• MH370 speculation has become excessive recently. Metabunk is not a forum for creating theories by speculation. It's a forum for examining claims, and seeing if they hold up. Please respect this and keep threads on-topic. There are many other forums where speculation is welcome.

Debunked: MH370 Passenger Philip Wood sends Photo/Text from Diego Garcia [Fake EXIF GPS Data]

I have a question, Couldnt Mr. Woods cellphone records validate whether the plea he allegedly sent is a fake or not? If a message was sent, the phone records would have that information as well as what or if anything was in,fact sent on the 18th...just saying...has anyone at all checked into this type of inquiry?
 
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Oh, it was a typo..the word is wether...not weather..

Oh...sorry! I was thinking that maybe it was about seeing if the records of the weather on that day at Diego Garcia matched. LOL, I keep imagining how those phones ('Siri') can do almost anything.

But, anyways...would be futile because the 'Picasa' clue in the EXIF data proves the fakery.
 
Oh, it was a typo..the word is wether...not weather.. To check phone records to confirm any transmitions were in fact sent on the 18th from his phone service provider..it would include any calls made or texts and media sent from his phone..also ISP address if it was sent through wifi access..the records shows all information...this information is used in courts all the time when a crime is commited for it is factual evidence. Also every new generation IPhone has a GPS locator to show its location, even if powered down, it shows the last known location through Icloud. Android devices have similar locators...even if you disable the locator it is still accessible information for 911 (authoroties) to find you...the records ftom the cell service records it all and is time stamped. If there was anything coming from his phone, it will be substantiated there. If there is nothing in the records, then it is more than likely a hoax..either way, it is undefeatable proof.
 
Oh, it was a typo..the word is wether...not weather.. To check phone records to confirm any transmitions were in fact sent on the 18th from his phone service provider..it would include any calls made or texts and media sent from his phone..also ISP address if it was sent through wifi access..the records shows all information...this information is used in courts all the time when a crime is commited for it is factual evidence. Also every new genrration IPhone has a GPS locator to show its location, even if powered down, it shows the last known location through Icloud. Android devices have similar locators...even if you disable the locator it is still accessible information for 911 (authoroties) to find you...the records ftom the cell service records it all and is time stamped. If there was anything coming from his phone, it will be substantiated there. If there is nothing in the records, then it is more than likely a hoax..either way, it is undefeatable proof.

But it has already been shown to be fake.
 
I have a question, Couldnt Mr. Woods cellphone records validate whether the plea he allegedly sent is a fake or not? If a message was sent, the phone records would have that information as well as what or if anything was in,fact sent on the 18th...just saying...has anyone at all checked into this type of inquiry?

AFAICT, the original post was not an SMS text, but a posting to 4chan forum, with the photo uploaded.
 
Maybe so, but his device as well as at least a hundred other devices of the 239 on board can be tracked though their service carriers on that plane, and my question has anyone looked into this type of inquiry? His phone records as well as the other passengers wont lie but factual help in finding their whereabouts..has anyone bothered to research this?
 
AFAICT, the original post was not an SMS text, but a posting to 4chan forum, with the photo uploaded.

For those of you not familiar with 4chan and why the information being sent there FIRST is an issue, here's a run down on the history of the site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan
Content from External Source
I dont like using wiki for the most part, but the information for this particular subject is verifiable (check the biblio at the bottom of the article) and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

TLDR:

4chan is a troll site.. literally. It started out as an image board for manga and anime, but changed pretty quickly. 4chan is where the group Anonymous came from.. if you can actually call them a group since there's no heirarchy. 4chan has had its good sides.. theyve been involved in instigating several child porn related arrests by providing information to the police.. mostly through datamining and general hacking skills.

What 4chan is really known for tho, is its trolling. 4chan has several boards that are basically their own websites.. kind of. Check the link above for a better description. Boards on that site are notorious for starting hoaxes about deaths, kidnappings.. all kinds of weird things and its done "for the lulz." Given that this information came to 4chan and not to family members first, or to the mainstream media, or a friend/relative of the victim in question.. AND given the fact that the data file can and was altered in Picasa.. its fake, and it was done because some kid thought itd be funny. LIke I said, if you want to know more about 4chan, read the link above and go check out the site.
 
Maybe so, but his device as well as at least a hundred other devices of the 239 on board can be tracked though their service carriers on that plane, and my question has anyone looked into this type of inquiry? His phone records as well as the other passengers wont lie but factual help in finding their whereabouts..has anyone bothered to research this?

Yes. There have been several articles about this:
http://www.news.com.au/technology/g...nes-flight-mh370/story-fn6vihic-1226856877396

The investigators would have checked for phone connections already. Nothing was found:
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-been-keeping-information-secret-9214930.html

If passengers became aware of an unusual or sinister development, it is highly likely that at least some of them would switch on their mobile phones – a few of which would be expected to register on networks while briefly flying over the Malayan peninsula. But the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission reports no such contact. It is possible that passengers were unaware of the change in course, or that they were incapacitated, for example by depressurisation of the cabin.

Once the aircraft was some distance from land, any contact with ground stations would be impossible.
Content from External Source
http://www.nst.com.my/business/latest/triangulation-using-cell-phones-fails-1.520250

THE Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) attempted to triangulate the location of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 using phone numbers of passengers on board but to no avail.

The exercise was carried out after it was confirmed that the Boeing 777 jetliner had gone missing.

This was done following claims that family members of passengers from China had established cell phone communication with them.

Sources told the New Straits Times that Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's cell phone was last used on Friday night, just before take off.

MCMC also zeroed in on three other cell phones belonging to MH370's passengers, namely the wife and two daughters of former Celcom Axiata Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Yunus Ramli Abbas.

Efforts to locate signals from the cell phones of Biby Nazli Mohd Hassim, Dina Mohamed Yunus Ramli and Maria Mohamed Yunus Ramli were all unsuccessful.

Bukit Aman's forensics team had also carried out a similar exercise in collaboration with foreign counterparts to establish when the last contact was made by those on the aircraft.
Content from External Source
 
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CNN's Jake Tapper just did a piece on this theory. Didn't go into the data that is proven to be false though.
 
I love how you all are saying because it can be a hoax then it is a hoax.truth is an airplane seemingly disappeared and hasn't been found but thank you I've been reading about it everyday and finally i know the plane has to be in the ocean and anyone who thinks there could be a government coverup is crazy,because our government would never lie to us haha,bottom one ANYTHING is possible until they find the plane
 
I love how you all are saying because it can be a hoax then it is a hoax.truth is an airplane seemingly disappeared and hasn't been found but thank you I've been reading about it everyday and finally i know the plane has to be in the ocean and anyone who thinks there could be a government coverup is crazy,because our government would never lie to us haha,bottom one ANYTHING is possible until they find the plane

Actually what youll find, if you take the time to read instead of TLDR, is that the only thing being stated as a hoax is the situation surrounding the phone.

Lets imagine for a moment that this is 100% legit...Explain this to me:

An aircraft is hijacked in midair by a government with ill intent. Is everyone on board a part of the conspiracy? Let's assume they arent since this particular individual managed to smuggle a photo out to the world. How long do you think the passengers had to realize that the plane was being taken over? Did commandos just leap up out of the seats and go all Pulp Fiction Intro? If they did, how did our man here get his iphone up his ass? Was he already in the lavatory?

Let's imagine for a moment that he was already in the lavatory and the Commandos DID just leap up and go all Pulp Fiction. What do you think his first reaction is going to be? Im sure that every single one of here would have the instantaneous gut reaction to cram a foreign object the size of a brick right up our backside... because thats exactly what anyone would do in a situation like that. Let's take it a step further.. WHY would his reaction be to stuff his phone up his rear end? Must be because he thinks he can use his phone later on. Sure that's reasonable.. but if that's the case why didnt he turn the GPS on so that he could be located?

IIRC Iphones use satellite GPS in concert with cellular towers to provide location data, which can be reversed to locate the phone itself. If thats the case, why wasnt the GPS turned on? Surely our guy must have known that the world would be looking for them, and that since he had the presence of mind to shove the phone into his rectum, he would have had the same mind to turn on the GPS?

Further to that, how did our guy protect the phone? He must have had some sandwich bags or plastic wrap handy in the lavatory to wrap the phone up so that it could be used later. Let's move on though.

How long do you think it took our hero to insert the phone into his rectum? A second or two? A minute? Several minutes? Now.. I dunno about you, but I seem to recall from highschool biology that the muscles surrounding the rectum apply an outward contraction and that because the sphincter is used for evacuation, the body's immediate response to insertion of objects is to tighten down.

Try taking a visit to the ER sometime on a ride along with paramedics.. talk to the doctors and nurses that remove foreign objects from rectums on a regular basis and ask them how their patients were feeling. You dont insert something the size of a brick up your keister without a LOT of discomfort, pain and tearing of the rectal tissue. So before you decide whether we're right or wrong "just because we say so..." remember that the vast majority of what we do here, is research. Familiarize yourself with Occam's Razor and the Scientific Method and inform yourself with a little research.

This is a really nice story, and it makes someone out to be a hero in a very bad situation, but the reality is.. if the plane is being taken over, you're not going to be relaxed enough to fit something THAT large up your ass in the time it takes for a man to walk down the aisle, open the door and yank your half naked butt out of the lav and toss you into a seat... or kill you.
 
Admin Edit by @Mick West: Since the entired theory rests on the claim is that the Exif data proves the location, this claim has been debunked by post #9, which demonstrates that Exif data can be easily changed.
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/de...photo-text-from-diego-garcia.3397/#post-98709


Material from the thread reproduced here for reference:

It's nonsense because it's so easy to fake GPS EXIF data. Here's the same "photo" with the EXIF moved to the Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas:




Since it's such a trivial thing to fake, and combined with the ridiculous narrative of smugging an iPhone 5 up his rectum, and the image being black (iPhone 5 has a flash) the only sensible conclusion is that this is a hoax.

The originally posted photo seems to have been clumsily faked using the free software "Picasa", which left an indication in the EXIF data, adds extra "Photoshop" metadata, and stores the GPS data in a different format.


OP Follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://jhaines6.wordpress.com/2014/...neer-successfully-dialed-out-of-diego-garcia/

MUST GO VIRAL. READ ALL OF THE FACTS BELOW LINK: Flight MH370 Co-ordinates to a remote island taken by a confirmed passenger of Malaysian Flight 370 named Philip Wood reveal what is known as a small island called Diego Garcia. The co-ordinates came from Philip's cellphone when he uploaded a black photo with a message claiming he himself is being held prisoner by unknown military.
Content from External Source

UNREPORTED FACTS REGARDING Flight MH370 and the United States Military Base Diego Garcia:

* Diego Garcia is a US Military island base in the Indian Ocean
* Diego Garcia has never been mentioned to the public
* Diego Garcia has a fully operational runway and Airport
* Diego Garcia is 2,142 miles from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
* The island was leased by Britain in 1966. It is due for renewal in 2014
* Diego Garcia flight co-ordinates were logged into the renown Pilot's Flight Plan Simulator
* The pilot's flight simulator has 'remote take-over' capabilities
* The data from the pilot's flight simulator has now been erased
* Flight MH370 was under 'suspicious cargo' surveillance by the GRU (Russian Main Intelligence)
* 20 of the passengers work for a company which specializes in futuristic warfare and technology
* Australian Military Radar Base: The Jindalee Operational Radar Network has the capabilities of detecting movements within a radius of 37,000km
* Malaysian authorities have pleaded with the US and Australia to release to them information from their top secret radar bases in Australia
* Island residents of the Maldives (647 miles north of Diego Garcia) reported seeing a huge low flying aircraft heading SOUTH which is the direction of Diego Garcia at 6.15am the morning after it 'disappeared' from radar
* The time of departure from Kuala Lumpur to the time of the plane's sighting is accurate
* The National Maldives Defence Force dismissed these eye witness accounts on the premise of no radar detection
* It is public knowledge that flight MH370 was not detectable, or had lost signal to radar
* Almost every member of the public had no idea there was an island in the Indian Ocean housing a US Military base and Airport before the above post was shared
* Diego Garcia has been completely dismissed from the International search, and completely dismissed from public investigative speculation
Content from External Source
This is so preposterous yet it's gone viral as so many are willing to believe it. I'm particularly sad about such conspiracy theories because of the effects it has on the relatives - such as told by Philip Woods partner Sarah Bajc here

I feel this CT merits a full debunk if possible. Unfortunately, I'm not experienced enough to do it alone so please, make it so?


So, Mick, you're saying that the U.S. government has secret teleportation technology and they've transported the prisoner from Diego Garcia to Fun City? We're through the looking glass here, people.

Really, just about anyone with a hex editor and a little time can modify exif data. Obvious hoax.

It's nonsense because it's so easy to fake GPS EXIF data. Here's the same "photo" with the EXIF moved to the Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas:




Since it's such a trivial thing to fake, the only sensible conclusion is that this is a hoax.
I'm curious to know the procedure for obtaining the exact latitude and longitude (down to hundredths of a second) for a building such as the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, or more importantly if you are planning a hoax, a particular building near the runways on Diego Garcia.
 
I'm curious to know the procedure for obtaining the exact latitude and longitude (down to hundredths of a second) for a building...

I don't believe it's all that difficult. Observe this Forum elsewhere discussing GPS coordinates and how to interpret them:

http://www.specialstage.com/forums/...-standard-display-for-GPS-LAT-LON-coordinates

Keep in mind that one second of latitude = just a little over 100 feet. (Based on the Nautical Mile length of 6,076 feet).
So, when in the vicinity (in one second of latitude), then tenths and hundredths are just "gravy". Also, recall that degrees/seconds of longitude vary with latitude, though equal at the Equator.
 
I don't believe it's all that difficult. Observe this Forum elsewhere discussing GPS coordinates and how to interpret them:

http://www.specialstage.com/forums/...-standard-display-for-GPS-LAT-LON-coordinates

Keep in mind that one second of latitude = just a little over 100 feet. (Based on the Nautical Mile length of 6,076 feet).
So, when in the vicinity (in one second of latitude), then tenths and hundredths are just "gravy". Also, recall that degrees/seconds of longitude vary with latitude, though equal at the Equator.
I'd add in
http://www.longitudestore.com/how-big-is-one-gps-degree.html
 
Most GIS software allows you to drop a pin on the map surface and the attributes of that marker will contain the coordinates. If you use Google Maps you can right click on any desired spot and you get a dialog. Select the 'What's Here" option and you'll get a little info widget with some information about the spot you clicked on, including the coordinates in digital degrees.
 
There is an apparent consensus among most contributors that the message was a fake, and plenty of reasons have been given. But my question is this - if a fake message was sent, why was it sent? If the theory of a human intervention and diversion to Diego Garcia is actually correct, perhaps it would serve the perpetrators' purposes to create a double bluff by deliberately circulating a hoax, so that this possibility is discredited?
 
There is an apparent consensus among most contributors that the message was a fake, and plenty of reasons have been given. But my question is this - if a fake message was sent, why was it sent? If the theory of a human intervention and diversion to Diego Garcia is actually correct, perhaps it would serve the perpetrators' purposes to create a double bluff by deliberately circulating a hoax, so that this possibility is discredited?
You're overthinking the motivations. It's pretty obvious that it was done for the lulz, and judging by the traffic it's generated, it's been a very successful troll. I'm sure the original hoaxer is having a grand time reading all of the message threads generated by his simple little fakery.
 
You're overthinking the motivations. It's pretty obvious that it was done for the lulz, and judging by the traffic it's generated, it's been a very successful troll. I'm sure the original hoaxer is having a grand time reading all of the message threads generated by his simple little fakery.
Perhaps I am ... but unless I missed something, I don't think I saw one previous post that considered the motive for the hoax. I think this was worth some thought in a couple of posts, and I'm glad you joined me in sharing your thoughts.
 
How on earth would this hoax discredit anything other than non-skeptics?
If the scenario in the message (i.e. a plane load of people imprisoned on Diego Garcia) was actually true - and I'm not saying it is - could it be useful for the perpetrators to send out the hoax message? The message then gets exposed as a hoax, so the scenario in the message is dismissed (discredited), even though it is true? Just a thought.
 
could it be useful for the perpetrators to send out the hoax message?
Are you seriously suggesting this "ruse" could in any way fool the investigation teams and intelligence services of all interested countries to stop them investigating the possibility?

Or are you asking if joe public might be fooled? Obviously that is possible but I doubt the people with resources and means to carry out such an elaborate plan would be so bothered by joe, would they?
 
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Are you seriously suggesting this "ruse" could in any way fool the intelligence services of all interested countries to stop them investigating the possibility?
No, I'm not seriously suggesting anything, just thinking through whether there might be any other motivation for the hoax other than the obvious one. But intelligence services have been known to fail. As for Joe, they might be interested in the general direction of public opinion, if that served their purposes.
 
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- if a fake message was sent, why was it sent?

As "Mark Barrington" already pointed out (Post #100) - on the Internet, anyone might think they're a 'comedian'. (Sometimes, their attempt at "humor" goes too far).

And, also as pointed out, this behavior can carry the moniker "troll". In fact, the term "troll" is evolving, even now......
 
As "Mark Barrington" already pointed out (Post #100) - on the Internet, anyone might think they're a 'comedian'. (Sometimes, their attempt at "humor" goes too far).

And, also as pointed out, this behavior can carry the moniker "troll". In fact, the term "troll" is evolving, even now......

I couldn't agree more, nothing funny about the whole situation.
 
Perhaps I am ... but unless I missed something, I don't think I saw one previous post that considered the motive for the hoax. I think this was worth some thought in a couple of posts, and I'm glad you joined me in sharing your thoughts.


If you go back and look maac, you'll see that several of us pointed out that the hoax was most likely perpetrated for "the lulz". Kinda have to be familiar with the people that inhabit certain dark corners of 4chan to really understand the motivation
 
If you go back and look maac, you'll see that several of us pointed out that the hoax was most likely perpetrated for "the lulz". Kinda have to be familiar with the people that inhabit certain dark corners of 4chan to really understand the motivation
I do accept that this is the most likely motive for the hoax, but was just considering if there might be an alternative motive, however unlikely. I agree that such a hoax done for laughs is appalling. I hope the mystery is solved soon, for the sake of relatives.
 
I completely agree with ya maac.. the unfortunate part is, I dont think there's any evidence to suggest anything other than lulziness. Would be nice if we were wrong.
 
Updated the OP with some info on iPhone EXIF editors, and how to fake the GPS undetectably using cut-and-paste in a hex editor.
 
You new to the internetz? This sort of thing has become a way of life for some people- quite a few of them, even. It's an entire sub-culture and it's not going away.
It kind of falls in with the fear porn. I'm reminded of a song.

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tool/vicarious.html
Eye on the TV
'cause tragedy thrills me
Whatever flavour
It happens to be like;
Killed by the husband
Drowned by the ocean
Shot by his own son
She used the poison in his tea
And kissed him goodbye
That's my kind of story
It's no fun 'til someone dies
Content from External Source
 
The theory continues to be pushed on this Facebook page. At this point I have to think he's just trolling, and I'll leave it at that.
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipWoodPost/posts/268476643327152?

Philip Wood Iphone Post
Yesterday at 4:31am ·
I just created the following website, which debunks all the Metabunk.org blogger arguments, which were used to dismiss the original photo posted at 4chan.org as a fake and have also added a Facebook Page Tab on my timeline to open up the website, which reads "Posted Photo is Authentic". The photo analysis shows that the photo was taken by an Iphone app like the Picasa Web Albums app and so it proves that the photo is authentic and hence the message was genuinely posted from Diego Garcia. If any readers of this timeline post, click on the Facebook Page Tab to open up the website, I recommend that when the website is opened up by Facebook in a frame, just right-click with your mouse inside the frame and choose the option in your browser to open up the frame in a new window. That way it will be more convenient to read through the entire page. If you concur with the analysis, I urge the readers to spread this fact far and wide on the internet.

https://sites.google.com/site/philipwoodpostreal/home


PhilipWoodPostReal
This page debunks the arguments put forth by Metabunk.org bloggers dismissing the photo possibly posted by missing MH370 passenger Philip Wood as fake and proves that photo posted is genuine. I am an independent researcher not...
SITES.GOOGLE.COM
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  • Mick West
    The Picasa web albums app on iPhone 5 includes altitude - as would any app on the iPhone. Your analysis does not prove it to be genuine. The main point is that GPS data is TRIVIAL to fake. In this case the GPSInfo subdir is in the exact same format as if fakes in Picasa, and does not match any other app.
    Like · Reply · 21 hours ago · Edited

    • Philip Wood Iphone Post
      Have you tried geo tagging the photo from within the Iphone 5 Web Albums app, after it was taken using the camera within the app? For that case the Web Albums app is expected to add the GPSInfo IFD entry, in the same 2 coordinate format, as the Picasa desktop software would, since both were likely developed by the same developers or at least designed by the same software architects, as Lars Perkins Picasa co-founder started Pixite LLC which develops the Web Albums app. The fact that the "Software" IFD entry contains the string 'Picasa' in it proves that the photo was taken using a Picasa-like app on Iphone 5 and the geo tag was added later, using the same app when the GPS signal was available. Also, you might have noticed that when a geo tag is added later using the desktop version of Picasa software, it adds the meta data containing the "Photoshop" string, after the first EOI marker (0xFFD9). However, in this posted photo, there is only one EOI marker at the end of the file and the "Photoshop" meta data is inserted before that.
      Like · 18 hours ago

    • Mick West
      The Web Albums app does not have a geo-tagging option. So all Web Albums uploads have the altitude, or no GPS data. So it's not that.
      Like · 18 hours ago

    • Mick West
      And you know you can simply edit the GPS data without changing anything else, right? This is a clumsy fake, nothing about it seems genuine.
      Like · 18 hours ago

    • Mick West
      I've posted binary identical files, with only the GPS modified. Here: https://www.metabunk.org/.../debunked-mh370-passenger.../
      Like · 17 hours ago

    • Mick West
      So if I can do it, then millions of people can, and certainly someone at 4chan can. So the photo proves absolutely nothing, and has all the signs of being fake.
      Like · 1 · 17 hours ago

    • Philip Wood Iphone Post
      You simply need to tap the 'New album' button in Web Albums, before entering the title, date, description, and location of the album you want to create.

      The locations you put in will be identified by Web Albums and saved in Google Maps to illustrate more precisely where they were taken. After uploading photos into the album you can copy the album link and send it to your friends and family for their amusement.
      Like · 16 hours ago

    • Philip Wood Iphone Post
      The above is how location info can be added later using the Iphone Web Albums app. This is from the following website: http://picasa.en.softonic.com/iphone
      Like · 16 hours ago

    • Mick West
      I don't see any such option in Web Albums (I have it on my iPhone). But what's your point anyway? That there are multiple ways it could have been faked?
      Like · 16 hours ago

    • Philip Wood Iphone Post
      Mick, I found differences in the "xmlns" tag which forms a part of the "Photoshop" meta data, after the photo was altered with Windows Picasa software and so this contradicts your belief that you posted "binary" identical files with only the GPS modified. Also, the "xmlns" tag used in the original photo conclusively proves that it was generated, along with the GPS info, on Iphone 5. Also, in the "Conclusions" section of the website I have added another bullet point which explains why it would be very hard to manually add the GPS coordinates for the building in Diego Garcia using any Iphone based software and why if the post was a hoax, it should not have been deleted from 4chan.org within few hours. Please check out the update on the website at the following link:https://sites.google.com/site/philipwoodpostreal/home...
      Like · 13 hours ago

    • Mick West
      But I did post binary identical files. Maybe you missed them. Two files with ONLY the GPS data modified.https://www.metabunk.org/sk/4ChanFake.jpg
      https://www.metabunk.org/sk/4ChanFakeUKGPS.jpg
      Like · 13 hours ago

    • Mick West
      It's an iPhone photo taken in the dark, that much is clear. Just the GPS has been edited. Probably not on the iPhone, that was just an example of the vast number of ways you could fake it.
      Like · 13 hours ago

    • Philip Wood Iphone Post
      Mick, I also posted the binary on my page with just the GPS data altered using Picasa, but that also resulted in the "xmlns" tag in the "Photoshop" metadata being altered by Picasa. Here is a link to the update http://bit.ly/Q53aSB. Please check your binaries again. The GPS coordinates in the photo were inserted using software running on the Iphone, because the XML namespace at purl.org used there is frequently used in IOS XML scripts. This had to be the GPS coordinates entered using the Iphone GPS signal, otherwise it is very hard to do it manually.
      Like · 12 hours ago

    • Mick West
      It's not hard at all, I just did it, as seen by te above two examples.
      Like · 9 hrs

    • Philip Wood Iphone Post
      Did you use Exif pilot? Here is a screenshot of the Exif GPS tab of Exif pilot, where it can be seen that there is an option to specify the Altitude, too: http://bit.ly/1sYZa5c. If the alleged hoaxer used it why would he miss out on entering the altitude? Also, in that case, how can the "Picasa" string and "Photoshop" meta data seen in the Exif data be explained? Say, the alleged hoaxer did go to great lengths to add/modify these fields. Then why would he delete the post from 4chan.org within hours of posting it. All the logical paths of reasoning point towards this post being authentic.
      Like · 7 hrs

    • Mick West
      There's no altitude because they used a program that did not have the altitude option. Picasa itself adds the "Picasa" and "Photoshop" strings - in almost exactly the same way as was seen here. Probably the image went through more than one program.

      If you still think it's genuine then there's nothing more I can do. Posting on 4chan is probably the most obvious reason to think it is fake, even if it were a binary perfect fake (which is not that hard to do).
      Like · 2 mins

    • Mick West
      And if you are so convinced it's genuine, then why are you hiding behind a pseudonym? If you really though the government was behind this, then they could obviously track you down regardless. So logic would seem to indicate that you don't think it is genuine, and that YOU are the creator of this hoax.
      Like · 42 secs
[updating this as more is added]
  • Philip Wood Iphone PostMick, the issue is that you refuse to acknowledge the real possibility that the posted message was genuine. Picasa inserts the "xmlns" tag in the meta data in a different format than what exists in the originally posted photo, which I have already explained via the update to my website at http://bit.ly/Q53aSB. Just because 4chan allows anonymous posts, without setting up a login account, does not necessarily make this message a fake. In fact, it is highly probable that using such a message board which allows anonymous posts was the only option Philip had, because as someone commented online, it is standard operating procedure for spy agencies like NSA/CIA to disable any login access to the online accounts of any prisoners being held at these top secret bases like Diego Garcia.
    Like · 23 mins

  • Mick West
    Sure, they would be able to disable thousands of accounts without anyone ever noticing, And yet they have open WiFi for the prisoners to use. Come on dude, you're just trolling now. Give it up.
    Like · 2 secs
Mick WestAnd the issue YOU seem to refuse to acknowledge is that it's quite easy to alter the GPS without altering any other data, as I showed in these two files:
https://www.metabunk.org/sk/4ChanFake.jpg
https://www.metabunk.org/sk/4ChanFakeUKGPS.jpg

Like · 2 secs

[update]

  • Mena CatieDon't give up.
    Like · April 14 at 1:30pm

  • Philip Wood Iphone Post
    Mick please explain how the meta tags corresponding to 'Picasa' "Software" IFD entry, IOP EXIF tag and the "xmlns" sequence seen in the Philip Wood photo can be generated by any alleged hoaxer. Please check out my latest update on my website athttp://bit.ly/P2Upr1, where the analysis shows that these tags can only be generated by an app like the Iphone Picasa web albums app.
    Like · Yesterday at 6:59am · Edited

  • Philip Wood Iphone Post
    Mick, BTW Philip could have used the Mobile Data connection on his Iphone to post the message. He did not necessarily have to use WiFi. Also, what you call trolling, I call that time taken to research all the facts and not come to a hasty and incorrect conclusion, unlike what you are doing.
    Like · Yesterday at 7:05am

  • Mick West
    The tags could have been generated in the exact same way as you suggest, and then the GPS modified in a hex editor, like I did. Notice my modified image has all the same tags, but the GPS data is in the UK.

    The tags don't make it "genuine" they just indicate a particular (unknown) series of apps that were used to edit the photo.
    Like · Yesterday at 8:37am

  • Philip Wood Iphone Post
    There is also the genuine possibility that these tags were just generated via the Iphone Web Albums app, when the image was saved and resized by Philip before being posted. That possibility cannot be ignored.
    Like · Yesterday at 9:46am

  • Mick West
    But it's vanishingly small, especially when you consider everything else that had to happen. Such as smuggling an iPhone 5 in his rectum, and sending such a silly sounding message, and posting it on 4Chan instead of just emailing or texting.
    Like · 23 hours ago

  • Philip Wood Iphone Post
    I don't agree. The chances are high that the posted message was genuine. If this was a hoax, why would the alleged hoaxer after going to great lengths to insert the fake GPS info into the photo by manually editing hex data, delete the message just few hours after posting it? As it has been reported on the internet, when these spy agencies like NSA/CIA hold a prisoner, they block all his online accounts and so it is not feasible to email or text.
    Like · 13 hours ago · Edited

  • Mick West
    If you don't want to post under your own name, then I can only assume you are trolling. Post under your own (verifiable) name, if you wish to continue this discussion.
    Like · 6 secs

  • [UPDATE April 17 2014]

  • Philip Wood Iphone Post
    Mick, you can assume as you wish, but that doesn't make it true. Let's just say that I am one of the millions of researchers from Silicon Valley with a background similar to yours. I would like to keep my identity private for obvious reasons, so as not to become the target of personal attacks by disinformation agents like you and people embedded in the spy agencies and at various levels in the government hierarchy who are trying to cover up the truth about MH370 landing in Diego Garcia. I created this facebook page, when I saw that the obvious possibility of this image being posted via Philip's Iphone Web Albums app was being deliberately dismissed, based on weak arguments like yours that the GPS coordinates could be inserted using Picasa, which I have proven wrong. Also, I somehow felt a connection to the consciousness of MH370 passengers, as if someone was trying to reach out to me for help. This is possibly a feeling similar to what Sarah has mentioned about in one of her CNN interviews. I called you a disinformation agent, since even though you claim to be a skeptic, you refuse to look at any possibility that Philip might have really posted this message and that the MH370 passengers may still be alive in captivity. A true skeptic looks at all possibilities. Maybe that is what the people who are funding your disinformation campaign want, i.e. to hide the truth and continue to keep MH370 passengers in captivity. If the plane was diverted to Diego Garcia to take care of any suspicious cargo (as has been speculated online) and that saved lives of people, then I think the spy agencies should release the passengers from captivity and come out in the open about it and then maybe history will still view them favorably. If they continue to hold the passengers captive, they will look no better than any fascist regime running a concentration camp.
    Like · 5 hrs

  • Mick West
    Well that just proves you are trolling, because if you thought your theory was correct, you would also realize that the CIA could very easily find out who you really were. So you obviously know there's nothing to it.
    Like · 22 secs


    • Mark Scott
      I love the loony paranoid conspiracy-theory rant, Philip Wood. Alex Jones would be proud.
      Like · 1 hr

    • Philip Wood Iphone Post
      Mick, I know my theory is correct and I have taken appropriate measures to ensure that I cannot be tracked. So, is the NSA/CIA funding your operation at Metabunk.org? You claim to be doing this on your own and have no donations link on your website. Also, I don't see anything about you being employed anywhere after you sold Neversoft to Activision. How do you get paid for dismissing the truth at Metabunk.org?
      Like · 12 mins

    • Mick West
      "Appropriate measures"? You suggest the the CIA can disable thousands of internet accounts worldwide and make a plane vanish, but they can't track you down? It's clear you are just trolling.
      It's also perfectly clear that it's easy to fake the GPS coordinates, and so the story is a hoax. That's really as far as any explanation need to go.
      I retired after leaving Neversoft. I debunk because it's interesting.
      Like · 2 secs
  • Philip Wood Iphone Post The spy agencies don't need to disable internet accounts worldwide. All that needs to be done is to use a firewall to block access to TCP ports used for secure access to accounts, like the HTTPS port 443 and that will block access to all accounts that use HTTPS. That is the most likely reason Philip posted on a message board like 4chan.org that doesn't use HTTPS.
    Like · 10 hrs · Edited

  • Mick West
    Right, so when you kidnap people, you only cut of their internet access a bit. So when they tell the entire world where they are, you can find the post and delete it a few days later.
    Like · 4 hrs

  • Philip Wood Iphone Post
    Original message was deleted within few hours after it was posted, not after few days.
    Like · 4 mins

  • Mick WestThe point still stands. Your proposed narrative and evidence are specious and ridiculous. You are either doing some extreme wishful thinking, or trolling.
Like · 2 secs


Content from External Source
 
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"All the logical paths of reasoning...." also includes an insertion of another kind involving a large rectangular iPhone and a small orifice. Perhaps this persona would be so kind as to carry out his own tests on that theory for completeness sake? And for it to be a more realistic test, perhaps have someone threatening his life while he/she attempts said insertion? It wouldn't surprise if retrieval would require some outside medical assistance.
 
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