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Walgreens PureDigital Camera Hacked
Powercntrl writes "While the Ritz version of the PureDigital single-use camera was recently hacked, the Walgreens version wasn't - until now. Codeman, the same guy who brought us the I-Opener hack, found a way to add a standard Smartmedia interface to the Walgreens camera and extract images with a standard Smartmedia reader. Links to sample images showing the camera's quality are included."
How good is the quality? 1 or 2 megapixel?
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The reason for getting excited is that you can get these for $10 each. Walgreens expects that you'll return them to get your pictures "processed", and then they'll turn around and sell the cameras again to somebody else.
$10 for a camera that shoots 1280x1024 plus has a flash certainly isn't bad - but then you're going to rack up the expense of a SmartMedia socket, soldering, the memory card, and optionally, your own soldered USB connection. Even if you figure $40-$50 worth of materials, it's not a bad deal, if you can settle for its washed-out colors.
What's your damage, Heather?
That site is already pushing up daisies....
Let's suppose someone decided to turn around and sue you or something for manipulating their product, something small like this... Could cost you a pretty penny in legal fees. Or... say it takes you what a couple hours, couple of dollars to pull this `hack` off... For what in all honesty other than to say `look what I did`. Come one now... Digital cameras are dirt cheap. Not to rag on the `hacker', but let's get real what true purpose does this serve?
I'm not trying to troll around, nor put anyone's `work' down, but I'm trying to think of any value this may have and sadly I see none. Now had he said something really productive like he hacked the camera to make every pic to be Angelina Jolie, or some other sexpot, then I'd work with him...
MoFscker
Now Walgreens will just shut the program down, and withit goes my dream of getting a 1MP webcam for under $10... :-(
Anybody wanna buy my hacked iopener that I don't use anymore so I can buy a bunch of these cameras?
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur
I needed a digital camera. Santa's going to be visiting a tad earlier this year. To tell you the truth, a reusable digital camera is just begging to be hacked. Why these companies are putting them out at all is beyond me, because the analog film quality is so much better.
Let me get it all out of the way for y'all, ok?
Did I miss anyone?
Please help metamoderate.
Someone find a bandwith hack for this site, it`s dying!
What's the point of digital without an LCD? None. For disposible, nothing beats film. If digital rentals are to take place, they should be in some sort of locked waterproof plastic case that must be torn up to get access to it... unless you have the Walgreen's key. Also, calling it a rental would be better - and charging a deposit fee to keep people from using them for this purpose.
I can hardly contain my excrement...
From excellent karma to terible karma with a single +5 funny post...
God, can't anyone take a damn joke? I hope you all get meta-moderated to hell.
Please help metamoderate.
anyone care to post? /.ed as usual ...
Now they know, in advance about these stories and these dinky sites getting slammed.
Why don't they mirror these little sites on the awesome OSDN system ahead of the rush?
Shit, within seconds of release the sites are out of order and the entire story is for naught and NO ONE gets to see what it's all about.
Quite often the site exceeds it's bandwidth allocation and is taken offline by the ISP for the remainder of the month.
By the time this site will be viewable again, Walgreens will have pulled the camera from the shelves..
The real benefit on these cameras (after they're hacked) is that you can use them where you wouldn't want to risk your $100-500 camera.
For example, most people don't want the expense of having to risk a high-end digital camera for underwater (SCUBA, snorkel) shots. The Ritz camera (when hacked to interface with USB) is a great camera for use in a shallow-depth enclosure (because it has a flash) and you don't care if it's destroyed because $10 is a mere fraction of the cost of diving (it might be less expensive than the compressed AIR you're breathing while doing it).
Also, think about skiers or other extreme sports people what kick the living crap out of their gear. This makes a digital (albeit crappy) camera something that you can actually use with reckless abandon and not feel so bad when after the Nth time you fall on your *ass after a bad trip down the moguls it finally gives up. (you just hope that it lasts you a couple of trips).
Granted it's crappy but, again, a niche use is still a good use.
Ugh... If that was your point, just FSCKING LINK DIRECTLY TO IT! It would have been funny if you linked to http://goatse.cx/. However, since you linked to http://tinyurl.com/4ui, YOU FAIL IT!
Moderators, do something about this poor excuse for an AC.
Anyway, I thought that you'd get a photo CD and a pack of prints, a la 35mm. Can anyone confirm this?
codeman:
p d_board_hr_back_mod ..
..
.
..
/ website/r es44442e bsite/r es44441r y/website/r es44443s ite/r es44445
ok i did some hacking on the walgreess version and here's what i have done..
first thanks to zonyl for getting me some cameras to mess with..
ok if you look at http://www.linux-hacker.net/html/gallery/website/
you will see there is a daughter board on there with the nand flash for picture storage
if you remove that board you can add a smartmedia socket and using smartmedia card you will
be able to get the pics with a smartmedia reader standard jpg's but it will not do more that
25 pics still (think its using fat12)..
also there is a serial port there labeled rs232 it a ttl level serial port
pin 1 rx []square on board
pin 2 tx
pin 3 gnd
pin 4 data out ?? for lcd ?? video ??
if you hook up a max232 type chip to the board and a pc , in a term program hit
space bar and the camera will return a 0x01 hex (looks like it does autobaud rate)
and if you hit the - key twice it will trigger the flash and count the remaining
counter down but does not write to flash
and if you send a 029 dec (hold alt and type 029 on keypad then release alt) if will
change the format of the data coming out on pin 4..( dont know yet )
so far thats all i got in one night
codeman
here are some pic to get a better idea of how it works
daughter card removed
http://www.linux-hacker.net/html/gallery
smartmedia socket added
http://www.linux-hacker.net/html/gallery/w
here it is complete.
http://www.linux-hacker.net/html/galle
another one
http://www.linux-hacker.net/html/gallery/web
there is a door for the smartmedia card
codeman
..."slashdotted already. they must be hosting it on a hacked camera"
This same sentence reminds me oh so much of MS licensing the 'FAT' file system and their whole licensing scheme. As well as SCO suing everyone.
MoFscker
You're forgetting that the car manufacturer requires you to buy their gasoline only, and that's how they make their money.
Different situation. Not that I disagree... Bad business models don't give them the right to sue.
I was only able to get a the picture of the hack. It looks promising so I'm heading to Walgreens to pick one up for use as a digital camera back in my 35mm SLR.
http://ice.syne.net:88/sd/sm_hack.jpg
Does anyone else see the connection? :-)
---first post---
ok i did some hacking on the walgreess version and here's what i have done..
first thanks to zonyl for getting me some cameras to mess with..
ok if you look at [this] you will see there is a daughter board on there with the nand flash for picture storage ..
if you remove that board you can add a smartmedia socket and using smartmedia card you will be able to get the pics with a smartmedia reader standard jpg's but it will not do more that 25 pics still (think its using fat12)..
also there is a serial port there labeled rs232 it a ttl level serial port ..
pin 1 rx []square on board pin 2 tx pin 3 gnd pin 4 data out ?? for lcd ?? video ?? if you hook up a max232 type chip to the board and a pc , in a term program hit space bar and the camera will return a 0x01 hex (looks like it does autobaud rate)
and if you hit the - key twice it will trigger the flash and count the remaining
counter down but does not write to flash .
and if you send a 029 dec (hold alt and type 029 on keypad then release alt) if will change the format of the data coming out on pin 4..( dont know yet )
so far thats all i got in one night ..
codeman
---next post---
here are some pic to get a better idea of how it works
daughter card removed [here]
smartmedia socket added [here]
here it is complete. [here]
another one [here]
there is a door for the smartmedia card
codeman
I don't know much about the hack, other than than the information regarding the camera at http://earth.prohosting.com/puredig/. What I'm curious about is why no one has posted or is interested in a USB hack similar to the Ritz one. A smartmedia reader, as some have pointed out, is much more expensive than a USB cable. I know that I would not spend 10$ on a single use camera, then spend an additional 30-50$ on parts to make it arguably equivalent to a 60$ cheapie digital.
"He may look like an idiot, and talk like an idiot, but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot." - Duck Soup
He has named the samsung memory chip, but not the two rather small ones right of it. On the daugther board is memory chip F Memory upgrades anyone ?
For $10, it would be nice if this could be used as a general purpose USB interface for other projects. (I'd RTFA, but it's pining for the fjords.)
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Here's a mirror of the posting, courtesy of Worm Quartet
Well, a better alternative for those using disposable cameras (digital or otherwise) at weddings or other parties. Some friends in the SF Bay area use a service from Big Day Snapshots. Instead of getting 10 cheap disposable cameras for about $15 developed, they got 10 Canon A60 cameras to use for the day-- for $15, "developed"! Afterwards, they were given a CD with all the images and their own password-protected website. Pretty cool, they were psyched to get digital pix so easily; some of the guests even made mini-movies! Highly recommended for anyone getting married in the Bay Area. Beats the crap out of these disposable digital cameras.
Having looked at the pics of this camera it looks a lot like an old camera I have - a fuji ix-10
If there are linux drivers for it it might work with them..
fp or is this cheating?
However, once you have a hacked camera it's a different story. Because it's digital you can take virtually free photos. The batteries in the Ritz version lasted me for about 300 photos and they're just standard AA, easy to change. Sure, it would be better if it had a picture display LCD but it's not like the lack of it makes the camera useless.
BTW I've read that a slightly more expensive version with an LCD is coming out in 2004.
That image is weird. I wonder if it's photoshopped or if the Smartmedia socket is just placed on top of the camera PCB (ie. not connected and not functional) I wouldn't expect them to just put pads there for soldering in one of those sockets and so I'd expect wires and perhaps some glue logic.
The hardware isn't really meant to do that. The a SPCA504B chip is meant for use in a camera. However, it has an 8051 core with some extensions, it has I/O ports, there is external flash memory for code and the current firmware probably even supports a USB command for uploading new firmware.
...wonder if this falls under DCMA?
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
I've seen at Best Buy (and I just recently read a review about it, but I don't remember the site) a 64MB MP3 player/1.3 MP digital camera that plugs right into a USB port that sells for $99. It's white and orange.
The mention of the smart card has me confused. Looking at the site, it looks like he just soldered 4 wires on from a usb connector and was able to get the pictures with that.
Am I seeing that right? Smartmedia would be convienent, but I don't mind adding a wire out the side of it if that is all that needs to be done.
Thanks!!!
he was testing the serial connection, in further pictures you can see how he soldered the connector on where there was a CF card type circuit board that the manuf solders on
It's slow, just let it load
Before the site got too bogged down, I was able to grab a copy of the bbs discussion and the photos of the hack and put it in a torrent. My tracker is at http://209.233.28.4:6969/. I won't be up for long, but hopefully long enough.
If you leave it open then it won't die! Serve up the file 24/7 !
1. Hack cheap camera.
2. ???
3. Profit!
Or alternatively....
1. Sell cameras under cost and make money on processing pcitures
2. Cameras get hacked
3. Don't profit!
Someone else can think out jokes conerning taking pictures of Natalie Portman naked and petrified or hot grits.
I'm not kidding. :)
I'd give you $30 for it. I'd be using it as an X terminal.
Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).
imagine a beuwolf cluster of these, it will give LLNL a run for the top supercomputer. the slashdotdot crowd is slippen.
I agree with you, because we all know how many geeks that:
A) Have access to Walgreens
B) Is a the breed of super-geek that solders electronics
C) Has free smart-card sockets and other equipment so he's not spending more than the $10 you said
D) Won't pay the $6.99 film development fee to get the pictures off the "normal" way
E) Loves to Ski or Scuba Dive, oh wait, this involves going outside.. Are we still talking about geeks?
F) Thinks his time soldering and using the free $50 smart-card sockets isn't worth $6.99 * X for the amount of times he would use the camera on his Ski or Scuba Diving trips.
So, if you fit THAT exact description, then please, by all means, take advantage of walgreens.
As Red would say, "You're all a bunch of DUMB-ASSES".
- Voxel
Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes
"imagine a beowulf cluster of these!"
and
"in soviet russia, camera hacks YOU!"
isaac
To solve their problem, it shouldn't be to hard to make a camera that implents some sort of strong encryption, public key or a unique key for each camera. Althought they probably depend on having a cheap massproduced camera that already exists.
The obvious solution to this (for the company) is something they used to do with the film disposables -- charge for processing up front. Include the price of the "processing" (which amounts to downloading the pics and printing them for an unreasonably inflated price) in the price of the camera, and then just say "processing included". The only reason they don't do this is because they found it was more profitable to mislead consumers into thinking the product was cheaper than it was.
I have no sympathy for companies. They tried to mislead consumers and a bunch of geeks called them up on it. Justice has been served.
The CPU on these cameras are too slow to do this in a short amount of time (so you can take another picture quickly).
Out of the 2 Million to be sold, who cares about 1000 of them hacked, no reason to make the thing a big mess to manufacture and possible rejection by users because it's too slow.
Not everyone can solder, and I would say most people would rather drink a beer and watch TV.
Sorry, but I had to take the tracker down. Catch y'all later.
Just FYI, that's why I used the term "niche" market. It's not like these things are going to be revolutionary... not like peanut butter or pre-sliced bagels.
I've been looking for a cheap digital camera for my 4 year old (who likes to use my $400 one, which makes me nervous). I don't care if the picture is really low resolution, but it needs to work and be less than $100. I haven't gotten one because I've been unable to convince myself that the cameras I've found online would work at all.
It's not wasting time, I'm educating myself.
Any digital camera 4MP and up is better quality than film. I have multiple printouts from my photo printer that are all better than film. Digital lets you choose your pictures and costs you $50.00 to develope a picture. I think film is now officially dead...
You couldn't be sued for this. You physically own the product and there's no software currently being hacked. They can only get you if you reverse engineer the copyrighted software, even then you can say you did it under the DMCA for educational purposes. Thousands of people have hacked Xboxs, and Microsoft being as big as it is, hasn't gotten anybody. The most they've ever done is told them not to do it anymore (and this is only when something was related to the copyrighted software).