Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo DS Emitting Anomalous Signal?
An Anonymous reader writes "An owner of Nintendo's Shiny New Portable, has noticed his DS is emitting a signal that is projecting a ghostly image of his screen onto his TV- and he's not even multiplayer gaming. He and several others have uploaded photos of their DSs interfering with their TV's reception. As one forum-goer points out, this doesn't seem like the DS is adhering to FCC standards." More news from a forum, so enjoy some NaCl with this.
Hmmm, well this certainly has some interesting possibilities if true. It might be kinda cool to be able to project one's gameplay on a good TV. I wonder if anyone will try to enhance this "feature"?
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
"Wow! It must be some hidden feature that Nintendo will release an add-on for!" And your blender is sending "special messages" to your TV everytime you turn it on. I wonder if KitchenAid is going to release an add-on so you can watch your blending live on television?
http://www.bynarystudio.com
Here's an excerpt from the thread:
OK, given that the majority of the posts look a lot like that one, why the hell would anyone with half a brain take this seriously? It's obviously just interference coming from an improperly shielded cable. I'm sure the FCC will have something to say about this--well, they would if Michael Powell weren't so busy acting as the Christian right's moralistic attack dog, anyway...
I get funny lines on my TV. Same goes for the dehumidifier.
Gonna recall those, too?
TEMPEST @ Wikipedia
Another article with some more links.
I think the original poster may be referring to the Van Eck Phreaking, not TEMPEST as TEMPEST is the US code limiting the radiation out from electronic equipment, and Van Eck Phreaking is actually receiveing the signal emitted from the equipment.
Actually for more go to Google and look up "Van Eck Phreaking"
This is clearly intentional, doodz and this is how it happens.
The DS uses super-sekrit rays which come out of the batteries (or maybe the thumbpad i dont no im just a leet), which beam to a satellite near the moon which nintendo has which then transmits to your tv. It works even with your radio, makes pictures on the screen if u dont have 1 u need a dot matrix printer it workz with those 2.
This is uber, we can use a HANDHELD on the TV! I think we shud make a mod so we can take the screenz off the DS and put in a bigscreen TV insted! r0xx0r!
I doubt seriously this will happen. Here's a link to the DS's FCC Certification Report. Just because a part 15 device impacts a non-part 15 device doesn't mean it is not operating within spec. All it means is that the part 15 device must be moved, turned off, etc to eliminate the objectionable interference. Read that little FCC label on the DS (or in the manual). Note that the DS user and TV owner are the same person in this case. They can choose to play and accept the interference or turn off either the DS or TV. My guess is that the DS can't interfere far enough away to cause a neighbor's TV to show interference, so the product probably won't cause harmful interference to anyone but its owner, and only right next to a TV.
Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
"It has been discovered that portions of a recent batch of DS units were accidentally exposed to a paranormal mutagenic agent before shipment.
The unfortunate result is that some DS units are possessed by demonic spirits, and have been known to display erratic behavior, including but not limited to: emitting strange ghost signals, shooting protoplasm, and spontaneously opening dimensional rifts to hell.
If you have experienced any of these irregularities yourself, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please mail your DS to our new Exorcist Repairs Department and we will repair it free of charge."
BTW, has anyone noticed that giant fetus that appears to be orbiting Jupiter all of a sudden? Where the hell did that come from?
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
And why is this not a problem for ALL owners of the DS? I'm guessing it's because the people who are bitching about the interference have cheapass television sets, which don't have enough shielding to protect them from interference.
The shielding is supposed to protect other devices from being harmed by the emitter, but it's also supposed to protect the emitter from things that don't have shielding around them (power cables, speakers, etc.). If a television set doesn't have adequate shielding, it won't only interfere with other devices, it will be easier to interfere with.
Looks like we should have left one more.
Wasn't this called VanEck Phreaking or something like that when you could see what was broadcasted on the screen from one computer to another?
It was a scene in Cryptonomicron, I believe.
"Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely."
Hey we may be a bunch of freakin nerdos but our site is purple and not a default phpBB template so there.
Ok IANAEE but I believe one poster said he saw an image of Mario in his TV. Now, to my understanding his TV was analogue and the DS is entirely digital. It might make sense to see lines or other noise, but projecting the image seems impossible. I'm not buying it...most TVs get interference from microwaves or vaccuum cleaners or other high powered devices, I have a hard time believing that the DS, which is a low powered DC, digital device would interfere with a television.
SIGFAULT
We're talking radios with 5 watt transmit power, minimum. If we weren't screwing up instruments then, I have a really hard time believing that low-power interferrence is that big of a problem. instruments have to be pretty on, or we'd have a misdrop and drop in some farmer's field or something, which didn't happen, so I'm pretty sure we didn't screw them up badly, if at all.
I'm pretty sure that the FAA is just paranoid about their restrictions.
I wouldn't worry about playing games on airplanes.
The World's Worst Webcomic!