TAP CORNER WORD PROCCESSED BY THE MULCHER ][ EXCULISIVELY FOR APPLE TREK SYSTEMS --------------------------------------- REPRINTED FROM VARIOUS TAP ISSUES. PAC-MAN THIS TRICK ISN'T EXACTLY NEW, BUT IT'S INTERESTING NONE THE LESS. ON SOME MIDWAY VIDEO GAMES, INCLUDING PAC-MAN, A SMALL FLAW IN THE COIN TOTALIZER ALLOWS FREE GAMES. HOW? TAKE A SMALL BUT WEIGHTY OBJECT SUCH AS A "D" SIZE BATTERY OR POCKET KNIFE, AND GIVE THE MACHINE A SHARP RAP BETWEEN THE COIN DEPOSIT AND COIN RETURN SLOTS. IF YOU HAVE DONE IT CORRECTLY, YOU WILL GET ONE FREE CREDIT. DO IT MORE, AND GET MORE. THERE'S NO LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS HERE! HOWEVER, SOME MACHINES HAVE BEEN FITTED WITH A "TILT" SWITCH IN THAT AREA, SO, YA WIN SOME, YA LOSE SOME. STRINGING: A METHOD WHICH WORKS ON MANY MACHINES IS CALLED STRINGING. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST SIMPLE THINGS IMAGINABLE. JUST TAKE A QUARTER (OR A TOKEN, IF YOU HAVE A PLACE LIKE THAT AROUND. MACHINES WHICH TAKE TOKENS HAVE LOWER TOLERANCES AND ARE EASIER TO FOOL) AND EITHER TAPE OR GLUE A PIECE OF THREAD (OR DENTAL FLOSS, WHICH WORKS BETTER) ABOUT 2 FEET LONG TO IT. GOT THAT? NOW, GO TO YOU FAVORITE CROWDED ARCADE AND PUT THE QUAD IN. BUT NOT ALL THE WAY. JUST LOWER IT DOWN SLOWLY UNTIL YOU HEAR (OR FEEL) IT HIT THE TOTALIZER MECHANISM. THEN JIGGLE IT UP AND DOWN. EACH TIME YOU HIT THE TRIGGER INSIDE, YOU'LL GET A CREDIT! NOW IT'S TIME FOR SOME NUMBERS. THERE IS A COMPUTER LOCATED AT 800-521-2255. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS SINCE IT WILL NO ACCEPT 300 BAUD. IF IT IS SAFE TO BOX IN YOUR AREA HERE IS THE NUMBER TO THE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY IBM 3033. 609-452-3854. AFTER CONNECTING YOU WILL GET THE VM/370 ONLINE MESSAGE. HIT RETURN AND THE SYSTEM WILL SEND A "1!". NOW TRY DIFFERENT IDS. YOUR BEST BET IS THE Q9XXX (XXX=000TO 199) SERIES. IF YOU GET NOT IN CP DIRECTORY IT MEANS THAT THERE IS NOT AN ACCOUNT UNDER THAT ID PRESENTLY. IF YOU GET "PASSWORD:XXXXXXXX THEN ALWAYS TRY "NULLPASS" FIRST. AFTER FOUR ATTEMPTS THE SYSTEM WILL DUMP YOU. IF YOU DO GET AN ACCOUNT TYPE "MONEY" TO SEE HOW MUCH DOUGH THE ACCT. HAS. THEN TYPE "GAMES" TO ACCESS THE GAMES DISK. THE OPERATING SYSTEM IS CMS BY IBM. MANY OF THEIR SYSTEMS USE IT. THERE IS A GM WATTS EXTENDER USINT T-TONE AT 800-521-1805. THE ACCESS NUMBER CAN BE FROM 1 TO 23 DIGITS LON. AFTER ENTERING YOUR NUMBER HIT # TO TELL THE MACHINE YOU ARE FINISHED. THERE IS A PBX AT 800-521-1675. THE ACCESS CODE IS 3000. THEN YOU CAN HIT 7,8, OR 9. AFTER THAT I DON'T KNOW. THERE IS ALSO A PBX AT 800-521-2625 AND; THE ACCESS CODE IS 3 DIGITS LONG. TAP ROOM 603 147 W. 42 ST. NEW YORK, NY, 10036 WORD PROCCESSED BY THE MULCHER ][ ******==--------==******* *************************************** ********TAP CORNER #65************** *************************************** WORD PROCESSED BY THE MULCHER ][ EXERPTED FROM T.A.P MAGAZINE LIVE BETTER WITH FREE MOVIES THIS WORKS WITH SOME CABLE SYSTEMS ALSO AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, MANY HOTELS NOW OFFER IN ROOM FIRST RUN MOVIES ON THE TELEVISION SET (FOR A NOMINAL FEE FROM $4-$6). THERE ARE TWO VARIANTS OF THIS SYTEM. ONE INVOLVES CALLING THE HOTEL DESK, AND REQUESTING THAT THEY TRANSMIT A REQUESTED MOVIE TO YOUR ROOM. OUR DEPARTMENT IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS SYTEM - DETAILS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THE OTHER SYSTEM INVOLVES A MODIFIED SET. THE CUTOMER (HOTELS HAVE THE ANNOYING HABIT OF CALLING THEM "GUESTS", BUT NOBODY WHO CHARGES ME $80 PER NIGHT CAN CALL ME THEIR "GUEST") SIMPLY TUNES IN THE MOVIE HE/SHE/IT DESIRES, AND RECIEVES THE BILL AT CHECKOUT TIME. IN ORDER TO SAVE THE TROUBLE OF REWIRING THE ENTIRE HOTEL, A SINGLE CABLE IS USED. EACH TELEVISION RECIEVES THE SIGNAL OVER THIS CABLE, AND TRANSMITS INFORMATION BACK TO THE C.O. (TO USE A TELCO TERM). NATURALLY, IT IS NECESSARY TO UNIQUELY IDENTIFY THE INDIVIDUAL SETS SO AS TO KNOW WHOM IS TO RECEIVE THE BILL. THERE ARE USUALLY TWO DIP SWITCH PACKAGES MOUNTED ON A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD IN THE TLEVISION SET, OR ATTACHED BOX. THESE SWITCHES ARE SET TO A BINARY VALUE WHICH TELLS THE HOTEL BILLING MACHINE WHO IS WATCHING WHAT. SIMPLY RESET THESE SWITCHES (REMEMBER WHAT THEY WERE SO YOU CAN RESET THEM LATER), ENJOY THE MOVIES, AND RESET WHEN DONE. ALTHOUGH PROBABLY AN UNNECESSARY PRECATION, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO USA A DIFFERENT SWITCH PATTERN EVERY KNIGHT, AND LEAVE THE UNIT IN ITS ORIGINAL POSITION WHENEVER YOU ARE NOT OCCUPYING THE ROOM. IT WILL PROBABLY BE NECESSARY TO USE A SCREWDRIVER TO GET AT THE DIP SWITCH ASSEMBLY. ONCE OPEN, IT SHOULD BE FAIRLY SIMPLE TO FIND - AFTER ALL THIS IS AN ADJUSTMENT WHICH MUST BE MADE TO EVERY SET BEFORE INSTALLATION. ONE MORE THING - TRY NOT TO GIGGLE WHEN YOU SEE SOME DICK ARGUING WITH THE DESK CLERK ABOUT BEING BILLED FOR MOVIES HE DIDN'T WATCH! FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO NEED A BIT OF CLARIFICATION ON THIS CONCEPT, I SUGGEST YOUR READ THE MANUAL TO A SEARS GARAGE DOOR OPENER. THEY USE A SIMILAR SETUP SO THAT YOUR NEIGHBORS'S OPERNER WON'T OPEN YOUR DOOR (OR VICE-VERSA). TAP #67 EXERPT TWO NEW SCAMS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED ON US IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS. WE DID NOT FALL FOR EITHER. ONE IS THE FAKE LETTERHEAD DEAL BY WHICH ONE ASKS FOR SAMPLES OF OUR PRODUCT WITH A PROMISE OF BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES FOR GIFTS, SALES INCENTIVES, ETC. THE FIRM NAME IS USUALLY VERY IMPRESSIVE, SOME EVEN GIVE AN OVERSEAS BRANCH ADDRESS. IT'S EASY TO GET LETTERHEADS PRINTED UP. THE FANCIER, THE BETTER. BUT WHEN SOMEONE ASKS FOR A SAMPLE OF OUR PRODUCTS AND WE ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FIRM, WE CALL THE MA BELL OP AND SEE IF THERE IS A PHONE LISTED FOR THE OUTFIT. IF ITS A REAL BIGGIE SOUNDING FIRM WE LOOK HIM UP IN ONE OF THE MANY DIRECTORIES AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARY. I DOUBT IF MANY PEOPLE GO TO THIS TROUBLE BEFORE SENDING SAMPLES, ETC BUT WE OPERATE ON SUCH A SMALL MARGIN WE HAVE MORE TIME THAN WE HAVE MONEY. I'M SURE THIS SCAM WOULD WORK WITH MOST BIG COMPANIES TO WHOM YOU WROTE. EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T GIVE YOU SAMPLES, THEY WOULD PROBABLY SEND THEM AND BILL YOU. THE OTHER SCAM INVOLVES FAKE CHECKS. I DON'T KNOW HOW ONE GETS THE CHECKS UNLESS HE GETS SAMPLES FROM A BANK STATIONERY PRINTER. WE HAVE RECEIVED WHAT LOOK LIKE LEGITIMATE CHECKS BUT WHEN THEY ARE PRESENTED THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE PERSON OR THE ACCOUNT. APPARENTLY THE CON ARTIST HASSOMEONE IMPRINT HIS FAKE NAME AND SOME 'COMPUTER' NUMBERS ON THE CHECKS. BEING AN OLD QUASIEXPERT AT CRYPTO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THROUGH MANY OF THE FICTITIOUS NAMES, SOME ARE SO DUMB AS TO SPELL THEIR NAMES BACKWARDS, EVEN WHEN THEY DONT MAKE SENSE. I FEEL THAT NONE OF YOU WOULD EVER ATTEMPT ONE OF THIS SCAMS; THIS INFORMATION IS GIVEN SO YOU CAN CATCH ANYONE WHO MAY TRY TO PULL ONE OF THEM ON YOU. NOTE: JAILHOUSE STONED-BARCELONA- GUARDS AT BARCELONA'S MODEL PRISON BECAME SUSPICIOUS WHEN CONVICTS BEGAN CAREFULLY TENDING PLANTS IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN. THEY TURNED OUT TO BE MARIJUANA PLANTS, 160 SQUARE FEET OF THEM, ACCORDING TO PRISON OFFICIALS. REPRINTED FROM TAP ISSUE 67 AND 65. TAP ROOM 603. 147 W. 42 ST. NEW YORK, NY 10036 WORD PROCESSED BY THE MULCHER ][