Use pirated software, watch your PocketPC get a hard-reset and lose all of its data

[NFS4]

On Piracy and Malicious Responses...

 

[chuckywang]

heh, ActiveSync can restore all your apps in less than a minute.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: chuckywang
heh, ActiveSync can restore all your apps in less than a minute.

Activesync is not going to restore your personal data unless you've done a recent backup (and no one backs up with Activesync...it's too friggen slow).

 

[BullyCanadian]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: chuckywang
heh, ActiveSync can restore all your apps in less than a minute.

Activesync is not going to restore your personal data unless you've done a recent backup (and no one backs up with Activesync...it's too friggen slow).

Me and a couple of people I know back up using active sync about every two days...

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: chuckywang
heh, ActiveSync can restore all your apps in less than a minute.

Activesync is not going to restore your personal data unless you've done a recent backup (and no one backs up with Activesync...it's too friggen slow).

That's what a CF or SD card is for.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: chuckywang
heh, ActiveSync can restore all your apps in less than a minute.

Activesync is not going to restore your personal data unless you've done a recent backup (and no one backs up with Activesync...it's too friggen slow).

That's what a CF or SD card is for.

Regardless, this is a rather interesting way to deal with thieves

 

[TitanDiddly]

They shouldn't be pirating software, but the software creators don't have the right to kill all your data.

 

[TravisT]

I don't really like the idea of people having access to remove my data for any reason. I pay for the device, I should have the right to put anything on there I want. If it is illegal software, call the police, don't just erase my data. Thats the way i feel *shrug*

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
They shouldn't be pirating software, but the software creators don't have the right to kill all your data.

There's too much chance of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

 

[hevnsnt]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
They shouldn't be pirating software, but the software creators don't have the right to kill all your data.

There's too much chance of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Been waitin awhile to throw that one in there have ya? 😛

 

[40Hands]

Agreed. I wont buy a device that threatens to reset my data. I don't care what the reason is, I paid for the damn thing.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: BroeBo
Agreed. I wont buy a device that threatens to reset my data. I don't care what the reason is, I paid for the damn thing.

It's the pirated software that resets your device...

 

[mrCide]

dumbest thing ever. it's like if someone stole from the store, then the managers went back to that persons house and burned it down. bit extreme but thats the message the developer is sending, and its a stupid one.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: BroeBo
Agreed. I wont buy a device that threatens to reset my data. I don't care what the reason is, I paid for the damn thing.

the device itself doesnt threaten you its the software on the device which you would download illegaly and install on that device.

 

[thirdlegstump]

Outrageous. Everyone uses pirated software as it is the current trend in fashion and business. They shouldn't have the right to do that kind of stuff you know?

 

[Anonemous]

/waits for false positives to appear even though the author says he only checks for one number

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: BroeBo
Agreed. I wont buy a device that threatens to reset my data. I don't care what the reason is, I paid for the damn thing.

the device itself doesnt threaten you its the software on the device which you would download illegaly and install on that device.

Not really, did you read the article at all? It's not downloaded software, its the key that triggers the code in the legal software.

"After reading this thread at Aximsite where users complain about hard resets invoked by Pocket Mechanic I thought to shed some light on Anton Tomov's crude ways of dealing with software pirates...Use a pirated or blacklisted serial with Pocket Mechanic, Pocket Mechanic will detect it, and send your PDA with all its lovely content to Nirvana land."

"Anton has posted a clarification on his forums. He states that the code does check for one specific widely-distributed pirated serial number (although he doesn't clarify what it does in that case), and that the entry of an "invalid" serial will not cause a hard reset."

So imagine I buy a device legally. Somehow the code gets into public domain, either before I bough the device, or perhaps it's key-gened. Code gets on black list. Later I reinstall, enter legal, bad code, device is erased.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: BroeBo
Agreed. I wont buy a device that threatens to reset my data. I don't care what the reason is, I paid for the damn thing.

the device itself doesnt threaten you its the software on the device which you would download illegaly and install on that device.

Not really, did you read the article at all? It's not downloaded code, its the key that triggers the code in the legal software.

"After reading this thread at Aximsite where users complain about hard resets invoked by Pocket Mechanic I thought to shed some light on Anton Tomov's crude ways of dealing with software pirates...Use a pirated or blacklisted serial with Pocket Mechanic, Pocket Mechanic will detect it, and send your PDA with all its lovely content to Nirvana land."

"Anton has posted a clarification on his forums. He states that the code does check for one specific widely-distributed pirated serial number (although he doesn't clarify what it does in that case), and that the entry of an "invalid" serial will not cause a hard reset."

So imagine I buy a device legally. Somehow the code gets into public domain, either before I bough the device, or perhaps it's key-gened. Code gets on black list. Later I reinstall, enter legal, bad code, device is erased.

No, you didn't read the article 🙂

The hardware (i.e.e the PocketPC) has nothing to do with this...it has nothing to do with you buying a PocketPC legally.

It has everything to do with you installing Pocket Mechanic and using this ONE serial number that has been widely distributed on the Internet (think Windows XP and FCKGW). If you enter in that serial number, it will hard reset your device.

 

[Kenazo]

He should have the right to self destruct his software if it's pirated, but to take down the entire system is a it extreme.

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: chuckywang
heh, ActiveSync can restore all your apps in less than a minute.

Activesync is not going to restore your personal data unless you've done a recent backup (and no one backs up with Activesync...it's too friggen slow).

That's what a CF or SD card is for.

Regardless, this is a rather interesting way to deal with thieves

I hope the US justice will decide that deleting user's data is wrong (and back that up with some millions USD taken from the account of the ones that delete your data.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
He should have the right to self destruct his software if it's pirated, but to take down the entire system is a it extreme.

...and I would imagine, opens the developer up to lawsuits.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: BroeBo
Agreed. I wont buy a device that threatens to reset my data. I don't care what the reason is, I paid for the damn thing.

the device itself doesnt threaten you its the software on the device which you would download illegaly and install on that device.

Not really, did you read the article at all? It's not downloaded code, its the key that triggers the code in the legal software.

"After reading this thread at Aximsite where users complain about hard resets invoked by Pocket Mechanic I thought to shed some light on Anton Tomov's crude ways of dealing with software pirates...Use a pirated or blacklisted serial with Pocket Mechanic, Pocket Mechanic will detect it, and send your PDA with all its lovely content to Nirvana land."

"Anton has posted a clarification on his forums. He states that the code does check for one specific widely-distributed pirated serial number (although he doesn't clarify what it does in that case), and that the entry of an "invalid" serial will not cause a hard reset."

So imagine I buy a device legally. Somehow the code gets into public domain, either before I bough the device, or perhaps it's key-gened. Code gets on black list. Later I reinstall, enter legal, bad code, device is erased.

No, you didn't read the article 🙂

The hardware (i.e.e the PocketPC) has nothing to do with this...it has nothing to do with you buying a PocketPC legally.

It has everything to do with you installing Pocket Mechanic and using this ONE serial number that has been widely distributed on the Internet (think Windows XP and FCKGW). If you enter in that serial number, it will hard reset your device.

😱 I got that part.

However, one key today... FCKGW, isn't the only key on that list for example. I just don't see the reason for the mechanics in the legal software. It's also potentially exploitable.

You prove my point, FCKGW *was* a valid key at one time. If the legal owner didn't know it was available everywhere and reinstalled, they'd be screwed.

edit:

Originally posted by: Kenazo
He should have the right to self destruct his software if it's pirated, but to take down the entire system is a it extreme.

I agree, he can destroy the software, but not the data. It opens him to liability cliams on the data, even from pirates. He doesn't own the data, and is destroying it. Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[PowerMac4Ever]

I think it's hilarious... mad props to the developer

 

[Anonemous]

I wonder if the sales will increase/decrease when customers find out their program has a self destruct code contained within it that can be triggered by the whim of the developer.

 

[fs5]

developers should NEVER do this. They do not have the right to reset anybody's device. In fact it could be viewed as a virus/trojan/malicious code... techincally he can be sued for distributing it.