I can has subtle spying?
Here’s an Instructable from the Electronic Frontier Foundation about tracking codes printers add to documents they print. Readers of Make learned about this back in volume 6; now, we’ve got a convenient video to send our friends:
Hot Topics:
Alright, the lab coat is a little over the top, but the safety goggles are just egregious.
Otherwise, great info.
Would it be possible to load an image into Photoshop and overlay a yellow dot pattern to forge a code or mask one?
EFF could be much more effective by simply distributing overlay files to include with standard print routines to add random yellow dot codes.
Simply printing a pure-white image (constructed in Photoshop or Paint) will give an easy reading of any codes being added by the printer, if any. No need to succumb to the shuck about buying a blue light.
Finally, this type of steganography is easily obscured by a simple photocopying machine — eliminating the color information eliminates the dot codes, and color copies can be inspected for encoding but it usually doesn’t carry through.
I’ll side with Stunmonkey above — I was waiting for a massive printer explosion or something with all the safety gear!
// What's Trending
Raspberry Pi Design Contest
Ten Tips for Adhesive Tape
Seventeen Sneaky Secret Hides
I Have a (Puzzling) Dream
Lost PLA Casting from 3D Prints
10 Things to Connect to Your Raspberry Pi
Maker Faire: Day Two
47 Raspberry Pi Projects to Inspire Your Next Build
// What's Shared
A better way to slice a pumpkin
DIY Nerf Darts
100 Dollar Store Organization Ideas for Craft Rooms and Beyond
In the Maker Shed: Minty Boost USB Charger
Mad’s Mouse House
Lace Princess Crowns
I Have a (Puzzling) Dream
Play the Rings of a Tree Trunk Like a Record
// Most Commented
DIY Hacks & How To’s: Get Emergency Power from a Phone Line
Resin Casting: Going from CAD to Engineering-Grade Plastic Parts
Ten Tips for Screws and Screwdrivers
Ten Tips for Better Measurement
Is it a Hackerspace, Makerspace, TechShop, or FabLab?
Makers on TV: Big Brain Theory
Arduino Announces New Wireless Linux Board
Grow: A Portable CNC Router System