Texas Instruments has struck back against Nspire gamers and hackers with even stronger anti-downgrade protection in OS 3.0.2, after the TI calculator hacking community broke the anti-downgrade protection found in OS 2.1 last summer and the new one in OS 3.0.1 a month ago. In addition to that, in OS 3.0.1 the hacker community found Lua programming support and created games and software using it. Immediately, TI retaliated by adding an encryption check to make sure those third-party generated programs won’t run on OS 3.0.2.
MAKE was sent a takedown request awhile back for just linking to something TI didn’t like (MAKE said no, TI dropped it) – a lot of talented and smart engineers from TI read the Adafruit blog, gang – send some emails to your corporate folks and get them to stop this.
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I think that we just found the real purpose of the microtouch!!!!!!!
Killer battery life – check
SD card storage – check
Open source – check
Native USB – check
USB recharge – check
POCKET SIZED – check
Cheaper than TI’s cheapest graphing calc ATM – check
Acceleromter for both landscape and portrait view (as well as better zoom for your graphs)- sweet!
Acc. can also be used to get real field readings on the spot and real time graphic representation of data. – better!
I vote that we make some enclosures to be published on thingverse.
Why would you defend their firmware like this TI? Embrace the hacking of these devices and you’ll sell far more of them. They’ll be embraced by the technical community – and become a legend. But nooooo… Are you worried that someone in China will make clones that sell at 100% profit for 100% less than your devices? Maybe that’s what it is all about. Anyway – for me, no RPN = no sale.
Here’s a theory about why TI is so rigid about this….
Lots of kids take this “approved” calculator into their SAT test. If you could hack it so it includes tools not allowed on SAT test, it might no longer be approved and then they sell so many less…
Maybe it’s time for an open source remake 🙂 Maybe with an ARM and OLED for extra hotness!
Here is my letter to TI on this matter.
http://www.iheartrobotics.com/2011/05/dear-ti.html
Guys,
I think that we just found the real purpose of the microtouch!!!!!!!
Killer battery life – check
SD card storage – check
Open source – check
Native USB – check
USB recharge – check
POCKET SIZED – check
Cheaper than TI’s cheapest graphing calc ATM – check
Acceleromter for both landscape and portrait view (as well as better zoom for your graphs)- sweet!
Acc. can also be used to get real field readings on the spot and real time graphic representation of data. – better!
I vote that we make some enclosures to be published on thingverse.
Anyone else in for this?
Why would you defend their firmware like this TI? Embrace the hacking of these devices and you’ll sell far more of them. They’ll be embraced by the technical community – and become a legend. But nooooo… Are you worried that someone in China will make clones that sell at 100% profit for 100% less than your devices? Maybe that’s what it is all about. Anyway – for me, no RPN = no sale.
Here’s a theory about why TI is so rigid about this….
Lots of kids take this “approved” calculator into their SAT test. If you could hack it so it includes tools not allowed on SAT test, it might no longer be approved and then they sell so many less…