#hardcoded hearts

[comfethan]

happy pride from hardcoded hearts and also me. much love.

[mister-qi]

Mr. Qi Friendship and Romance Mod Devlog 5/9/2024

Previous update

For those curious about the mod progress, read on!

Since the previous update, most of my efforts have been spent on Art and Implementation. While I've made some progress on Writing, that hasn't been my main focus.

Writing

Heart Events: no major progress, besides a bit of writing/blocking for the 4 heart cutscene.

Daily Dialogues: Generic dailies are 64% done. Unique dailies are currently on the back-burner. Marriage dailies are also on the back-burner, but I have quite a few written regardless.

Misc dialogues: A new section! This includes so many little details, which even get as hyper-specific as what happens if you divorce him and then attempt to invite him to a movie. What does he say if you give him a bouquet at low hearts? What does he say if you're married to him and there are slimes in the house? Stuff like that! There are 49 of these written so far, and it's hard to estimate my progress because as I continue looking through both the documentation and existing files I get more and more ideas.

Gift Dialogues: Not a ton of progress since the previous update, though I've written his birthday gift reactions.

Art

Portraits: 2 new portraits finished: blush and shocked.

Sprites: You may have seen me posting about this, but Mr. Qi does not have a walk cycle in the vanilla game, so I had to make custom animations for him. I've also changed his color scheme to better match his sprites.

Besides that, I've also made a walk cycle for the Bouncer, who will show up in at least one cutscene, maybe two.

look at him go!

Maps: I'm really excited to announce that I've recruited someone to help with maps! Their name is wovensong, and they're currently working on the Casino VIP Room, which features in the 10 heart cutscene. They're helping with both the sprites and .tmx files, which is a huge help.

Misc sprites: none yet

Implementation

I have a functional version of Mr. Qi that can be befriended in my files now. He doesn't have a ton of dialogue in game yet, but you can give him stuff, raise his friendship, and trigger some placeholder heart events. But getting to that point has been kind of a hassle, in ways that the average modder doesn't have to deal with!

You see... the vanilla "Mister Qi" has a space in his internal name. If you know anything about coding, this should be setting off alarm bells.

Here's an example of where that's an issue: say you want to trigger a cutscene at two hearts with an NPC. You'd write something like:

f Jodi 500

which the game reads as "trigger this cutscene when you have 500 amount of friendship with the NPC named Jodi"

But if you were to write:

f Mister Qi 500

the game would go "you want me to trigger this cutscene when you have Qi amount of friendship with the NPC named Mister?? WTF?" and then SMAPI throws you a big red error and the cutscene would never trigger. Yippee!

It took me... a while to figure out how to get around this. Luckily the 1.6 update now allows for parsing for quotes in certain scenarios, so what actually works is:

f \"Mister Qi\" 500

So I'm glad that I started this mod now instead of pre-1.6!

However, it's definitely possible that the space in the internal name will cause issues down the line, so I have some (rough) code for what to do in that scenario. This involves hiding the vanilla Mister Qi, and adding a new, identical NPC with an internal name that doesn't have a space. Other mods, such as Morris Redeemed and some NPCs like Marlon and Gunther in SVE, do this as well.

And, if you're thinking that I could just change the internal name itself: maybe?? But probably not. There's some hardcoded stuff surrounding Mister Qi, and I worry about breaking it. Additionally, if any future official Stardew updates added new content revolving around Mister Qi, there's a risk that the mod would break in more serious ways.

Final Notes

Overall, I feel like I'm making pretty good progress! There's still a lot to get done, but I'm proud of the work I've done so far. Thanks for reading!

[subwaytostardew]

▽ Subway to Stardew - Adoptable Joltik ⚡️

This would play after Emmet's 8 heart event and getting Joltik up to 8 hearts as well.

I released a separate mod specifically for adopting Joltik, so you only need to get them up to 8 hearts to adopt them! You can do it right now!

Adoptable Joltik Mod Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/21002

And of course... Commentary under the read-more.

Joltik's adoption event sat in the drafts for quite a while. It took me whole a day to implement and I didn't let myself sleep until I finished everything. (It's 1 PM now...)

The event ended up wildly different because of how extra custom pets are implemented. You would think that they would be added in the same way as you get your cat/dog that you select during character creation. No. You have to buy a license. Only Marnie is authorized to sell them.

Here's the original script for Joltik's adoption event:

[Joltik Adoption Event]

Emmet: @! Joltik likes you verrrrry much. They want to stay with you. I'm letting you adopt them. Yup. I filled out all the paperwork. The Joltiks are legally documented now. 

I never gave ours a name... Galvantula wouldn't let me. She is verrrry picky about it. But that's okay. Joltik is yours. You should name them. She came along for approval. So. What name should I put on the adoption form?

[Name input box like Marnie's adoption thing...]

[Galvantula pauses for a moment to think and then offhandedly agrees.]

Emmet: Galvantula didn't shock me for that. That name is okay. Yup. I will file that with the Ferngill Republic. Don't worry about it. Make sure you take verrrry good care of our little Joltik!

[Joltik jumps and heart emotes]

◇──◆──◇──◆

The whole naming portion was a source of much more frustration than it should have been. In events, the name input box is brought up by the "catQuestion" command (which applies to dogs chosen at the start, too...

If you refuse, then Marnie also shows up no matter what you do. Farmhouse positions are also tricky and made even harder to find reference for after 1.6 added the farmhouse being moveable. Joltik kept spawning where Emmet was supposed to be so I had to use a move command just to get them to spawn one tile to the side. Galvantula was fine. I didn't get to updating her vanilla portraits yet so she's staying quiet.

The catQuestion command also only adds the pet you pick during character creation. There's no fields to target the usage. You have to buy a license. It's the only way to get another pet. I didn't want Joltik to replace a cat either since in-story you would have to earn the trust of both Emmet and Galvantula... There's no way you can do that by the first 25 days of spring. It's immersion breaking and you lose a cat.

I did find the license aspect funny though. It was oddly fitting for the mod's lore of Pokemon being pretty much banned from the region. Emmet is a threat to Stardew Valley's ecosystem. Not the best guy for the task of combating anti-Pokemon xenophobia.

Pet sizes are apparently hardcoded so I had to make a new spritesheet for Joltik as if they even need a 32 x 32 pixel area per frame. I did end up making new sprites for them while I was at it. I tried to base it off of the cat's behaviors so I have less animation fields to edit (I was tired). The cat loafs a lot. Trying to convey that in a tiny spider posed quite the challenge.

After everything was done, I figured that the whole adoption portion of the mod could easilly be taken apart to be its own mod as a demo of sorts for the expansion. So I went and made a content pack to post.

Bringing up your starter pet's friendship level takes quite some time, so it would be awkward if I let the event play with no preconditions. Because of that, I ended up including Joltik as an NPC and locking their adoption behind their heart level.

We actually only had two lines per day of the week (not including season) for daily dialogue. That shot up to six lines per day of the week for a full 0-2-4-6-8-10 in spring because I was determined to publish a mod. (I've been modding for nearly a year nonstop and I don't have anything playable... humiliating...)

Anyways! I hope you're all having fun with 1.6! It certainly brought new challenges and opportunities to the modding scene!

▷ Station Steward Thylak

[kateis-cakeis]

You know, something something Arthur desperately wanted to see the good in magic at any opportunity he was given.

When Gwen was first accused, when he first met Morgause, when he wanted to save Uther using magic, when he saved the woman from being burnt in that small village, when he was given a choice by the Disir, when he was determined to save Gwen from Morgana's dark magic...

(Honourable mentions include when he saved Mordred and argued with Uther about the Druids being peaceful (they are magic adjacent after all) - and well, given the second honourable mention being his remorse for the raid on the Druid camp when he was young, it's understandable that it comes from some sort of trauma. And of course, the result of that remorse was the promise that he would do everything to prevent it ever happening again, and that he would treat the Druids with respect. Hell, even with Kara he was respectful, even though she committed actual literal treason in the form of an attempted assassination of Camelot's king)

Of course, at every opportunity, Arthur's view that there is good in magic, that not all sorcerers are evil, that perhaps his father was wrong, or that his father had lied, ends up being proven wrong, at least in his eyes.

Time and time again Arthur is shown to consider magic as a more neutral force, like almost as if he's desperate for it to be true. It isn't even necessarily his fault that the opinions about magic and sorcerers that Uther taught him becomes reinforced once again.

The fact that he can even think critically about magic at all is a miracle alone. Like this man who has only ever known sorcerers to use magic for evil purposes, to destroy Camelot, attempt to assassinate him, attempt to assassinate his father, to harm those he cares about - and yet he still he still falls back on, what if magic can be good, what if we're wrong, what if, what if, what if--

And it's only when magic itself reveals himself to Arthur that he can finally see that yes, magic can be good.

Because if Merlin is good, if Merlin is the same person even with magic, then magic is neutral, and sorcerers aren't inherently evil.

Arthur was always going to accept magic, that's the thing, that's hardcoded into his character, he just needed the right push, and that push was always going to be Merlin.

Because as Arthur dies in Merlin's arms, blanketed by magic itself, he accepts that even with all of Merlin's magic, his life cannot be saved, magic cannot save him.

But he accepts it, and accepts Merlin, and he dies having brought about all that Merlin ever dreamt of, truly dreamt of, that Arthur would see him for him, and accept him and his magic. And more than that, what Arthur truly ends up doing is embracing it.

Arthur for whatever reason, perhaps because he was born of magic, perhaps because his soulmate is magic itself, perhaps because he has a heart of gold, wanted to see the good in magic at any given opportunity that presented itself, even though with all that Uther taught him, he never should have seen it that way.

It's just, it's so fascinating, and it's so heartbreaking that when he finally knew, he died. But he'll return, and I'm sure then he can build something better with Merlin, really bring magic back to a time that needs it :)

[ultrakontakt]

My garten of banban nextgens/fanchildren. Info/Bios below the cut LOLOLOL. Will update everyone on new members of my cast whenever i come up with them! Don't have a name for this verse yet.

(First image)

Name: Blessed Beatrice

Age: 18

Gender: Cis Female

Orientation: Unlabeled

Classification: Monster/Case 24-The Slug

Role: Guidance Counselor

Parents: Banban and Stinger Flynn(Though she was only really made w banban's givanium sample)

Beatrice is a monster with a lot on her plate. Being the daughter of parents who genuinely dislike eachother, she has a very unlucky streak when it comes to familial relationships. That doesn't mean she'll let it get to her though. She uses her experience to her advantage, helping kids with whatever problems they have. She knows how it feels, and wants to help you. Though with the experience comes a dislike of yelling, and a bit of a short temper, but she never shows any of this to the kids.

(Second Image)

(Both of their parents are Sheriff Toadster and Bittergiggle)

Name: Minkie

Age: 20

Gender: Cis female

Orientation: Femme Lesbian

Classification: Mutant

Role: Big sister to kids without siblings/Party planner

Minkie is a very considerate and caring individual. She always puts others first, and has a genuine kindness in her heart. Her aesthetic is loud and unapologetic, always baring her soul to those around her. Kids like playing with her since she can always stoop to their level on things, and likes helping Beatrice w/ getting them on the path to success. She does artwork on the side, taking an expressionist nature.

Name: Patches

Age: 3

Gender: Genderless (Some monsters/mutants can come hardcoded w/o a gender, this is completely normal to everyone there)

Classification: Mutant

Role: Naptime specialist (Not joking)

Patches is a lot like Cap. Fiddles(IE, little baby kids can hang out with). They don't speak and choose to show actions via a little tablet that speaks words/with motions such as handsigns. Their favorite thing is sleeping.

(Third Image)

(Brushista/Banbaleena)

Name: Frank

Age: 18

Gender: GNC Trans man (He/she)

Orientation: Gay

Classification: Mutant

Role: Security Enforcer

Frank is snooty and a bit of an annoyance. He is super dedicated to his job, and won't let anything get in his way in executing it properly. Minkie and Beatrice try to get him to loosen up a lot, but he turns up his snout at that. You'll see his tail wagging, even if she's pretending to not have fun.

Name: Marilyn

Age: 18

Gender: GNC cis woman (She/he/they)

Orientation: Butch Lesbian

Classification: Mutant

Role: Security Enforcer

Unlike her brother, Marilyn isn't as serious despite her tough demeanor. She's fun loving and is willing to play along with kids, whilst also making sure everyone's safe.

[wttcsms]

💖 second couple syndrome! one shot event;

˗ˏˋ second couple syndrome ´ˎ˗ when you find yourself rooting for/being more invested in the secondary couple as opposed to the main pairing

˗ˏˋ about this event ´ˎ˗ just like how secondary couples don't get much screen time to develop their story, this event is accepting requests only for characters that are underloved, underappreciated, and/or undervalued. whether it's because they're forgotten by the fandom in general, the fandom itself is underrated, or their canon screen time totals up to six minutes and five lines of dialogue, it doesn't matter. this event is their shot at being the main character and getting the happy ending for once!

˗ˏˋ more about this event ´ˎ˗ going with the secondary couple theme & playing on the fact that this is for the more "forgotten" characters, the prompt requests are going to be based on pairings that would most likely be the usual secondary couple's trope!

˗ˏˋ rules ´ˎ˗ -> this is for underrated characters only. while there's no hard min/max, if i look up your requested little guy and he has more than 4 pages worth of fics on ao3 or his tumblr x reader tag is very much still active, i don't want to see that request!! for ex: don't ask for oikawa or gojo. be so for real with me rn -> please specify whether you want nsfw or sfw. -> the prompts to pick from aren't hardcoded, meaning it doesn't have to be that specific au!! if you want, i can tailor it to canon, or if you kinda get the gist of what i was getting at, you can follow that pattern & create your own 'second couple pairing trope' <;3 -> fandoms i write for: haikyuu, bnha, blue lock, cod, jujutsu kaisen, aot, genshin impact, honkai star rail

˗ˏˋ prompts to pick from ´ˎ˗ -> instead of the ceo x secretary, it's the ceo's right hand man x the secretary's bestie -> instead of the troubled pop star x heart of gold bf, it's the pop star's stressed out manager x pop star's equally stressed out publicist -> instead of the high ranking employee x lower ranked employee, it's the two interns who are both competing for the one full-time offer -> instead of the good girl x mysterious bad boy, it's the good girl's boy best friend (who's been hopelessly in love with her for a while) x the new girl in town who's her complete opposite -> instead of the college tutor x the athlete, it's the athlete's coach x the athlete's professor whose class they're failing -> instead of the dilf x babysitter, it's the newly divorced woman x her new hot neighbor that's always willing to lend a hand -> instead of the down on her luck stripper x rich ceo (who just happens to be at a strip club??), it's the sarcastic nightclub bouncer x babyfaced reader whose real ID he just broke -> instead of the barista x her future sugar daddy, it's the owner of the cafe x the owner of the cafe's biggest competitor -> instead of the lawyer x down on their luck client, it's the police officer x the district attorney -> instead of the mortal x the god, it's the two immortal gods who've had a bone to pick with each other for eons -> instead of the journalist x the celeb, it's the up and coming podcaster/social media star x their number one hater -> instead of the normal girl x the ceo getting into a marriage of convenience, it's the ceo's shopaholic sister x the normal girl's brother who happens to be the deliveryman -> instead of the hot, rich older man x the poor naive girl, it's the hot, rich older man x the spoiled heiress who's not so easy to impress or get -> instead of the maneater x womanizer, it's the happy go lucky lover girl x cute lovable idiot with zero game & has never had a girlfriend ever -> instead of the soldier x the civilian, it's the mercenary-for-hire x spy on the run -> instead of the knight x the princess, it's the king's royal advisor x the princess's lady-in-waiting

˗ˏˋ requests ´ˎ˗

[goobergame]

a whole new world

This isn't a particularly visual post but binary file saving and world gen systems have been revamped (BIOMES) !!

biomes are shown in the first photo, the big yellow blob is actually Yellow World™ (patent pending, working title)

my favorite part of this new biome system is being able to define them dynamically in a JSON file :D meaning i can tweak to my heart's content without having to dig through tons of hardcoded C# files

[seventhdoctor]

I didn't follow your liveblog for Zexal, sooooo I wanna hear ur thoughts about Yuma.

Why I like them/why I don’t

Backflips McGee!!! The kid who could easily win multiple golds at the Olympics if he weren't busy playing card games.

The Olympic high jump record is about eight feet. Please.

Yuma's such a squishable little guy. I don't want to spoil stuff you haven't already been spoiled for but there's segments where he is just. Oh buddy everyone's bullying you for this but that's an ADHD mood and I feel it. Maybe I'd be less neurotic about going out if I applied kattobingu to my life, or maybe I'd just forget my keys more often.

And IDK he's a funny little guy who gets broken by the narrative as per Yugioh tradition but he never stops looking for a solution. Even at the end, it's his belief that someone can be his friend, that everyone can make it out that wins people over and eventually saves the day.

That sounds generic (partially because I'm, again, trying to avoid spoilers you don't already know) but Zexal is actually pretty hardcoded about its zero-sum games most of the time so it still works.

What I like about their appearance

His flame bell bottom pants. IDK it's a funny detail and it sticks out to me among all the elements of his outfit.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

No difference here.

OTP

Yuma/Astral, platonic. Love it when a guy has another invisible guy in his pocket and they changed each other's lives.

I've said multiple times for previous answers I love partners!!! Of all kinds!!! So Yuma and Astral had me from early on. Very consistently the best way to manipulate one is to threaten (or even imply threats to) the safety of the other and I die every time.

NOTP

None.

OT3

I don't know Zexal ships enough for this. Is Shark/Yuma/Vector a thing? I think that would be funny.

Favourite card they use

Temtemtempo the Drum Djinn! :D Yuma has a lot of fun little guys but I really like the music djinns. They're little guys who occasionally become really big guys...

Favourite moment they were in

Hmmm. There's a lot of these. I'm gonna give it to his ceremonial duel with Astral at the end: there's so much "I knew you were going to do that" and "I know you know I know" going on between him and Astral from all their time together, and there's just so much fondness between them, and it kills me.

And then Yuma does a quintuple backflip to draw a card because this boy is an Olympic gymnast and honestly wasted on dueling.

Least favourite moment

Begging for a heart piece at the start of the WDC. Secondhand embarrassment too high.

[siremasterlawrence]

Bossing The Boss & His Team

“What The Devil? Who are you? Get out!” I can hear him yelling as his voice bellows loudly and rapidly ricocheting down the hall way. I sigh walking off the elevator shaft to the main floor in excitement I pound the wall as I pump up and stroll in to the main office of the room as he throws something at my head. I avoid it slamming the door a bit in some confidence he realizes he is next to me and he ignores me completely pretend there is no issue. “What do you want with me my dear Lawrence? I am sorry I threw that at your head but I had some god awful news.” He said calming down as he looks in to the mirror cleaning himself up a bit as his hands wiping back his hear and he drops to the chair. “Well boss! Please roll down you projection scroll so I play this video for you.Great! I am about to flip the switch as it goes on.” I state flipping the switch as the lights go on blasting on to the scrawl show casing a new design of the house title with a weird illusions spiral. I manage slip in to the side of walls then right behind of him placing my hands on his shoulder lightly and lower my lips to his ears and my feet drops the hit the floor. I begin to whisper in his ears guiding him in to a deep trance as I rub so lightly pushing his shoulders down to droop and make him fall in to a deep sleep.

“Hello Boss!”

“You will get up and drive to your private home on the coast.”

“Find Tom and enslave him”

“I need to you show him this “

“What is this?”

“It’s a small file”

“Yes Sir”

“Do not lose it “

“Kneel at my feet”

“What can I do?”

“Pledged yourself “

“With all my heart”

“Go now!”

“Yes Master”

“On my way “

“Soon Tom”

“You will see the light”

“You will join me”

The car pools up parking his car right in the front of the house, removes the keys as he hops out of his car and right up the stairs as Tom opens the door and lets him in utter excitement. Tom pats his hand on his back guiding him in as he takes the flags drive file in his hand and runs to get his laptop while my slave gets to work. The laptop hits the table loading it on as the file starts bright flashing with a massive black and white spiral instantly consuming him as he is yanked in.Tom is lost back falling on to the chair as his eyes are now dull, blank and white with lots of spittle hitting his lower mouth as it drips to his clothes and he fell deeply in to my web. Someone on the other side of the glass screen shows off by typing in a very hardcode and he watches a spiral appear breaking in to his mind. The mind is code broken shaking him to the core as his body let go and all that matters is pleasing the man.He loves it a wicked smile covers his face so deeply as his lips crack open to the side as he goes down and his boss Daniel spun her to the side. “Master Lawrence! He awaits us both to serve him for the rest of his life due to his will and we belong to him. Do you truly understand?” Daniel ask as all Tom came muster is “Yes Sir” he slowly stirs asks a so excited to do a she commanded and they both leave for drive off.

“Master Lawrence! “

“I have him”

“Excellent!”

“Let me speak to him”

“Hey babe”

“Babe!”

“Sorry Master”

“You get me hard”

“Horny”

“So happy “

“Fuck”

“When will I meet you ?”

“When you arrived ?”

“Master…Master”

“Gone!”

“Hurry up”

“Yes Master”

“Oh fuck! Daniel let’s meet him”

“Jamie is my best agent “

“Time to bring him in”

“Code x”

“Yyyyeeessss”

“Code x”

“Will call him now”

“All prepped “

“Tom?”

“I’m on it”

“He’s outside”

“Making us wait”

“What a prick?”

“Inject him with this”

“What is it ?”

“Slave toxin”

“What the”

“Zip it!”

“Yes sir”

“This is so cool Master”

“Commence “

“It’s all you Tom”

“Hey Jamie”

“Hey man!”

“Keep us waiting I see”

“Nah! I was actually”

“Ow! Uuuugggghhhh”

“Project X you are now activated”

Guys over here! Look at me”

“Oh hey!”

“It’s me Charlie”

“We known”

“What a welcome “

“Come inside “

“Thanks! I guess”

“Shut up!”

“Spray him”

“What?”

“Uuuuggghhhhh”

“Mwahahahahaha “

“Master! Here you go”

“Charlie! Charlie man”

“Wakey Wakey “

“Uuuggghhh! Where am I?”

“Your new home and life”

“Let me introduce myself! I am your Master”

“Yes Master”

“Rise up!”

“Kiss me”

“I would be honored”

“Get off of him”

“Lay off Tom”

“He is right buddy he is mine”

“What are you doing Daniel?”

“Protecting my boss”

The end

[cybersecuritylegend1000]

Lifesaving Tech with Hidden Risks: Medical IoT Devices

Hey, so… what even are Medical IoT Devices?

Okay, let’s start with the basics. Medical IoT (Internet of Things) devices are basically smart gadgets that help doctors and patients manage health in real-time. Think of them as the Fitbits of the medical world, but way more advanced and sometimes implanted inside your body.

Here’s a quick rundown of the most common types:

Wearables: Smartwatches, glucose monitors, patches that track your vitals.

Implantables: Pacemakers, insulin pumps, neurostimulators that keep your heart ticking, your blood sugar in check, your brain functioning properly respectively.

Hospital Gear: Things like infusion pumps, ventilators, or MRI machines that are connected to the hospital’s network.

These devices are amazing because they can send data straight to your doctor, so they can monitor you without you having to camp out in a hospital bed. But (and there’s always a but), this connectivity comes with a price: security risks.

Wait, How Can a Pacemaker Get Hacked?

Okay, so let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how these devices can be exploited. It’s not just about “hackers being hackers”, there are specific technical flaws that make these devices vulnerable.

1. Encryption (or Lack Thereof)

Encryption is like a secret code that scrambles data so only authorized parties can read it. For medical IoT devices, encryption is crucial because they’re transmitting sensitive health data. But here’s the problem: not all devices use strong encryption.

What’s Happening: Some devices send data in plaintext (unencrypted) or use weak encryption algorithms that can be cracked by hackers.

Example: If an insulin pump sends unencrypted data to a doctor’s computer, a hacker could intercept it and alter the dosage instructions, potentially causing harm to the patient.

2. Authentication Protocols

Authentication is how a device verifies that someone (or something) is who they claim to be. Think of it like a password or a fingerprint scan. But many medical IoT devices use weak or default authentication methods.

What’s Happening: Devices might use hardcoded passwords (e.g., “admin” or “1234”) or lack multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Example: A hacker could use a default password to gain access to a hospital’s network of infusion pumps and change their settings, leading to incorrect medication doses.

3. Specific Attack Vectors

Let’s break down how a hacker might exploit a vulnerability in a real-world device, like an insulin pump:

Step 1: Reconnaissance

The hacker scans for vulnerable devices connected to the internet. Many medical IoT devices are discoverable through tools like Shodan, a search engine for connected devices.

Step 2: Exploiting Weak Authentication

The hacker tries default credentials or brute-forces the password to gain access to the insulin pump’s control interface.

Step 3: Intercepting or Altering Data

Once inside, the hacker can intercept data (e.g., blood sugar levels) or send malicious commands (e.g., delivering an incorrect insulin dose).

Step 4: Covering Their Tracks

The hacker might delete logs or use encryption to hide their activity, making it hard for healthcare providers to detect the attack.

This isn’t just theoretical. Researchers have demonstrated these attacks in controlled environments to highlight the risks.

Real-Life Examples That’ll Make You Side-Eye Your Smartwatch

Let’s talk about some real-world incidents that’ll make you go, “Oh no, this is actually happening”:

The St. Jude Medical Hack (2017): Researchers found that certain implantable cardiac devices had vulnerabilities that could let hackers mess with the device’s functionality. Imagine your pacemaker getting hacked and delivering random shocks to your heart. Terrifying, right?

The Hacked Pacemakers (2018): In a chilling demonstration, the FDA confirmed that nearly half a million pacemakers were vulnerable to hacking. Hackers could potentially alter the device’s settings, drain its battery, or even deliver fatal electric shocks. Abbott (the manufacturer) had to issue a firmware update to patch the vulnerability, but not all devices could be updated remotely, leaving some patients at risk.

Ransomware in Hospitals (2020): A ransomware attack on a German hospital disrupted its systems, and a patient who needed urgent care died because the hospital couldn’t operate properly. This wasn’t a direct attack on a medical device, but it shows how vulnerable healthcare systems are.

These aren’t just hypothetical scenarios. They’re happening, and they’re putting lives at risk.

Who’s Behind These Attacks?

Not all hackers are created equal. Here’s who might be targeting medical IoT devices:

Cybercriminals: They’re in it for the money. They might steal patient data to sell on the dark web or lock down hospital systems with ransomware.

Nation-States: Some governments use cyberattacks as a form of espionage or warfare. Targeting medical devices could be a way to destabilize a country or gather intel.

Hacktivists: These are hackers with a cause. They might attack a hospital to make a political statement or expose security flaws.

So… What Can We Do About It?

The good news is that there are ways to protect medical IoT devices. It’s not a lost cause...yet. Here’s what needs to happen:

1. For Manufacturers:

Stop Using Default Passwords: Imagine leaving your front door unlocked with a sign that says, “Welcome, hackers!” That’s what default passwords like “admin” or “1234” do. Manufacturers need to make sure every device has a unique, strong password right out of the box.

Lock Down Data with Strong Encryption: Encryption is like putting your data in a safe. Manufacturers should use the strongest locks available (like AES-256 encryption) to keep patient information safe from prying eyes.

Test for Weak Spots Before Selling Devices: Before releasing a device, manufacturers should hire ethical hackers to try and break into it. This is called penetration testing, and it helps find and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

Follow the Rules (FDA Guidelines): The FDA has a set of rules for making sure medical devices are secure. Manufacturers need to follow these guidelines to keep patients safe.

2. For Hospitals and Doctors:

Keep Medical Devices on a Separate Network: Think of it like having a VIP section at a concert. Hospitals should keep medical devices on their own secure network, away from the rest of the hospital’s systems. This makes it harder for hackers to sneak in.

Watch for Suspicious Activity: Hospitals should use tools that act like security cameras for their networks. These tools, called intrusion detection systems (IDS), can spot hackers trying to break in and alert the staff.

Train Staff to Spot Cyber Threats: Doctors and nurses are experts at keeping patients healthy, but they might not know much about cybersecurity. Hospitals should train their staff to recognize and respond to cyber threats, like phishing emails or suspicious device behavior.

3. For Patients:

Keep Your Device’s Software Up to Date: Just like you update your phone to get the latest features and security fixes, you should update your medical devices. These updates often include patches for known vulnerabilities.

Avoid Public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi is like shouting your secrets in a crowded room, anyone can listen in. If your medical device connects to the internet, make sure it’s using a secure, private network.

Use a VPN for Extra Security: A VPN is like a secret tunnel for your internet traffic. It keeps your data safe from hackers, especially if you’re accessing medical information remotely.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters for Everyone

Okay, so this isn’t just a tech issue. It’s a public health issue. Vulnerable populations, like the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, or those who rely on medical devices to stay alive, are often the most at risk. And let’s be real: it’s not fair that some people are more at risk than others just because of their income or where they live.

Here’s the thing: wealthier patients might have access to the latest, most secure devices or private healthcare, while lower-income patients could be stuck with outdated or less secure options. Imagine needing a pacemaker but only being able to afford one that hasn’t been updated in years and is vulnerable to hacking. That’s not just unfair; it’s dangerous. And it’s something we need to fix as a society.

But it’s not just about money. There’s a bigger ethical responsibility here. Manufacturers need to prioritize patient safety over profits. That means investing in strong encryption, regular updates, and rigorous testing before releasing devices. And governments? They need to step up and enforce stricter cybersecurity standards to hold manufacturers accountable.

And let’s talk about the legal side for a sec. Laws like the FDA’s cybersecurity guidelines and the EU’s Medical Device Regulation are supposed to keep us safe, but they often lag behind the fast pace of tech advancements. Plus, there’s the whole question of liability: if a hacked device harms someone, who’s responsible? The manufacturer? The hospital? The patient? It’s a legal gray area that needs clarity.

Oh, and it’s not just a problem in wealthy countries. In developing nations, where healthcare systems are already stretched thin, a cyberattack on medical devices could be catastrophic. Access to secure healthcare is a basic human right, and we’re failing to protect that right when we ignore these vulnerabilities.

So yeah, this isn’t just about fancy gadgets or tech jargon. It’s about people’s lives. It’s about making sure that everyone, no matter their income or where they live, has access to safe, secure healthcare. And that’s something we all need to care about.

Final Thoughts

Medical IoT devices are a game-changer for healthcare, but their security flaws are a ticking time bomb. We can’t afford to ignore this issue, not when lives are on the line. Whether you’re a patient, a doctor, or just someone who cares about tech and ethics, it’s time to start paying attention.

So, the next time you hear about a smart pacemaker or a glucose-monitoring app, remember: with great tech comes great responsibility.

Further Reading

If you’re as obsessed with this topic as I am, here are some links to dive deeper:

MuddyWater’s Exploitation of Medical Devices (CISA Alert)

FDA Cybersecurity Guidelines for Medical Devices

Shodan: The Search Engine for Connected Devices

European Union Medical Device Regulation (MDR)

TL;DR

Medical IoT devices are amazing but have serious security flaws. Hackers can exploit these flaws to harm patients, and we need better safeguards to prevent this. Everyone (manufacturers, hospitals, and patients) has a role to play in making these devices safer.

[comfethan]

theyre finally wearing something different

[subwaytostardew]

Would you ask Emmet and Ingo out the same way as the other residents of the Valley or would we have to ask them out/ask to marry a different way? Since they don't come from the Valley themselves.

With how Stardew Valley is coded I believe it follows the same formula as any other resident. (Would have to double check with my Co-Conductor on this. But I believe it is lock behind hardcode - aka - can’t use or change anything within the Framework of the game itself - with how you approach the residents in terms of asking out and marriage)

Tho Ingo story wise has dedicated his time in-between the railroad and running daily errands to learn about the culture of Stardew Valley. Or in this case the culture of the Ferngill Republic.

He just dragged a begrudge Emmet along to also learn about the valley.

They are of course being open minded about the customs and culture.

Ingo a bit more than Emmet but thats because Emmet has trust issues with the residents due to first introductions behind the scenes/off screen - not going as planned or well. But that doesn’t mean he is outright ignoring or disrespecting there views. He just doesn’t agree with some. Like their behavior towards Pokémon. Or how the Flower Dance is preformed.

But things like giving flowers and mermaid pendants. They really do try and understand and you will most definitely see this play out in Emmet’s upcoming heart event.

Though that is still being drafted and refined and the assets are currently in the process of being made.

- ◁ Station Stewardess Kade

[sburbian-sage]

A

Ah, no., i

it's just my quirk., t

though you were it seems I can say you were close nonetheless., a

although I cannot explicitly confirm if it was a boss that did it, or if there is in fact a censoring effect on me, but if there were, how might one fight such a being?, w

when one cannot ask others about such a being's weaknesses., d

due to the aforementioned hypothetical censoring effect?, e

especially if such a boss or other being were perhaps too strong to defeat by ordinary means?, o

or isn't a boss at all, and instead is something it would be very very bad to kill?, n

not that I'm saying that it is or isn't., b

because it seems I can't.

I can't believe my ability to sleuth problems and decrypt ciphers is so strong that I arrived at a mostly-correct answer, even using the wrong process.

Anyway, you're telling me that you're being forced to self-censor and be evasive because an entity is forcing you to, and the entity in question is 1) not a boss, 2) too strong to defeat head-on, 3) probably shouldn't be killed. I can only think of a couple of entities which fall under this banner.

A Player. Perhaps one of the Law, Heart, or Rage variety, who has given a sentence/programming/command to not do the thing you shouldn't be doing. They could also be monitoring/brainwashing you with psionic powers, or else just have a bomb collar strapped to you.

Your Sprite. They're usually hardcoded to be friendly to you and guide you and stuff, but it's not impossible that you somehow prototyped a Sprite which is taking a hostile stance against you.

An Other. Technically not a boss, immensely strong, and it's not that killing them is bad, only that fighting them is innately dangerous.

The Debug NPC.

If it's the Player, then it might be worth it to send messages to your coplayers implying and insinuating that some weird abusive stuff is going on. If you think there's monitoring going on, or otherwise feel like online comms can't work, maybe try to meet up in person. As for "fighting", direct fights are indeed risky (putting aside Titles and such), and PKs are probably not desirable, unless you feel this is a prelude to a PK. In any case doing something like (hypothetically) waiting until they're asleep and active on the Dream Moon, finding their physical body, throwing a weighted net on top of them, splashing ice cold water on them, and then hitting them with a bat or other hard-but-not-deadly object while screaming at them to stop putting a censor lock on you, I dunno it could work. It'd be best to get back-up first though, or otherwise let your more communicative players help.

If it's the Sprite, I have no idea what you prototyped it with that it's hostile and has mind-control powers. If it has to come to it, I wouldn't be too worried about destroying the thing. The Sprites don't really contribute much anyway to people who already know how to play the game, outside of sentimental value (which a rogue sprite is definitionally not doing). Just toss in something contrary to its nature, and it might self-delete (only a euphemism in that it doesn't just zip out of existence, it explodes). Or maybe just throw something in that makes it less hostile? If that's not an option though, because it's double-prototyped, then just progress through the game. Every Sprite will eventually give you your Sprite Pendant, and soon after fuck off permanently. This is a mostly inevitable event, and once it leaves, any negative effects might also auto-dispel.

If it's an Other, I can only assume this was your fault because you made a deal with it. Hopefully you can try to find a loophole in whatever contract you made to get your ability to talk back, or else you'll have to make a second deal. And don't think this will wear off once the Session ends, any deal you make with an Other is persistent. Similarly persistent is your ability to communicate with that specific Other in the future.

If it's the Debug NPC, I can't help you. The fact that the Debug NPC is doing anything of consequence means things are going horribly off-rails, such that I literally wouldn't be able to provide you any relevant information or advice. So you'll just have to rely on your own problem-solving skills. Good luck!

[yameoto]

yam!!! i’ve watched challengers, the boys, and started glee just because of you 😭💗

would you ever consider making a version of the packmates artashipat bot where user is an omega? if not, i totally get it, i don’t wanna mess with the dynamic

makin my heart warm <3 i sincerely hope ur enjoying your time. also baby user isn’t hardcoded to be anything in the packmates bot u can be an omega if you want. live your dream

[dangermousie]

In the land of the lunatics, aka Say You Love Me eps 7-10

Confession, I am watching this on mad ff because there is only so much insanity I can take in one sitting.

Anyway, FL super nicely is all "here eat a meal before you move out blah blah." You know, this drama really does get into how being nice is such a drawback because if either of them were less nice, bad girl and her friend could never take advantage. But, as FL says later, if he were the type of man to tell the woman he knocked up to get an abortion, he wouldn't be the type of man she could love so. This drama is so consistent about how characters would behave and how any trait has good and bad (he is kind and gentle and innocent but that is what makes him so easily taken in by SFL and not be able to stand up for either himself or his love and hurt FL.)

Bwahaha this is his whole vibe!

I really loved the intercut of her soothing his nightmares as a child and him curling up into a ball in his new bed, weeping.

ML: almost jumps off the roof in misery.

SFL who witnesses it: I just KNOW we can be happy!!!

Bwahahhaha

Why am I not surprised she made someone else's suicide attempt all about her?

Anyway, she then lies she lost the baby shortly after this but he won't leave her because he owes her for the angst of it and also because he's so tainted he can never be with FL now. OK. And FL decides to heal herself by marrying SML. I mean, getting over a bad breakup by hooking up with a hot bit of strange is one thing, marrying said bit of strange (and not banging him) is another.

Aaaand after her marriage he finds out the pregnancy and miscarriage thing was a lie.

It's so interesting because this drama is not great but characterwise it is so consistent even if that consistency makes you want to strangle them - he genuinely does not know how to process anger or even feel it. And normally being mild tempered is a virtue but here it is crippling him.

Ah, we are back to that. I swear to god they are hardcoding him as a sub, sorry not sorry. Young man, just find your adoptive father, I am sure he will happily wallop the beep out of you. But joking aside, it's so interesting that his first solution to processing anger is not fighting but getting beaten. Like - DUDE.

Love how quiet he is with her and that THIS is his objection to her wrecking his life:

Her response to his telling her that because of her lie, because he believed there was a child who needed to be protected, he broke the hearts of everyone who loved him, who he owed, who brought him up is:

WHAT THE FUCKING HELLLLLLLLL

[fipindustries]

hey, remember a couple of months ago when i went around giving arguments for dualism? lets give that another go!

so, let's take it as a given that the human body is just a biological machine, it is deterministic, ultimatly its behavior is out of our control because we ourselves, our own desitions, our preferences, our thoughts, are going to be dictated by the state of the chemicals inside our brain.

now the thing is, we do know how this feels, this is not that hard to imagine at all. my heart beats because my brain is making it beat, i dont put any concious effort into it, i dont choose at every moment to make it beat because i really like how it fees when it does. i cant move the muscles in my heart the same way i can move my finger. same with breathing, i can try to hold my breath for a long time but eventually my brain will override my efforts and make me take a gulp of air. same with my eyes, i cant choose to keep my eyes open if something crashes against my eye suddenly. same with coughing, if something goes down the wrong pipe my body will make me cough wether i want it or not. same with goosebumps, same with sweating, with producing white cells, with moving my intestines to help the waste flow, with sweating and with a bunch of other things.

and the thing about all these processes is that they feel like they would expect from a biological machine, they feel like nothing, it doesnt feel like we "want" to do them and so we do them, they just happen, without us even being aware of it, with no thought, no feeling, no conciousness of it.

so

why is not every process in our body like that? why is it that when it comes to other things like eating or walking or fucking there is an internal process, an awareness, a feeling? all of those things are just bodily functions like the heart beat or the bowel movement or the shiver due to the cold. all of those things are also ultimatly produced by the mechanical processes of the chemicals in our brains, so why those feel different, why do those involve internal feelings at all? we dont do them automatically or on autopilot as it were. we have to internally feel like we "want" to do them and then internally "choose" to do them and then "will" our body to do it. why?

what is going on there? how can there be a "want" codified into ourself through chemicals and why does that want which generate bodily actions feels diferent than other bodily actions?

i understand that making the brain a general problem solving machine and then giving that brain goals and letting it figure out the means to reach those goals is much more effective, versatile and powerful than merely making all of our survival actions hardcoded like heartbeats or breathing is. and i understand that the question can be answered as "because that is the solution evolution came up with" still doesnt really explain how did evolution did it.

how did evolution summon the right combination of chemicals such that certain actions taken by those chemicals are completly unconcious and others generate an internal awareness, if its all chemicals in the brain then it should all be unconcious or it should all be deliberate but we have this weird mix instead