Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!

So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.

I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
and will never buy anything from this guy again.

Recommend all of you do the same.

More info with technical details here:
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Chill out - I read it got removed in the latest version

"David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
newsQ11BalEFHA.1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
> if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!
>
> So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
> or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
> without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
> Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
> wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.
>
> I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
> and will never buy anything from this guy again.
>
> Recommend all of you do the same.
>
> More info with technical details here:
> http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

If this guy EVER put code like that into his programs, how can I ever trust
him?

Thanks, David for the heads up.

"Jabba" <cymry2002@notmail.com> wrote in message
news:z7_Pd.160602$K7.118025@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> Chill out - I read it got removed in the latest version
>
> "David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
> newsQ11BalEFHA.1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> > Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
> > if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!
> >
> > So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
> > or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
> > without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
> > Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
> > wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.
> >
> > I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
> > and will never buy anything from this guy again.
> >
> > Recommend all of you do the same.
> >
> > More info with technical details here:
> > http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Will T wrote:
> If this guy EVER put code like that into his programs, how can I ever
> trust him?
>

Agreed.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Reply to message from "Will T" <unknown@nowhere.net> (Mon, 14 Feb 2005 07:
35:03) about ""Re: WARNING: Pocket Mechanic - malicious software!"":

> If this guy EVER put code like that into his programs, how can I ever
> trust him?

My thoughts exactly. Authors of maliciousware (purposely) should not ever
be supported.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Piracy, even in our little P/PC world, is a big problem. While I can
understand the motivation behind this tactic, it is a bit heavy handed IMO.


--
Clinton Fitch
Senior Editor / Owner
Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com!
http://www.clintonfitch.com

A Pocket PC Magazine "Best Site" for Pocket PC Reviews!


"David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
newsQ11BalEFHA.1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
> if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!
>
> So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
> or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
> without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
> Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
> wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.
>
> I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
> and will never buy anything from this guy again.
>
> Recommend all of you do the same.
>
> More info with technical details here:
> http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Well, I appreciate the information. It shows an underlying attitude of
the company that could re-appear in some other 'feature' in the future
in the future and cause serious- you could call it malicious- data
loss. What other software does this publisher create? If they have
added deliberate malicious code n one piece of software there is every
chance it lies in *all* of their software.
I don't think they seem to have users foremost in their attitude. Why
could they not have disabled their own program- but a whole machine?
That is malicious and unjustifiable under these circumstances.

Old versions may be still kicking around for download too, many people
could have downloaded the malicious version on their hard drive- even
if their are new versions- it is still possible for this to affect
peoples data.

OP: Thank you very much for the warning. There are plenty of other
pitfalls you can come across while owning a pda without company's
deliberately adding to them.






"Jabba" <cymry2002@notmail.com> wrote in message
news:z7_Pd.160602$K7.118025@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
| Chill out - I read it got removed in the latest version
|
| "David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
| newsQ11BalEFHA.1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
| > Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
| > if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!
| >
| > So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
| > or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
| > without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
| > Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
| > wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.
| >
| > I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
| > and will never buy anything from this guy again.
| >
| > Recommend all of you do the same.
| >
| > More info with technical details here:
| > http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232
|
|

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Reply to message from "alan smith" <alan@REMOVEmral.fsnet.co.uk> (Mon, 14
Feb 2005 08:58:26) about ""Re: WARNING: Pocket Mechanic - malicious
software!"":

> What other software does this publisher create? If they have added
> deliberate malicious code n one piece of software there is every chance
> it lies in *all* of their software.

This is a listing of their products. I would suggest that a person check
their device and act accordingly - most developers tend to reuse libraries.
In a word, I would not trust any of the below without an official statement
from omegaone:



All Pocket PC software Battery Pack Pro
Journal Bar
Journal Bar Exp Pack
1-Calc
1-Calc Expansion Pack
1-Pass
Typango
Dominoes & Checkers
Pocket Mechanic
Calendar Bar
IP Dashboard
Pocket Hack Master


> "Jabba" <cymry2002@notmail.com> wrote in message news:z7_Pd.
> 160602$K7.118025@news-server. bigpond.net.au...
> | Chill out - I read it got removed in the latest version
> |
> | "David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
> | newsQ11BalEFHA.
> 1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
| >> Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA if
| >> it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!

| >> So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number, or your
| >> serial number is stolen and gets published on the web without your
| >> knowledge (which will get it blacklisted) Pocket Mechanic will
| >> intentionally hard reset your PDA wiping out all your data, no
| >> warning, no explanation.

| >> I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC and will never buy
| >> anything from this guy again.

| >> Recommend all of you do the same.

| >> More info with technical details here: http://www.mobileread.com/
| >> forums/ showthread.php?t=3232
> |
> |

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

Heavy handed, and worth mentioning that it was *one* phony serial # that
would cause the hard reset.
I'm sure developers get tired of warez hackers ripping them off, but there
have to be better ways of dealing with theives.

"Clinton Fitch (Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com!)"
<management@NOTHANKIEclintonfitch.com> wrote in message
news:e58m9gpEFHA.624@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Piracy, even in our little P/PC world, is a big problem. While I can
> understand the motivation behind this tactic, it is a bit heavy handed
IMO.
>
>
> --
> Clinton Fitch
> Senior Editor / Owner
> Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com!
> http://www.clintonfitch.com
>
> A Pocket PC Magazine "Best Site" for Pocket PC Reviews!
>
>
> "David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
> newsQ11BalEFHA.1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> > Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
> > if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!
> >
> > So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
> > or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
> > without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
> > Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
> > wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.
> >
> > I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
> > and will never buy anything from this guy again.
> >
> > Recommend all of you do the same.
> >
> > More info with technical details here:
> > http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

xTenn wrote:
> Reply to message from "alan smith" <alan@REMOVEmral.fsnet.co.uk>
> (Mon, 14 Feb 2005 08:58:26) about ""Re: WARNING: Pocket Mechanic -
> malicious software!"":
>
>> What other software does this publisher create? If they have added
>> deliberate malicious code n one piece of software there is every
>> chance it lies in *all* of their software.
>
> This is a listing of their products. I would suggest that a person
> check their device and act accordingly - most developers tend to
> reuse libraries. In a word, I would not trust any of the below
> without an official statement from omegaone:
>
>
>
> All Pocket PC software Battery Pack Pro
> Journal Bar
> Journal Bar Exp Pack
> 1-Calc
> 1-Calc Expansion Pack
> 1-Pass
> Typango
> Dominoes & Checkers
> Pocket Mechanic
> Calendar Bar
> IP Dashboard
> Pocket Hack Master
>
>

Ironically, Journal Bar has been reported as causing significant problems
with VGA Pocket PCs due to it's (suspected) ill use of memory...

Martin

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

"Nitram" <martin@scotland.org> wrote in message
news:4210cad2$0$4969$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
| xTenn wrote:
| > Reply to message from "alan smith" <alan@REMOVEmral.fsnet.co.uk>
| > (Mon, 14 Feb 2005 08:58:26) about ""Re: WARNING: Pocket Mechanic -
| > malicious software!"":
| >
| >> What other software does this publisher create? If they have added
| >> deliberate malicious code n one piece of software there is every
| >> chance it lies in *all* of their software.
| >
| > This is a listing of their products. I would suggest that a person
| > check their device and act accordingly - most developers tend to
| > reuse libraries. In a word, I would not trust any of the below
| > without an official statement from omegaone:
| >
| >
| >
| > All Pocket PC software Battery Pack Pro
| > Journal Bar
| > Journal Bar Exp Pack
| > 1-Calc
| > 1-Calc Expansion Pack
| > 1-Pass
| > Typango
| > Dominoes & Checkers
| > Pocket Mechanic
| > Calendar Bar
| > IP Dashboard
| > Pocket Hack Master
| >
| >
|
| Ironically, Journal Bar has been reported as causing significant
problems
| with VGA Pocket PCs due to it's (suspected) ill use of memory...
|
| Martin
|
|

An additional point to my earlier post- only one user *thinks* that the
malicious intent was removed from the software, no disrespect to that
person but I really think that the phrase 'Chill out - I read it got
removed in the latest version' hardly warrants anyone 'chilling out'
about this 'feature'. Think does not mean has.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

It is ridiculous even if this is the case. All he has to do is disable
*his* program if a pirated registration number is detected. The
approach is ridiculously overhand. I certainly won't be using his
software since he obviously has a ridiculously strong vindictive
streak. He has no right to destroy peoples diary events as just one
example- this could mean missed appointments, lost revenue, possibly
serious consequences if a hospital appointment is lost.

The guy deserves no further support for his business.



"Jeff Hansman" <jhansman@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:HW3Qd.4894$ZZ.2567@newssvr23.news.prodigy.net...
| Heavy handed, and worth mentioning that it was *one* phony serial #
that
| would cause the hard reset.
| I'm sure developers get tired of warez hackers ripping them off, but
there
| have to be better ways of dealing with theives.
|
| "Clinton Fitch (Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com!)"
| <management@NOTHANKIEclintonfitch.com> wrote in message
| news:e58m9gpEFHA.624@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
| > Piracy, even in our little P/PC world, is a big problem. While I
can
| > understand the motivation behind this tactic, it is a bit heavy
handed
| IMO.
| >
| >
| > --
| > Clinton Fitch
| > Senior Editor / Owner
| > Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com!
| > http://www.clintonfitch.com
| >
| > A Pocket PC Magazine "Best Site" for Pocket PC Reviews!
| >
| >
| > "David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
| > newsQ11BalEFHA.1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
| > > Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
| > > if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!
| > >
| > > So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
| > > or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
| > > without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
| > > Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
| > > wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.
| > >
| > > I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
| > > and will never buy anything from this guy again.
| > >
| > > Recommend all of you do the same.
| > >
| > > More info with technical details here:
| > > http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232
| >
| >
|
|

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc (More info?)

If this publisher had/is iintentionally destroying data through reseting
PPCs then they deserved to be sued. Data represents time, money and effort
behind someone's work. Just as the publisher deserves to be compensated for
their work so does anyone else that theymay have harmed.

"alan smith" <alan@REMOVEmral.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cuqc6g$avh$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Well, I appreciate the information. It shows an underlying attitude of
> the company that could re-appear in some other 'feature' in the future
> in the future and cause serious- you could call it malicious- data
> loss. What other software does this publisher create? If they have
> added deliberate malicious code n one piece of software there is every
> chance it lies in *all* of their software.
> I don't think they seem to have users foremost in their attitude. Why
> could they not have disabled their own program- but a whole machine?
> That is malicious and unjustifiable under these circumstances.
>
> Old versions may be still kicking around for download too, many people
> could have downloaded the malicious version on their hard drive- even
> if their are new versions- it is still possible for this to affect
> peoples data.
>
> OP: Thank you very much for the warning. There are plenty of other
> pitfalls you can come across while owning a pda without company's
> deliberately adding to them.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Jabba" <cymry2002@notmail.com> wrote in message
> news:z7_Pd.160602$K7.118025@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> | Chill out - I read it got removed in the latest version
> |
> | "David" <david@nospam.com> wrote in message
> | newsQ11BalEFHA.1932@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> | > Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic intentionally hard resets your PDA
> | > if it thinks you are using pirated copy of his software!
> | >
> | > So if you mistype a letter while entering serial number,
> | > or your serial number is stolen and gets published on the web
> | > without your knowledge (which will get it blacklisted)
> | > Pocket Mechanic will intentionally hard reset your PDA
> | > wiping out all your data, no warning, no explanation.
> | >
> | > I have removed Pocket Mechanic from my Pocket PC
> | > and will never buy anything from this guy again.
> | >
> | > Recommend all of you do the same.
> | >
> | > More info with technical details here:
> | > http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3232
> |
> |
>
>