Keys

The following are keys for the Countdown page.

wh0isl0ki

Method of discovery: Somebody named "lokivanishes" posted<ref>http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=523893&st=75&p=588161174&#entry588161174</ref> a hint in a forum at neowin. The content of that hint is this:

Well, I don't normally do this, but since you guys were first on the scene, here's a cypher key for you. Impressive job!

More to come....but not delivered like this. Keep your eyes on the Post.

Good luck!

~L

Taking the highlighted letters (from Vanishing_Point2.jpg on the IE Blog) and shifting them gives the key.

Result:

N < R > C     I < C > O     R > D < J
^   v   ^     ^   v   v     ^   ^   ^
Q > B < L     J < N > B     I > O < S
v   ^   v     ^   v   v     v   ^   ^
B > U > S     Z > E > P     G > B > I


J > Y < D     E < M < R     D > N < B
v   ^   v     ^   v   ^     v   ^   v
Z < O < C     Y > J < N     S < R > A
^   ^   ^     v   v   v     ^   v   v
U > R < G     R < A < U     N > I > I


P < B < N     D < O > Y     S < Y > P
^   ^   v     ^   ^   ^     ^   v   v
U < J > S     H < I > H     A < O > Y
^   ^   ^     v   v   v     v   v   ^
R > D > C     U > R < S     M < I < J

iw4nttwinyou

Method of discovery: From http://halowars.heavengames.com/key

12/23/2006: Earlier today I received a package from Microsoft containing a puzzle box, which after figuring out the puzzle and opening it, contained a small 256MB USB Key. The Key contained a video, a letter, and a cipher key, which I have attached below ... the key seems to be related to the image on the Internet Explorer blog. Anyone figure it out?

Result:

Check your sources to find

THe STaNDaRD

800-736-9085

And in the source code (PIN=5813):

Calling the number and entering the PIN: File:Phonecall.mp3

3scap3grav1ty

Method of discovery: TODO... not sure how this was come across

Result:

It looks like this is a nonogram/griddler/picross puzzle. Solving it reveals a maze. Solving the maze gives some text. "it was cearly over his head the monk who screwed up the transliteration samt ar-ras"<ref>http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=290748#290748</ref>

Konamouse on Unfiction points out<ref>http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=290749#290749</ref>:

Googling samt ar_ras leads to a few interesting pieces of information.

Quote:
zenith
1387, from O.Fr. cenith (Fr. zénith), from M.L. cenit, senit, bungled scribal transliteration of Arabic samt "road, path," abbreviation of samt ar-ras, lit. "the way over the head." Letter -m- misread as -ni-. The M.L. word may as well be influenced by the rough agreement of the Arabic term with classical L. semita "sidetrack, side path" (notion of "thing going off to the side"), from se- "apart" + *mi-ta-, suffixed zero-grade form of PIE base *mei- "to change" (see mutable).

Quote:
samt ar-ras = [Arab] the way of the head

The zenith is the point in the sky that is straight above your head. The altitude of the zenith is 90°. The opposite point is the nadir, and the horizon is midway between the two.

This leads to the URL: http://vanishingpointgame.com/zenith/ , giving:

The vanishing point is the boundary between Something and Everything; between What Is and What Can Be. Fewer than a thousand people have ever been there to see the ultimate vista. The grand prize winner will be one of them.

The race for that destiny will begin when the countdown hits zero.

imm0rtaliz3m3

Method of discovery: TODO

Result:

<references/>