# DSTT cracks down on fakes



## Bri (Sep 10, 2008)

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


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## DeMoN (Sep 10, 2008)

Funny how only the crappy flash cards do this.


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## Fakie! (Sep 10, 2008)

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.


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## noONE (Sep 10, 2008)

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..)


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## Minox (Sep 10, 2008)

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


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## Pendor (Sep 10, 2008)

Minox_IX said:
			
		

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



Or ysmenu..


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## kobykaan (Sep 10, 2008)

noONE said:
			
		

> 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 ??


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## Bri (Sep 10, 2008)

noONE said:
			
		

> 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).
> ...



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


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## Joe88 (Sep 10, 2008)

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


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## Bri (Sep 10, 2008)

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


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## Monkey01 (Sep 10, 2008)

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...


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## jalaneme (Sep 10, 2008)

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.


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## Bri (Sep 10, 2008)

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


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## Normmatt (Sep 11, 2008)

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


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## cory1492 (Sep 11, 2008)

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.)


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## Bri (Sep 11, 2008)

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


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## kobykaan (Sep 11, 2008)

Bri said:
			
		

> 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


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## cory1492 (Sep 12, 2008)

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.


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## Bri (Sep 12, 2008)

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


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## cory1492 (Sep 14, 2008)

Thanks Bri, got (conflicting) replies...


			
				neo said:
			
		

> 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.


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## Galactus (Sep 14, 2008)

I think that is unfair to the people who didn't know they were buying a fake card.


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## Bri (Sep 14, 2008)

cory1492 said:
			
		

> Thanks Bri, got (conflicting) replies...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree with your analysis.  Definitely it would be a huge mistake for them to actually follow through on firmware that would destroy fakes.  A large number of end users wouldn't know they had a fake, and would certainly blame DSTT if theirs stopped working the first time they ran it.

However, a version that simply failed to run the firmware with some sort of a message would cause the makers of the clones to have to hack the DSTT firmware and distribute the fake cart under a different name in order to keep the firmware up to date (they wouldn't be able to point the user to the NDSTT site since that firmware wouldn't run).  Obviously, not impossible to do since we know that other companies have released clones of other carts and simply maintain their own hacked version of the firmware.

It's still up in the air as to whether the threat of destroying a fake is a good move or not.  I personally wouldn't want to buy a cart that potentially had extra code in it that could potentially destroy a clone.  But it does seem to be making sellers more aware of fakes (DX apparently didn't even know their supplier was selling them fakes).

-Bri


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## r6306 (Sep 16, 2008)

I've just ordered a new batch of DSTT's and sold loads over the last few months. Now I've found this thread I'm more concerned about this making me look bad as a sellar to my customers. These days there's no true way of knowing if the main shippers are trading in fakes or real cards until one of us gets our orders and trys them all out. As we're ordering in the 100's then I'm not going to risk buying a batch of duds which would peave my customers off and lose my further business in teh long run. As far as I can see this would be the end for the DSTT brand as people wouldn't want to risk their money, which is a shame as I've found it to be a really good build most of the time.


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## shakirmoledina (Sep 16, 2008)

Well it does show one thing and that even when R4 are inactive (as it seems) they still inspire other teams with their ideas


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