Buying Phones. Can We Trust... - General Questions and Answers

How many times have we struggled to find a phone at a decent price. Only to find it on some random website which we are not 100% sure about. So I thought I might start this thread.
I'm hoping if you post a website that you found a phone on someone else might be able to help you out and tell you weather it's safe or not.
Of course use your common sense if it has not http:/ or https and no SLC certificate don't even bother posting because I imagine you will get called an idiot.
I thought I would also write a few guidelines to look at, what to look for and how to know if the website is fake.
(I'm not sure if this has been done before, if it has been then I'll remove it)

It Goes without saying always buy from reputable companies. This is mearly a helping hand, to separate the wheat from the... Bad wheat.
1. Does the website have a SLC certificate. And a valid one at that. This basically is a safe for your card details.
If no, the don't even entertain the idea.
2. Is there a https or a http.
Again, no? Don't even think about it
3. If possible to check, is it hosted by a reputable company.
At least this way, if anyone else has been done by the company they will make sure this website can't be rehosted to stop scaming, if it's not, you have no protection, remove thine self from the site.
4. Is there any links or deals linked to external websites? For example does the website have an special deals available from reputable voucher websites like wowcher.
4.a If yes can verify it on the voucher companies website.
This means people use this site, and also if they have voucher codes on check outs try see if you can find any for the check out online.
5. Does the website look well made.
Does it look like it's been bodged, stolen, quickly thrown togeather or built with low resolution pictures.
6. Are there any policy's, returns and terms and conditions
Again this is important, these need to be present.
7. Is there a contact number, email address or address of the company.
7a. Perhaps research the location, does anything come up? Do you get a reply from the email. Can you get hold of the number?
Although this is not a sure fire way of making sure the company is legit, it is very helpful to know the company has a Base of operations. And the map doesn't point to some blokes back garden. And if it's a block of offices you can check, as by law, they are displaying the company's who have been or are Based at said address.
8. Are there any reviews about the website and its services.
8a. Do the people who reviewed the site only have a single review? Or multiple.
I know reviews are helpful, but very often you'll find 5-6 people have reviewed a website and its services but often the people might have only one review to their name. So take the reviews with a pinch of salt.
I hope this helps anyone. If your not 100% confident walk away, it's not worth it, pay the extra and just get it else where. But if you are going to buy from a site, use a credit card, and make sure your bank has a active fraud squad team. This will give you some security.
ALSO! Understand You purchase from websites at your own risk.

Related

someone selling xda-developers free software @ handango!!!!!!

Hi all,
i was googling for tweakui and came a result from handango.com => http://www.handango.com/SoftwareCat...Id=2&N=96806+4294910762&showBreadCrumbs=false
Check this guy is selling the tools he got free here at xda-devs.
the people who made the soft should do something about it...
I've just written to Handango. Please write to them to and get this thief off their books.
I have noticed that your vendor T.N Vietaus Trade (Australia) is selling a number of illegal (ie pirated or stolen IP) products, including Microsoft ROMs for Windows Mobile phones.
Also, he is reselling free products written by members of the xda developers forum at a significant mark up, free software for example being sold for $49.99.
Please ask this vendor to remove this software, or remove it for him.
Kind regards,
vijay555 (moderator at xda-developers.com)
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V
What a ****en Lame ass *****. THat is just the lowest you can go to, selling stuff that is offered to us here for free. **** him, ive written to them also to get this ***** from selling stuff on there. Good eye and thanks for making everyone aware of this.
I've sent handago an email as well. Keep the emails going.
what is the email?
Found the HQ phone number, will try to call (cant call anymore sorry) but will need more info on this like what app and other stuff that you can give
305 NE Loop 820
Suite 600
Hurst, Texas 76053
Corporate Office: 817-280-0129
Fax: 817-280-9628
He has ebooks in http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/category.aspx?bcatid=1129&av=14-275257
And same app's come up in the Microsoft handango page that is linked to the Microsoft Windows Mobile Product page Site http://microsoft.handango.com/PlatformTopSoftware.jsp?siteId=75&platformId=2&title=T.N+Vietaus+Trade+(Australia)&authorId=1811375
Mod needed
Can a mod post this in other forums so that everyone that has made a app can check if their app is in the selling list
Email of the supposed developer tnvietaus AT gmail dot com
And if im doing something wrong in giving this out, this info is on the web
This is insane.
haha I just left HORRIBLE reviews warning people on all of the links you just provided Mike.. lol.
I also emailed HIM... and Handango.
no, I just let them know that this stuff was available for free ...
The thing that IRKS me is he doesnt explain that there is MORE to just downloading and running the update to these.. so alot of people are probably ruining their devices.
FYI, this is one instance where the DMCA can be used to your benefit (if you are one of the software authors).
Do NOT write to Handango, et al, complaining that someone is selling free software.
Do write to the resellers and state, factually, that this person is selling software that *you* wrote without your permission or authorization. Also state, very factually, that you want the software pulled and any monies charged for the software to either be refunded to the purchasers or forwarded to you.
What would also help out is if all the software authors were to allow one person (perhaps vijay would be a good choice as he is both a mod and a software author) to act on their behalf so there is a single point of contact for XDA.
Tell me the address of Handago (and Microsoft, If I have read and understand well) and I also send an email.
Just a thought: many here (maybe me too?) searchin' and using no purchased software, and therefore one of us (or one of those having this "habit", if you like more saying so) has found not violating any legal or moral law. World goes around...
Gubbài.
He is selling over 90 titles, and they are ALL available here for free just about.. he is selling the dang HTC X-button for 24 dollars! lol.
derma, I think everyone here is realistic about software availability and software use... read around for my personal views on warez etc.
The board however has a strict policy on banning for distributing warez.
But, it takes some particularly spiteful cojones to steal someone else's work and then put your name on it and sell it. And then selling at an absurd markup... come on. There's reasonable cheekiness, but that's just taking the micky.
V
Understanding doesn't mean accepting
vijay555 said:
derma, I think everyone here is realistic about software availability and software use... read around for my personal views on warez etc.
The board however has a strict policy on banning for distributing warez.
But, it takes some particularly spiteful cojones to steal someone else's work and then put your name on it and sell it. And then selling at an absurd markup... come on. There's reasonable cheekiness, but that's just taking the micky.
V
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Just to explain my position about this.
As I wrote on the title of this post, I figure out what it can be the reasoning of this person but meanwhile I absolutely don't accept what he did (or it's better saying "what he didn't do" 'cos what he's selling it's not stuff of his own).
My thought doesn't want to be a provocation, at least not a gratuitous provocation, but a simple-soft thinking about a hard problem: copy-right (and use-wrong).
Obviously this is a real theft, more odious than that "normally" made to the detriment of that author of the software who sell his creation having the conceptual rights to do that. In this case we can see instead a double somersault: he sell something not of his own that originally is (was) free.
Hope being plain.
PS: "cojones"?! Maravilloso! ¡Hasta la revolución, siempre!
Gubbài.
It isn't just the markup, its the flagrant lack of informing people of the consequences of attempting to use those warez without having ample experience with their device. He just says 'For expert. Use at your own risk' he doesn't say .. 'If you don't know what you are doing your phone is dead.. d .. e .. a .. d' .. I feel bad for the people who have purchased these and tried to run them not knowing about unlocking and what not.. it's a shame
OMG, another one.
http://shop.my-symbian.com/Platform...0&productType=2&platformId=2&productId=208881
Where can i find the tweakUI here?
hanmin said:
OMG, another one.
http://shop.my-symbian.com/Platform...0&productType=2&platformId=2&productId=208881
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Review added saying it's free here.

attn devs - give me your coffee links

Hey now.
So back in November I whipped up a simple page, dropped it on my server and bought a domain for it, blownfuze.org, and though it's still a single page with no pictures or advertisements, it's not so simple anymore. It's part guide part cab repository part entertainment and it's getting about five hundred unique IPs a day and climbing. But I wouldn't be getting those hits if it weren't for you developers.
Though I am not interested in donations or any other way to make money off of this site or just get enough scratch to have it pay for itself, and that is something I am confident that will remain the same even if I get very potentially lucrative traffic, I am interested, especially since I removed the password and said hello to google, in making absolutely certain that I am 1) not hosting warez, 2) not giving out free or shareware software against the authors' public instructions (unless I have permission), 3) that I cite at least the underdog developers' names and give thread links (IE touchresponse and lumos but not Google Maps) and now, and this is a new one, 4) that I give out "coffee" links to those developers who want them.
So I invite you to examine my site and look for something you or someone you know or respect designed or just passively peruse the thing and if you see anything that is in breach of 1, 2 and sort of 3 (3 is a bit of a gray area) and advise me either through pm or through the contact form at the bottom of the site if anything isn't kosher so that I can correct it.
For 4, the coffee links I want to put up, post them in this thread. Might as well make those public, right? You might get a donation from someone on this thread, you might get other guys like me out there to do what I'm trying to do. I could do that myself but it would take me many many hours, time I don't have. I should have done it from the start but it didn't occur to me and I didn't think I'd get enough traffic for it to matter.
Lastly if any of you developers see your work on my site, and if you made something badass it is either on my site or should be, and you're curious how many times it's been downloaded versus the rest of the traffic stats, I'll hook you up with that information. One of the perks of hosting this on my own machine.
I am grateful for your work, I truly am. All of you, even those of you whose applications I haven't put up [yet]. I've been having some fun with this thing; couldn't have done it without you.
Yours, Doug

a thought on antipiracy measures for devs.

Now let me just say right here and now that I'm not a coder so hang with me. It seems to me that google has an issue with pirates (due to the blocking of paid apps for dev phones) until they create a better solution I was hoping somebody might create some kind of module that any dev could use to prevent and curb piracy. I know it's not a huge deal as there's really not that much out there for downloading paid .apk but there are some.
What I would do breaks down into two parts, preventing redistribution of the .apk and then nagging users who have an outdated version (as with download-copy-refund-reinstall). If you made the program run at the moment it was installed and pull and then archive a piece of unique info such as the phone number and then force the whole app to double check the internal archive to the actual phone number it would not only prevent the giving away of apps but archiving the initial release person's info to the dev.
Step two is to force a version check from the app to a sever that has the current version. If you made some kind of update (even if very so minor about once a month) and gave let's say a month so that you're not forcing folks to update that day you could then make the program "nag" a user into updating (that you cannot do if you didn't pay for it) and after some length of time have the program stop working at all.
Now yes it is work for something that may only cost .99 but if the anti-piracy measures were open source then you could not only retrofit an existing program but build new pirate proof apps.
Thoughts?
Both methods are still fairly easily crackable. Just like it's impossible to "DRM" game cd's, music, and video - preventing piracy of software is a very difficult and always flawed things.
You can make copy protection pretty decent but eventually it's all still very crackable. There is no 'good' copy protection. If Google is waiting until they do have a 'good' system for it - it will never happen.
And yes, I actually am a coder with commercial interests that are copy "protected". In the end the question is always if people find it valuable enough to purchase or their time invaluable enough to spend it on cracking these things.
How about release all your code under an open source license and get paid through donations?
I LOL'd! Seriously, if you ever went that route you'd know usually people hardly ever donate, at all. You'll be working for $0.01 an hour. That's ok if it's a hobby project, but bigger projects are just not feasable that way.
It also depends a lot on the community though. For example, I've made freeware tools for gameserver admins and got a lot of donations. I've made mods for games that practically every player used - and these were RCE games, so they cost $$$ - and the total of donations was less than $100 for 100's of hours of work. It depends on the situation, the crowd, how useful the software is, etc, but in the end it comes down to people being cheapskates, but in a weird way.
By 'in a weird way' I mean that it is rather strange that if you ask for donations, hardly anybody will donate $5, but if you were to charge $5, lots of people would purchase and not care about the $5.
Of course this is not true for everybody. Personally I try to donate to free projects that I use - and I know there are several people who also do this. But it's not the 'general public'.
this isnt an issue about open source vs charging for a product. Nobody is doing anything about piracy for this particular handset. it so easy to steal these apps, and if nothing is done to stay ahead of the curve then everyone suffers. do we have to wait till the average user figures it out, or till somebody makes a blog and/or a youtube post on how to release paid apps and that even non root users can pirate these in seconds?
one of two people need to step up, either the devs and try and be a step ahead of the crackers or what i imagine as widespread piracy and the degrading of all app quality.
some have said that people wont bother stealing a .99 app, but i disagree.
robotmaxtron said:
this isnt an issue about open source vs charging for a product. Nobody is doing anything about piracy for this particular handset. it so easy to steal these apps, and if nothing is done to stay ahead of the curve then everyone suffers. do we have to wait till the average user figures it out, or till somebody makes a blog and/or a youtube post on how to release paid apps and that even non root users can pirate these in seconds?
one of two people need to step up, either the devs and try and be a step ahead of the crackers or what i imagine as widespread piracy and the degrading of all app quality.
some have said that people wont bother stealing a .99 app, but i disagree.
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Click to collapse
Well i believe chainfire answered the question already, there is nothing they can do. Are you a dev? The only ones suffering are the developers. Piracy is here and no one can really do anything about it. There are more important issues to deal with in the world then piracy. Look at smartphone files - cabs - wm, you dont have to pay for one of those anymore they are out there for the taking. How long have they been around? One look at their situation and its pretty clear nothing can be done.
ummm
piracy is nothing new.... piracy has been around since back on the commodore 64, i cant even explain how many shoebox's of 5 1/4" floppys of games. Pirating windows..... the first version ever. Theres no way to stop it, what is made can always be undone. The use of online connectivity is the only way to stop people from pirating software. Those "servers" are at the expense of the company that released the software. All installs have to have a "phone-home". Why do you think WifiRouter for WM (i think thats what its called) can never be cracked for more than a week. Because the serial numbers are registered in a database, and hardware id's and whatnots are sent regarding that individual phone. If more than a few of set "phones" with the serial number given is used. That serial is blacklisted and deactivated. The software checks for serial status everytime it loads. Very good way of using such software. But others are a little different, like programs that can be cracked using a serial number, but the program is in a site that normally wouldnt ever have acccess to internet (construction sites, etc.) Its just something that cant be stopped.....
p.s. http://tinyurl.com/dczb66 and you will realize what chainfire meant by ruin and destroying software due to copy protection
piracy done right
they need to stop trying to figure out how to solve the problem and just say there is no problem. there is no single "market" for software for my pc.... there will never be one for android. developers will never be comfortable trusting security they have no say so in. apps will come from all edges of the cloud and google is sadly mistaken if they think they can control it.
here is what they should do.. Nothing
Let the developers on their own find ways to secure their apps. wether it be a simple pin number or a log in. as developers make security hackers will break it, then the devs make more, its that cycle that made Linux work in the first place.
regardless of what google does people will start protecting their apk's
If you want to sell programs, do the following and you won't have a problem.
Don't worry about piracy (DRM, Copy Protection, etc)
Make a good product
Don't over-charge for the product
Be upfront with the support offerings
Offer a reasonable satisfaction guarantee if demo is not available
Trying to limit and stop piracy is a failing battle and will ultimately end up costing the developer in the long run.
I come from both sides of the track, i'm a pirate (aka lacking moral compass) and developer. When I come across good software at a reasonable price, I don't think twice about purchasing it.
You could do likesome programmers who sell their product online and on the market at the same time.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=487790
Thanks to the masterBaron I have this program on my dev phone and I live in france.
soundwire said:
How about release all your code under an open source license and get paid through donations?
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The Windows Mobile version of Klaxon has had around 200,000 downloads, and I have received less than $200 in donations. I spent several months on that project. Donationware/open source is does not work.
robotmaxtron said:
What I would do breaks down into two parts, preventing redistribution of the .apk and then nagging users who have an outdated version (as with download-copy-refund-reinstall). If you made the program run at the moment it was installed and pull and then archive a piece of unique info such as the phone number and then force the whole app to double check the internal archive to the actual phone number it would not only prevent the giving away of apps but archiving the initial release person's info to the dev.
Step two is to force a version check from the app to a sever that has the current version. If you made some kind of update (even if very so minor about once a month)....
Thoughts?
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I'd rather my number not be freely given out.
This would also be a problem if my number changed, but I don't buy apps that force version checks / expire / phone home. If it's good enough I look for a copy cleansed of such behavior, while i'd buy a good app without that behavior and if its not locked to hardware/providers. Copy protection can backfire and drive off customers.
How about release all your code under an open source license and get paid through donations?
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Click to collapse
Although I have some open source projects this will never work... A lot of people just like to get everything for free and are actually upset when needed to pay 1€ for an application.
I have people send me like 20€ but this is a very rare case! I would be lucky to have at most one costless weekend of drinking in a month, but no way to actually make a living that way.
And if you look into the work put in to most open-source projects ( in terms of hours ) its better to just do 1% of that work for a boss and get payed a lot more. Ofcourse I love doing this and thats mainly the reason why I join open-source projects... Making some money is a nice aspect which "could" happen.
As for copy protection... Like cf stated... There isnt an uncrackable copy protection and if creating one takes up half of the time of your projects development how much good would it be in terms of earning money. Its not a copy-protection problem but its a mind-set problem... People just dont like paying for things they use everyday...
inpherno3 said:
piracy is nothing new.... piracy has been around since back on the commodore 64, i cant even explain how many shoebox's of 5 1/4" floppys of games. Pirating windows..... the first version ever. Theres no way to stop it, what is made can always be undone. The use of online connectivity is the only way to stop people from pirating software. Those "servers" are at the expense of the company that released the software. All installs have to have a "phone-home". Why do you think WifiRouter for WM (i think thats what its called) can never be cracked for more than a week. Because the serial numbers are registered in a database, and hardware id's and whatnots are sent regarding that individual phone. If more than a few of set "phones" with the serial number given is used. That serial is blacklisted and deactivated. The software checks for serial status everytime it loads. Very good way of using such software. But others are a little different, like programs that can be cracked using a serial number, but the program is in a site that normally wouldnt ever have acccess to internet (construction sites, etc.) Its just something that cant be stopped.....
p.s. http://tinyurl.com/dczb66 and you will realize what chainfire meant by ruin and destroying software due to copy protection
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Click to collapse
Bull****. WifiRouter or whatever it is could easily be cracked by using fake DNS servers, manually editing the servers to a custom, or bypassing the online checks completely.
Their system is crap, and any skilled cracker could defeat online checks in just a bit of work.
The only truly invincible copy protection I've seen are either hardware, or extremely internet based (something that relies on external servers so much that it's useless without them, such as MMOs). Hardware can be modded, and you can recreate the servers for internet based.
Gary13579 said:
Bull****. WifiRouter or whatever it is could easily be cracked by using fake DNS servers, manually editing the servers to a custom, or bypassing the online checks completely.
Their system is crap, and any skilled cracker could defeat online checks in just a bit of work.
The only truly invincible copy protection I've seen are either hardware, or extremely internet based (something that relies on external servers so much that it's useless without them, such as MMOs). Hardware can be modded, and you can recreate the servers for internet based.
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Or you could just remove the TPM (or Variant) requirements from the software like the Hackintosh version of OSX.
piracy won't ever be stoped.. might take a vbbit longer for some one to bypass it's protecting but it will always be cracked sooner or later
best thing u can do is.. as said before just make a good product be craeative, dont over-charge, people will buy it support you..
heck better is better to make 20 bucks thank nothing at all

Cnet Deffends Carrier IQ (wait what?)

So yeah carrier IQ, that company that claims not to log things but has cellphone users being mapped on its web page advert (see atachments).
Has had Cnet come to its defense.
Cnet Link "How Carrier IQ was Wrongly accused of keylogging"
Bullets
There is no proof they did anything with the data
The program doesn't collect data
Our supposedly real programer says it wasn't doing anything
It really is spyware just not as bad as we think it is
Even though his name is coward he isn't a liar
I spoke to the lawyer here in St. Louis that is going after HTC, samsung, Carrier IQ and I wanted to try and help the battle. He said that he is creating a website now that would allow group participation in the suit. This is where the XDA community comes in! He said the more people that jump on board the stronger it will look for a judge. When the website is created, I will post a link where everyone can sign up to go against any company who uses Carrier IQ, and request that they stop.
"Thank you for asking our firm to represent you in connection with this matter. In order for others who have inquired of you and are interested in pursuing this matter, they can follow the link below to a generic consumer fraud report form on our website. We are adding CIQ/Cell Phone specific forms and content as we speak but that probably won’t be available this weekend. In the meantime, anyone can use the form below to contact us about possible representation. They should be sure to include information about the exact make and model of their cell phone, the operating system it is running (Android, iOS, etc.) and their wireless carrier.
http://www.hgsslaw.com/PracticeAreas/ClassActions/ConsumerFraudReportRequest.aspx"
Under "report fraud/claim" put "Carrier IQ, wire tap, device brand name, OS, ect.
Sign the grouble:
http://www.groubal.com/remove-carrier-iq/
Thanks!
-Eric
Let me blacklist CNET in browser, I'll be back in a second...
I bet in all my money that he's bribed. He even linked to other CNET articles which agree CIQ is bad, and is a rootkit.
And, he doesn't link to XDA where Trevor explains exactly how does it work on every device (proving the theory of "they sell configurable software and the carriers decide what options to enable" being wrong).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1367282

[SUGGESTION] Setting a Bounty on the bootloader.

As most of you would know, we have learned quite a bit about Defy bootloader during the last week.
We always thought that Motorola don't have a method to unlock production defys (defys shipped to end users). Well we have sufficient information now to prove that Motorola have a method, and that it converts production defys to engineering defys (Phones used by Motorola engineers to make ROMs and other stuff)
This is actually better than a simple unlocked boot-loader because eng defys have unlimited applications (because we have direct access to MOBO/CPU) like overclocking gpu, installing other OS like Ubuntu, Debian, WP7 etc. into NAND and a lot more.
So the problem here is that the tools required for ENG switch is only available to Motorola employees. Till now we have no further information on it. The tools are TI OMAP BOARD CONFIGURATION TOOL and a 16MB .bin file. Other significance of this method is that it might also unlock other phones with OMAP(3xxx/xxxx?) board. Also this method seems to be very stable.
So the good news is that this software is available for most Motorola repair centers. That means it would be easier to get a leak. Of course the highly paid Motorola engineers with 6digit paycheck wont leak it but we should consider low level repair executives (they already leak sbfs and RSDlite).
So my suggestion is we start a bounty thread in XDA to tempt them.
If you have a solution and if you are concerned about anonymity, please PM me.
PS : There are lots of bounty threads in xda.
Hi,
Setting a Bounty would be cool, but is legal ?
Cause it is not like "I pay you a lot of money if you steal this software for me"
the|gamer said:
Hi,
Setting a Bounty would be cool, but is legal ?
Cause it is not like "I pay you a lot of money if you steal this software for me"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm. It depend's on which country you are from.
I'm quite on it. Minimum/maximum fee could be set (like US$2 min and 20 bucks max, or anything like this). And someone with access to Motorola's employees (I think the user racca works on a Moto distributor, but I'm not sure of it, I think he mentioned it in some thread a few months ago) could rush and "bribe" them. If people could be a bit more clear about which kind of employees should have access to this software, I could try and convince one of them (you know, people here in Brazil aren't that much into honesty, but are a lot into money) about heading us a leak from TI's software. I'll have to take my phone to MOTOAssist soon ("menu" and "back" keys' backlights are weaker than normal), so I'd have at least an actual reason to talk to an assist technician (assuming they have access to the board configuration tool).
Yet, since I'm no hacker (yet, I'm planning on getting a Nook Color - which community here in XDA seems to provide all you need to start your own ROM - and starting messing around with it) nor coder (know only a little about C programming), I would not try and mess around with TI's software, but only upload it somewhere and give you guys a link for it.
K3n bH1mur4 said:
I'm quite on it. Minimum/maximum fee could be set (like US$2 min and 20 bucks max, or anything like this).
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Click to collapse
We could even promote it with ads. The best way would be to set up our on website, maybe in Brazil(or with some webhost who would like to host this) where you could bribe your way out and then promote it with ads. There is a remote chance that XDA might not approve a bounty thread here (of illegal implications), but we could publish the website here and all other major forums (chinese forums as well).
royale1223 said:
We could even promote it with ads. The best way would be to set up our on website, maybe in Brazil(or with some webhost who would like to host this) where you could bribe your way out and then promote it with ads. There is a remote chance that XDA might not approve a bounty thread here (of illegal implications), but we could publish the website here and all other major forums (chinese forums as well).
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Dunno, since it's illegal, it may not be the best option to promote it. Obviously, it's still not immoral, but we all know that morality and law often do not converge, so it may be better to go rogue, talking in private with motoassist technicians and stuff like that, because, even if we're just fighting for our rights, we're still using non-legal ways, and risking to be sued for it.
I don't think promoting a website is illegal. What's illegal is hosting an illegal one.
Promoting a website who promises cash for employees of a corporation who leak internal software used by that corp. might be considered illegal in most places. Fortunately (or not, I'll explain why), we have jurisprudence to embase of: in september 1st, last year, a judge here in Brazil condemned Moto to update a customer's Dext/CLIQ to Android 2.1 (Moto did not provide this update here in Brazil, even though it did in many countries) without voiding the warranty.
I know it's just one case, in just one country, and updating an android version is way different than providing unlocked bootloaders (or the tools for users to do so). And, yes, I agree with placing a bounty at the tool. Yet, if we get caught, Moto can still argue that we had other ways to pursue our rights, and we should have used the justice system to do so, if we believed we were that right. Yet, they're a multimillion-worthy company (even bigger after being purchased by Google), and we're a bunch of broke users, at most devs making a couple thousand dollars, and would have little chance against their lawyers. Last, but not least, employers who help us may get caught and fired because of us, and I sincerely want nobody (ok, maybe a few of the highest executives) to get fired just for me to get an unlocked BL.
So, my point is: let's make this a stealth action. Get a reason for your phone to be taken to Motoassist (no intentional bricking, please! You must flash an official SBF before taking it there! - at least if your phone is still under warranty), get to talk with one of their technicians, and mention - indifferently - that some guys are giving alway big money for any Moto employee who leaks that TI OMAP software. Something like this: "hey, did you hear that crazy devs at this dev forum are paying the first moto technician to hand them some sort of software? Something OMAP-related, I don't know for sure. All I know is that the reward is some nice cash."
When the word spread, we could have an unlocked bootloader within a month.
Yet, we got a single issue to deal: how to ensure the person who gives us the SW first will actually receive the cash? I've seen a few bounties here before, but them all were settled by XDA devs (so the bounty keeper could just donate the sum to that dev), never saw something like paying "outsiders".
One of my friends (Defy+ user) has a contact with a Motorola service guy. He says that that guy knows everything about Motorola software and he's with us because he himself uses custom ROMs and controls an entire service center. He's ready to take my device under warranty though it's rooted along every single hack/MOD for Defy installed
Will try contacting him
And let's post this in the forums of all other locked Motorola devices with OMAP 3xxx chips.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
swapnil360 said:
One of my friends (Defy+ user) has a contact with a Motorola service guy. He says that that guy knows everything about Motorola software and he's with us because he himself uses custom ROMs and controls an entire service center. He's ready to take my device under warranty though it's rooted along every single hack/MOD for Defy installed
Will try contacting him
And let's post this in the forums of all other locked Motorola devices with OMAP 3xxx chips.
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
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Talk with this guy. If he has access to a copy of TI's SW, and handle it to us, I'm pretty sure we could him get a nice reward. Not as high as if putting a bounty, but definitely enough to make the effort worth it.
I mean, supposing that this is actually gonna help unlock EVERY OMAP 3 (and possibly all OMAP-based phones) out there, and that this way the process is reversible (at least to me, it looks like no eFuse is being blown there, you know, assistance technicians can't just blow eFuses like that - taking the phone to the assistance under warranty shouldn't void it, and that's what a blown eFuse would do), loads of people would help. Imagine a single dollar from every OMAP 3 XDA user (take a look here for an INCOMPLETE list of OMAP 3 devices with ~30 ANDROID ONLY phones/tablets), that would make a lot of money.
this is good....and i think it will be best to not mention the location,identities,or any hint of similarities of the perosn source once you guys get contacts & manifests from that guy(source). so as not to compromise his profession.
he could be fired & worse can be sued by leaking private details.
best discuss it in private,after getting in touch w/ him...
just a tought of CAUTION...
hailmary said:
this is good....and i think it will be best to not mention the location,identities,or any hint of similarities of the perosn source once you guys get contacts & manifests from that guy(source). so as not to compromise his profession.
he could be fired & worse can be sued by leaking private details.
best discuss it in private,after getting in touch w/ him...
just a tought of CAUTION...
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Click to collapse
Yeah we would ensure him that.
I'll help u out....juzz tell me what to get from moto officials
hemil said:
I'll help u out....juzz tell me what to get from moto officials
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Click to collapse
do u know motorola mobility service center in mbai?
we only hav private shops with motos certificate...
i dont think they can help...
all they say is we'll send it to factory(?)
Sent from my MB525 using xda premium
@hemil Please pm me.
hemil said:
I'll help u out....juzz tell me what to get from moto officials
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey buddy... just wait for my call today...
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
Putting up an ads offering money for violation the law may be a bit problematic. No website will be excited to host it. Another issue is that in the end someone will have to actually post it, someone in particular. And that one person will be in danger of being a subject of interest of various law enforcement agencies. You know, at the end of the day they always want someone to put the responsibility on, the culprit, a scapegoat. So you make heat and you put some particular person into it even before there is any result.
I would prefer to focus more on personal face to face private communications with the service guys. It's harder to prove and if something goes wrong (the guy records it etc.) our guy can always say he was just kidding, bullshitting, bigmouthing.
Anyway, if you are thinking about this seriously, here are few remarks.
don't offer the particular sum, it's not tactical; not even here should be mentioned any particular number; instead, let the service guy ask his price
if the first contact with a potential source is established, ask first for a proof; specify what the proof is supposed to be (a screenshot? a video recording of the software in action?)
figure out a way how to actually collect the money; people are willing to donate but they will not donate to anyone, only to someone trustworthy (but Epsylon will surely want to have nothing to do with everything even remotely questionable, let alone illegal); the "collector" will be under the lights, he may get attention of people we don't want to deal with
who actually will be allowed to donate? anyone? how to avoid an agent to donate and then simply track where the money is going?
figure out a way how to actually make a safe and smooth deal (money <-> software); will it be in person or electronically? how to verify we are given what we paid for? classical problem: no one of both parties is willing to make his move first, but we can't give away the money for a software we would start verifying not until the money is gone
figure out how to avoid being robbed (fake offers from people who would want to grab the money and run away) as well as being caught (fake offers from the dummy guy - LE agent); in both cases the correct proof might be given, though, but the intentions are wrong
For the particular mechanics of the exchange in person, one of numerous possible ways may go like this:
our guy comes with an intentionally bricked Defy repairable only with the software in question together with the ordinary USB cable (or without, if special USB cable is needed; in that case the cable must be part of the deal), and with an empty flash drive recognizable at the first sight; no money on him
our guy passes the flash drive and the Defy (and the USB cable, if no special cable is needed) to the "source" and watches closely
the source copies the software onto the flash drive, runs the software from the flash drive, connects the Defy via the cable provided and actually unbricks the phone (this must be more elaborated on; what if the software uses some libraries from the windows directories etc. which are not copied onto the flash drive? he may or may not have the installer, but just copying the installer isn't enough, he would have to copy the installer on the flash drive, then run the installer from it and install it back onto the flash drive and run it from there)
our guy gets the phone (and the cable) back, the source unplugs the flash drive and keeps it for now, our guy watches the flash drive is not connected to anything from now on
now the software is copied onto the flash drive and verified it's working, thus ordinary hand-to-hand exchange may proceed; our guy didn't bring the money to avoid being robbed, they both now may go grab the money or our guy may call his buddy with the money etc. (also needs to be heavily elaborated on)
Sensitive parts must be detailed in-depth, I am just indicating the outline, one of many possible. Still it's very far from perfect.
As you can see it's not that easy and there are many potential points of failure so this action may never really come to the practical realization.
What about a little bit different or alternative ways? Are there any? It would be useful to ask Epsylon what he would actually wish for the most - had he been able to wish for anything.
isn't it illegal to post copyrighted stuff and also its against forum rules..
i mean that if someone gets his hand on that super tool, then how can he shares it with us???
rishi2100 said:
isn't it illegal to post copyrighted stuff and also its against forum rules..
i mean that if someone gets his hand on that super tool, then how can he shares it with us???
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huh !! think about moto when they actually ditch us with promises ? whats wrong if what we are screaming for last 1 year . and didnt get any updates ? huh think about tht before u speak about illegal stuffs . if moto is doing all sought of ways to keep us away from our rights . what we do undercover to get us right can no way be questioned when we have told thousands of times that we need updates .
more over the authority can question us only and only when they are themselves self guilt free .... but instead they are pretending to be saint sitting behind the curtains and doing all sought of locking stuff to deprive us of our rights
@jhonsmithx Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First of all lets concentrate on getting the source. Also I urge users to use a bit of social engineering to do that(using fb/g ). We'll put together a plan according to the situation after that. Also note that this is a pretty long shot. We might not get a source after all.
rishi2100 said:
isn't it illegal to post copyrighted stuff and also its against forum rules..
i mean that if someone gets his hand on that super tool, then how can he shares it with us???
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I could think of atleast 10 ways to share anonymously. Though I wont be posting them here.

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