Meta Puzzle Finale--Bring All Clues!

[confusio]

I'm jumping camps on the "Memories Fade"/"People Disappear" issue. I'm NOW thinking that the letters scramble and unscramble themselves to smack us over the head and say "Hey, there be anagrams here!" Of course, if I knew what the anagrams were (or if they're even from the title or something else entirely) I'd be much more convinced.

Related to this, do you think 42 was just trying REALLY hard to get our attention by showing the cane/wand TIP twice during Box #2 completion video? Are they saying "Here's a TIP for you?" Otherwise, what do you call that part of a cane.... Ferrule? Can we at least say for sure Cane Vs. Wand?

I think the same type of question applies to why is she holding a pocket watch on the video after box 1,

and why when they show the cane her legs are not visible. We had some discussions about it but

never arrived to any conclusive answer.

About the anagrams I posted (don't remember now in what thread) the actual images found in the

flash files and also we didn't find anything conclusive.

These and many other details as such (like a lenghty discussion about Loki's picture inside the

pocket watch) have us going in circles and thinking if we are really trying to dig too deep into

some stuff that doesn't seem to provide any additional clues.

I also mentioned before that in relation to many of the results we get while searching on the net

for info, the e42 guys had plenty of time to do that excercise and build some of the clues or

diversions based on what we would get when searching, like the existence of the www.vanishingpoint.com

site and a reference to David Reed that coincidentially is the name of a MIT professor working

on viral communications, but this lead after great research of another neowinian proved to be

a false lead.

Also it's uncertain if we will get another video from Loki (the last one has the word "final" on the

movie file name), my gut feeling is that probably the last clue will give us a phone number where

we may get a real person popping the question and that call will be answered just once if the

answer we provide is right ... just a thought.

Just fcr curiosity I'm working on something trying to compare what results we get if we search

using msft live search instead of google and encarta instead of wikipedia, I remember reading

on some place that somebody from msft marketing said that this challenge was deisgned

to reward msft most loyal customers. So far, nothing yet.

Cheers

[gdesignr]

I was doing some research on Enigma, and was reminded that in Batman, the Riddler's name was E. Nigma. Another trickster with puzzles...

Keep in mind that the Enigma machine was an encryption machine. I've tested some words like Time and Vanishing Point, with some starting settings like ERA and EROS (3 or 4 dial machines) with no success, but that could be something we have to do... decode something with an Enigma machine.

[crowen]

Ok. So other then the constant digging and delving into the problem. I am starting to wonder myself about the solution.

The point was brought up earlier about what if one of us on this forum won the meta puzzle.

It seems very likely. Going back on doing basic basic research I found this thread (of all the puzzles and META puzzle) mentioned many many times on different websites this and unfiction. So what will we do if one of us wins?? is it a every man for himself theory? or should we acknowledge our bretheren in this endeavor?

I for one want to step back for now. I feel that by searching Im pulling up WAY too many weak claims and clues. Like my last one with the 5. At the time seemed coincidental but now seems to be a mute point when I think about it. As it was previously stated. They had alot more time then us, so the idea of MANY dead ends isint illogical. I mean I get this picture in my head of some 42 designer sitting there laughing "Watch me put a 5 here and see how they flip out" So I personally am going to backtrack to my Giza Pyramid theory because that was the one that seemed blatently open in the last puzzle box, and I am going to wait two more days for the next set. But have no doubt that I will be digging deep again once its open lol :)

And as far as the prize goes, well I for one vote to have soemthing along the lines of "[winners last name or post name] W/ Neowin.net" trying to keep it short because of the size of the actual chip lol. (thats if the sponsers of puzzle even will allow that)

any ideas? lets give our brains a rest on friday (for those willing) so we can jump in fresh on sat.

So Good Luck all and either way even though saturday is the end It has been an INCREDIBLE ride and even if this turns out to be some cheap dissapointing marketing ploy (brings make memories of the little orphan annie decoder ring from "A Christmas Story") it was fun while it lasted and I sure as hell had a blast, just wish more companies had the manpower and cash to do something like this everytime they came out with something new.

"Dont forget to drink your ovaltine" :)

-Crowen

Edited January 25, 2007 by crowen

[confusio]

Don't know if you did but take a look at this thread

I'm sure that some of the folks from e42 are monitoring what we post here, there are other

things like the "COLE & KODY" legend from the pocket watch on the watch springs puzzle that we were

not supposed to see but is there in the files, the suscint replacement of the train image by the girl in

a chair in a chair in the postcards puzzle, etc, etc.

We also reported that at some time the PuzzleHandler script was giving an internal server error, we don't

know if they noticed it or because we reported it.

In few days we may have the answers to many of these questions, and we'll be able to laugh together with

them, it'd be really cool if after the game is over some of the folks that put the game together have a

chance to exchange some messages here.

My .02

[Falor42]

First, good catch on Phi Itzateddy, that has been the direction I have been working for awhile. Also, on the AE thing, one of the most common uses of the symbol was when refering to the AEsir, or Norse gods...Loki connection there at least.

Also, thanx Astro, I am not a big windows movie maker fan, so didnt know. I did notice one thing though while pouring through the videos. In the parts that show the canes, they first show it after she says you cut a woman in half...and she has no legs. There are no feet, and the cane is there, next clip she is holding the cane, her legs should have been visible...is she disappearing as she reaches the Vanishing Point?? perhaps:P

As for if one of us wins, if by some miracle it is me, I am putting Falor42, TeamNeowin;)

[crowen]

As for if one of us wins, if by some miracle it is me, I am putting Falor42, TeamNeowin;)

Im up for that :) Sounds good.

As far as the "Sawing a women in half comment" I believe it was just a puzzle reference not a clue "24 down 24 to go" She is the puzzle in esscence sawed her in half.....

[Karl Sheldon]

and round and round we go - all these clues and no clear path forward ...

for those following the 21st Birthday theory and the 1987 ? link windows history fits,

Windows 2 and Windows /386 both released in 1987

21 years since Windows 1

link to good summary of the History http://www.computerhope.com/history/windows.htm

Oh and the Pearls - is this not the name for the spherical windows start logo in Vista, more going around I guess.

Offtopic : ' and anyone on Vista have you seen the cute Racoon in the Dreamscene leak ? Nice and make no diff to PC response and use - I like it - works even on my crippled laptop so its goto be good programing ! '

[troist]

And as far as the prize goes, well I for one vote to have soemthing along the lines of "[winners last name or post name] W/ Neowin.net" trying to keep it short because of the size of the actual chip lol. (thats if the sponsers of puzzle even will allow that)

yeah, if i win (which is pretty unlikely, someone like superrob seems more suitable for winning) then i'd put down "troist neowin.net" or something... i don't know how long they'd let it be though. hopefully any neowinians who win will put down their user and neowin, but its up to them if they get win.

[Notfit]

First, good catch on Phi Itzateddy, that has been the direction I have been working for awhile. Also, on the AE thing, one of the most common uses of the symbol was when refering to the AEsir, or Norse gods...Loki connection there at least.

Also, thanx Astro, I am not a big windows movie maker fan, so didnt know. I did notice one thing though while pouring through the videos. In the parts that show the canes, they first show it after she says you cut a woman in half...and she has no legs. There are no feet, and the cane is there, next clip she is holding the cane, her legs should have been visible...is she disappearing as she reaches the Vanishing Point?? perhaps:P

As for if one of us wins, if by some miracle it is me, I am putting Falor42, TeamNeowin;)

This was mentioned earlier, but I wanted to mention the connection. The "feathers" from the white boxes have two segments filled in. The feathers have the same number of rows/columns as a keyboard and (6*14) and the corresponding keys for the two filled in segments are A and E.

[hulberclius]

Hey all,

this is my first post here, and I have only been following the game a short time, so please forgive if this is too obvious or has been said or debunked.

If Loki says "by her 21st birthday she has visited most countries", and windows initial RELEASE was 1985, is it possible that SHE is Windows?

Also, with the clues pointing to magic or a vanishing point, to me that sounds like Vista being on the horizon. Remember, the "wow starts now".

thoughts?

[summerspop]

Instead of feathers at the bottom of the CoA, to me anyway, they look more like stacked cubes.

Maybe buildings?

[whitejames]

ok so i was just watching the new video, and i have been curios about the shadows on the wall, and right when she saws details about her life she holds her hand out like she is presenting somthing i have been looking at it for hours and it seems so plain to see. anyways here are some shots

what do you guys think

I think it relates to the myths of Kitsune. The myth states you can tell if she's a Kitsune by seeing a shadow of her tail. I think she's showing us the shadow of her tail. Her names Lorelei and Kitsune are definately clues about those myths.

By the way, I've been to Korea and Japan, and she looks Korean, not Japanese, to me, not that that matters...

[tgeairn]

Do we have a reason for Collection_Plate being named that? Seems an odd name, yes?

Anagram: PLACE ICON TO TELL. Are we putting together the correct image here? Lots of other anagrams there... LOTS.

[blvd]

Does anyone else think that the answer to X-Ray cards is strange? 2:H, 4:D, 6:H, A:S, 5:C

Why would the puzzle be designed to give us...2:H, 4:D, 6:H, A:S, 5:C instead of a word or phrase like all the others? Do these mean anything to anyone?

[gdesignr]

ok so i was just watching the new video, and i have been curios about the shadows on the wall, and right when she saws details about her life she holds her hand out like she is presenting somthing i have been looking at it for hours and it seems so plain to see. anyways here are some shots

what do you guys think

If you look at the loki_time video, you'll see the lamp with it's cord that is making that shadow. It just seems like background to me... I'm thinking she is just pointing out that she has moved down a chair... that you should notice the empty chair if you haven't already.

[gdesignr]

Do we have a reason for Collection_Plate being named that? Seems an odd name, yes?

Anagram: PLACE ICON TO TELL. Are we putting together the correct image here? Lots of other anagrams there... LOTS.

I thought that "On The Run" was really a really strange name for the first one... it is an anagram for UNTHRONE...

[whitejames]

I call the phone number (866) 523-5127 from the /awakened page, and give my fax number. But then it asks for a three digit fax document number. What is that number?

[dickey500]

I think there's a great many clues left unexplored - I truly think the eo el disa i r clue is real.

Why make the "eo el disa i r" and "peopler disadp ae" appear on the last two box titles? It's clearly intentional but only for the last two titles - you think they just forgot to put it on the first two? I don't think it's for effect - especially since it uses a different letter sequence. Why go to all the trouble of rearranging letters when they could have simply tweaked the letters present for "effect"? That's a lot of thought involved for an "effect"

There's a mess of anagrams pulled from "eo el disa i r" like "raised leo" or "leo said ire" but would they make it that hard to find a useful anagram?

Does anyone else think this blatant clue needs some collective looking into?

[Falor42]

something interesting I just noticed while doing some Encarat searches.

horizon (N)

Synonyms: prospect, skyline, distance, vanishing point, vista, limit

[Izateddy]

I found some more interesting information while digging into the mathmatical equation we were given. As Confusio pointed out, the equation ends with "e" or Euler's Number. But before this we solve for Phi and get a "Golden Rectangle." However after some research, I found that the symbol that appears to be "Phi" could also be the symbol for "null" or "nullity." It's basically a new "number" to allow you to divide by zero. It's slighty confusing at first, but this site has some great info and even a video of a professor showing the process of solving for nullity on a whiteboard.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/art...o_feature.shtml

I realize this is only one mans theroy on dividing by zero, and solving a "1200 year old problem," but maybe it's something...maybe not.

[Interface7]

i was able to catch a print screen of box 3 flashing words..... it ended up to be complete gibberish of letters...

Pe oplerdisadp ae

i'm pretty sure its not a clue

IT IS A CLUE...i just got it...its on the Box 3 AND Box 4!

I recorded it and slowed it down...frame by frame...this is what it is...

eo el disa i r...

NO idea...what it mean.

[Falor42]

1200 year old math problem? 1 week? no problem, anyone got some coffee lying around and a chalk board???

[Interface7]

IT IS A CLUE...i just got it...its on the Box 3 AND Box 4!

I recorded it and slowed it down...frame by frame...this is what it is...

eo el disa i r...

NO idea...what it mean.

OK i've been looking and people have seen this before...and dismissed it...HOWEVER, if the flash developers wanted a cool "trick" to show the phrase visually why didn't they use it on box 1 and 2? it's just on Box 3 and 4....this HAS to mean something.

[amadecasa]

What if we entered those letters into an enigma machine simulator using pi as rotor settings?

[Interface7]

What if we entered those letters into an enigma machine simulator using pi as rotor settings?

what would the start positions be in the alphabet for each rotor