back to article Cardiff did Nazi that coming: Hackers slap Trump, swastikas, Sharia law on e-sign

Shoppers in Cardiff got an eyeful this week when mystery hackers took control of an electronic billboard overlooking the main shopping street and broadcasted a string of images, including Nazi swastikas. The billboard, on Queen Street in the Welsh capital, began displaying pictures of the Nazi symbol, and a sign declaring: " …

  1. Pen-y-gors

    Part of the UK?

    PS: No, Wales is not an imaginary place nor an ocean theme park nor a suburb of London. It's part of the UK.

    Give us time, gwboi...

    1. Jamie Jones Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Part of the UK?

      You want us to become a suburb of London?!!

      1. sabroni Silver badge

        Re: You want us to become a suburb of London?!!

        I thought you were offering to become imaginary.....

  2. Shadow Systems

    Hominyms are fun for screen readers.

    I heard Wales as whales & wondered when we started putting ads on ocean mammals, but then I remembered Sea World & realized we've been doing it metaphoricly for years.

    Oh well, I for one welcome our new leviathan overlords!

  3. Don Dumb
    Devil

    If they really wanted to troll Cardiff

    Then they would have flown the St George's flag

    1. Nattrash
      Devil

      Re: If they really wanted to troll Cardiff

      Really? What does Genoa have to do with Wales?

      1. Don Dumb
        Headmaster

        Re: If they really wanted to troll Cardiff

        @Nattrash - You mean Malta, no?

        1. JimboSmith Silver badge

          Re: If they really wanted to troll Cardiff

          I thought we were talking about St Georges Island the one with the Marxist guerrillas in the mountains that was nearly invaded by East Yemen in the 80s. Or to be proper the correct title is the People's Democratic Republic of East Yemen.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    An ill fated name

    The electronic billboard provider appears to be called "Blow up Media".... and apt name for such explosive messages.....

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: An ill fated name

      That billboard has been there since the late nineties.

      Still, most of us here know the Reg subtitle writer has a volatile relationship with dried frog pills.

      1. Jedit Silver badge
        Big Brother

        "a volatile relationship with dried frog pills"

        So long as they are responsibly sourced dried frog pills, I don't mind. And by "responsibly sourced" I mean "made out of Pepe".

        BTW, I think my post icon has been hacked.

  5. T. F. M. Reader

    A part of the UK?

    I thought Wales was a big part of Wikipedia?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: A part of the UK?

      I though it was called "and Wales"

    2. Warm Braw

      Re: A part of the UK?

      A part roughly the size of Wales, I understand.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sarf Wales

    "Anyone who has been in Cardiff on a Saturday night knows this Sharia statement is a non-starter"

    I don't know about Cardiff but Newport is the only place I have ever been proposition in a busy street for a blowjob at half four in the afternoon by a teenager. I was amazed by the number of drunks staggering around town at five.

    When I reached the safety of a local pub, I kid you not, it was a Tom Jones night. And they were amazed anyone would want to keep drinking after nine on a weekday. Seems they run on a completely different time zone to the rest of the UK. Thank god the hotel had an all night bar.

    It's a whole different world down there.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: It's a whole different world down there.

      Well they do drink so brew by a company called 'Brains'. Pehaps it addles them permanetly?

      My Grandad (from Aberdare) called Cardiff 'a den of iniquity'. Well he was a Methodist Preacher so he might have been a wee bit biased.

    2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Coat

      "Newport..the only place I have ever been proposition in a busy street for a blowjob at 430pm

      So you've never seen this short orientation film put out by the Newport Tourism Authority? *

      Mines the one with "Staff" on the back.

      *No I've never been to Newport. Yes this was taken from a real show.

    3. Bernard M. Orwell
      Pint

      Re: Sarf Wales

      "And they were amazed anyone would want to keep drinking after nine on a weekday. "

      You have clearly never actually been to Newport.

      1. earl grey
        Trollface

        Re: Sarf Wales

        "after nine on a weekday. "

        AM, or PM?

    4. Don Dumb

      Re: Sarf Wales

      I've been to both Cardiff and Newport - they are very different places. I spent 4 hours in Newport waiting for my passport, it was an absolute shithole, I could see no other reason to be there. Certainly anyone going there for pleasure seems to actually be going to the Celtic Manor which is outside the city. I remember the G7(or one of those) that was held at the Celtic Manor no one said Newport.

      Cardiff's had quite a bit of investment (modelled on Baltimore they told us) and, being the principality's capital, has quite a bit going for it. The transport into and out of there on an evening is a nightmare though, which is why it's fantastic that they put so many events on at the PrincipalityMillennium stadium on Friday nights.

      I imagine the number of stag and hen dos out on a Saturday night might sully the place for some but I'm not sure of any nice places in the UK that aren't inundated by Stag/Hen dos at the weekend.

      Of course, to the rest of Wales, Cardiff is basically England.

      1. Valeyard

        Re: Sarf Wales

        I thought Newport was awesome the few times I've been there*

        *Which were entirely limited to the speedway track and its car park

        1. Don Dumb

          Re: Sarf Wales

          Mate. The speedway stadium is gone

          Sorry.

      2. Tom Paine
        Paris Hilton

        Re: Sarf Wales

        In the very early days of the Manic Street Preachers, one of them remarked "If you made a museum where we're from, the only thing you could put in it would be shit." A bit harsh, but that's Newport for you

    5. Simon Harris

      Re: Sarf Wales

      "Seems they run on a completely different time zone to the rest of the UK."

      North Wales (or more precisely North-West Wales) is no different - try finding an open restaurant after 9pm in Porthmadog!

    6. Mark York 3 Silver badge
      Big Brother

      Re: Sarf Wales

      I can't say I had that happen to me the last time I went for the same day turnaround service for my passport (Four+ hours waiting to collect it, was a mind-numbing experience), I think I had managed to make it back to the safety of the train home by 4pm.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hacked

    My foot they are just doing market research.

    Noted twenty five smartphones published poster 5, twenty three poster 4 and only 12 poster 2.

    The one about Sharia Law went unoticed as the residents were unaware of the term (Law).

  8. phread

    ...did Nazi that coming...

    ::slow clap::

    Bravo!

  9. Cynic_999

    Easily hacked

    Many of these billboards and overhead digital signs are updated via an unencrypted optical link (similar principle as a TV remote). You just have to know the protocol, which is probably available on the Internet.

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