Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces - Gizmodo Comments

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Joe_Bloggs — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:58:21 EST

@leighakin: yes macbooks do have motion sensors in them but it dosn't know witch direction the macbook is leaning!

Umm, yeah it does. Check the proggy above, and tilt away. Also, if you install Linux on your Macbook, you can play Neverball with it by just tilting the laptop. Enjoy.

Joe

Joe_Bloggs

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

The Great Aussie Evil — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:10:15 EST

Aw man, it doesn't ruin the boot record.

The Great Aussie Evil

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

stejules — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:24:10 EST

Hello Addy I wanted to thank u for this video and also thanx for my first popular digg I have made,
Also thanx to gizmodo blog for all interesting articles they send to us!

stejules

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Waverider — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:50:04 EST

Is this just a video or is this usb dongle available to the public?

Waverider

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

daversW — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:56:30 EST

its just like the liquid mac app they have on the apple website somewhere. except in that its all just water

daversW

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

an1m3fr33k — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:46:25 EST

where can i buy one of these? XD

an1m3fr33k

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

leighakin — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:33:36 EST

lol, this isn't even real! yes macbooks do have motion sensors in them but it dosn't know witch direction the macbook is leaning! so this so called "Virus" is FAKE!!!!
and it is impossible for something to just install it's self on a mac (for example you need to type in your password and a real person allso needs to authenticate it to install!!!
so windows users don't get your hopes up! there still is no such thing as a mac Virus :p

VISTA= Virus Inside Switch To Apple

leighakin

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

rabiddachshund — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:24:52 EST

@ronnsprocket: you're*

rabiddachshund

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

jaymac — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:14:32 EST

Haha nice. I'm guessing it's not a real virus but just a prank to pull on someone? If so, then ME WANT! If it is a real virus, the BOO!

Although I'm pretty sure it's the prior, I'm just really gullible/dumb at times.

jaymac

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Pender — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:36:26 EST

@Y2KGTP: It detects acceleration. Gravity and acceleration are indistinguishable. So unless it's accelerating quickly, it knows which way is down.

Pender

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

longshot — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:39:37 EST

Lame

longshot

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

EBone — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:49:09 EST

@matto: Unless it spoofs the Mac into thinkg it's a CD-ROM, and the "Autoplay CD-ROMs" feature is enabled in the Quicktime Preferences pane.

EBone

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Hottieguirl69420lols — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:48:11 EST

I think what happens is that USB drive flashes the Hard Drive and Makes it think that its about to hit the ground. Thus leading it to "Quasi-Freeze" While it auto-loads a Fancy Bios screen that is quite pretty.

Hottieguirl69420lols

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

dagamer34 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:18:20 EST

@Y2KGTP:

MacBook Pro's have an accelerometer to detect when the laptop has dropped so it will park the hard drive head to prevent drive damage. Google "Sudden Motion Sensor".

dagamer34

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

multimoog — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:16:29 EST

@matto: Yeah - it might be an actual program (though I'm betting it's just video footage they're playing while they tilt the computer to a pre-arranged script), but there's no way it's a 'virus' as people think of one.

multimoog

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

thelegendofkb — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:00:34 EST

You can see your own Macbook's use of the sudden motion sensor in action with a fairly useless but cool program called LiquidMac. You just tilt your Mac like in the video to see the "liquid" on the screen flow back and forth with your movement. Download it at [uri.cat]

thelegendofkb

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

SneakerFiend — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:26:44 EST

@Geisrud: I noticed that too. Even where they come in and how you get em are better than Microsoft =/
I wuz going to look for a copy of it but when i saw as soon as its plugged into your computer its copied onto your hard drive.
I was going to put it on my friend's brand new mac air.
Imagine putting it on the Mac Pro's at the Apple Store on 5th avenue.
I wonder what they'd do to you lolx.

SneakerFiend

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

matto — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:14:19 EST

This is cute but totally fake. AFAIK there is no way to magically execute code on a removable storage device when it is first mounted. Thats a stupid Windows "feature" thats caused nothing but retarded mayhem like this.

Again, this is a cute concept but pretty much BS.

matto

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Zander — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:13:06 EST

thats cool, I wonder if its for sale anywhere?

Zander

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

ludwigk — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:09:33 EST

Learn about the sudden motion sensor here:

[docs.info.apple.com]

Executive Summary: Apple introduced sudden motion sensor in the last G4 portables (Powerbook G4s and iBook G4s). All intel mac portables have a sudden motion sensor.

Yes, we have sudden motion sensors, ambient light sensors, ratcheting hinge mechanisms, back-lit keyboards, they're just chock full of awesome. So, no, your PC laptop does not have "everything the MacBook Pro has for $100s less", and yes, we pay a lot for these features, and Mac OS X, but we think its worth it.

ludwigk

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

amedika — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:08:03 EST

Once installed how would you go about removing it?

amedika

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

odnet — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:02:36 EST

Vista is still the best plug and play virus.

odnet

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Joseph — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:01:14 EST

@rrwakc: You didn't read my post. The math is already solved.

Joseph

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

rrwakc — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:40:10 EST

MBP has a built in 3D accelerometer that measures the acceleration (Gforce/gravity has an acceleration of 9.81m/s^2) and any other variation in speed.

rrwakc

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Joseph — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:04:06 EST

You guys are all wrong, the MBP doesn't have an accelerometer... it's got a neural brain that knows when it's upside down... DUH!

Joseph

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

imTheKing — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:02:45 EST

this isnt a hoax. This was showcase back in November at the OFFF Conference here in NYC.

imTheKing

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

uberfu — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:54:17 EST

@coverofnight: Odds are good that it works in conjuntion to the SMS built into the laptops as the visuals moved based on the positioning of the laptop rotation_

Yes - back in the day that is exactly how virus' got started_ that is all a virus is - an App that makes your computer do something it wasn't originally intended to do_

After Dark used to have screen savers way back in the early 90's tthat "melted" your screen - made your screen flush down a drain - and the ever so famous "flying toasters'_

*Flying Toasters doesn't really have the same visual the the frist 2 had in relation to the broken Mac virus aboive - I merely used it as a reference for those not sure who After Dark was_

Anyway - Cool little hack App - but unless you have a laptop - it may be pointless to use_

@Y2KGTP: And anyone else saying MacBook_ That is a MacBook Pro in the video clip_ Unless they started making MacBooks with Aluminum Cases?

So the MBP would have an accelerometer - and they wrote the App for such_

uberfu

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Abnormal — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:41:28 EST

Flawless technology? Apple fanboys!

Abnormal

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Matt.B — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:28:36 EST

There is a fun flight simulator that works but holding your laptop and steering by just moving the laptop as well.

@mnit:
Suddness of movement is the amount of jerk I think. The rate of change in acceleration.

Matt.B

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

ronnsprocket — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:25:50 EST

@Y2KGTP: i think your wrong.

it detects a change in gravity on the surface of the accelerometer. the accelerometer inside all current apple notebooks cant detect orientation based on the amount of gravity apply to the surface. i think it can detect the the change on three different axis.

ronnsprocket

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

uberfu — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:23:28 EST

@Geisrud: Hells Yeah Beotch !!

uberfu

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

NightElfMohawk — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:17:56 EST

And that's when I use my Time Machine backup to go back to a version of the OS from an hour or day or week earlier.

Bitches.

NightElfMohawk

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

mnit — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:17:50 EST

@Y2KGTP:

No, it detects orientation. While the drive heads park when any sudden motion is detected, that motion is detected in the first place using a run-of-the-mill acceleration chip. Apple just ignore the finer details of whatever information it gives, just concentrating on the, er, suddenness.

But that however doesn't stop other developers tapping into the chip themselves and reading off all the orientation data, and using the results however they like.

mnit

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

coverofnight — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:14:50 EST

i want this to mess with all my MAC using friends, how do you get rid of it though?

coverofnight

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Kaiser-Machead — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:11:23 EST

lol nice. I especially liked that brief flash of a black apple logo with teeth near the end.

Kaiser-Machead

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

detraya — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:04:16 EST

lol awesome

detraya

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Y2KGTP — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:02:45 EST

@skyshard:

That just detects motion in general, not orientation of the laptop.

Y2KGTP

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

coiagp — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:02:21 EST

@ripfire4: Nope its not the camera. all Apple's laptop's have accelerometers, just like the iPhone. As Skyshard says, it's used to detect if the laptop is dropped/shaken so it can park the hard drive heads to protect the HD. Apple call it the "sudden motion sensor."

Theres already a few hacks out that make use of it.

MacBook Spirit level widget:
[www.tuaw.com]

coiagp

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Y2KGTP — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:02:09 EST

Looks like a hoax....is there an acceloremeter in a macbook?

Y2KGTP

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

ripfire4 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:46:42 EST

@skyshard: Hmm. I was guessing it's using the camera for orientation. Cool.

ripfire4

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

skyshard — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:42:44 EST

@Y2KGTP:
afaik it's to protect the hard drive. at least my mbp has one...

skyshard

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Y2KGTP — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:31:43 EST

MacBooks have an acceloremeter inside somewhere like the iPhone? If not, this looks like a good hoax.....

Y2KGTP

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Out2gtcha — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:17:15 EST

WANT! WANT!

With however, the addition of after it gets done with is little gravity show, it perminantly and forever changes the language setting to Portugese, never to come back to English no matter what is done; at least until the user re-loads panther.....tiger......lion.....well you know.

Out2gtcha

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Seiven — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:14:45 EST

lol that is awesome

Seiven

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Boots_Mcoy — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:10:38 EST

where oh where can i obtain this. So many people come to mind that i can just f*ck with....

Boots_Mcoy

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

MastaFalse — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:02:07 EST

I WANT ONE. And that would be a brilliant screensaver that sort eliminates the point ...

MastaFalse

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

RoCKSTaH53 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:54:01 EST

@FlashSandbox: That's be awesome... except on a desktop...

RoCKSTaH53

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

FlashSandbox — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:49:09 EST

Cool idea. Now someone needs to make that into a screensaver so that when you move your screen-saving computer, the images react to the motion.

FlashSandbox

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Samifumi — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:48:18 EST

Virus or just a different kind of Mac application? I don't see how it's malicious and catastrophic.

Samifumi

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

SnowLeopard — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:47:51 EST

@jetexas: Is that a Plug 'n' Play virus as well? :p

SnowLeopard

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

Geisrud — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:42:52 EST

Damn that Apple. Even their virii are better than Microsoft's.

Geisrud

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

desostros — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:40:59 EST

DO WANT
wait...

desostros

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

jetexas — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:40:30 EST

@SnowLeopard: You think that's a fancy virus, you should see the design of the rash on my penis ...

jetexas

Plug-'n'-Play USB Virus Makes MacBooks Fall to Pieces

SnowLeopard — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:37:55 EST

That is one fancy looking virus.....

SnowLeopard