GCHQ Christmas Card

[chazzie]

Spotted this yesterday on the BBC webpage...

http://www.gchq.gov.uk/press_and_media/ ... -2015.aspx

just printed it off to give it a go!

[LAT]

Yes I printed it off too - just need to find the time to have a go at it.

[eirian]

I did it at work (during my lunch break, honest!). Will be interested to see what you make of it.

[Scurra]

I've just reached part three.
There are some neat puzzles in part two...

[chazzie]

Ive made it to Part 2...

[LAT]

I haven't quite finished part one yet - severe lack of spare time for puzzling at this time of year!
Part one does at least seem fairly straightforward, I haven't had to think much - so far at any rate!

[chazzie]

Enjoying part 2....

[LAT]

Hmmm. I have done part one and I think I know what I have but I've no idea how I use that to get stage two.

[Wulfruna]

Hmmm. I have done part one and I think I know what I have but I've no idea how I use that to get stage two.

You need the right piece of equipment..... I also recognised what it was fairly quickly (Scurra please note ) but had to download an app before I could use it.

[Wulfruna]

Having moved on to part 2, I have enjoyed working out what was going on for four questions but the other two were a bit of guesswork until I got them. One that I did manage to solve is a new sort of code that I have a sneaky suspicion may yet pop up on PB (but would need a heavy hint for non-GCHQ candidates!!) .
However having got to stage 3 I guess this is where I stop.... I spotted what was going on with q1 (clever and not beyond us puzzlebrainers if you look at it carefully ) but after that - no hope! Maybe we could pool some ideas???

[Bunnylump]

I know what part one is but don't know how to do anything with it.

[LAT]

You need the right piece of equipment.....

Unfortunately I don't have that kind of money to spare. That's a couple of hours of my life wasted.

[Bunnylump]

I assumed it was one of those patterns that you can scan on a mobile phone. But I don't know what they are called and don't know how to scan them.

[LAT]

Well yes, that is what it is. They are called QR codes -but you need the right equipment and software.

[Wulfruna]

I don't think this needs a spoiler now as this is not a PB puzzle.....
This is a QR barcode image. Yes you need a Smartphone to read it, but it doesn't need to be a fancy expensive one. You then just need to download a QR barcode reader app into the phone -and there are several to choose from which are all freely available at no cost. You find them either by going into your "apps" option to see if there is one on offer or by googling ("QR code") in the internet and choosing one. I did not have one on my phone before today, but I was so intrigued by this that I went and found it. The app then acts like a camera and you hold it over the image as if photographing it and it automatically comes up with an internet link to take you to the site with more information.

[LAT]

Unfortunately my phone is a Windows phone which has rather fewer apps. I looked for one but they all had terrible reviews, basically saying "don't waste your time downloading this as it doesn't work". I am not about to buy a new phone just for this!

I might see if my son can do it for me when he is down at Christmas - if I remember

[Bunnylump]

Ah, OK, done that now, thanks. Laura, as long as you have a smartphone you can download the app and it works really easily.

[chazzie]

Made it to part 3....

[maisie ladybird]

Well done! I got to part 2 and didn't know how to answer the questions, so gave up.

[LAT]

With help in getting to the second stage (thank you! - and my son did confirm I had got there too) and a couple of hints on some of those puzzles I have now done the first two parts of stage three. And come to a grinding halt again. More thought later - if I have the time and energy.

Has anyone got to the next stage?