DSTT cracks down on fakes

[Bri]

DSTT has announced on their website that a future version of their firmware will destroy fake DSTT's, and possibly your microSD card. They even have a video demonstrating their "fake-killer" firmware.

Information on the DSTT website: http://ndstt.com/english/anti_fake_en.htm
Video of "fake-killer" in action (thanks TrolleyDave): http://tinyurl.com/59z33r
YouTube version of the video (thanks PharaohsVizier): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww2St8fpZXU
GBATemp discussion: http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=104425

-Bri

 

[DeMoN]

Funny how only the crappy flash cards do this.

 

[Fakie!]

What's so crappy about DSTT? From what I know, it has a great team behind it and the card it's VERY decent, considering its price. It does have a few issues, but it does the job, and very well I'd say. I had a DSTT before my AK2, and I used to like it a lot.

 

[noONE]

a video of it? i'd liked to see that, only 3-4h left downloading it..
(it's 40MB, and goes at like 2KB/s.. please someone who got it, upload it somewhere else..)

 

[Minox]

This got me wondering, what will happen to Scds1:s running newer DSTT firmwares?

 

[Pendor]

This got me wondering, what will happen to Scds1:s running newer DSTT firmwares?

Or ysmenu..

 

[kobykaan]

a video of it? i'd liked to see that, only 3-4h left downloading it..
(it's 40MB, and goes at like 2KB/s.. please someone who got it, upload it somewhere else..)

THERES another link in the other thread

watched it and it shows 5 fake cards getting nuked by whatever firmware is next!

but at the minute they are just using a program that checks if its fake or real and that's what nukes the card apparently ??

 

[Bri]

a video of it? i'd liked to see that, only 3-4h left downloading it..
(it's 40MB, and goes at like 2KB/s.. please someone who got it, upload it somewhere else..)

I've added a link in the OP to the video (thanks to TrolleyDave for downloading and posting it).

QUOTE(Minox_IX @ Sep 10 2008, 06:30 PM) This got me wondering, what will happen to Scds1:s running newer DSTT firmwares?

Or ysmenu..

Nothing should happen with YSMenu running on a non-fake DSTT. Since YSMenu uses the official DSTT loader, YSMenu presumably would nuke a SCDS1 if the official firmware does.

-Bri

 

[Joe88]

I doubt it nukes from the video
if you get a check its good, if not = fake

 

[Bri]

If we are to believe their description on the website of the video, the video clearly shows the "fake-killer" nuking the fake DSTTs. The first time it's run, the user gets an "X" for a fake. Then when it's restarted it doesn't boot up at all (it whitescreens). With the real DSTTs, the user gets a "check" every time it's restarted.

-Bri

 

[Monkey01]

Great idea to increase sales! When an user bricks his DSTT because he didn't know it was a fake one, he'll surely look carefully and buy a genuine one... ^o) Or just buy another brand's one without the risks ofcourse.

What were they thinking? Now nobody is going to risk buying a DSTT if there are others likely priced without having the risk of having it bricked by an update.

Not allowing to update on fake devices so limiting it to it's default firmware is okay to protect your work, but destroying the cart and the tf with it isn't targeting people who purposedly buyed a fake one, only the ones accidentaly doing so and not checking these vid's...

 

[jalaneme]

one worrying thing about this is hackers will find a way to brick other flash carts, it's only a matter of time, it dosn't help that there are a lot of fakes out there now.

 

[Bri]

Somehow I doubt they'll ever add this into the actual firmware (assuming it actually works and the whole thing isn't just a scare tactic -- it's possible that the video shows some software that just corrupts the microSD card or deletes the firmware). I think they're just doing it to scare people into buying the real thing due to concern that they might add it to a future firmware.

-Bri

 

[Normmatt]

In some of those cards it looks like they corrupt the boot rom, but in others it looks like they just remove the firmware from the microsd

 

[cory1492]

Yep, I think such a "scare" real or not will impact sales to the negative.

Makes me wonder if the TTDS (neo) I had before DSTT went on any global market is "real." It certainly doesn't have either of the fake or the real markings they are claiming on their site, instead it says "D S T F 1" in the microSD slot indent (though the dashes look right they are much farther in.)

 

[Bri]

I believe the TTDS is legitimate because it came out at the same time as the DSTT. I think Team Neo probably had a deal with NDSTT to sell the repackaged DSTT as the TTDS.

At one time, Team Neo was getting the firmware from the NDSTT team (their updates would come out a few days after the DSTT ones and would be identical except for the skin and the website address in the menu). But now the TTDS firmware on the Neo site is several versions behind and doesn't appear to be updated, so maybe their deal with NDSTT has expired.

I don't know if the hardware of the TTDS is identical to the DSTT though, and therefore it is unclear whether the "fake-killer" will destroy a TTDS.

-Bri

 

[kobykaan]

I don't know if the hardware of the TTDS is identical to the DSTT though, and therefore it is unclear whether the "fake-killer" will destroy a TTDS.

-Bri

with the initial first run cards YES IDENTICAL apart from stickers ... but since the fakes ... NO IDEAS check the images in the fakes threads to check

 

[cory1492]

Well, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a "first run card" if not a proto - I got the thing through Dr.neo (thanks again!) back before they were in stock anywhere.

I'll ask, mention this thread as well. Fakes aren't a good thing, but not being able to tell (or getting caught not knowing about such a problem) is not a good thing either.

 

[Bri]

According to the NDSTT website, you can send them a picture to [email protected] and they'll tell you if it's real or fake.

-Bri

 

[cory1492]

Thanks Bri, got (conflicting) replies...

the neo ttds is 100% original,don't worry be kill.QUOTE("DSTT ")NEO? fake absolutely

I'll go out on a limb here and suggest there is some 'political' shadiness surrounding both comments (or I could put on my paranoia hat and say that both comments come from the same source and someone is pulling my virtual leg - it wouldn't be the first time neo has done so.) If I hear anything else, I'll post back - until the software they show in their vid becomes an actual public nuisance it's all moot from the customers point of view.

I do, though, think such an announcement shoots all TT branded products in the foot (original or otherwise):

-if I had one and it turned out to be a fake and bricks due to intentionally placed malicious code - like hell I'd replace it with another one official or otherwise, there are definitely no shortage of competing products.
-if I'm looking for a new card and became aware of any 'team' that even threatens to place such code, I'd avoid them - 'like the plague.'
-that doesn't even touch intentionally placed code that misfires on out of tolerance (aged, well used) original product possibly damaging an SD card in the process - that video looks like all relatively brand new carts to me.

If anything, they really should just make a detector without any sort of damaging code and at the most have it halt their own loader software on such a detection. Honest retailers could then test their stock to avoid distributors with fake product and customers can test their product to expose shady resellers who take clone price over original quality.

Thus, if it's just a scare tactic all this announcement is going to really do is lose sales to competitors.