C64 complicated police investigation

Something I recently discovered: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/05/austria.markoliver (Tuesday 5 September 2006) The investigation into the kidnapping of Natascha Kampusch has been complicated by the discovery of an obsolete computer in the house where she was held, Austrian police said today. Officers have been surprised to find that the kidnapper, Wolfgang Priklopil, a communications technician, appeared to have relied exclusively on a Commodore 64. The beige-coloured machine was popular in the 1980s but is now considered an antique, though some electronic dance acts still use it and it has a cult following among some fans of retro computers. It was hoped that the computer might contain information which might shed more light on the decision of Priklopil, 44, to snatch Ms Kampusch, when she was aged 10, in March 1998. However, Major General Gerhard Lang of the Federal Criminal Investigations Bureau, told reporters the computer would complicate investigators' efforts to transfer files for closer examination. There are emulators available which can make a modern PC capable of running Commodore 64 programmes but Maj Gen Lang said it would be difficult to transmit the data from Priklopil's machine to a modern computer "without loss".

Rudolf Harras <rudi007@temporaryforwarding.com> wrote: > Something I recently discovered: > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/05/austria.markoliver > (Tuesday 5 September 2006) > The investigation into the kidnapping of Natascha Kampusch has been > complicated by the discovery of an obsolete computer in the house where > she was held, Austrian police said today. > Officers have been surprised to find that the kidnapper, Wolfgang > Priklopil, a communications technician, appeared to have relied > exclusively on a Commodore 64. > The beige-coloured machine was popular in the 1980s but is now > considered an antique, though some electronic dance acts still use it > and it has a cult following among some fans of retro computers. > It was hoped that the computer might contain information which might > shed more light on the decision of Priklopil, 44, to snatch Ms Kampusch, > when she was aged 10, in March 1998. > However, Major General Gerhard Lang of the Federal Criminal > Investigations Bureau, told reporters the computer would complicate > investigators' efforts to transfer files for closer examination. > There are emulators available which can make a modern PC capable of > running Commodore 64 programmes but Maj Gen Lang said it would be > difficult to transmit the data from Priklopil's machine to a modern > computer "without loss". Hopefully the police will have the good sense to contact a museum, historian, collector, or some other qualified person to perform the data transfer. -- David Griffith davidmylastname@acm.org <--- Put my last name where it belongs

On Tuesday, May 22, 2012 9:01:50 AM UTC-5, Rudolf Harras wrote: > > There are emulators available which can make a modern PC capable of > running Commodore 64 programmes but Maj Gen Lang said it would be > difficult to transmit the data from Priklopil's machine to a modern > computer "without loss". Bullocks!

On 23 May 2012, Rudolf Harras wrote: > There are emulators available which can make a modern PC > capable of running Commodore 64 programmes but Maj Gen Lang > said it would be difficult to transmit the data from > Priklopil's machine to a modern computer "without loss". If this is all it takes to stop the police, the average criminal need only buy a PDP-8 and they're safe. -- __ __ #_ < |\| |< _#

On May 22, 7:01=A0am, Rudolf Harras <rudi...@temporaryforwarding.com> wrote: > Officers have been surprised to find that the kidnapper, Wolfgang > Priklopil, a communications technician, appeared to have relied > exclusively on a Commodore 64. Whoa! Thanks for sharing that. This would make an interesting tidbit to put into our club newsletter. Truly, Robert Bernardo Fresno Commodore User Group http://videocam.net.au/fcug Commodore Vegas Expo v8 http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

On May 23, 4:21=A0am, RobertB <rberna...@iglou.com> wrote: > On May 22, 7:01=A0am, Rudolf Harras <rudi...@temporaryforwarding.com> > wrote: > > > Officers have been surprised to find that the kidnapper, Wolfgang > > Priklopil, a communications technician, appeared to have relied > > exclusively on a Commodore 64. > > Whoa! =A0Thanks for sharing that. =A0This would make > an interesting tidbit to put into our club newsletter. > > Truly, > Robert Bernardo > Fresno Commodore User Grouphttp://videocam.net.au/fcug > Commodore Vegas Expo v8http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex Get yourself a Zoom Floppy and a copy of Vice. I hope modern day computer forensic experts aren't this incompetent. I should start moving all my private information to cassette and 5.25" floppy.

David Griffith wrote: > Rudolf Harras <rudi007@temporaryforwarding.com> wrote: >> Something I recently discovered: > >> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/05/austria.markoliver >> (Tuesday 5 September 2006) > >> The investigation into the kidnapping of Natascha Kampusch has been >> complicated by the discovery of an obsolete computer in the house >> where she was held, Austrian police said today. > >> Officers have been surprised to find that the kidnapper, Wolfgang >> Priklopil, a communications technician, appeared to have relied >> exclusively on a Commodore 64. > >> The beige-coloured machine was popular in the 1980s but is now >> considered an antique, though some electronic dance acts still use it >> and it has a cult following among some fans of retro computers. > >> It was hoped that the computer might contain information which might >> shed more light on the decision of Priklopil, 44, to snatch Ms >> Kampusch, when she was aged 10, in March 1998. > >> However, Major General Gerhard Lang of the Federal Criminal >> Investigations Bureau, told reporters the computer would complicate >> investigators' efforts to transfer files for closer examination. > >> There are emulators available which can make a modern PC capable of >> running Commodore 64 programmes but Maj Gen Lang said it would be >> difficult to transmit the data from Priklopil's machine to a modern >> computer "without loss". > > Hopefully the police will have the good sense to contact a museum, > historian, collector, or some other qualified person to perform the > data transfer. Almost any of use will do.

jbones wrote: > Get yourself a Zoom Floppy and a copy of Vice. I hope modern day > computer forensic experts aren't this incompetent. I should start > moving all my private information to cassette and 5.25" floppy. its not that easy unfortunately - in this particular case the major problem was NOT transfering the data - it was about transfering the data in a way which has been certified for forensic use. (you cant just use some software you found on the internet). what they did was buying one device for transfering, then have it certified, and then wrote the software for it themselves (which makes is easier to get certified). -- http://www.hitmen-console.org http://magicdisk.untergrund.net http://www.pokefinder.org http://ftp.pokefinder.org Gerade in einem Land, in dem in den kommenden Wochen die gr��te offene Drogenszene der Welt, n�mlich das M�nchener Oktoberfest, stattfindet, ist eine Liberalisierung weicher Drogen dringend notwendig. <Claudia Roth, B�ndnis 90/Die Gr�nen>

On Thursday, May 31, 2012 3:00:06 PM UTC-5, Groepaz wrote: > jbones wrote: > > > Get yourself a Zoom Floppy and a copy of Vice. I hope modern day > > computer forensic experts aren't this incompetent. I should start > > moving all my private information to cassette and 5.25" floppy. > > its not that easy unfortunately - in this particular case the major problem > was NOT transfering the data - it was about transfering the data in a way > which has been certified for forensic use. (you cant just use some software > you found on the internet). what they did was buying one device for > transfering, then have it certified, and then wrote the software for it > themselves (which makes is easier to get certified). > Considering the entire software stack for ZoomFloppy is open source, it would seem easy to get OpenCBM certified for forensic use.

Payton Byrd wrote: > On Thursday, May 31, 2012 3:00:06 PM UTC-5, Groepaz wrote: >> jbones wrote: >> >> > Get yourself a Zoom Floppy and a copy of Vice. I hope modern day >> > computer forensic experts aren't this incompetent. I should start >> > moving all my private information to cassette and 5.25" floppy. >> >> its not that easy unfortunately - in this particular case the major >> problem was NOT transfering the data - it was about transfering the data >> in a way which has been certified for forensic use. (you cant just use >> some software you found on the internet). what they did was buying one >> device for transfering, then have it certified, and then wrote the >> software for it themselves (which makes is easier to get certified). >> > > Considering the entire software stack for ZoomFloppy is open source, it > would seem easy to get OpenCBM certified for forensic use. it is often easier to just make qualified software yourself than having someone elses software reviewed. (and thats even more true for the hardware) iirc they ended up using a very low tech solution - rs232 cables and a basic program. -- http://www.hitmen-console.org http://magicdisk.untergrund.net http://www.pokefinder.org http://ftp.pokefinder.org Some people say that I must be a horrible person, but that's not true. I have the heart of a small boy --- in a jar on my desk <Stephen King>

Hello Payton, Payton Byrd wrote: > On Thursday, May 31, 2012 3:00:06 PM UTC-5, Groepaz wrote: > Considering the entire software stack for ZoomFloppy is open source, > it would seem easy to get OpenCBM certified for forensic use. I see it exactly the opposite: Knowing the OpenCBM sources very well, I am sure it would have been *Very* hard to get it certified for forensic use. Regards, Spiro. -- Spiro R. Trikaliotis http://www.trikaliotis.net/