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From: cs2532aa@unm-cvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Old and New computer noises
Message-ID: <303@unm-cvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Mar-85 22:01:42 EST
Article-I.D.: unm-cvax.303
Posted: Wed Mar 20 22:01:42 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Mar-85 03:59:40 EST
References: <9235@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Reply-To: cs2532aa@unm-cvax.UUCP (Francois 'The Frog' Bennet)
Organization: The Children
Lines: 39

>From: munck@mitre-bedford.ARPA

>>>different instructions caused the radio to produce different noises...
>> when I'm doing CPU-intensive stuff like number-crunching, it makes sounds
>> almost like tropical birds...
>
> An interesting thought to juxtapose with the problem of software piracy.
> A package could do its processing so as to "broadcast" a unique serial
> number built into it by the software manufacturer (say be re-arranging
> the order of loading modules). One can imagine unmarked vans cruising
> the industrial parks listening for identical signals from two or more
> CPUs simultaneously, indicating piracy.
>
>           -- Bob Munck, MITRE

Something similar already exists.  In the communications package for the
Apple called "Ascii Express" there is a feature that allows the user to
run a simple unattended board and have people call in and upload and
download files to it.  Since the program is sold unprotected, the serial
number is encoded into the software, and if someone logs onto the board
and types ^D^I^S at the command prompt ('(>') the program echoes the
serial number.

There are hundreds of these 'AE' boards all over the country (run mostly
by pirates), and it is highly amusing to type ^D^I^S and see how many of
the boards have the same serial number.

Of course, any Real Pirate would be able to find the serial number and
change or remove it, just like a nibble count or a check for a hardware
device.  Nobody seems to bother, though.

		.rne.

-----
Real World . . Ernie Longmire / 311 Don St. SE / Los Lunas, NM  87031-9405
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