Ethical hacking and subverting the internet | Thomas Webb (Tom London) | TEDxBerlinSalon

Thomas Webb (Tom London) is a magician and hacker who is best known for his performances on Season 12 of the popular talent show America’s Got Talent.
He is one of WIRED magazine’s 2017 Next Generation speakers. He was one of the youngest members to be entered into The Magic Circle.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@brodyhamilton7019]

RIP to the guy who tried scanning the code but had no connection @ 2:08

[@younggamer7218]

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[@omazingmomo8456]

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[@hede638]

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[@sheeptheshawn240]

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[@dragoivanlasic3835]

F

[@ferez_]

I love how at the end when he was talking about the "random number" again that turned out to be the date of the show, nobody was understanding what was happening 😂 This guy is too sharp for the crowd

[@techdiyer5290]

We need you to teach at multiple highschools and colleges!! We need you!!

[@drew5834]

this guy was too sharp for the crowd...

[@envoienotif327]

@j Then they shouldn't have participate in tech speech ? :o

[@jordanurbani5881]

I was going to like your comment but saw you have 337 likes. So...Ya. Here’s your “like”

[@user-jh6kx1fw9h]

Was he, or he just went through everything too quickly without making sure people will catch the basic principles and the core of how it got executed. I didn't know what "PubNub" was and I still haven't got a clue (other than it's a protocol, but it's not a protocol and it does something in ways of communication). Watched the whole video.

[@kevcomcreations]

so true!

[@allahm-ast3mnlywlatstbdlny164]

Mashallah tbark Allah alhamudillah inshallah better astgfrallah

[@ismailnurudeen]

As a Software Engineer who is passionate about the endless possibilities of technology, I think what you did was really cool and very creative. Technology is indeed magic.

[@sof4183]

right on

[@tirsofamilganjr9302]

indeed

[@ismailnurudeen]

@Glenn Krenz for you.

[@abdullahomar8796]

Imao

[@Sifd]

Calculator and reverse date trick theories/explanations: A) (Unlikely) He was a plant with the "pokeball gets chosen" and he was good at "faking closed eyes" and making the last calculation quick in his head, to type the number needed in the addition for the exact number to come out in the end B) (More likely) If you look closely he gives the volunteer HIS phone, therefore the app used was most likely NOT the calculator app, but a simple "fake calculator app" which works normally as a calculator until you press + sign, after the + sign is pressed, no matter where you tap the screen, the 6 numbers needed for the correct addiction will pop up, to get your desired number for the show finish (the reverse date reveal) Edit: If you look at the helpers hands at 5:45, he was tapping with his right and left thumb alternately without doing any crazy cross-hand movments and got the number 800821, so the chance that he hit -8 (fair enough) -00 (while alternating hands) -8 (with the other hand this time) -21 (the 2 with the left and the 1 with the right hand while not doing big hand movments cross-screen) -while dodging all symbols on the calculator app. are pretty slim. Just think if a magician would REALLY let someone type random numbers on a TOUCH-SCREEN (no feeling of where anything is) and risk him accidentally pressing any other signs or the C button and blow the trick up? PS: Has the "I will reveal the trick just to show at the end that there was NO WAY I did it like this" routine become a trope at this point?

[@DFYX]

Option B is absolutely what I would do in his situation. Pretty easy to program as the iOS calculator has a really simple design. Cool idea as well.

[@kadeemintheroc]

(Most likely) He had his phone how he had the audience phones. ( PubNub) Since the guy could've hit the home or backspace button. Plus he asked all random numbers.

[@gmchessplay9043]

@@sarracampbell he got the audience to have the same number because he told them what to add to the number he already had.

[@thepierre396]

C/ He did what he litteraly explained in the video, which is none of what you've written

[@Sifd]

@@thepierre396 Well I guess I have to clear some things up What he "explains" in the video does not cover the real reveal at the end, meaning that the number reversed happening to be the current date is the real trick that was never explained. More specicifacaly: 9472 (random numbers that the audience created) plus 800821 ("random" number that he adds at the end) does actually make 810293 (the reverse date number) So the "toxic" calculator thing at 10:30 that is supposed to be the explenation IS AN OBVIOUS LIE. Your feeling of "Aha! That's how he did it" is literaly the misdirection. Also the whole idea that this trick was done with mini-printers etc is an obviously a misdirection too, otherwise he could have just shown the printer in his poket like he was showing those tapes glued to his back for that other audition. In the end, the biggest giveaway that everything he was saying were missdirections, is the fact that he got the current date in reverse, therefore he did some kind of force, ergo it was most likely my B theory.

[@jeffbolt3757]

Great presentation. The audience don’t know what’s going on tho. Shame

[@kcaslooper5943]

This is one of the underrated Ted talks I ever seen in my whole life!

[@TOTALLYsup]

Probably my favorite TED talk.

[@brookrodia]

Way underappreciated. Amazing job man.

[@donchile4452]

Amazing video! I was blown away with all of the tricks and even more so when you explained the logic behind each of them. I look forward to hearing more of your lectures here on TedTaks.

[@sara-annmillar9143]

We need more of the good guys in hacking 🙏❤💫

[@Malabarismo]

Quality

[@paddyisaac8892]

nice

[@faustinopedrofaustin]

Meeeee tu por aqui? Aprendi malabarismo com seu canal!!!

[@Malabarismo]

@@faustinopedrofaustin massa! :D

[@jacknapier1762]

One of, if not the, best Ted talks I've seen. Absolutely brilliant 😄

[@deMinDiaries]

Absolutely epic, amazing talk Tom! 🚀

[@gauravvasnani2031]

call him Talking Tom

[@arpita1shrivas]

2:08 that woman's phone showing the no internet dinosaur was the saddest thing i saw.

[@harshdeeptelang127]

yess sed

[@CuriousGeorge6942O]

@@harshdeeptelang127 Yes sid

[@yyyyyyobaidy]

Man*

[@samthousand]

Lol 😆

[@zain670]

Hahaha Arpita I was skimming through the comments hoping some one had noticed that woman at 02:08 lol

[@user-is9ce5jh6l]

This is a really interesting and KNOWLEABLE video with very sharp mind person

[@ripper_op5442]

I didn't understand a single thing but the guy seems a coool techie

[@Diogovdcandrade]

dude is just wowing me. i cant even keep up. same as the crowd probably. he is NUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTS

[@Tudodesk]

love it!

[@victort02008]

Great talk.

[@stellatheon9276]

If you have a partner you love and everything is not going as planned like you both started sometimes it’s a natural progression but if this person doesn’t want to communicate with you to share what they feel towards you or try to rekindle to love , I don’t advice anyone to abandon anyone they love but investigate where that is coming from sometimes it might be finances but if you don’t see any traces of that then resort to hacking their devices to know what is making your relationship move backwards most of the times there is a third party and the earlier you find out the best for you mental health stability because hacking has saved me from problems and intending others to come

[@stellatheon9276]

You can get the hacking service that will give you access to your spouse calls, messages, social media accounts and more the hacker that is guaranteed to give the best service can be contacted via the email address below

[@stellatheon9276]

Encryptioncole

[@stellatheon9276]

@

[@stellatheon9276]

Gmail

[@stellatheon9276]

.

[@vitech7161]

really creative guy...beautiful i would say, great work and innovation

[@justamanchilling3197]

he killed it 😂 i really liked how smooth how he did it all

[@laterlawyer596]

Such an interesting watch 👌👌

[@safdarawn902]

1:18 best lines

[@petervenables513]

Inspired 😍🤩

[@naghizsg]

This guy is awesome!

[@DaveKupratis]

Fantastic!!!

[@muhammedmishal1237]

His sound is awesome

[@louiseclaydon2099]

awesome, so clever!!

[@mincha9999]

the ending was unbelievable

[@EVlLSE7EN]

+Thomas Webb awsm bro I love you r trickx... And you're genuine and funny love u..

[@sans2019]

Incredible

[@joyson7]

He is really talented

[@arunreddy5895]

Awesome.👌🏽..*Congrats dude & all the very best ...Cheers-....LovE & PeacE ... . .

[@recordbooks8137]

His sound was awesome

[@RAZREXE]

The audience seems so dead tho, this guy deserved a roar form the crowd!

[@andrewolff708]

It was in Berlin - for Germans they were enthusiastic :D

[@verbon47]

every ted talk crowd is boring af ngl

[@bahaboudaira5481]

Very intresting

[@ayush_prakhar]

Now you see me guy on Ted talk 😱

[@JuanHernandez-qo8ck]

Amazing

[@nyeowsz]

16:40 I remember morty's oh jeez

[@radhikachawla7012]

37*8=296*32=9472 now program the calculator in such a way that whatever the user enters (with the eye closed, so he/she don't know what they are typing) it must will equal to 810293- 9472(random calc)=800821, and hence u will always get this no. 810293

[@eyob8969]

But how?? for example 9472 + 300 = 9772 not 810293?

[@AyushKumar-fs8lm]

Wait i don't get it. You mean he programmed the calculator in such a way that on adding number to 9472 it shows 810293??? Nah i don't think that's the case

[@eyob8969]

@@AyushKumar-fs8lm yeah. thats imposible

[@AyushKumar-fs8lm]

@@eyob8969 Mhmm and I still don't understand how he did it

[@arpita1shrivas]

yeah i can understand that

[@theechannel3847]

This guy is great

[@natnaelzenebe9269]

he just fools everyone except his assistant.

[@selenophile410]

Is thst a reference

[@dr.cranium9080]

@@selenophile410 i dont think so

[@adarshchoudhary1900]

Let's say he fools around with his assistant.... Now he fooled everyone

[@directfx6251]

This guy didn't actually 'hack' anything, he changed the colour of a webpage, used AR and did a calculator maths trick.

[@Crazyclay78YT]

im unaware if theres an auto-refresh thing in HTML but that would be the only way he could do it if he wasn't changing the whole screen color edit: he also pre-stored the number in their phones with TOXIC

[@directfx6251]

@@Crazyclay78YT It's JavaScript AJAX, it really isn't hard and isn't worthy of a TED talk.

[@Crazyclay78YT]

@@directfx6251 still pretty damn cool tho

[@thomaswebb3922]

@@directfx6251 It's fooled millions of people though. That's worth a TED talk, that's the point.

[@directfx6251]

@@thomaswebb3922 I don't get it "that's the point". The point of this was to convince people you're hacking, without actually hacking?

[@rsports7713]

He doesn't look like a hacker but he look like a Hip Hop artist

[@ruthuzomastern1300]

nice really enjoyed it.

[@overlystudious]

I love this guys enthusiasm 😄

[@HYITHO]

this is the real talent!

[@nathiekatzoff97]

so cool!

[@harshdeeptelang127]

great person!

[@thatoneweebfriend8061]

he has a deep voice wow

[@GamingAnarchyBros]

mmmmmmm, sarcasm?

[@djskjdksjdksjdsjksj9831]

2:10 that person had no wifi

[@ReEvolving]

He has the same curious gaze and passion of a 10 year old every time he says "isn't that cool?" moral : appearances are deceptive.

[@Zenyx]

The numbers did actually sum/multiply up to 810293 which probably means that all 4 members chosen were in on it.

[@jameswcollett]

But 37 x 8 x 32 + 800821 actually *does* equal 810293. It's not the result of pulling a number from memory. Was the piece of paper printed out by a mini printer while he talked, just before he pulled the paper form his pocket...? What did I miss?

[@ny1152]

The guy his pokeball chose, is planted. No one else that participated was supposed to go on stage, it's just to give the illusion of opting in or out. That guy has to do a few things: look innocent, able to do simple multiplication in his head, then subtract 810293 from that and pretend to randomly key that in. Webb then has to announce that number (while misdirecting that he's nervous about that part) to the audience to complete the sum that's in his pocket.

[@turbulentmk]

@@ny1152 Or fake calculator app that had to calculate the "random number with eyes closed" by dividing the result from the random numbers the public gave.

[@ny1152]

@@turbulentmk Could be. Imo easier to do mental math than writing an app for a one time bluff. I can see why an app will be needed if a barrage of fake numbers is needed for every performance.

[@mallk238]

@@ny1152 you say this but the guy went to the various wonders of the world so he could have pictures that may or may not be used for a trick that may or may not get him the win. I think thats this guys whole jam

[@ny1152]

@@mallk238 I'm not accusing him of cheating, I'm accusing him of performing a magic trick and entertaining people 🤣🤣

[@tistoublomberg]

He gave his phone to the guy coming on stage. His phone could have a special calculator app that instead of calculating the addition, it calculates what specific numbers need to be added to make it 810... That's why the guy coming on stage had to have his eyes closed, and why Thomas was nervous, because Thomas would say the specific numbers instead of anything the other actually typed. He'd know if he uses calculator app a lot.

[@roboticol6280]

he looks like a watch dogs legion character

[@CptSoap]

I thought the exact same thing as soon as I saw him lol

[@diucho2118]

I love this movie.

[@abishekraju4521]

_This was like a real-life mini _*_Now You See Me_*_ episode._

[@katrinawebbheim3772]

I saw a street named Thomas Webb, I think it was in AL... and now here is a version of this name

[@karunsagar5325]

His voice is lit🔥🔥🔥

[@shivanshsingh8331]

Result of Lots of weed probably.

[@whimsythecrypto-hippy-wolf1900]

crowds just like; "u did wot now?"

[@Anon_life]

Yooooo! This was so cool

[@lazykid9167]

damn. i just dont get it

[@Anatol_SG]

That's dope

[@unofficialnalla9269]

Hacker is dangerous, but he's a magician too !! Thats deadly cool!!

[@titan9663]

Cool video... I was thinking breaking and entering not asking for permission hacking lol

[@lukewillett317]

I live in Wyoming USA. Nice sweater.

[@devingupta2661]

its a Kanye West hoodie

[@RogerBarraud]

13:45 Real Hackers don' need no steenkeen' API.

[@pyguy7]

2:07 that poor person didn't have internet on their phone :( (Lonely sad Dinosaur)

[@mumon8503]

2:08 the dinasour

[@TheBotanaCartOfficial]

Eyes should have opened back up at 5:50 💀

[@GovindJeevan5]

Isn't this routine application development using services that are already available? What's it got to do with hacking or subverting the internet?

[@sahilshinde7733]

Bhendi!!! Riteish Deshmukh

[@catedoge3206]

Funny and smart. Nice.

[@ashishkhatiwada5599]

Reversing the number and getting the date was not cool as he picked the number himself. But the amazing thing is how did everyone get the same answer?

[@marxmarx5058]

my brain cant take this

[@TheRelentlessKnight]

only clicked because of kanye sweater

[@thochan5188]

Wow.

[@mikebar42]

Twist is he had 17 people Planted and wasn't looking at the app but tech is magic and we are moving to fast

[@lilulzsecl398]

plot twist: when everyone clicked on that notification on there phone they then go to a website and that site is collecting there bank data account

[@freedomsatya9253]

i wanna see the code

[@Anonymous-qh7uv]

Well the calculator thing doesn't works

[@lsswappedmiata63]

Man he had us at 8008

[@MontyD]

surely the way he did it was PubNub a message saying: open calculator, type 810293, '+0x(C'

[@icegel__]

👏👏👏

[@IMPARTIAL92]

The last bit was a super troll.

[@mtabishhh]

how was 810293 stored in his pocket ??

[@natnaelzenebe9269]

he already prepared it... he opens there calculator via the browser with pre setup 810293 + 0 * ( then he let them type numbers . .. he already knew the number....

[@matthiasm.403]

@@natnaelzenebe9269 I don't get it. It would make sense to me with a number different to 810293, but 810293 is the sum of the very equation!?

[@prakharpandey8081]

Probably the one with pokeball got hacked and when it was the turn to enter random numbers, he ran the code so that the sum is 810293. Notice that he saw the number of digits of previous result. This was probably required to decide which code to run on the hacked device. Also he prevented the volunteer to see the numbers which he was typing, which the volunteer followed religiously 😂

[@jameswcollett]

@@prakharpandey8081 "Also he prevented the volunteer to see the numbers which he was typing, which the volunteer followed religiously" That would do it.

[@foodbutter225]

🙌🙌🙌

[@MrSNORCH]

Worldwide Webb

[@HEHEHEHEHEHE10]

He is too smart to be there

[@jackhuber1057]

We’re screwed if this guy ever gets mad

[@yashgarg04]

Is he using an iphone 12 in 2018

[@enderadel678]

This isn't hacking...

[@jessymode]

lol no doubt took me a long scroll to see someone else has a brain sheesh

[@arpita1shrivas]

yeah, sort of a subset actually

[@thisguyeddiex7136]

Man.. I wish I was a nerd. 🤓 This guy is too smart for that audience 🙄

[@user-lw4bm5sd5w]

2:09 So sad that guy didn't have an internet connection.

[@jessymode]

you think a hacker would know apple is the worst phone out there

[@vladpuriy]

Were still debating about phones huh. iPhones do their job well, and get plenty of updates. They are also more secure because of this. Androids are prone to getting outdated software, due to a lack of updates. However if you want to modify a phone without much hassle androids are the way to go, but this also leaves them prone to getting hacked themselves. So depending on your use, you may choose one or the other. It's a preference really. TL;DR iPhones are reliable. Androids are customizable.

[@sinki19841984]

For this purpose it's the best since the software/hardware is mostly all the same. To many variation with android phones on hardware, software versions, UI skins, etc... If he prepares these kind of scripted tricks on an iphone it's easier to find a crowd of people where the trick isn't obscured by software and/or hardware differences.

[@diegooro8780]

I still don't understand the 2nd thing he did, seeing it 2 times. I think he hacked the public, not the apps.