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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 4124687" data-attributes="member: 8835">I played a game of Vampire:tM this weekend for the first time.  I made a PC with a reasonably high computer skill.  Pretty much matching my own computer skill level. What occurred to me, is that there's a ton of fairly cheap tricks I can employ in the real world, that my PC can therefore also employ.  My goal wasn't to play a cyber-punk or nerdty character.  It got me thinking about the kinds of things I could pull off.So this thread is about the kinds of things a reasonably technical character could do.  It's not about rules, its about practical uses of technology by PCs.The trick that came up in the game, was to get an iPhone.  It's easily justifiable as a $400 item, and everybody in the real world has cellphones, many have internet plans.  The iPhone is simply one of the nicer implementations.What it's good for: between having built-in wi-fi and data-network, you always have internet access, except in the bulkiest building (I can confirm this in the real world).  From there, doing research is pretty easy.  General information is easily available.  You can confirm a lot of simple facts (addresses, names, etc).  When you get the address of a location you must do something at, goto Google maps, and check out all the exits and layout.You can also claim the Digital Milenium Act increases the chances that public records have been scanned in for the public.  Building plans, birth certificates, etc may be available.  The building plans could be very handy (another good excuse for the GM to hand you a map).Darn near any PC should be able to do this.  Not just the computer saavy.More technical tricks:setup a conference call phone service, and have every PC call in with their blue-tooth ear pieces and cell phones.  Now you've got instant walkie-talkies for "free".  This lets your group stay in touch, ala stargate (the tv show).  Those guys are always connected.Install custom firmware, and modify the firmware to encrypt your data.  The only way to get your data on your iPhone is to have the password.  Strong encryption is cheap.  Decryption takes a LONG time.  There's also a bunch of other apps you would be able to run, that do interesting things.Getting on secure wi-fi networks is less easy.  Getting ahold of a laptop already on the network is the most direct and easy.  Social engineering your way through the help desk of the company to get the passkey is another way.  Cracking the wi-fi encryption from your PC, not so easy.  It's almost easier to brute-force passkey combinations than to try to decrypt the signal.  Decrypting the signal isn't easy, because the wi-fi signal decryption is most likely handled inside the wi-fi device, not inside the computer memory (meaning your easiest place to code doesn't have the data).A little more research on google would reveal what tools are needed.  In general, this would require some kind of skill check in the RPG.I'd advise your PCs to always use a data encyrption tool, particularly on e-mails.  Its not a good thing to be doing clandestine things, with data that could  be read by your enemies.  This is pretty easy to acquire and setup.The other day, I found a neural network program (with source code) for image identification.  You could modify this to scan through images on file or the web to match up a picture (identifying a suspect).  This would require a skill check to setup, but once done, the tool is good to go.There's just a few of the things that are possible.  It's my feeling that Modern setting RPGs seldom take into account what's really possible with readily available and free/cheap technology.What other ideas do y'all have.  I'd like to stick with practical use items that are available today, rather than "cyberpunk" innovations your character could invent, but don't exist today.</blockquote>

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