Tag: ebay

  1. Cryptographic history hit-and-run.

    19 July 2007

    Someone in Italy has a real German Enigma machine from World War II up for auction on eBay. The Enigma machines were the mechanism used to implement the famous cryptosystem that protected German radio communications up until Allied cryptographers were able to figure out how it worked. With today's technology (in particular, programming languages) it isn't too difficult to implement one yourself once you know the principle, but if this is legit, it's a real piece of World War II and crypto history. Not many Enigma machines survived after the war was over; the few that are left are in …

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  2. Snow for sale and more.

    31 January 2007

    For those of you wondering if winter's ever going to arrive, wonder no more! Someone in Fort Collins, Colorado is selling samples of snow from the blizzards they've been having all season. He's selling ten (10) samples at $0.99us each, shipped in sealed one gallon baggies. So far, he hasn't decided if he's going to pack the in dry ice for preservation.

    Just when you thought home aquaria had reached its pinnacle, someone comes along and builds a habitrail for his fish that goes all through his apartment. Hacking home fabrication systems.

    Here's an unclassified memo written by the …

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