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Edit : Made the final step to the solution easier to solve, also added hint.

I’m not quite sure what’s happening over here, but I believe you guys might be able to help.

I started noticing something suspicious once my phone died. Almost the moment I entered my home, my phone broke out into something I can only describe as a violent spasm, and jumped out of my pocket onto the floor. As I stare in horror at the shattered screen, a strange image flashed and left as quickly as it came.

I was then stumbling around like a zombie, unsuccessfully attempting to revive my mobile device when I tripped over my robotic vacuum "Hal" and fell hard to the floor.

After cursing at Hal until satisfied, I pulled myself up and there it was. The same image I seen on my phone during its last breath, was now on my TV! Wasting no time I was able to copy the image from my TV with a usb stick and post it below.

Also my tablet must have something to do with this as well. It will no longer grant me access. It says “ENTER PASSWORD” and a keyboard pops up. It has got to be related because normally it's not locked.

Not sure if the image filename is of any help as most of it seems to be gibberish but here it is:

ResistorCircuit/RT13/BARZHFGFRRXGURUVQQRACUERNGRARQOLNFCRPGENYTNMR
Edit made due to string being incomplete.

ResistorCircuit/RT13/BARZHFGFRRXGURUVQQRACUENFRGUERNGRARQOLNFCRPGENYTNMR

Here's the image, seems like a circuit of somekind... ResistorCircuit/RT13/BARZHFGFRRXGURUVQQRACUERNGRARQOLNFCRPGENYTNMR

All in all, this is what I’m asking you guys:

  1. Is there any logic to the filename?

  2. What is the new password to my tablet?

Hint 1

The password requires two phrases.

Hint 2

The hint in the filename applies to both halves of the password, although, each half is hidden in a different place.

Hint 3

The resistors lead to one half of the solution, the wiring to the other.

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    $\begingroup$ You must hate the colorblind. :P $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi ♦
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 17:06
  • $\begingroup$ I can't figure out what the circular symbol is. The swirl inside kind of looks like an inductor. $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Commented Mar 30, 2017 at 12:27
  • $\begingroup$ @Engineering Toast the circular component on the purple wire is a light bulb. I wouldn't focus on it too much though... $\endgroup$
    – AstroMax
    Commented Mar 30, 2017 at 16:02
  • $\begingroup$ Is the shape of the diagram relevant? I.E., could I rearrange the components (without changing the circuit path) and have the same puzzle? $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Commented Apr 25, 2018 at 13:25
  • $\begingroup$ @Engineer Toast everything but the resitors and wires can be moved without effecting the solution. If you were to move the wires and resistors, I suppose it could still be solved, though it would become rather difficult. Most components are just there for flavor. $\endgroup$
    – AstroMax
    Commented Apr 25, 2018 at 16:49

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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PART 1

As Mordechai already found, the image filename holds a clue.

ONE MUST SEEK THE HIDDEN PHREATENED BY A SPECTRAL GAZE
Per OP: Edit made due to string being incomplete.
ONE MUST SEEK THE HIDDEN PHRASE THREATENED BY A SPECTRAL GAZE

PART 2

Step 1:

Find all the resistance values. I used a chart from Digikey to make the labeled image below:
Ohm

Step 2:

Convert those to ASCII and re-label the figure accordingly:
Asc

Step 3:

Trace the circuit and record the letter corresponding to each resistor to receive the following message:
FightthePower

PART 3

Step 1:

Measure the RGB values for each wire and convert the numbers to the corresponding ASCII characters:
Part3

Step 2:

Trace the circuit again and record those ASCII characters in order to receive the following message:
åJOiNtHERESíStAnC
which, allowing for some odd characters, appears to be the message:
Join the Resistance

CONCLUSION

I came back to this question more than a year later just to find another terrible pun.

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  • $\begingroup$ Partial answer. So far so good but that is only half of the password phrase. There is a second half to the phrase. May have to gaze a bit deeper. $\endgroup$
    – AstroMax
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 21:17
  • $\begingroup$ The shape of the circuit looks kind of familiar... can't tell exactly what it is, though. $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi ♦
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 21:22
  • $\begingroup$ @AstroMax "Gaze" isn't all that common AFAIK and you used it both in the comment and in the ROT13 clue. Unfortunately, I'm an ME and only had one circuits class. I'm not sure what the component is on the purple wires and I'm betting it's important. There's probably a way to incorporate DEL and Space into a longer message but I don't see it yet. $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 21:25
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    $\begingroup$ Is it significant that the ROT13 clue is missing "ASET" in the middle? $\endgroup$
    – Clayton Colwell
    Commented Apr 26, 2018 at 20:09
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    $\begingroup$ HIDDENPHR(ASE THR)EATENED So "ASE THR" rather than "ASET". Grrr. I'm typing before my brain catches up. $\endgroup$
    – Clayton Colwell
    Commented Apr 27, 2018 at 18:48
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Partial

Performing ROT13 on the file name as the directory suggests, results:

ONE MUST SEEK THE HIDDEN PHREATENED BY A SPECTRAL GAZE

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  • $\begingroup$ That seems to be #1 of 3 solved, good catch. $\endgroup$
    – AstroMax
    Commented Mar 29, 2017 at 21:19
  • $\begingroup$ Spectral may be a reference to the different colored circuit lines. The black connectors are "switches" that can be flipped. They're firmly attached on one side and the side that it is 'resting' on can be moved to other adjacent nodes. $\endgroup$
    – InfernalRapture
    Commented Mar 31, 2017 at 21:34

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