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Camera Phones Read Hidden Messages in Print

pikine writes "As reported by BBC News, Fujitsu has developed a technology that encodes 12-bytes of information in a printed picture by skewing yellow hue, which is difficult to discern by human eye but fairly easy for camera phones to decode using software written in Java." The first target uses are promotional contests and competitions, not entirely unlike those game pieces that need to be viewed through a colored filter.

8 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. truthiness by President_Camacho · · Score: 5, Funny

    not entirely unlike those game pieces that need to be viewed through a colored filter

    I believe these days, the correct term is African-American filter.

    1. Re:truthiness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      not entirely unlike those game pieces that need to be viewed through a colored filter
      I believe these days, the correct term is African-American filter.
      Cut the politically correct bullshit. It's nigga filter.

      Filter stole my bike!
  2. Secret message by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've already found the hidden message. Actually, once I learned of the technique, I was surprised at just how many of these hidden messages exist.

    ****SPOILER WARNING****

    01000010 01100101 00100000 01110011 01110101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100100 01110010 01101001 01101110 01101011 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01001111 01110110 01100001 01101100 01110100 01101001 01101110 01100101 00101110

    1. Re:Secret message by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 3, Funny

      #include <stdio.h>
       
      char m[] =
      "01000010 01100101 00100000 01110011 01110101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100100 01110010 01101001 01101110 01101011 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01001111 01110110 01100001 01101100 01110100 01101001 01101110 01100101 00101110";
       
      int main(int argc, char* argv[])
      {
          int v = 0;
          char *p = m;
          while( *p )
          {
              if (*p == ' ')
              {
                  printf( "%c", v );
                  v = 0;
              }
              else
              {
                  v <<= 1;
                  v += ((*p == '0') ? 0 : 1);
              }
              p++;
          }
       
          return 0;
      }
      --
      Unfortunately, Slashdot limits sigs to .120 characters. However, I was able to ingeniously circumvent this limitation by using a pseudo .sig !

  3. There goes my business model by alshithead · · Score: 2, Funny

    I guess selling lemon juice for invisible ink has just been retired.

    --
    I reserve the right to think for myself. Others' opinions are optional. Puppy on lap = typos...not illiteracy.
  4. Where's Waldo? by jlindy · · Score: 2, Funny

    All that development money for a high tech version of Where's Waldo? O.K. So now for the obligatory... But I'm color blind you insensitive clods!

  5. Re:Scary Tech by mrogers · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's why I always write ransom notes by hand, using my own blood.

  6. Modding code as funny?... by StressGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hey!...y-you guys are just a bunch of GEEKS!....all this time....I...I've been hanging out with GEEKS!!!

    {...sniff...} and I thought I really was funny and insightful! {....sob!....}

    --
    A goal is a dream with a deadline