25 interesting things that you learn about computers only in the movies

[PaladinMJ]

This List is cute and funny.. pretty accurate too LOL Stumbled this and had to share it

[Jimdoria]

Nice. I'd seen this, or a version of it, somewhere before, with attributions. The "UPLOAD VIRUS" scene I know is from a sci-fi prison movie called "The Fortress."

Another thing I've noticed (I guess in an effort to power all the exploding technology) is that Hollywood computers also seem to run on massively high voltage, not the mild 5V/12VDC found in most common computers.

[Edvard]

I thought the "upload virus" thing was referring to the virus scene in Independence Day when they not only successfully uploaded a virus, but they uploaded a virus to an alien computer operating system using an alien upload link (presumably wireless, which would be using, once again, an alien frequency...).
I suppose the premise still applies...

Maybe Microsoft transmitted a Windows iso along with those SETI signals?

[mwb1100]

Maybe Microsoft transmitted a Windows iso along with those SETI signals?

Serves those aliens right if they were using a pirated copy of Windows!  I guess that by preventing them from being properly patched, "Windows Genuine Advantage" actually did some good for once.

[PaladinMJ]

I thought the "upload virus" thing was referring to the virus scene in Independence Day when they not only successfully uploaded a virus, but they uploaded a virus to an alien computer operating system using an alien upload link (presumably wireless, which would be using, once again, an alien frequency...).
I suppose the premise still applies...

Maybe Microsoft transmitted a Windows iso along with those SETI signals?

TOTALLY alien computer system and it disables their whole shebang in one go...

Was soo bogus and just out and out retarded imnho! I am with you there my friend.


{edited because Edvard posted the same thing I was, so I erased and chimed in instead of reposting similarly..}

[Edvard]

BTW- The aliens instituted a workaround for that fatal security vulnerability:
http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/susan/sf/films/id4vir.htm

and others have been thinking waaay to much about these issues as well...

[app103]

Here is one they didn't mention: Outlook can do anything. It is the most amazing and versatile piece of software ever created.

You can do anything with it, from password cracking, to revealing secret identities, names, addresses, phone numbers, credit info, list of prescription medications that person uses, and what that person had for breakfast...of anyone...just by typing in some vague info like "who is Bob?".

It will even show you a map with Bob's location, and you can zoom in and see live video of Bob sitting at his desk.

And if your copy of Outlook doesn't make Atari game sounds, it's likely you don't know what you are doing.

So now you know the secret...if you want to become a Hollywood style expert hacker, you must become a super power user of Microsoft Outlook and know how to activate the Super God Mode with the Atari sounds.

[ak_]

I think it starts nicely but it seems like the author tried too hard to get 25 entries. Maybe it would have been better less, more accurate ideas. But it's still funny.

When i'm watching series like 24, i'm always amazed to see how many useless visual animations are displayed before showing information, opening a window of whatever, even if people at CTU are in a hurry 24/7.

Worst of all, i hate this thing that you can see in 95% of spy movies :
- Hey what's this ? There, this little dot in the background ? Zoom 8000% please...
- Ok, done.
- Hmm, looks like a face but it's blurry, sharpen the image...
- Done.
- Wow ! It's the killer !

I hate that. I hate that i hate that i hate that i hate that i hate that. In 24, they even zoom on a picture taken from Jack's cell phone to read a serial number on a object in a terrorist's pocket. I hate that.

[Edvard]

That all started with Blade Runner, remember? Harrison Ford zoomed in on a picture of the "skin job" stripper and her snake prop until he could read the id number micro-stamped on one of the scales.

(how many dpi can you freaking fit in a jpeg to be able to do that? ack.)

[Deozaan]

Worst of all, i hate this thing that you can see in 95% of spy movies :
- Hey what's this ? There, this little dot in the background ? Zoom 8000% please...
- Ok, done.
- Hmm, looks like a face but it's blurry, sharpen the image...
- Done.
- Wow ! It's the killer !

I hate that. I hate that i hate that i hate that i hate that i hate that. In 24, they even zoom on a picture taken from Jack's cell phone to read a serial number on a object in a terrorist's pocket. I hate that.

I totally agree! I don't watch much TV, but what I do what is usually crime shows (Law & Order, or CSI) and they are terrible about this! I saw one CSI episode where there was something ridiculous like a parking lot security camera photo of the murderer approaching a vehicle, but with his back to the camera so they couldn't identify him... until someone noticed his reflection in the vehicle's side-view mirror. Sure enough:

"What's that in the mirror?"
"I dunno. Let me zoom in on that."
"That's blurry! Can you clean that up?"
"Sure!" *presses one button*
"Aha! It's a name tag!"

That all started with Blade Runner, remember? Harrison Ford zoomed in on a picture of the "skin job" stripper and her snake prop until he could read the id number micro-stamped on one of the scales.

(how many dpi can you freaking fit in a jpeg to be able to do that? ack.)

Yeah but that was the future. Maybe that is possible in the future.

Also, I really hate how CSI has started using a projection/holographic screen like what we first saw in Minority Report. Well, I guess the interface isn't the same since it uses a touch screen/table thingy instead of cool gloves in the air, but still!

Also, the police can search for anybody using any criteria on anything and they'll find a result in less than ten seconds. They might have to filter the results a couple times, but sure enough, the programs they use were written in such a way to accept any command to cull the list!

And another thing: Anyone see that episode of that really stupid TV show where a drug dealer hid secret information in his Xbox game? The criminal was middle-eastern, so naturally the game was Prince of Persia. Anyway, they had to get to "Level 10" of the game (which is stupid for all sorts of reasons, because for one, there aren't any levels in the game.) You got the idea that they tried for hours to do this, with a whole room full of people watching one guy playing it. Dying again and again and again. Then the guy who I think was the main guy of the show looked over and there was a young woman holding her hands in the air as if she was holding the Xbox controller, pressing air-buttons, playing the game.

You can't really air-play a game like Prince of Persia because if you "press left" or "jump" using your air-buttons but the person actually playing presses right or doesn't jump, then you're completely out of sync with what's happening on the screen.

But anyway, the guy who sees this young woman doing this kicks the guy off who's been dying for the past 3 hours and within a few minutes this young woman gets to level 10, at which point an Excel Spreadsheet opens up in the middle of the game with the secret information.

So this guy hacked his Xbox and a video game (on a disc!) to display an excel spreadsheet, and he makes a living selling drugs?

How many levels of stupid can you get in a 5 minute segment of TV? Er... Not counting Reality TV... or Soap Operas... Er... Okay well I guess it just comes naturally to TV.

[JennyB]

That all started with Blade Runner, remember? Harrison Ford zoomed in on a picture of the "skin job" stripper and her snake prop until he could read the id number micro-stamped on one of the scales.

(how many dpi can you freaking fit in a jpeg to be able to do that? ack.)

They did the same trick with security cameras in the first Columbo shows. Back then most people thought that videotape worked like film.  

And what about that scrolling assembler code in the original Terminator movie? Z80?  

[Renegade]

...
Worst of all, i hate this thing that you can see in 95% of spy movies :
- Hey what's this ? There, this little dot in the background ? Zoom 8000% please...
- Ok, done.
- Hmm, looks like a face but it's blurry, sharpen the image...
- Done.
- Wow ! It's the killer !

I hate that. I hate that i hate that i hate that i hate that i hate that. In 24, they even zoom on a picture taken from Jack's cell phone to read a serial number on a object in a terrorist's pocket. I hate that.

Amen!

However, that is technically more likely/possible than the all too common scenario:

- So, can you crack the password or what?
- It's impossible! It's got a 8,192 TB keyspace and...
- I don't want to hear "can't!" Just TRY!
- Ok, but I told you... I'll just run this handy-dandy program that I wrote while you were saying "Just TRY!"... Done! There's the password! We're in!

Yeah. Ok.

Lesson learned: Everyone that writes security software in the movies and TV is a complete idiot, and everyone that creates a password makes it obvious and easy to crack so that even your dog can get into the NSA super-secret computers that nobody knows about inside of 3 seconds.

THAT ticks me off. There are a lot more too.

But the list was very fun!