Rob
06-05-2013, 07:49 AM
CLEVELAND -- Sixteen-year-old Will Smidlein says he loves a challenge and he loves to take things apart.
So when Twitter's new video app Vine released an Android version Monday, he wanted to see how far he could push the app's strict time limits.
"I noticed something a little funny about how they were doing uploads a little different than how most do," explained Smidlein. "I actually reverse engineered how that app works. I figured out how the app talks to the server."
Vine users are usually limited to six-second videos, but Smidlein managed to crack the app's code and posted a three and a half minute YouTube clip of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."
"I did the RickRoll and within a couple minutes, I had a friend of a friend who works at Twitter engineering contact me and nicely asked me if I could take it down because it's kind of embarrassing," said Smidlein.
RickRoll is a term used to reference any time someone on the web, or in other situations in recent years, is unknowingly redirected to a performance of singer Rick Astley's 1980s viral hit.
"I was mortified because I was afraid that the engineers would be called out looking kind of silly," he further explained.
Smidlein says he apologized for trouble he caused Twitter engineers, but hasn't ruled out whether or not he'll perform another RickRoll.
"We'll see," laughed Smidlein.
The rising junior who already has years of experience with web coding leaves Sunday to start an internship with a tech startup company in California.
WKYC-TV
So when Twitter's new video app Vine released an Android version Monday, he wanted to see how far he could push the app's strict time limits.
"I noticed something a little funny about how they were doing uploads a little different than how most do," explained Smidlein. "I actually reverse engineered how that app works. I figured out how the app talks to the server."
Vine users are usually limited to six-second videos, but Smidlein managed to crack the app's code and posted a three and a half minute YouTube clip of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."
"I did the RickRoll and within a couple minutes, I had a friend of a friend who works at Twitter engineering contact me and nicely asked me if I could take it down because it's kind of embarrassing," said Smidlein.
RickRoll is a term used to reference any time someone on the web, or in other situations in recent years, is unknowingly redirected to a performance of singer Rick Astley's 1980s viral hit.
"I was mortified because I was afraid that the engineers would be called out looking kind of silly," he further explained.
Smidlein says he apologized for trouble he caused Twitter engineers, but hasn't ruled out whether or not he'll perform another RickRoll.
"We'll see," laughed Smidlein.
The rising junior who already has years of experience with web coding leaves Sunday to start an internship with a tech startup company in California.
WKYC-TV