Linkdump: October 2014

4 thoughts on “Linkdump: October 2014

  1. The mad FTDI thing has apparently been undone:

    http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/

    “Yesterday FTDI removed two driver versions from Windows Update. Our engineering team is engaging with FTDI to prevent these problems with their future driver updates via Windows Update.”

    I have every sympathy with not wanting to support counterfeit products but bricking them is destruction of property and was never going to fly.

    1. We are watching this with interest. I think that FTDI overstepped common sense right to vigilante justice, failing to think through the consequences of it.

      1. With you 100% there – it would be one thing detecting fakes and refusing to operate with them. Bricking them is a step too far.

        You can’t go to a street market, pull all the pirate DVDs off the shelves and burn them, even if you are the copyright holder. I can’t see how this could be anything but illegal.

        I have a feeling FTDI will feel quite a backlash on this. And possibly MS too for distributing it with a Windows update. They are going to be unhappy about that.

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