Clear Channel Plans To Roll Out Digital Billboards

Tree131 writes "Just in case you don't have enough distractions driving on the highway, Clear Channel is planning to roll out digital billboards. The new billboards will feature ads that depend on the time of day as well as the general area demographics. I wonder how long before someone with lots of time on their hands hacks into the system and starts tampering with the messages."

Re:First....

[Alan]

Hmm..... I'm pretty sure that this is somehow a gross invasion of our privacy.

Re:Nothing new?

[Wakkow]

That's what I thought.. Here in Sacramento, over near Cal Expo, there's one that was mentioned on slashdot a while ago [slashdot.org] that tracked what radio stations people listened to that drove by.

It runs Windows.. I know because I've seen it blue screened before.

Ads

[thefiremonk]

Will they have X-rated ads at 2 am?

Re:Nothing new?

[Dj Stingray]

Wow, after reading my post, I just realized how badder my grammer is then most people.

everytime I drive by it....

[Dj Stingray]

Everytime I drive by it, it displays a beer ad. How did they know??? RFID chips in bottles? WOW! Technology!

The OS

[Paladin144]

Hopefully it will be running on Windows Me. That way, most of the time we won't be distracted by the blue screens (of death). The color might even be soothing.

I can't wait to hack one

[teamhasnoi]

with a .22.

It's about time the common man can let Clear Channel know how they feel.

Re:everytime I drive by it....

[kd5ujz]

Your not constantly listening to country by any chance are you?

Yeah

[jeffster10304]

Just what people need, a TV on the roadside.... I think the real question is how long before they start showing Survivor on them ;)

Re:Nothing new?

[Wakkow]

Well, back in Soviet Russia I taught grammer.

Ooh!

[Anonymous Coward]

Do ya think goatse.cx causes accidents?

Re:I can't wait to hack one

[Anonymous Coward]

The Telco EQ is 'designed' to not be damaged by a .22 round. If CC follows a similar design idea, you won't get too far with your .22.

If you plan on 'reprograming' CC eq, I'd suggest a .308 or for the serious 'reprogrammer' - the 50 cal.

I know the .308 and the .243 rounds will put a hole in a 1/4 inch hunk of plate steel, and will dent 3/8 inch. I have no idea what a 50 cal will do....

Re:This is Funny -- +5 Interesting

[rjamestaylor]

Damn moderators can't get anything right!

:)

My new..

[msimm]

wide screen TV! And to think in the eighties I thought it was cool to steal strobing roadside lights!

Cheap digital picture frames! Whoot!

;-)

Re: This is Funny

[Black Parrot]

> > I'm curious if someone's managed to redesign a few billboards out there.

> A far more interesting hack would be to 'Own' the billboard and

...use them to DDoS ClearChannel.

Re:Nothing new?

[Peeet]

Oh yeah, well we have one in Cincinnati. Beat that, damn mormons...

and I quote [twainquotes.com]: "When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behind the times."

Re:Hackers dream...

[Anonymous Coward]

Just think of the possibilities...now we can play tetris across the entire globe for all to see!

That is your hacker's dream? Christ, you might as well have said Atari's 'Tank' instead of Tetris. Me, I dream of a game of Pong on such devices. Everyone who has mastered intergalactic space travel, please raise your hand.

I don't encourage such

[KalvinB]

an unlawful act.

But if you're going to do it anyway, take a video camera.

Ben

Re:Lawyers

[33degrees]

Of course lawyers are going to live this; chances are, at least half the ads are going to be FOR lawyers:

"Hello, have you just gotten into an accident while looking at this billboard? If so, then call us, at..."

The other half of the adds will be for insurance companies.

Re:The OS

[EEBaum]

A couple years ago there was one in L.A., off the 405, that had an "Out of Virtual Memory" Windows error message on it for a few weeks straight, if not months.

reeduckulous titles

[tormentae agent]

In unveiling its new strategy, Clear Channel named long-time digital media strategist Michael Hudes as executive vice president of corporate development.

in other news, I name myself Lord of the Realm, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

Waste of money.

[raehl]

You'll be too drunk to see that far anyway.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Nothing new?

[gefafwysp]

We've had these in Britain by the motorways for ages, but they always seem to be advertising something called "Major delays on M6 at J15".

Your written correspondence is currently broadcasting a postal address. With this, someone can begin attacking your house!