TAP No. 89 - 1984, Join the Party of Your Choice!

1984, JOIN THE PARTY OF YOUR CHOICE!by Cheshire CatalystBrave New ConferenceThe “Brave New Con” is being set up in themold of a “science fiction convention”. An "SFCon” is basicly @ weekend-Jong excuse for a party,with speakers and other program items. It is beingheld from 1984 January 13-15. I[¢ will be held atthe Sheraton International Conference Center inReston Virginia, about 38 miles outside of Wash-ington DC, and free transportation from Dulles@irport for guests. The Sheraton Hotel Directoryat your local Sheraton shovld have ai map. forfinding it. Rooms are $46 a night for a single,double, triple, or Quad. Bring your friends andsave a bundle!I’ve been asked to put on the computer gamesexhibit, and with helo from the New York Metroarea software pirate, Dragon Lady, we'll be set-ting up our Apple computers with a number ofreally neat games. Any one bringing their owncomputer to let people play games on, well, we'dhave to make a copy of the games to run on yourmachina, now wouldn't we?Brave New Con begins Friday morning and lastsuntill Sunday afternoon. About a third of theconference will be on the convention's theme,drawing from Orwell's 1984. The rest will rangefrom a look at the space program from a differentperspective, to cartooning, to how tough it is torun a good convention. Oh yes... There will alsobe parties. The film program will include sciencefiction classics in 160m, and laserdisk video ofalmost anything that’s legally available. wWar-gaming (the board game variety, not movie style)will be available as well.Convention registration is €$12 at the door.Dragon Lady and I will be hosting a party onSaturday evening, and I'11l be dragging along scmefull “bricks” of a1] the back issues. Rnyonewanting to purchase a full set of all] the backissues from issue 1 (June 1971!) should drop me apostcard to let me know how many "bricks" to dragalong. They're fifty bucks a piece.The New Vear’s Eve party I had planned backin March of °83, “1984 - The Party” died for lackof interest, but not before I had gone out to gatmembership cards printed so people could be CardCarrying Members of The Party (1984 style). Anyoneshowing up at our party in Reston will get one ofthese souvineer keepsakes.And for the Europeans who can’t make itsEuro-Party '84After reading an interview with an Americancomputer hacker in the !983 November 14 issue ofDer Spiegle magazine, the Leuro Seminars companyof Munich got in touch with the hacker ard askedRim if he would like to lecture at their 2 dayseminar on Computer Crime in Munich in March."Sure," I said, “but can you get me literatureabout your company by this Friday?" “Why Friday?”they asked. I replied, "Because on Saturday I ambeing interviewed by West German television fortheir documentary on 'Computers in America’ to beaired in Germany on 1984 March 28th."With that, they got me the liturature byFriday, and changed the dates of the seminar touse the airplay for publicity. As a result, I'Libe spending Saturday, 1984 April 7th at theFrankfurt Airport Sheraton. I'm hoping to getahold of some of the filmes that were entered intothe Telecom '83 Golden Antenna Awards to show onSaturday Afternoon.If anyone would care to join me for this 16mmparty, please drop me a post card so I have someidwa of how big a room to rent. In the mail we'vegotten since the Der Spiegle article was publish-ed, slot of the people have asked how thay can gettogether with others in their area. well, we don'tgive out people's addresses, even to other sub-scribers, so here's your chance to get togetherwith others that just want to meet and discussout-of-the-ordinary subjects. Please make your ownreservations with the Hotel if you plan to stayovernight. Mention you're with the TAP group, andit may get you a reduced rate. I'm negotiatingwith them via telex as I go to deadline.Frankfurt was chosen because it has the best The Hobbyist’s Newsletter forthe Communications RevolutionDecember 1983 Iusue 89airline connections in that part of Europe. Thehote@) was chosen for its good parking for drivers,ard train connections between Frankfurt and theRirport. Latest intelligence reports also indicatethat it has an indoor pool (which just may haveinfluenced the decision a bit. The pool party willbe Sunday afternoon). Attendees will be asked tocontribute USSiB {or equivalent) per person tohalp defray coats in setting this up.As at Brave New Con above, if you'd like aComplete set of back issues, let me know, and I')]bring along as many “Bricks” as I get requests.They weigh about half a kile, so I only want tobring a8 many as I have requests for, See you inApril!!EXCHANGE SCANNING (99Xx)Almost very e@:chanqe in the He)) Svatem has teat#'s and other "goudies” such as loops with withGial-unps.These “goodias" arn USURllY found batween 9900 and9°97 in your local exchange, If you nave the timeand i:mitiative, scan your evchange and you maybecome luchy'!Her@ are my findings in the 914-268 exchange:9901 - Verification (recording of a/c and@exchaniye?)7927 - Ose. tone (possibie tone side of a lanp)7956 - Voice ® to the Telco central officePPIX? —- Voice # to the Telco central office°941 ~ Computer (digital voice transmission?)99469 - Osc. tonne (tone side loop) ~-- may alwo be acomputer in some exchanges9941 - No response (other end of loop?)9967 - No response (other end of loopTM)>9945. - No response (other end of locp”)9946S ~+ Computer (see 7941)7948 - Tone that di sappears-—-responds to certainLnuch-tone kevsMest of tne numbers between 9900 & 9999 will ring,Qo tr, a "what #. please?” operator. or wil) go to“you have reached a Non-working...” # recording.What you tind depends upon the switching equipmentim the exchange and the Telco operating company.Since | have done the above 914-258-99XX acan,Coengers +259) has installed new BwitchingNemo opment (PHS), same of the numbers are theSamery Eiit J have noticed that on the DM3GIO0, thererordines -re alsn stored in this area.£4h3°-9905. (2906, F909, & 99ID are all ditéferentrecorcingr. Alac, there are 7 fortress fonererordings at V4h-9911 (deposit 3 crnts or else)aid 26-9913 (deposit 10 cents:,"A Some areas Clibte Oclawsrc' 2. f have noticedthat FI9A-7 iS rinqracd. Tf ,cu fine anythinginterveastinc. if sre to drop TAF a line.PAR Plan ant oe aeator at's orle » local call toChe ah st yt Fl) beac ie stor@ for yeu!r.7 RLS ANNEE MONBIALE DESemake) yl WORLD COMMUNICATIONSBB b YEARewe eh ARO MUNDIALDE LASCOMUNICACIONES 1983 GettingSprintNumbersMany times it is a good idea to have a few Sprintor MCI numbers in case your regular (stolen) accountgives out. There are several methods to getting freeaccounts, each having a different degree of difficultyand risk.The most simple is to hook ga recorder to the ear-piece of your telephone (which is iliegal by the wayIF you own (rent) a Bell fone) and call up your localcommon carrier and listen for cross-talk. If it isa good night than you can hear the other party per-fectly (but they can’t hear you) and after they hangup stay on the line ( this is accomplished by hittinga digit to stop the tone and then pushing reset (# or*) before the system dumps you) and you will hearthe next caller enter his access and destination numbers.Make a tape of as many of these as possible on a goodtape recorder such as a tape deck. This method countson luck somhat since strong cross-talk isn't alwaysavailible.Another method is to put a tap on the line of asubscriber, but this is rather tedious. However ifyou know where your local common carder office isthen you can put a tap on one of their incoming lines.It would be a good idea to put a cycling one aineuttimer on the recorder, since your tape would get all"clogged up" from the talk between two callers: Thismethod can also be used to get calling card mumbersby tapping calling card phones. Whe kmows you mighteven get am WATS extender or two in the proccess !Once you get the recordings you must translatetham into numbers. I have included a schematic diagramfor a PLL tone recognition device, ready for yourimmediate use, misuse and abuse. The outputs canbe wired to LEDs or other output devices such as acomputer.If you don't (or can’t) make one, you can stilluse the numbers you have aquired. Just retape thefirst 6 or & digits onto another tape and then playit to the net after you have dialed then up. Thenput in your destination number and away you go. The Stainless Steal Rat RB-232, GETTING THE "STANARD INTERFACE" TO WORKby Cheshire CatalystEvery comouter on the market these dave is"R8-232" comosatible. Well, wsust what the fuck isRS-232. and why ts it such hot shit? The RS in RS-et2 stands for Reccomended Standard (loriginelaren't thev). The RS series of standards ispromulgated by the EIA (Electronic Industry Assoc—iation).ANSI (American National Standards Institute)has a standard called ASCII (American StandardCode for Information Interchange). ASCII is astandard method for reoresenting the letters andnumbers. the characters, that make uo the Enolishlanguage. The method for transmitting ASCIIcharacters through modems over teleohonm lines, isto out the data out an RG-~-232 nort to the moden,which gends the data over the phone line. At theother end, the data comes in from the shone line,and the modes ocasses the data through an RE-23eBort into the recieving data device.A serial interface is aiéeconnectionallows comouter devices to communicate with eachother one bit at a time. Therefore, you only needone ling for data to yo uo, and one line for datato come back down. However, like a light bulb,electricity can't flow without a return path. Withthe RS-232 standard connection, «a common: “ground”is used so that only three wires are necessary fordata to flow.The standard says there are two sides to theconvection. The DTE (Data Terminal Equioment) andthe DCE (Data Comouter Equioment). The main thingto remember is that things ar@# keot track of fromthe Data Terminal Equipment side of the house.Therefore, when Pin © says it is Transmitted Data,it is sent from the Terminal to the Comouter§ (DTEto DCE). When ofn 3 is described as Recieved Data,it is recieved by the DTE (DCE to DTE). Pin 7 isthe only other olin that NEEDS to be comnectad tomake comeunications ocossible. That's the linecalled Signal Ground. The RE-222 standard mentionswhat voltag@# levels po through the soins, and setsup what goes over the 22 other nins, but for mostpurooses, connecting these three oins will be ai}you need to do.But what hapoens when you dodoesn’t work? that that, and itThe first thing to do is to reversepins #2 8 3. Some terminals (VT-1806, for instance)think they are such whoppe-do stuff, that theyhave their connectors hooked up as DCE. In thiscase, a "null-modeaena" is used to do nothing buthave a connector in the middle that will swao sing2 & 3. If you tried swapping them and it stt)ldoawsan’t work, there is one more sure fire thing toco.When hooking uo your terminal to @ modem orcomputer (or hooking up your home comouter to actas a terminal with a modem or mainframe comouter),some of these mocens are obnoxious enough to wantto see a signal on pin 26 which is called DataTerminal Ready. Most dumd terminals (and many homecomputers) are made so cheaply, that they don'thave these signals or their connectors. The onlything you can do is a hardware hack that will"fool" the DCE into thinking that it has a DTRsignal. If the device ia obnoxious enough to wantDTR, it will be snooty enough to supply a signalcelled Data Set Ready (DBR) on pin 6 If you run awire from opin 6 to nin 2@ on the connector thatgets plugged into the modem or comouter, it will“see” its own signal, thinking it came from theterminal device. It should then haopily crunchaway (if your sins 2 @ 3 are connected back theright way),One haopy little device is called "The BreakOut Box". You plug one erd into your terminal, andthe ether end cets the cabla@ that would have beenDiupged tnto your terminal, and you pet to throw aswitch for egach of the 25 pins on the connector.If you need to swan 2 & 3, you throw the switchesso the sional! can't gat through, and then take apatch wire from sin 2 on one side to nin threes onthe other, again for the other connection, andthere you have it neat and clean. Then if you needto oatceh 6 & 28 topether, you just slug in thewire! Unfortunately, you can't find a good breakout box for less than a hundred bucks. One yoodsource for this sort of stuff is The Black BoxComoany, 0 Box 12806, Pittsburg PA, 15241. Writethen for catalog. HOM (8 WHY) 1 TESTIFIED ON BEHALFOF PR BELLby Cheshire CatalystThe New York Telephone Company is about tosplit area code 212 into two regions. Manhattanand the Bronx will remain area 212, and Brooklyn,Queens, and Staten Island (therein refered to as“The Other Boroughs” fya had to be there)) willpecome the geographical representations of areacode 714.While this is being done for purely technicalreasons (like they're running out of exchanges),the New York State Public Service Commissiondecided that Public Statement Hearings would beheld. This would allow the public to voice theiropinions on the matter, but have no effect on thecutcome. The date came for the Hearing, andpolitical pressure was making itself manifestalready. There had been a decision to hold PublicStatement Hearings in The Other Boroughs as well,mostly on the “request” of Hizrzroner Mayor Koch,end the Borough Presidents of the affectedboroughs. I didn't make it to the circuses in TheOther Boroughs, but I made it to the one at thePBC Hearing room at the World Trade Center.1 had tried to get a friend of ming from theTelecom Library (a great mail-order book store,write for a catalog at 285 819 St Bh-fir, NewYork City 10811, and tell ‘em Cheshire sent you?)to testify instead, but he was too busy. I didn'twant to testify ayself, because being as close tothe newsletter as I am, if try to shy away frompleces with lota of legitimate pressrepresentatives. Besides, if they ever shut usdown, there will be a bunch of new knowledgeableConaumer Advocates hanging out in the halls of thePBC come rate hearing time, and it’s a card I'dprefer to hold out. But no one wanted to do it,and no on else who had the time had my expertiseof bringing it off in the hearing room This kindof opportunity comes by only once in twenty years,however, and I wasn’t about to let it pass by.1 put on the pair of “Clark Kent" glasses |heep around for just such emergencies, and an —asild mannered Computer Communications Consultantfrom the Upper Wast Side, 3 went in and testifiedon behalf of The Phone Company. That's right, infavor of the split. After all, it is a technicalconsideration they want this for, and we arecertainly in favor of the technological expansionof The Network.and besides, most of my calls to Brooklyn andQueens are done by my computer, or autodialer. Thefour extra digits (1+718) won't mean much to me.However, I did mention that the axtra four digitswill probebly be an inconvienience to the littleold ladias and gentlemen, and their civicorganizations that were represented in the hearingroom. One other thing I mentioned as well.1t waa twenty years ago at the New YorkWorld's Fair when my parents dragged me aroundFiuehing Meadows in Queens, | specificallyrecalled one Bell Syatem exhibit that asked me todial «my home phone nuaber in Upstate New York{including the arwa code) on the rotary dial whileit timed me. Then, it timed me while I punched inthe same number. As unfamiliar as I was then withTouch Tone(tm), my dialing time was cut in lessthan half.Therefore, with de-regulation comming in afer short months, shouldn't The Phone Companyremove the extra charges for Touch Tone service inexchange for permission to split the area cont?After all, it has been twenty years since TouchTone was introduced. Surely all exchanges could bynow be converted to TT with vary little hassle.Also the fact that providing Touch Tone cutsother costs for The Phone Company. Not to meant ionthe fect that customers would soon have to providetheir own equipment, therefore the customer couldthen decide whether to pay the presiua price thattouch tone still exacts in the marketplace,although tone equipped telephones are cheaper toproduce than pulse diallers.Since the central office incoming registersthat eccept dialled digits from home telephoneswill have to be replaced with ones that determinghow to switch the call after seeing 6 digitstretead of 3, surely the extra cost of a few morechips cannot significantly increese the alreadystaggerring price The Phone Company claims theconversion will cost. Previously, if the register maw "1+", it knew the folowing digits were an areacode, and it would look at the next three digitsto determine which toll office to route the callto. Now when the incoming register sees “i+", itmust determine whether the call is local #enough topo via tora) circuits, or be routed through thelong distance network. Therefors, it must look atthe first six digits that are dialed before makinga determination. instead of looking at the first 3digits to determine if the call is only going toWeatcheater to the North, or Long Island to theEast.Well, the Adminstrative Law Judge in chargeof the proceedings made a note, and invited me tocome back the following week for the evidentialryhearings when it would be possible to askquestions of the New York Telephone expertwitnesses.There are times when the years of phorehacking, and digging around in dark and dustylibrary corners all seem worthwhile, such as whenyou have a Phone Company lawyer squireing in hisseat as you begin your questioning. The Telcoengineers ware good, and knew their shit.When I asked the engineer whether, as IClaimed in my previous tastimony, that Touch Tonewas Cheaper for The Phone Company to provide, Thelawyer was up like a shot claiming that this wasnot a rate Case, and therefore the qudation wasimmaterial to this proceeding. I tried a few otherrather transparent questions along the same lines,and got shot down the same way each time. when |asked the engineer, “Is it true that Touch Tone ismore convienient to use than rotary diale?", likea pood boy, he looked to the lawyer first, lookedquizicel, and finally answered “I think so, Yes.One qu@ation I couldn't get answered regardedthe amount of money spent by The Phone Companywhen 714 eplit in Southern California, and 713split in Texas. The “ot as Rate Case" argument wasused, and the Judpe had to admit the Bell Flackwas right, so she had to uphold the objection.These folks are claiming it’s going to cost 63@ aline to change all the lings in New York City,when I know dasn wall they are only going tochange the registers. On well, as the saying goes,we Phone Company dossn't care, they don't haveOu # I doubt if anything will come of this, and ofcourse, this is only a local problem here tn NewYork City, but it was a fun experience for me. Thebest part of all was spending part of the next daybringing the Assistant State Attorney Seneral upto speed on the goings on of Telephone Regulation(I had loaned him my copy of NotesontheNetworkovernight). Oh wall, when you're unemployed youhave nothing better to do with your time. Andthere's a rate case coming up next month. VENDING MACHINE KEYSby The PyroThis worked for a friend of ming at scool (1 wouldnever do anything like this) it got him over $380in on@® day.Here's how to do it:lm almost all vending xachines they have thosedann round almost unsickable locks on them so:piece of(Press hardWhen no one is looking quickly oress aAIR-HARDENING clay into the lock.enough to get a good impression. )Remove the clay carefully and let it dry forhowever long the clay has to dry for as specifiedon the package.You now have a key to fit that lock,(this type of ‘key’ can be easily crushed ifyou're seen. But if you're smart you won't though)Have Phun!! DEPARTMENT STORE FUNbv Anent 131Many of the devartment stores in mv ar#a Usea leroe olastic device staoled to clothino as asecurity orecauticon. Several vears aao. anadventurous friend of ming cot ahold of one ofthese somehow. ard we took it aoart. inside was aheavy vaoer strid laminated to aluminum foii (7).As Il recall. this osorr strio was abdcut half aninch wide ard 3-1/2 tnches lonn. When this devicegot close to a oillar or column at the exits of aatore. an alarm would sound.My frjernd out this oaver ir his wallet, andwe had a let of fun warnderiro in and out ofvarious stores at a iecal sheocoinge center. Wewould enter when a croup of ceonle would enter. orexit with several other shoooers all tccether.when we wntered a local Sears in the shospinocenter in the main corrider of the incoor mail. = 2¢@loud bell range RR familv witN kids was justleavine. The nearest clerk ran cut the ertrance tolook at everyone standing around. A plain clothessecurity guy apoeared out of nowhere. Everyone ad@ good time. The next store we went in was altopacked with pecole ard the Manaoer (7) octOarancid when the alarm went off. If you moveabout discreetiy and don't wear a iacket or a4coat, vou can liven up the busiest of stores. Butdon't? co into an emoty store with one of thesein your wallet. That’s a@ no-no.Could you olease secure 2a ouantity of thesepaper strios and send them out with your nextissue? Or offer them for sale? They can be greatfun. esoecially in a Xmas shovoing mob. The one wehad came un-laminated and wouldn't work any more.This might be a great money maker for TAP. You mayeven want to devote an entire issue to this neatgadget. These strios could be left inside candvwracoers and in the bottom of a Coke cuno andplaced near these detector columns or oillars. Putore ina olant near a cillar. The uses ard funcould be endless. The ringing of the alarm = couldalso be endless. f good senior class project wouldbe to freak out every alarm in everv store soeauipoed, eat 2 v.m. some Saturday afternoon whenthe shoooing mall is really packed.Diwase have your security committee go tothingsIt's more funwork on getting a couple million of theseso that everyone can have several.than going to the movies.15 4& Cy<=\ D8 ¥One Our 2urie:ianwl “ids, tee cua of sy firgt war salting TagPlessy rerev we a:d possivol, nelp witn a coupla questions.1 Want to cane Butuora velieve tneir phone is workinzwnen I know it wor't os. 3 there a dial-tone venerator?UO@s arnyooay nave the circuit?Jecondly, you know the access Keys those big copiersneed wher. their use is to ba limited? They're about 4xJx1irncies and have a counter. Joes anybody have the circuit?Carn I Just juap the pins? I haven't been able to try unenoticeably. SEE ISSVE 3.t@garding the coney-draver alarms described in one ofthe last issues (these are contact switches through whichthe bottom bill is pussea): banks nave them in no lower adraver than the 20's. A usy to heist a drive-in teller(even video-oparated ones) is to have a friend pull upin @ cab with you in back. Threaten to kill the cabbyUnless the teller sends out all the tens and tventies,period. Chances are they von't have a drawer eloreand it'll be fast.You can scam a cheap rate in Asian hotela by askingfor an Eabasay discount vhen you make your reservation,This can be done from the airport when you arrive, Youmight even get a car sent. The ina Hotel in Bangkok isa great one. dhen commuting around the Third World, layPlayboys in your suitcase where they'll be the firstthings Customs will see, They will accept them as “gifta"and promptly return to you your luggage and any sensitive ‘material inside.Want free SCUBA gear? Sign up for a class where thestudent must pick up thes gear for the pool sessions.‘fever go back.TRPTECHNOLOGICR'’. ASSISTANCE PROGRAMRoom 683, 147 West 42 St, New York City, 18036Back Issues are $.75 each. Issue #52 is $1.58.Bubscriptions - 18 issues per year - $18.For@ign Rir Mail - $13 in Money Order drawn on aUS Bank. Sample — 3 International Reply Coucons.PUBLISHED FOR INFORMATIONALPURPOSES ONLY SINCE 1971Issue 89 “Middle Fest? Hell, ne, i'm calling the Dielt-e-Pern Hettiner’