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Beware the Haunted Cordless keyboard

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up dept.

dr. greenthumb writes "The norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reports about an incident where a computer suddenly seemed to develop a life of its own. A game which the user could not remember using that day suddenly appeared on the screen. When he went over to shut it off the screen displayed a message asking him if he "really wanted to delete this file?" His computer was receiving keystrokes from another computer (with the same type of wireless keyboard) 150 metres away! Check out the full story and a follow-up, where experts warns against using wireless keyboards." /me plans to destroy Hemos' sanity...

29 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. see why... by intermodal · · Score: 5, Funny

    not all supposedly convenient technologies are necessarily better or more convenient. I like having a cord on my mouse and keyboard because 1) i know it's connected and 2) i know another isn't. Wireless keyboards etc. have no less a security risk involved as would a wireless network. Imagine being logged on as root and having the guy on the floor above you type in rm -rf /. while you hit the bathroom. even if your door is locked, you're still screwed.

    --
    In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
    1. Re:see why... by kleinux · · Score: 3, Funny

      That would suck to explain to the boss. I didn't see the hacker because I was in the bathroom!
      On a side note, maybe now my roomate will stop suggesting that we go wireless. I think the stuff sucks mostly because of needing to by batteries for something as basic as a keyboard seems really off the wall to me.

    2. Re:see why... by echophase · · Score: 3, Funny

      Imagine a little cluster of computers running an instance of Counter Strike, you'd have an army all through the commands of a single keyboard. Kind of like Mr. Dubya Bush.
      Forward men, we must kill the noobs!

    3. Re:see why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      They can just tie the wireless keyboard or mouse down with a small chain, problem solved :-)

  2. TV remotes do this too! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have the same trouble with my tv remote. After the wife goes to bed, it turns to the TV-MA flicks on Cinemax and then clicks back to TLC or something whenever she walks in.

    1. Re:TV remotes do this too! by LupusUF · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you watch Friends, you will see the danger of this. If you wife is going to catch you jacking off...it had better be to porn...and not some shark attack show on the discovery channel.

  3. Not quite as fun as VNC by zulux · · Score: 5, Funny


    VNC in an office environemnt is a lot of fun with all the Windows users that never notice the little VNC server icon in the 'systray' - right next to their Gator and Bonzi Buddy icons.

    I've got the keystrokes down just right

    [Ctrl]+[Esc] -> r -> notepad -> Do you want to live, human? -> [F4]

    under a second. Leaves the poor things troubeled. Confused. Hungering for the sweet realse of alcohol or a shotgun.

    Or just move the mouse subtely when they go to click on somthing.

    Of course, don't forget to tell them that it could be Bill Gates fucking with their computer - he's mad that they diden't forward the Windows 95 Beta email. He really wanted to give them $1000 and he's pissed his knickers.

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

    1. Re:Not quite as fun as VNC by Christianfreak · · Score: 4, Funny

      And fortunatly there is even a Mac version of VNC, you should have seen the look on some of the graphic guys faces when their beloved Macs turned on them and told them to use PCs by order of Bill Gates at a web development company I worked at a few years ago :)

      --
      The Anti-Blog
    2. Re:Not quite as fun as VNC by zulux · · Score: 3, Funny

      pretty simple to fire it up on the old @home network and suddenly finding myself on a password-less PC. I also ran notepad but wrote, "Put a damn password on your pcAnywhere!"

      A frend of mine had @home - I spent a fun-filled evening attaching to pepoples printers and printing out porn, Jack Chick tracks, Gynocology Doctor remonder notices for their 8am discharge examination, and a 'turn you fscking Windows sharing off' how-too's. Annoying and yet, informative.

      --

      Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

  4. Latest hacking fad. by Defender2000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's right, WarKeyboarding! Boost the signal of your keyboard, and drive around town attempting to control random computers. Not seeing a screen is kind of difficult, but that's only a minor obstacle. Also use a tuned receiver to listen to keystrokes from around town. Passwords galore!

    --
    ...I'll procrastinate tomorrow...
    1. Re:Latest hacking fad. by sheWhoWalksWithToesL · · Score: 5, Funny
      Ctrl + Alt +Del. Wait a few minutes.

      Crtl + Alt + Del. Wait a few minutes.

      Crtl + Alt + Del. Wait a few minutes.

      Laugh maniacally. Repeat.

      -SheWhoWalksWithToesLikeCobras

      --
      -SheWhoWalksWithToesLikeCobras Please enter any 11-digit prime number to continue...
    2. Re:Latest hacking fad. by _ph1ux_ · · Score: 3, Funny

      Just drive around with a WarKeyboard in your trunk that just send out a very powerful ALT+F4 non-stop.

    3. Re:Latest hacking fad. by isorox · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ctrl + Alt +Del. Wait a few minutes.
      Crtl + Alt + Del. Wait a few minutes.
      Crtl + Alt + Del. Wait a few minutes.

      And this differes from normal use how?

    4. Re:Latest hacking fad. by Zakabog · · Score: 3, Funny

      The difference - Laugh maniacally. Repeat.

      Usually when you use windows it's -

      Ctrl + Alt +Del. Wait a few minutes.
      Crtl + Alt + Del. Wait a few minutes.
      Crtl + Alt + Del. Wait a few minutes.
      grab an axe, start laughing psychotically, scream "HERE'S JOHNNY!" and tear that piece of crap to shreads.

  5. Don't Wxorry about this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    My Log?tec keyboard hask been working for the law#tst two years witout any hi19tch.

  6. It wasn't me... by DrFatal · · Score: 5, Funny

    Finally I'll have a decent excuse why that webpage full of naked women was on the screen when my girlfriend walks into the computer room. "I swear honey, it wasn't me.."

  7. Happens toH EmeY all the time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I uLse a LogUitecZh wirEelRess and mYouse. It's beOen happUening Rso muKch laEteYly, I'vSe gotAten uRsed to iEt. ThoRse meddUlinLg kiEds! GooDd thiDng they cOan't tRype as fKast at me.

    1. Re:Happens toH EmeY all the time by jigma · · Score: 3, Funny

      HEY LUZER YOUR KEYS ARE RULED DORK ...man, I though I was gonna get a password

      --
      "linux is only free if your time has no value" - Jamie Zawinski
  8. 150 meters? no problem. by updog · · Score: 5, Funny

    150 meters? that's cool... since i use inches and feet, i'm not affected.

  9. One Question by telstar · · Score: 3, Funny
    "His computer was receiving keystrokes from another computer (with the same type of wireless keyboard) 150 metres away!"
    • What's a meter?
    1. Re:One Question by tunah · · Score: 3, Funny
      For non-americans:

      A meter is something that measures - eg water meter, odometer, thermometer. Commonly confused with metre which is the SI unit of distance.

      For americans:

      A meter is either something that measures (see above) or a weird unit of distance only used by scientists and geeks. It is commonly confused with a metre, which is a conspiracy by the europeans to make everything two thirds smaller. They don't need double garages, because their car fits in one!

      --
      Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
    2. Re:One Question by Graabein · · Score: 4, Funny
      > What's a meter?

      You mean metre. It's a measuring unit used by NASA about half the time.

      --
      And remember kids: Never trust a computer you can actually lift.
  10. Well... by DAldredge · · Score: 5, Funny

    How are things at NASA these days?

  11. securing wireless technologies... by _ph1ux_ · · Score: 5, Funny

    If only we could secure wireless technologies. Maybe we could have the signals travel in a secure method - maybe down some sort of tube. maybe the tube would have to have some sort of "antennae" - maybe it should be of some conductive material - like copper.

    We should also make sure that these "tubes" are shielded in some way - with maybe a suple rubber coating.

    Then the wireless signals could travel through this "tube" from the keyboard to the computer - thus rendering them safe from nasty hackers that may be listening.

  12. Re:Bluetooth is much better by evilviper · · Score: 4, Funny
    and many devices will simply not work unless the end user does.


    Muwahahahahaha!!!

    LUser: "My handheld called me an idiot then shut itself off."
    --
    Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  13. In Related News by Kaz+Riprock · · Score: 3, Funny


    Southern New Jersey police dispatchers were wondering why they were receiving requests for New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, and Boston Celtics statistics on their monitors....

    --
    Mordor...a magical, mythical land where women are more rare than dragons--but where every man would rather find a dragon
  14. Re:Keyboards vs RC racers by tulare · · Score: 4, Funny
    However, you're right about the interference - if two radios had the same frequency crystals in, many funny things were bound to happen.
    No doubt. When I was little, we had a dog that apparently decided that my r/c cars were some strange version of cat she hadn't torn to shreds yet. Needless to say, we kept her in the back yard when we had our cars out.
    Happens that, right after Christmas (or maybe Christmas afternoon, I can't remember) one of the neighbor kids shows up with his shiny new rc-10 (mine was somewhat more scarred - see above). Naturally, I ran inside and got my car out so that we could race. What a disaster - my car did this stuttery thing and ended up in a flowerbed, while my friends' brand-new rc-10 went off full-throttle up our driveway, completely out of control, and then zipped right under the gate and into the waiting fangs beyond. By the time we got the gate undone, it was too late. Yeah, we checked, and yeah, both of us were on the same freq. What a scene - I'll never forget it :)
    --
    political_news.c: warning: comparison is always true due to limited range of data type
  15. same problem with the PCjr a few years ago... by call+-151 · · Score: 3, Funny
    This issue is not brand-new, at least not to a lesser extent. The wireless keyboard on the PCjr from the mid 80s had line-of-sight IR connections that you could do all kinds of fun tricks with. I remember a few gems:
    • Writing a 'burglar-alarm' program that sat there expecting the space bar to be pressed constantly. Then putting the keyboard across the way with a book sitting on the space bar. If anyone walked by and interrupted the beam, the alarm would go off. Fun to do across people's cube entryways. (Yes, I was writing software that was supposed to work on those things...)
    • Normal TV remotes would interfere with the keyboard signal and cause the PCjr to beep annoyingly and not recognize commands. I have fond memories of taking a remote to computer stores and surreptitiously pointing it from my pocket at the PCjr when the salesman at Sears was demonstrating the wonders of the wireless keyboard to someone. (Yes, I was an Apple II/Mac partisan and actually thought there was some danger the PCjr was going to take over the world... How could I have known that it was going to be one of the most remarkable flops of all time? )

    --
    It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw.
  16. Reminds me... by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 3, Funny
    One day, the TV started changing channels wildly. And we couldn't find the remote.

    Turns out it fell between two of the couch cushions, which were depressing the "next channel" button...