History SchmuckBait / RealLife

* Inverted with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3--each console warns on the back that it will only accept one exact power voltage, usually the voltage where the [=PS3=] was originally sold in. [[http://www.eurogamer.net/forum_thread_posts.php?thread_id=68988 People who imported their [=PS3=] found that it's a sham, a [=PS3=] actually has a world-multi power supply board]]. Sony was most likely trying to discourage people from importing their consoles.

*** A recent bug in the UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} for [[UsefulNotes/{{Unix}} Linux]] package causes the package manager to ''uninstall all packages pertaining to the GUI subsystem''[[note]]Specifically, the [=XWindows=] subsystem[[/note]] when trying to install, triggering this failsafe. Linus Sebastian from WebVideo/LinusTechTips proceeds to show how much of a schmuck he is by following the instructions...

* Shortly after the launch of the UsefulNotes/XboxOne, an image spread around with instructions that supposedly enables backwards compatibility with UsefulNotes/Xbox360 games, by going into the developer console and changing the sandbox ID to "freezone.reboot". It actually sends the console into an infinite reset loop, effectively bricking it.

* By default, UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows hides extensions on files with known file types; many tech-adapt users strongly advise disabling this feature, because some viruses disguise themselves by masquerading as a multimedia file or document for example, such as ''song.mp3'' or ''important document.pdf'' ... which are actually executable files, i.e. the actual full filename is "''(filename)''.mp3'''.exe'''". Joel of WebVideo/{{Vinesauce}} had a field day with these in his "Windows 8 Destruction" video, the climax of which involves him [[http://youtu.be/d-vB8qdNSYc?t=11m16s opening up a file named "videoxxx.avi.exe"]] and discovering that it's ransomware that prevents his PC from booting unless he pays for an unlock code (fortunately, he was using a virtual machine). On the other hand, there were more benign examples involving fake music downloads (such as [[Music/SnoopDogg Gin and Juice.exe]], which amused him immensely), that installed an adware-laden download manager that didn't work.

* An unintentional example comes in the form of the cartridges for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. Since the cartridges are about the size of a US quarter, Nintendo had them coated with a bitter-tasting non-toxic additive (denatonium benzoate, to be exact) during the manufacturing process to discourage small children from trying to eat them. Naturally, a trend arose during the system's launch period in which an overwhelming number of ''grown adults'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjQefYbFFYo started licking the cartridges]][[BileFascination to see if it really was as bitter as others claimed]].

** One story goes that a manager received a spam email with an actual virus attachment. Fortunately, she contacted IT before clicking on it, who confirmed it was a virus. Unfortunately, she took the extra step of warning the rest of the company about this virus, forwarding the actual message with attached virus rather than a screenshot of it. [[HumansAreMorons You can probably guess what happened next...]]

%% Police also invoke this with free services for testing whether your illegal drugs are indeed the real deal. -<-- pill testing is a legitimate thing though?

* An engineer named Mark Rober has designed a device that takes the form of an electronics box to trick package theives during the holiday season, when package thefts become rampant. The device, when opened, shoots out glitter and makes sounds. He even adds some more features and tamper protections for each iteration. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c584TGG7jQ Version 4]] is given a feature in which it can open itself midtransit. The final version, [[https://youtu.be/iWeu2dxHRDg Version 5]], which Rober claims would be the last as his vigilante handiwork has caused a major drop in porch theft cases, added autonomous drones and doubles down on the fart spray.

* If you're going to the restaurant known as "The Crab Cooker," [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Don%27t_Look_Up_Here.jpg don't look up there.]] [[VisualPun It's a red herring]].

** In a similar vein, someone on your friends list might direct message you out of the blue telling you that they're developing a game and need you to test it out. ''This means someone has compromised your friend's account'', and they're preying on your desire to help out a friend and interest in playing some sick new video game that your friend personally worked on. If you click on the link for the allegend game (which will lead to a very suspicious-looking Blogspot blog), download the executable, and then run it, it will swipe your Discord credentials so that the hacker can use your account to repeat the process with someone else.

* Heart Attack Grill: It's as close to ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as it can be. It doesn't grill heart attacks, but it is themed around food which is known to cause them and other health problems. Among the delicacies are extra-large hamburgers (the smallest weigh half a pound[[note]]That's about 225 grams for metric folks[[/note]] and the largest run to two pounds[[note]]About a kilo.[[/note]], served with fries cooked in pure lard. It's themed as a hospital, with the staff being healthy "doctors" and "nurses" who serve to customers as "patients". And the food is named after health problems and surgeries (for instance, the burgers run from "Single Bypass" to "Quadruple Bypass" and the fries are called "Flatliner Fries"). And just to tempt people who are already at risk of cardiovascular diseases, customers who weigh over 350 pounds can eat for free after the staff verifies their weight. Two spokespeople have already died at ages 29 and 52, respectively. If you are still willing to eat there knowing all of this, which is ''very'' likely as the owner is as brutally honest about the food's capacity to kill you as can be...

* There's an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGxPR3HtUw4 infamous viral video]] cataloguing an incident in which Creator/{{Nintendo}}, a company notorious for issuing copyright takedown requests, asked on Website/{{Twitter}}, "What's your favourite piece of music from ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series?" Cue hundreds of users responding with Website/YouTube links to their favourite songs... and ''every single one of those videos'' getting taken down.

** Also, people who tell Windows users to delete "[=System32=]" because it'll greatly improve performance or display the Triforce from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda''. Windows usually prevents you from doing this however. If you're on an "Administrator" account, you can access the [=System32=] files just fine, but only after seeing a message saying something like "These files are hidden, and are required for proper operation of your computer." You can "okay" the message, but it doesn't actually ''stop'' you...

% Police also invoke this with free services for testing whether your illegal drugs are indeed the real deal. -<-- pill testing is a legitimate thing though?

* One form of assault on late-night drivers, particularly in rural areas on backroads, consists of setting up some sort of barricade on the road, made with something like a fallen tree branch, a [[PopTheTires spike strip]], or an animal carcass. [[BatmanGambit Less-savvy drivers will get out of the car and try to move the object(s) in question so they can continue on their merry way]]...only to be lethally attacked by someone who was waiting out of sight. A variant of this involves traffic cones so that the driver will assume it's some sort of checkpoint and wait for someone to approach. That someone will likely mug them or take their life.

* One form of assault on late-night drivers, particularly in rural areas on backroads, consists of setting up some sort of barricade on the road, made with something like a fallen tree branch, a [[PopTheTires spike strip]], or an animal carcass. Less-savvy drivers will get out of the car and try to move the object(s) in question so they can continue on their merry way...only to be lethally attacked by someone who was waiting out of sight. A variant of this involves traffic cones so that the driver will assume it's some sort of checkpoint and wait for someone to approach. That someone will likely mug them or take their life.

* In 2023, an urban legend began to spread around that in rural forested roads at night, one might find spike strips blocking the road. One might expect that they should just move the spike strips out of the way and continue on. However, in doing so, they would open themselves up to a lethal assault from someone waiting in the trees on the side of the road.