Complete Archive
The Finale - (Click image to see finale webcast) Last night while people were mingling at the TatumThink Relaunch party and posing with the Nisha cutout (like my buddy David), the real Nisha was zooming to LA from San Diego, where she'd just met up with the Goons. (movie) Disgruntled ex-employee scapegoat0531 was surveilling TatumThink's LA office, where Emile, revealed earlier to be... (06/30/05)
TatumThink security video from Scapegoat - (Click image to see movie) Scapegoat just emailed me this video, from the TatumThink surveillance cam feed...ouch!... (06/29/05)
Nisha finds Goons; CyberGosse in chat - According to this email, Nisha went in to the Bay Street location, where Roger told her Virgil was behind it. J5 and Rowan, however, emailed her a picture uncovered from SD card 7 that reveals Emile to be Arclight. Meanwhile, CyberGosse has emailed Ian, saying they need to chat...to log on, fire up your IRC to Amsterdam.nl.eu.undernet.org in channel #cgh4x... (06/29/05)
TatumThink Relaunch webcast - (Click image below at 8:03 PM (PDT) to link to the webcast) The above image is from the main page of Virgil's site; he also posted a rant about it today...boy that guy's sure got a one-track mind, huh? The party starts at 8:03 PM (PDT), or 11:03 for us folks on the East Coast. Good luck to Nisha and... (06/29/05)
HitsHerMark murdered - After agreeing to help Nisha keep an eye on Ian yesterday, Coachella Retriever HitsHerMark's selfless mission ended in disaster. Last night she emailed Nisha a video just as she was abducted by an unidentified figure. Then this morning, Worry emailed Nisha a heartbreaking news screenshot... Now more than ever, I sincerely hope Nisha can deliver swift justice to the... (06/29/05)
Knock knock... - (Click image to see movie) Believing she found the Bay Street location in San Diego this morning, Nisha told Ian to sit tight and not do "anything stupid" while she checked it out (listen)...but since when has Ian followed her instructions? Moments later, Nisha sent out an email soliciting the help of the Coachella 5 -- Retrievers HitsHerMark, SMG3er, Jane,... (06/28/05)
Nisha heads for San Diego, Ian gets "proactive" - After receiving some email tips from forum member lemonwheel, Nisha and Ian both hit the road for California. Nisha left for San Diego (listen), to find the Bay Street location mentioned by forger Szigmond Erdlemann. (movie) Meanwhile Ian, believing Virgil to be behind the heist, left for LA to be "proactive"...could this plan involve another shoving match, a la... (06/27/05)
Scapegoat leaks Nisha scene; next A3 in Vegas - (Click image to see movie) Man, my heart (and mind) really goes out to Emile...as if trying to keep his buddy Virgil from completely going off the deep end while keeping the production of his video game on track weren't enough, he continues to get battered by Worry and scapegoat0531 as well. Worry emailed Nisha yet another creepy wiretap of... (06/24/05)
"Die Einbruchnacht" plans uncovered - After a few frustrating stops and starts, yet another SD card full of hidden files toppled beneath the collective brainpower of the stolena3.com community...congrats, guys! You can check out all the newest uncovered files in "The Big Picture" discussion thread here. The hidden files in SD card 5 all deal with the action to take place during "Die Einbruchnacht,"... (06/21/05)
Who's playing games now? - Boy, what a guy won't do for a pretty face...even though he's presumably slammed with work on The Nisha Chronicles, Virgil still managed to take some time out and solve one of the puzzles from SD card 5 for his favorite former spy. Unfortunately for him (or perhaps fortunately, depending on who you believe is behind the heist), the file... (06/20/05)
Ian mysteriously uploads SD card 5 - Shortly after 2:00 this morning, Ian uploaded SD card 5 to his side of Ian Net, and emailed Nisha about his successful solo retrieval. This retrieval is curiously contrary to LRR's established pattern of uploading a zipped SD card file to Ian Net, then uploading the decryption password provided by the program hardwired in Ian's A3. Instead, the files in... (06/15/05)
Nisha meets forger; Retrievers meet Virgil's mind - Yesterday saw a flurry of excited activity among Retrievers as two major discoveries were made: a promising lead towards the Uffizi heist mastermind, and another twisted corner of Virgil Tatum's mind. After receiving a tip from a Retriever named Julie, Nisha followed through on the hopeful help, tracking down art forger Szigmond Erdlemann in his Seattle studio and confronting... (06/14/05)
Auf Wiedersehen - A startling discovery in the abandoned warehouse Rowan reported some shocking news on the forum yesterday -- after receiving an anonymous morse code message that decoded to "Go to 764 Hillman Ave in Chicago," Ian followed the lead to an abandoned warehouse, where he made a grim discovery... It sure doesn't look like the guy died of whooping cough... (06/09/05)
Strange days indeed - EDIT: 6/8: Image removed at request of TatumThink representative What the heck is going on over at TatumThink these days? Last week Emile Smithson, Virgil's Lead Game Designer, began posting in the forum in an attempt to glean information about Nisha for use in The Nisha Chronicles, Vol. 1. Several Retrievers, who have worked with Nisha recently, began posting their... (06/07/05)
Gunter gives psycho's tour of Chicago - "Szigmond in Seattle" -- art forgerSzigmond Erdlemann? I'm really starting to wonder what kind of brain-munching super-flu may be going around the prisons of Germany lately...whatever Gunter picked up during his incarceration seems to be attacking his head even more than his chest. Listening to the wiretap posted today of last night's Chicago mission is like listening to a... (06/05/05)
Shiver mein timbers! - (Click image to see movie) Nisha and the Retrievers leaving on the boat The events of the mission are still shrouded in mystery at this point, with the only official information on the Chicago rendezvous so far being from Lou's emails to Ian (see Ian's inbox, "Entrance road to marina" through "photo") After some initial difficulty getting close to Nisha... (06/05/05)
Audi A3 site update - Just saw that Audi of America has updated their A3 microsite -- check it out! Looks like the perfect place to send newbies to get them into the story.... (06/04/05)
Danger and deception in the Windy City - Nisha finally has her team assembled for tonight's dangerous mission in Chicago (below, L-R): Retrievers Matt, GateKeeper, Varin and Krystyn, and an associate of Virgil's who was recommended for any "tech gear needs" the mission may require (no word yet on what those requirements may be.) Besides already having the distinction of being perhaps the most perilous mission yet... (06/04/05)
Uffizi heist timetable uncovered - The final SD card 4 puzzle was cracked late last night by johnny5, revealing another very important file, the "projected timetable of pre-job tasks." It includes a week-to-week schedule of the tunneling process, as well as the hackers' timeframe for compromising the Uffizi's security system.... (06/03/05)
Nisha needs 2 more Chicago Retrievers - I guess people must be afraid of Gunter, since Nisha's only picked 3 Retrievers so far to help out with her Chicago mission this Saturday. In an email from Virgil today, it was revealed that she still needs at least 2 more people to watch her back while she meets with Gunter. This particular mission does look like it could... (05/31/05)
Uffizi plan: steal paintings, replace with fakes - A few of the usual suspects (L-R): "Go-to guy" Dario M.; head excavator Severino T.; hackers Erik V. and Marty S.; head burglar Wilfred S. There was a groundbreaking discovery posted today in the SD cards forum: Diandra and j5 figured out the password for the "sixxsix.zip" file. Inside the locked file were three pages describing the duties of... (05/30/05)
Ian Yarbrough: Uffizi mastermind or fall guy? - The last day has seen some shocking developments indeed for Last Resort Retrieval. Last night at the AFI party at the NYC Audi dealership, Retrievers Jason, Madamo, and Rose posed as a documentary film crew and helped Nisha grab the 4th SD card from the A3. The card was uploaded to Ian Net and quickly torn into by the... (05/26/05)
NY Retrievers gear up for tonight's mission - Nisha's NY Retrievers (L-R): Jason, Madamo and Rose Nisha's got her Retriever team all picked out for tonight's mission: Jason, Madamo and stolena3 forum veteran Rose. With such a unique set of skills being brought to the table by this team, it should be quite interesting to see how their mission plays out tonight. So far, Nisha's keeping her... (05/25/05)
CHAPTER 5: Vanity and Vengeance - After losing the trail of the A3's at Coachella, Nisha heads to the Macungie, PA, neighborhood pictured in one of the hidden files from SD card 1. Nisha discovers that Gunter's mother lives in one of the houses there (listen), then uses this knowledge to blackmail Gunter into giving her the VIN for the next A3. Ian tracks it... (05/24/05)
Virgil cooking up deal for Nisha Chronicles? - There's an interesting interview posted in the "Floored" section of e3insider.com, with Virgil and legendary game developer Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of "Gran Turismo," in front of the Playstation booth.... (05/23/05)
E(3)ruption! - L-R: Ian, Virgil, Virgil's bodyguard, TatumThink employee The slow boil between Ian and Virgil finally exploded yesterday, with the hacker and the King of Code coming to blows right on the floor of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. (link to video from Retriever DS) (link to audio from Virgil) With Ian on the war path after believing it was Virgil... (05/20/05)
Photo: Virgil's e3insider.com FanCam interview - Got another photo of the King of Code, this time being interviewed by the FanCam guy for e3insider.com. The guy tells me this interview is going to be webcast there in about 2 1/2 hours.... (05/19/05)
Video: Virgil's VH1 interview at E3 - Just got some video of Virgil emailed to me as well. The guy who sent it to me said he talked to one of the production people, and the interview is for the "Top 20 Countdown," which will be airing Friday night, as well as Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. (Click image to see movie)... (05/19/05)
Photos: Virgil's VH1 interview at E3 - Just got some pictures emailed to me from the floor of E3...... (05/19/05)
Storm clouds gathering over E3 - Ian's E3 "Retrievers" (L-R): Kane, DS, and Steve The first sign of darkening skies came with Ian's email to...well, himself technically, looking for some help with a "mission" at E3. Interested parties responded to vengeance@lastresortretrieval.com; Ian's buddy DJ Will Star seems to have more sense. A couple days of sore ribs apparently only fueled Ian's rage, as his IRC... (05/17/05)
Anyone got a rabbit's foot/horseshoe/four-leaf clover? - Seems like Friday the 13th showed up ahead of schedule for poor Ian, who was hiding out in New Orleans. Minutes after chatting with Nisha, Ian got jumped by Trent and Roger, who smashed up his computer -- and him -- pretty well...could Virgil have been behind this? Meanwhile, Ian's been unable to track down the location of the next... (05/13/05)
Nisha grabs 3rd SD card in DC - With a new guy from Audi security bugging her, Nisha staked out a Washington, DC, dealership for several hours last night until she found an opportunity to grab the 3rd SD card herself. The decryption program in Ian's A3 spit out a password for the SD card in record time...nice work, LRR! After their recent setbacks, looks like Nisha and... (05/11/05)
Out of site, out of mind - With Nisha presumably on her way to Washington, DC, to track down the next A3, it seems that Virgil is now funneling all of his neurotic energy into her electronic counterpart. (Good to know the guy's at least got some kind of outlet.) In his latest rant, the Van Gogh of the Vanities links to some new screen captures... (05/10/05)
Next A3 in DC; eNisha at E3? - Ian's tracked the next A3 to Washington, DC, although there's no word yet on using the help of additional Retrievers. On the Virgil front, the King of Code revealed in the latest post to his Rant and Roll section that he's hired his old right-hand man Emile, to help him with his looming deadline for E3 -- could a... (05/09/05)
Gunter loves his Mommy...and fears his boss - At Cookster's suggestion, Nisha decided to stick around and celebrate Mother's Day in Macungie, PA, today. She tapped Mrs. Banderwine's line, and "your little Gunter boy" didn't disappoint, phoning her with a heartwarming holiday greeting. Nisha called Gunter back a little while later and blackmailed him into giving her the VIN for the next A3. A couple of revelations from... (05/08/05)
Susan Starr stops by for strudel - "Susan Starr" (an alias Nisha's used on previous missions) made a new friend this afternoon! Gunter's mom sure sounds like a sweet old lady -- guess it must've been Herr Banderwine that helped junior on his "homemade shiv" merit badge. Whatever the source of Gunter's psychotic tendencies (I hope the creep at least sends his mom a card this Sunday!),... (05/06/05)
"Whatever it takes" - Interesting phone conversation between Ian and Nisha, who's blazing through the Midwest on her way to Macungie, PA. Mrs. Banderwine, age 62, might want to double up on her blood pressure medicine!... (05/05/05)
Missing A3 TV spot - (Click image to see movie) Here's the TV spot Audi's been airing lately regarding the missing A3 (the one Ian's been driving around that has the decryption program installed into its computer system.) The phone number they give goes to Audi of America, which then forwards you to Last Resort Retrieval. Special thanks to Gatekeeper for posting this video!... (05/05/05)
The Ol' Banderwine Homestead - Turns out that Macungie, PA lead was a keeper after all; one of the houses on Goldenrod Drive belongs to a "Mrs. Banderwine." Is it Gunter's wife, aunt, mom, or what? Ian and Nisha aren't sure yet, but for whatever reason, when I hear the words "Mrs. Banderwine" I also hear staccato violins and picture this guy wearing a bun... (05/05/05)
CHAPTER 4: Coachella Chaos - Retriever Jane spies The Goons at the Coachella mission. Pic courtesy of HitsHerMark. Feeling pressure from Virgil (listen) and needing the help of his friend CyberGosse (listen), Ian finally tracks the next A3 to the Coachella Music Fesitval in California, where it will be displayed at an Audi-sponsored party.... (05/04/05)
Clues in Macungie, PA? - After Saturday's unsuccessful mission, the trail of the A3's has gone cold, and Nisha thinks that finding Gunter may be the only way to pick it up again. But where in the world could the razor-happy German be? Nivra thinks that Macungie, Pennsylvania, might be a good place to start looking. This is the location that the StolenA3 Forum... (05/04/05)
Coachella murder - When I saw the familiar "(no subject)" heading in Nisha's inbox today, I got that stomach-churning feeling of dread once again -- Worry's back. This time, Worry forwarded a newspaper clipping about an unidentified male found dead at an abandoned hotel near Indio, CA, the site of last weekend's Coachella Festival. Members of the Coachella 5 have identified the... (05/03/05)
HitsHerMark and Jane give the 411 - HitsHerMark and Jane, two esteemed members of the "Coachella 5," have written up fantastic, detailed accounts of what happened this past weekend. You can check out HHM's account here on the StolenA3 discussion board. She's also got a great Coachella photo album (my favorite is "Goons arrive as Jane dances," which I think would also make a good second line... (05/02/05)
Pictures from Coachella - hi todd, pictures from the coachella event attached. no sign of nisha or anyone else, but it was dark. -jjg... (05/01/05)
Coachella mission aborted - Well, Nisha and Ian had predicted that the Coachella retrieval mission would be quite a bit trickier than Atlanta (hence the 5 retrievers instead of 3), and boy, were they right. Those of you who tuned in to the webcast last night were probably just as confused as I was to see just a few minutes of the Audi party... (05/01/05)
Virgil video from Coachella - Just got some videos from Coachella emailed to me from a guy named Ezra. Been poking around today, trying to piece together what happened with the mission last night, I'll be posting an update soon. Todd, Here are some videos I took at the party last night. I got there late and didn't see much because it was crowded, but... (05/01/05)
Lights, Camera, Retrieval! - Well, Caroline and I just made ourselves some double-cappucinos and are getting ready to pop some popcorn and settle in for our late night around the computer screen. Nisha's inside the Coachella festival and Ian's managed to jack in to the camera feed at the Audi tent. I believe the party starts at 11:00PM, PST (2:00AM, EST, hence the double-caps),... (04/30/05)
More Worries - Just when you thought the Coachella team had enough assorted unsavory folks to deal with today, out of the woodwork comes freak-of-few-words Worry. He/she/it emailed me a disturbing video earlier today, and I really didn't want to gratify this sick person by posting it on my site. But Worry went ahead and made the video public anyway, so if you... (04/30/05)
NYC package retrieval a success - The mystery package that Will Star's been hanging onto for Ian is no longer a mystery -- Retrievers bagsbee and rose picked it up last night at one of Will's DJ scratch sessions. Contrary to my wild imaginings, the package did not contain a bloody hook.... (04/30/05)
Coachella Showdown: A Dossier - Nisha and Ian have their team all lined up, and it looks like they're ready to throw down at Coachella this weekend! If you're going to the festival and you have a Treo or the like, try to take some pix and videos of the action if you can... especially if you're going to the Audi afterparty (which Ian is... (04/29/05)
SD card retrieval: tips from a veteran - Phew! Another late night at the office, we've got a big shipment coming in from one of our warehouses this weekend, so I've got all kinds of paperwork to catch up on. But enough about my exciting life -- as promised, an SD card retrieval primer from my man j5: Looking at the picture on the left, the Navigation screen... (04/29/05)
Retrieving, bi-coastal style - Apparently after the morse code message Nisha received from an unknown source, there was some debate among the Retrievers as to whether or not they should still pick up the package from Will Star in NY. There has been some conjecture that it just contains the NYC poster addresses from Worry, but whatever's in the mystery package, Nisha's message is... (04/28/05)
LRR = "Love, Rest, Relaxation"...NOT! - My, but nerves are jangling like a jailer's keyring! Rough day for the duo at Last Resort Retrieval, bookended by some grade-A airwave abuse: first Gunter calls Nisha. Then one of the New Jersey Goons (the one who's not named "Roger") calls Ian. Then he calls him again. And again. And again. So Ian's not going to California, he's got... (04/27/05)
Gunter on the loose! - Looks like Ian, Virgil, and especially Nisha will be having some uninvited company at Coachella this weekend...Gunter is out of the joint, and boy, does he sound pissed! (The voice does sound identical to the one from the audio file that Worry sent me last week.) Thanks for the heads up, nhansard. Did I say I was bummed about... (04/26/05)
Ian drives through Texas -- Goons on his tail? - Since talking to his old buddy DJ Will Star yesterday, Ian sounds like he's in much better spirits -- whatever Nisha told him in her pep talk must have worked for him. Since no sane person drives through Texas just for kicks, I can only assume he's catching up with Nisha and is still on for their Coachella mission...but are... (04/26/05)
Worried about Ian - Whatever Worry is dangling over Ian's head, it must have him pretty freaked out, because no one's really heard much out of LRR's resident hacker for a couple days now. After another teasing message, Worry emailed Ian a zip file containing coded text documents that reveal the locations where Audi is putting up their missing A3 posters...but why is Worry... (04/24/05)
Who is Worry? - Yikes. That's about all I could say after reading enigmatic forum member Worry's latest round of terse, cryptic missives. Who is this guy? (or girl? could be anybody really.) I've gotten a few PM's asking about this person's identity (of which I know nothing), and a few offering speculation...could it be that Worry is the person Gunter was calling? The... (04/21/05)
RSS link added to StolenA3 - Hey RSS users! My buddy Justin added an RSS feed link to the top right of the page, so you can link up and get all the site updates when they're fresh and piping hot! Pass it along so you'll be in the know the minute I am. (What is RSS?) (Where can I find an RSS reader?)... (04/21/05)
Nisha and Ian need SoCal Retrievers - Ah, cruel geographic fate, why dost thou mock me again? The next A3 is hitting Coachella on April 30, and LRR is going to need 5 Retrievers to go undercover this time, as the operation looks to be quite a bit trickier than the one in Atlanta. I was already kind of bummed about missing Coachella this year (my company... (04/20/05)
4th A3 at Coachella music festival? - Since Ian's been having some trouble hacking into Earthcross, he asked his buddy Cybergosse for some help today. CG came back with a "suspicious" zip file that's already been cracked...looks like LRR just might be soaking up some California sun pretty soon!... (04/20/05)
Gunter arrest audio from Worry! - Forum member Worry just emailed me this audio file of Gunter getting arrested in the Emden Warehouse: (LRR video of Gunter's arrest) Gunter's message is presumably for the guy who's behind the whole scheme (which is looking more and more like some sort of art heist, with the Uffizi Gallery one likely target), but who is this mastermind? Or maybe... (04/19/05)
CHAPTER 3: Atlanta Retrieval - Aided by Virgil, and the many people "snooping" in their site and posting on StolenA3, Nisha and Ian begin to piece together Gunter's plan: a massive art heist in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. With her anonymity compromised and the goons still tailing Ian (movie), Nisha decides to recruit some of the "snoopers" to help her get the... (04/19/05)
Video: Atlanta Retrievers in action - (Click image to see video) In case you missed the webcast on Saturday, during which j5, meghan, and Valkyros helped Nisha retrieve the 2nd SD card from an Atlanta Audi dealership, I've uploaded the juicy bits for your enjoyment. That's Meghan entering the showroom at :25 into it, then j5 enters from the left and begins his descent on... (04/18/05)
Video: Ian at NY Auto Show? - (Click image to see video) A source who wishes to remain anonymous forwarded me this video today (wow, I'm starting to feel like a covert ops man myself!) It's security cam footage from the New York Auto Show, on March 31, of a "suspicious white male" hanging around the A3...the same A3 that went missing the next day. Looks... (04/18/05)
2 ATL SD card passwords solved; Virgil contacts Ian - Thanks to the efforts of j5, meghan, and Valkyros on Saturday, LRR now has the second SD card. (For a first-hand record of the events, check out the "SD Card 2" section of IANNET, where Ian posted two wire taps and a four-way call between Nisha and the Retrievers.) And thanks to the efforts of tireless puzzlers out there,... (04/18/05)
Atlanta operation a success! - Congrats on a job well done, Retrievers! Just minutes ago, they nabbed the 2nd SD card from the Audi dealership in Atlanta! (discuss ATL op or SD card 2) I captured the webcam feed and will see what I can do about posting it soon -- I want to cut it down to just the meat of it first, though.... (04/16/05)
Atlanta operation to be webcast today! - Man, this is exciting! I feel like a kid who just woke up on Christmas morning to a pile of shiny new toys...went out last night kinda late, and when I got up and checked the site this morning, I found out LRR's Atlanta operation is going to be webcast! Su-weet! (thanks for the post, jbd) The webcast can... (04/16/05)
LRR has eyes on StolenA3 - There had been a couple of mentions of StolenA3 on Last Resort Retrieval recently, but our intrepid art hunters must really be watching us like a hawk now...late last night, Ian asked nhansard to post the documents on our forum that were hidden in the "quarteroffour" file from the 2nd A3's SD card -- they appear to be maps... (04/15/05)
"quarteroffour" file cracked; Atlanta a bust? - Wait...did you hear that? That was the sound of all the StolenA3 forum members slapping their collective forehead. As pointed out by nhansard, the dreaded "quarteroffour" file has finally been cracked...and with a clue that's pretty much been right under our noses the whole time! (Although I thought Jaybird's connection to the Italian banks yesterday seemed promising.) Meanwhile, somewhere in... (04/14/05)
StolenA3 forum member tapped to be "Retriever"! - Well, I guess Ian's background check of forum member Valkyros must have come back ok -- way to keep your nose clean, V! After responding to one of Nisha's ads seeking "Retrievers" for assistance with the 3rd A3 in Atlanta this weekend (an idea Ian's apparently still not thrilled with), Valkyros heard back from LRR and has agreed to assist... (04/13/05)
Two more SD files accessed - biggie added a couple of great posts to the discussion forum about the SD card files hidden in the 2nd A3. Resident brainiac Virgil figured out two passwords for his, ahem, friend Nisha. These passwords open pdf files which reveal that Gunter had been up to something involving "putty and cement" in Italy before he got arrested. Hmm... If... (04/12/05)
Nisha needs help in Atlanta - Nisha's decided to hire some "retrievers" to help her in Atlanta and has taken out ads in online publications requesting help. The coded message translates to: "Calling all retrievers. One of your own needs help on Saturday, April 16th 2005. Email for details. Retrievers@lastresortretrieval.com by 5pm April 12, 2005." (ADDED 6:40PM: Incentives? I'm wondering if I can rearrange some of... (04/11/05)
CHAPTER 2: The 2nd A3 - The two goons track Ian to the hotel in Pittsburgh where he's hiding, and he barely escapes with his life. (Click image to see movie) Nisha meets up with Ian in Pittsburgh, and they devise a plan to break into the storage lot where the 2nd A3 is hidden. Nisha first enlists the code-cracking skills of Virgil (listen), an idea... (04/10/05)
kypassat, Mattazuma lead charge to decode SD card - Well, one of the mysterious password-protected files on the SD card found in the 2nd A3 has been accessed...but what the photos inside the file actually mean is still...(drum roll please, you guessed it)...a mystery! kypassat brought the SD card's contents to the forum members' attention in this thread, and then Mattazuma started another thread devoted to discussion of clues... (04/10/05)
2nd A3, hidden files found in Pittsburgh - There's some exciting stuff happening with the intrepid art hunters at Last Resort Retrieval! Nisha meets up with Ian in Pittsburgh and makes a plan to break into the storage lot where the 2nd A3 is hidden. With Ian still unable to crack the decryption program hidden in the first A3, Nisha enlists the help of code-meister Virgil, which Ian... (04/10/05)
CHAPTER 1: The Stolen A3 - Former government spy Nisha Roberts and computer hacker Ian Yarbrough are Last Resort Retrieval, a company that recovers priceless works of stolen art. (Through a glitch in their site's security system, you can access their password-protected company intranet and sneak a peek at their emails, voicemails, recorded phone calls, videos, and documents.) Nisha is also the inspiration for an... (04/09/05)
Audi security cam -- the aftermath - (Click image to see video) Here's the scene 51 minutes later, when the two security guards from the Audi Forum party showed up. There's a discussion thread on this here. I was thinking, we really need to get more heads together on the forum. I need to figure out how to get more people to join...hmm...... (04/08/05)
More Audi security footage - (Click image to see video) Got ahold of some more footage from the same guy who gave me Wednesday's video -- this time from a different camera. These guys seem to have the same body types as the thugs who were chasing after Ian, but again, there's no way to ID them for sure. Any insights into these videos... (04/08/05)
Security cam video from Audi Forum! - (Click image to see video) Had lunch with a business associate yesterday and mentioned what happened at the Audi Forum last Friday night. He was instantly hooked. He did a little digging himself, and through a friend of his in law enforcement, was able to get a copy of security cam footage from the break in.... (04/06/05)
The plot thickens... - I had a feeling I wasn't the only one out there digging around for info on this theft…and it turns out I'm not. Not by a long shot. Got home late last night and was stoked to see that people are starting to join my forum! Seems Last Resort Retrieval goes WAAAAY deeper than just that index page…when I first... (04/06/05)
Discussion forum open for business! - Yay! After a bit of tinkering, I've opened up the discussion forum -- hopefully now some folks out there can help me break it on down to the nitty-grit and figure out this mystery!... (04/05/05)
Audi as priceless art? - I found what looks like another piece of the puzzle, but I'm still kinda scratching my head…checked out the A3 microsite and saw a banner that read: "ATTENTION: If you have any information regarding the location of a 2006 A3 with VIN WAUZZZ8P65A045963 PLEASE CLICK HERE"... (04/04/05)
A3 not at NYIAS, either - So yesterday I go to the New York International Auto Show at the Javits center with my girlfriend and head straight for the Audi display. There's one A3 there, so I pull the wanted flyer out of my wallet and compare the stolen car's VIN number -- different A3.... (04/03/05)
Curioser and curioser...pt. 2 - The security guard has the guy seated at a desk in the showroom, and he seems to be grilling him about something, but I can't hear what's going on from outside. I ask Clipboard if those are the guys who stole the A3, and she says, "I'm sorry, I really don't know, but you can redeem your complimentary cocktail vouchers... (04/03/05)
Curioser and curioser... - Something happened last Friday night, something that I can't seem to get out of my head, no matter how hard I try. Something weird. Something that's not all adding up. Something fishier than day-old sushi. Maybe I should start from the beginning...... (04/03/05)
What's all this, then? - (04/01/05)