This isn’t the first time a programmable roadsign has been hacked , and it probably won’t be the last . How do I know ? I’m blogging from the keypad of one of the things right now! Now how do you spell “handsomest”? Is that right — it looks funny. At least two Florida Department of Transportation traffic signs - on West University Avenue and North Main Street - carried the warning: “ZOMBIE ATTACK!! EVACUATE.” The sign on Main misspelled evacuate. But the signs were a hoax. Someone had hacked the message on the signs, either by telephone or working directly at the signs themselves, FDOT spokeswoman Gina Busscher said. “We’ve not seen any zombies on University Avenue,” Busscher added, “so apparently it worked well. … We’ve not had a problem like this before.” Oh damn — I didn’t know you could program these things by telephone! So what the hell am I doing standing out here in the middle of the median? I mean, besides flashing. That’s no speed bump, lady! Don’t fear: Zombies are not near [gainsville] Thanks to Kelly and Roy, who once hacked into the CIA mainframe a body up and threw it in the ocean.

This isn’t the first time a programmable roadsign has been hacked , and it probably won’t be the last . How do I know ? I’m blogging from the keypad of one of the things right now! Now how do you spell “handsomest”? Is that right — it looks funny. At least two Florida Department of Transportation traffic signs - on West University Avenue and North Main Street - carried the warning: “ZOMBIE ATTACK!! EVACUATE.” The sign on Main misspelled evacuate. But the signs were a hoax. Someone had hacked the message on the signs, either by telephone or working directly at the signs themselves, FDOT spokeswoman Gina Busscher said. “We’ve not seen any zombies on University Avenue,” Busscher added, “so apparently it worked well. … We’ve not had a problem like this before.” Oh damn — I didn’t know you could program these things by telephone! So what the hell am I doing standing out here in the middle of the median? I mean, besides flashing. That’s no speed bump, lady! Don’t fear: Zombies are not near [gainsville] Thanks to Kelly and Roy, who once hacked into the CIA mainframe a body up and threw it in the ocean.

Been waiting for someone to hack a bunch of Roombas to play Pac-Man ? Me neither, but somebody did AND YOU’RE GOING TO WATCH THEM OR I’M GOING TO TOOTHPICK YOUR EYES OPEN AND MAKE YOU. The vacuum, long an instrument for chasing cats, has now been turned against its own. What better use for automatic home appliances than to have them chase each other in classic video game style? Built using our spare time, Roomba Pac-Man is designed to showcase the extensive Unmanned Aerial System software suite that we have developed to support our personal research. It was also a great opportunity to use some of our skills for our own entertainment. Neat idea, but did you have to use robots? Why not kittens ? I mean, you just handed over like $1,500 to the iRobot company. Which, despite the number of emails I’ve sent, the government still refuses to classify as a terrorist organization. OPEN YOUR EYES YOU BUREAUCRATIC BUTTPLUGS! Unless….OMG the government’s in bed with the robots! Initializing expatriation! New Mexico here I come. Project Site Thanks to Jonny S, mary, Jackie and Boomer, who vacuum the old fashioned way: with a shaggy dog taped to a broken tree branch.

Another day , another hacked roadsign , this time in Raleigh, NC outside North Carolina State University. Honestly, I have no idea what this bud is of which the sign speaks (you hear that, mom — no idea!), but if it’s anything like banana peels and grape leaves, you count me in. Whee, I see stars! Seriously, I’m passing out somebody catch me. Tampered sign promotes pot [abc] Thanks to Milkman, who better stop using the backdoor.

Jerry Jalava is a hacker who lost half his left ring finger in a motorcycle accident and decided to replace the digit with a USB drive . So now he sports a rubber half-finger with thumb(!)drive inside. Awesome. Plus, if he ever has to wear a wedding ring it won’t count because it’s not a real finger. Am I right? Because that’s why I cut mine off. Just kidding, I was really high and trying to make a bong in shop class. Hit the jump for three more shots of the digital digitry.