(I sent this article to cypherpunks@cyberpass.net, but am getting no traffic from that site, and some of my messages have bounced. I've subscribed to cypherpunks@algebra.com and will resubmit some of my recent articles to that address. It would be nice if the "interlinked lists" system could work to handle outages of sites, and not just mutual distributions of articles. Any ideas?)

Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 21:37:24 -0800 To: cypherpunks@toad.com From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net> Subject: Re: Camera Hacking Cc: Bcc: X-Attachments:

At 9:02 PM -0800 5/10/97, Alan Olsen wrote:

...

The best weapon against a 35mm camera is a flash from a camera. Aim at the lens and fire. (Only if they are looking through it.) The screams are worth it. (One of the few joys of my high school photography class.)

Reminds me of an old astronomy club trick.

Take any reasonble aperture telescope. Use a reasonable magnification for the target such that target window fills the field of view. Place a standard electronic flash where the eye normally is. (Increased efficiency is gotten by arranging for as much of the output to go into the eyepieces as possible...this can be done with an "integrating sphere," e.g., an aluminum foil sphere with a single exit at the eyepiece.)

After dark, aim the telescope in the window of your victim. Best results are gotten if they have the lights off, e.g., while they're watching television.

Trigger the flash.

The startled reactions as their room fills with a flash of light are interesting. Some of them may even think they're under nuclear attack.

This of course works best from afar. Apartment buildings with views of other apartment buildings, for example. Don't this from the bushes, or even from across a street.

--Tim May

There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws. Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."