According to Engadget, via textually.org, an 18 year old grafitti artist known as Skullphone has hacked about 10 digital billboards in Southern California to insert his artwork into the screens' ad loops.
Clear Channel's definitely going to need to learn about security -- quick -- if they plan on (a) making a serious attempt in this market and (b) not getting fined (or worse) the first time somebody decides to be a bit less innocuous and delete the firm's entire playlist in favor of some select clips from a favored porn site.
[UPDATE]: According to new "news" (I have to put it in quotes when the source is a semi-anonymous tip to a gadget blog), there was no hacking and in fact "Skullphone" paid Clear Channel for the placements as a one-day promotion of... something. That, and there are unicorns living on the moon, Elvis was seen driving on I-40 with Jimmy Hoffa, and Chuck Norris's tears do in fact cure cancer. Ok, I can't confirm that last part, however I do know that if I were Clear Channel and my massively expensive digital screens were hacked, I might well be inclined to lie about it. I'm not saying that they did -- it's admittedly more likely that somebody paid them to do this -- but if they were hacked... well... I'll just leave it at that.
Tags: digital billboards, clear channel, skullphone
Clear Channel's definitely going to need to learn about security -- quick -- if they plan on (a) making a serious attempt in this market and (b) not getting fined (or worse) the first time somebody decides to be a bit less innocuous and delete the firm's entire playlist in favor of some select clips from a favored porn site.
[UPDATE]: According to new "news" (I have to put it in quotes when the source is a semi-anonymous tip to a gadget blog), there was no hacking and in fact "Skullphone" paid Clear Channel for the placements as a one-day promotion of... something. That, and there are unicorns living on the moon, Elvis was seen driving on I-40 with Jimmy Hoffa, and Chuck Norris's tears do in fact cure cancer. Ok, I can't confirm that last part, however I do know that if I were Clear Channel and my massively expensive digital screens were hacked, I might well be inclined to lie about it. I'm not saying that they did -- it's admittedly more likely that somebody paid them to do this -- but if they were hacked... well... I'll just leave it at that.
Tags: digital billboards, clear channel, skullphone
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2 comments:
Pa1d 4 Not Hax0r3d as we originally said!!!
http://www.dailydooh.com/archives/1366
I happen to work for the company that sold them these displays and programmed them. The spot WAS paid for. We take security very seriously!
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