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[tallerbird]

I just found some info that might help.
Look at page 3. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2003/cs6262_fall/digital_steganography.pdf
Not sure yet if this will get us anywhere but could use some help trying it.

[Ofiuco]

I checked out the technique outlined in tallerbird's steg pdf and attempted to apply it to frame 1. Basically, I went through pixel-by-pixel and identified the HTML number of each -- because, curiously enough, each number goes #ababab, where ab is some combination of digits and letters, like #747474, the most commonly recurring one.
I thought, 'huh, maybe it's hex,' so I went through a whole bunch of 'em before I realized it might take me thirty minutes just do one line of pixels. :o

But in any case, this is what I got before I stopped:

[tom_in_bristol]

[Dionysus]

A CALL TO PROGRAMMERS

From our discussion with Seth (still on going) we need soemone to find or code a program that can do the following automatically:

minimum
1) Take a bitmap
2) Look at each pixel
3) Gives us the ASCII value of the color of each said pixel

maximum (i eitdmake life simpler)
1) Take a bitmap
2) Look at every other pixel, skipping lines.
3) Gives us the ASCII value of the color of each said pizel

Our PM has iven us 7 frames of static to decode using a method liek this and we've determined it'd take 7000 years to do by hand

[Ehsan]

[Caspian]

Ok I've got a fairly quick method to doing this. Well quicker than finding each pixel by hand anyway. It's complicated, so bear with me.

Get Programs
1. Download GifSplitter
2. Download a Hex Editor. I used XVI32
3. Download Colour Detector

Use Programs
1. Use GifSplitter to split repairshops.gif into the separate frames. (username/password = privateblog / k33p0ut)
2. Open the first frame in Paint. Zoom to 8x and scroll so you can see the upper left corner of the image.
3. Open Colour Detector. With Paint in front, capture the screen. Get the HEX values of the first few pixels - say 5 or 6. Copy them down, using the entire 6-digit value.
4. Open the frame in the hex editor. Search for the string of values from the first few pixels. Highlight characters and copy them into word.
5. Open Word. Hit Spacebar once. Paste the copied text into word. Record a Macro that deletes 7 characters (leading space, two digits, space, two digits, space) and then moves the cursor ahead two characters. Assign the macro to a shortcut key. Run that macro using the shortcut key until all that remains is one copy of each two digit set.
6. Copy the entire thing into a Hex-Ascii converter like this one.

That gives you one line of ASCII. There are 240 lines. Per frame. Have fun.

I know Xnbomb has got all the ascii text, but I started typing this before that happened and dammit I worked hard on this method so I'm posting it!

[toodwa]

Hi all, been lurking for a while just to catch up and am now ready to impart my findings.

...

There you go.

Oh, wait, there was something - in the final frame (using the technical method of 'squinting eyes a bit to make them go blurry') about half way down and a third across there looks to be either a word or set of numbers that look like:

backwards 'R' or 'K'
calculator '4'
'O' or 'D' poss backwards
'H'

At a push it could read 'HOUR' backwards...

Also, when placed in a vertical stack there does appear to be some continuation between the patterns from one frame to the next. Of course this could be just coincidence and morning eyes seeing what they want to see.

Anyways, thought I'd throw it in the mix as a less scientific approach.

Cheers,

Tood

[Ehsan]

These directions were hidden in the 6th frame:

[grumpyboy]

awesome job Ehsan!!!!

Sounds like the starting point might be in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Art Museum...

[camdman]

Mainly been lurking here, but i couldn't resist posting on this:

grumpyboy wrote:

[tom_in_bristol]

Hey great work again Ehsan!

It would be nice if the seven frames referred to seven locations on seven continents!

Frame 6 clearly references the Milwaukee area in the US. (googling for Kuhlenbecks lists a pub i.e. 'watering hole' near milwaukee)

Frame 7 seems to be Australia (thanks camdman!)

I will have a go at transcribing the other 5 frames tonight if i can.
What a really _nice_ puzzle!!

[Caspian]

If that really is describing the Milwauke Art Museum, I should be able to see about finding it tomorrow! Any locals want to come with me? Phaedra? Bwoch? Anybody else here?

[grumpyboy]

[tallerbird]

[Phaedra]