always recognized the value of the work of U.S. rocket pioneer Robert H . Goddard. "Until 1936," said Braun, "Goddard was ahead of us all."


    Without the pioneering work of Goddard, space exploration would not be nearly as advanced as it is.
  7. Remember.... by phigga · · Score: 1 · on The Little Coder's Predicament

    Remember LOGO? That turtle rocked!