Megatouch announces closure!

[NoRefunds]

Just got the email that Megatouch LLC is ceasing all development and production of touchscreens and software.

ML-1 owners will receive a "forever kit" that will convert it to no longer need internet connectivity.

  but not really 


I knew since AMI made them a separate entity that this day was coming soon.

[Ken Layton]

Yup, here's the announcement:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/RePlay-News--Megatouch-Announces-Closure--Sweeps-Bill-Introduced-in-California.html?soid=1102037583727&aid=l9a1qNQ11M0

[Ken Layton]

Someone should download all the manuals from the Megatouch website before they disappear. Got to preserve the manuals.

[mahkeymike]

So is this open season on hacking the software? If they go under can they still hold copyrights? You think they will pursue people like they have in the past? I would love to share my findings publicly.

If anyone gets this "forever kit" Please PM me.

[ed12]

as ami holds the right's to ion and such..yes they would come after u
but if support is no longer provided?
i would find it hard to have a judge convit u.
as far as ion's and up go thats gray right now
we will need to see what 2014 bring's ?
but anyone whom did not see this 1 comming is either blind or is acting blind
ami has a very very ---smurfy--- track record for support

ed

[Ken Layton]

The announcement is now on Playmeter Magazine's news page.

From the earlier announcement was this statement regarding IP:

"According to Maas, a number of staffers have already departed the company. Some will remain during the coming year as the Megatouch business winds up. A small group of developers will also remain as part of an effort to repurpose Megatouch's intellectual property assets for alternative uses not related to the amusement game industry."

[ed12]

i have been watching this news unfold
no real biggie as ami is not into this side of it really
but as i stated they are going to keep an eye on the ion
it is clear in the news release
so i would let 2014 run out
then start on the keys
they did say >mid< 2014

ed

[Ken Layton]

I believe it could be likely that many of their patents are about to or have already expired.

[ed12]

ya ken 2014 is a magic #
they do expire in 2014 all but the last 1's
2010 and up
or rather the start of the ion and end of the radion
on there site they are now giving away up-dates
man that was fast..
btw i have not been able to log into the d/l server in a few months now ?
even using there d/l manager ?

ed

[mahkeymike]

btw i have not been able to log into the d/l server in a few months now ?
even using there d/l manager ?

ed

Seems they took down the 2014 software download. I grabbed it a month ago, pretty sure i still have it on a hard drive somewhere.

[lilshawn]

Someone should download all the manuals from the Megatouch website before they disappear. Got to preserve the manuals.

i have them and started uploading them to the file repository to post them in the sticky, but there is some ridiculous 2mb limit being enforced. saint was looking into it...but then...uhm...didn't.

revenues had fallen "well below what it costs to develop, maintain and support the products.

yah, no ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. you guys have been selling mediocrity for about 5 years now.

[ed12]

i just thought i would let u ppl know
there server is back-up
go to google > merit ion software<
u will find a link to there d/l site
d/l there manger
follow what they say >important as they changed it<
make a .dir on your putter
now these are large files and small alike
d/l all u need or all..have at it, as in there they tell when they are re-pulling the server link

ed

[mahkeymike]

i just thought i would let u ppl know
there server is back-up
go to google > merit ion software<
u will find a link to there d/l site
d/l there manger
follow what they say >important as they changed it<
make a .dir on your putter
now these are large files and small alike
d/l all u need or all..have at it, as in there they tell when they are re-pulling the server link

ed

Link to this d/l site? I tried there d/l manager again and its still not connecting to the server saying "file does not exist"

[ed12]

ya
i to went the installed route,having the s/w already loaded
here is what i did
start/control panel/add or remove files,delte d/l manager,
then go to,and i did this through firefox google
merit ion 2012 s/w
it took me right to there d/l page
i then just d/l and :saved the new copy of d/l manager: i did not excute it yet,
then i was able to pull in that mass of files >expect for 2014< as they yanked it
31/12/2013
now with that all said,u open and install the new d/l manager
then u point it to the merit .dir i explained in an eariler post to make
and then it will see the files..
worked for me 

ed

[mahkeymike]

I only tried to grab 2014, so if its been yanked, then thats why i said it wasnt connecting. I know i grabbed it a month ago but its on a computer that recently took a $hit. I need to pull the hard drive and recover the files. No biggie, I just figured it would been easier to just d/l it again on the computer im working with currently.

Wondering why they only yanked 2014 though.

[ed12]

u never know with any company ?
but my 2% is because they are going to contuine support for it through 2014

ed

[ed12]

right out of there site
just as i was trying to explain


    Right-click this link Ion 2014 Software (disc 1) and select "Save Link As/Save Target As". The "Save As" dialog box will appear. Select where you want the file to save and click "Save".
    Right-click this link Ion 2014 Software (disc 2) and select "Save Link As/Save Target As". The "Save As" dialog box will appear. Select where you want the file to save and click "Save".
    Right click one of the files and select "Open With". Select "MegatouchDownloadManager" to use this program to open the file. When the download manager opens, select where you want to save the file and click "Okay". The download will begin. Repeat this for the second file.
    When download is complete, burn each file as an image to separate dvd's
    Using the burning program on your computer, burn each file to its own DVD by choosing "burn image" or "write image".



ed

[ed12]

the new s/w d/l manager is a wack job to say the least
it did everything i wanted it to expect for when i :extracted: the iso,
that went to my c:\doc's\all-user's\etc..even after  i had pointed it to
d:\merit
i shook me head
need less to say i have 1 of the iso's and there server is way down in b/w
1.5k d/l speed..man thats like a dial up modem
get them if u want them..this is olny going to get worse

ed

[mahkeymike]

Well thats what ive been trying and its the same error everytime.

[ed12]

hi
thats why i said go to srart/control-panel/programs
remove the old d/l manger..
d/l the new 1 but DO NOT INSTALL IT YET..
go to there site
d/l there files to sep .dir..i use d:\merit
then once u have done that
colse out
then reinstall the d/l manger
:point it to the merit .dir  :ie: for me it is d:\merit
then go to d:\merit
or c:\merit,where ever u put the d/'s in dmd or mdm files.
from there right click it..it should pop up and ask where to put it?
i said d:\merit,but it went to my c:\doc's etc?
but i am snagging them
as i pointed out there server is getting hammered..
btw i also pointed d/l manger to unintall there..maybe this will help u?
so just when u un-pack it, point it to your merit .dir
that part is in the first part of d/l manager :ie: where do u want this program to go

ed

[ed12]

yes i am pulling in more of there d/ls right now
there b/w suck's 1.2k max ?
but i am thinking there been hammered..
now do EXACTELY as i stated OPEN D/L MANAGER AND TELL IT TO PLACE ITS-SELF
INSIDE OF THE MERIT .DIR..u will know it is there because they will have a blue back ground,with 1 finger pointing up...THESE ARE THE FILE'S >ISO FORMAT< that u can snag..
click on them >right click yes the other right<the d/l will auto start

ed

[lilshawn]

the download manager was always a friggin joke. never works, slow as molasses in January when it does.

i have hard copies of all the force/ION software (including 2014). if it comes down to it.

[ed12]

ya it looks to me that it was given a very low spot in there server setup
i mean i am un-capped high speed and when i can see it comming in at
1.2k..?,wow wow,man i would not want to be on a capped system.

ed

[lilshawn]

couple of gigs...that oughta take a week to download.

[ed12]

oh heck yes
plus the new manager is a resource pig
i watched it last night
it was sucking 60-70% of cpu ussage
that is like running a mcafee anti scan
or a bad copy of winblows

ed

[mahkeymike]

Will you be getting that forever kit by any chance shawn? Im guessing they will only give them to ML-1 owners. Not sure if you had been sucker'd into buying one.

I would like to take a peak at the software though, even the mobo brand and model/chipset would be nice to know aswell.

[pbj]

There will be a licensed app, no doubt.

Nobody touches these things on location anymore.

[ed12]

mahkeymike
they are olny offering it reged owners on  line with them..
pbj unless u cannot read it is the end of the line for that s/w
they are pulling the plug and the end of 2014
they will with no doubt regroup and come up with some thing
but ami is done with it,as of 2 years ago
maybe touch tunes will pick it up ?
but once 2014 is over it is open test time
like it is now for legacey products

ed

[mahkeymike]

mahkeymike
they are olny offering it reged owners on  line with them..
pbj unless u cannot read it is the end of the line for that s/w
they are pulling the plug and the end of 2014
they will with no doubt regroup and come up with some thing
but ami is done with it,as of 2 years ago
maybe touch tunes will pick it up ?
but once 2014 is over it is open test time
like it is now for legacey products

ed

So this so called "forever kit" is just an online patch? not exactly "forever" if the hard drive goes bye bye. There must be some type of offline software reinstall disc in the event the hard drive goes. It should be no different then the ion software, a key will always be needed, but there has to be a way to get the software onto a new hard drive.

[ed12]

u know it almost demands a call to there tech dept to get some clearity
on this matter..reason is they had 1/2 of the s/w in there servers.?
so 1 has to think are they sending me the complete thing or just the s/w to untie me from there server ?
the q's are to many to answer with out  some tech input from merit on this matter..
Now if there is a hard drive?
might be a good idea to do a layer by layer copy of it
ie: track 0 through,so u get a complete over-lay
with or with out the new s/w,if u did not get the kit ? then try to get a layer by layer of 1 that dose have it,along with the 1 u have should do for u to compare,this will answer alot of questions

ed

[lilshawn]

no, we didn't fall for the live/ml-1 thing.

i'm not sure if the other route operator did or not. I'll find out.

I think they are actually sending out physical media you have to install. I also have a dirty, dirty, feeling it's patched ion 2014 software to work with the new hardware. (ditching the windows embedded)

[ed12]

well this answers alot of my personal questions

    The ML-1 is the first countertop enabled with Megatouch Live, an online service that gives players more to do, more to spend their money on, and more reasons to play again and again (details on other side).
    Features classic games re-invented in HD, new multi-touch Battle Arena games for simultaneous head-to-head play, and future games and content that auto-download each month.
    Includes superior management capabilities, giving operators more control of games, menus, and pricing options both on and off location.
    Boasts a 22” screen with multi-touch technology, allowing multiple users to play games together, plus it’s designed to auto-calibrate, eliminating the process of manual calibration.
    Powered by Microsoft Windows® Embedded Standard 7, including the latest in wired and wireless Windows networking security and support.
    Stores all machine settings “in the cloud” and re-downloads them after factory restores, hard drive swaps, etc.
    Most components can be instantly accessed and removed without tools.All hardware components can be swapped without losing machine serial number.
    Features innovative airflow mechanics that channel cool air onto the hard drive, motherboard, and into the LCD assembly, while pushing warm air generated by the power supply directly out of the unit.
    Cabinet illuminates bar top with 360 degrees of ambient lighting.
    Both the ML-1 and Megatouch Live require broadband connectivity.
    Includes Megatouch Live Player Cards for on-location promotion (additional cards can be ordered by contacting AMI Customer Service).

as it is basicly cloud based,the hard drive would olny carry basic info on it
ie what it is,where to hook up :ip:,where it is,very basic like the touchtunes..

on a tech side i can see this 1 beening 1 pain in the nads to service
hdmi,multi touch touch screen,slim line like the ion's.,which btw for u whom do not know,it dose not matter how many holes u drill in them to get air in,they need alot of fans..

ed

[mahkeymike]

no, we didn't fall for the live/ml-1 thing.

i'm not sure if the other route operator did or not. I'll find out.

I think they are actually sending out physical media you have to install. I also have a dirty, dirty, feeling it's patched ion 2014 software to work with the new hardware. (ditching the windows embedded)

If you can get your hands on the media, PM me. Would definitely be interested to see if it is indeed 2014 patched to work with the ML-1 hardware. Would be fairly easy to find the changes and add other hardware. Of course drivers might need to be added aswell but there could be some already in place.

[smartbomb2084]

Called Merit Tech Support today because all of our dial-up connected TOURNAMAXX games haven't called in for 5 days...They had no answer as to why and are 'working on it'.

Also asked about the Forever Kit and they said it is still in development and had no details about it yet...

We have 5 ML-1's and the only reason we got 'sucker'd' into buying them as you say is because thats the only NEW Megatouch you can get... We get a new location... they want a new Megatouch.

The ML-1 has unique head to head games where two people can touch the screen at the same time while playing so the fix may be a little more involved than just a morph into ION 2014 software....

[Peja]

Sorry if this is hijacking the thread....I don't mean to, but what does this mean for someone such as myself who only has one for home use?

Eventually I was going to upgrade my 2008.5 and key to a newer version, possibly 2012.  Is this a good time to hold on and not buy because everything will be public eventually and not as expensive or will things only get more expensive since it is no longer being made?

I'm not in the know as much as you guys but am interested.  Thanks.

Peja

[ed12]

in there news breif if u read it and go to ken's link's
u will see they have stopped all support for any thing under an ion
this year they will olny support the 2014/ml-1
and that ends at the end of 2014..
so what u need to do is d/l the manuals and s/w the way it was talked about doing,
then go through them to see what is your exact motherboard,and such
then look through upper machines that support it..

smartbomb i have a question for u
i know your machines a route tied but have u ever taken a snap shot of the hd's os
i am interesed to know if they did it  the same way touchtunes did it ?
ie olny part of the os is tied into the harddrive,the rest is server bound

e

[smartbomb2084]

Your skills are deeper than mine Ed... I have no idea how to take a snap shot of the hard drive.

This computer stuff escapes me....

Peja.. you are good...you are only running a home game not a Meganet connected Tournament one...

[Peja]

Ok sounds good guys...thanks.  So prices for the new keys or software won't necessarily come down anytime soon.  Just hit and miss out on the ole ebay. 

Thanks for the answers!!

[ed12]

thk-u for the reply smartbomb2084
it is just a natural thing here going in my head.
when i really go into touchtunes,my first task was to copy there harddrive,
i went why,boss said he wanted the o/s..after i picked my self of the floor
and wipped the grin off me face,i had to explain it was :shared:...

maybe i will drop the nickel and see if i can make some eng's day

ed

[Ken Layton]

Megatouch has changed locations and moved into a smaller building:

Megatouch change of address

Effective immediately, those wishing to reach Megatouch/Rowe Bill Changers should do so at the following contact information: Mailing Address: Megatouch, LLC, 925 Canal Street Studio #4, Bristol, PA 19007. For more information, visit (www.megatouch.com).

[ed12]

well anyone thinking this was not comming has there hand in the sand box..
be nice when they give up support for the ion's
i have been after there key for a byte now.
i know it can not be any harder then the x/l
expect the tripple hash >there u go mackeymike<
and i can wait until the support ends >31/12/2014<,
then the fun begins

ed

[mahkeymike]

well anyone thinking this was not comming has there hand in the sand box..
be nice when they give up support for the ion's
i have been after there key for a byte now.
i know it can not be any harder then the x/l
expect the tripple hash >there u go mackeymike<
and i can wait until the support ends >31/12/2014<,
then the fun begins

ed

ed, Already bypassed the hardware checks on the install discs. Anyone that wants to get the OS (centos) installed on any PC let me know. Currently In the process of breaking down the "USBIO::ReadDS1995KeyData" and "USBIO::ReadDS1995KeyDataWithV40FailOver" function within the main binary.   

BTW, the file your looking for in disc 1 iso is "initrd" extract "initrd~" and use 7zip to extract the files. Your looking for "/usr/local/lib/libinstaller.so" have fun!

Look for function "installer::setup"

[dddirtman]

ami should support the ion builds for a while ,many of them are used as remote selectors for the amijukeboxes...

[lilshawn]

As much as i would love for someone to post a hacked binary for the ions, dddrtman is right. Everyone should hold off posting about hacking the ion software until ami/merit officially drops their support and/or move on.

You can still purchase kits for these systems, this can potentially have them find out and have the board shut down.


Old megatouch xl and force is likely fine to talk about as they haven't been supported for several years now.


Lets bide our time and hold our cards close. Once support for the ion system has officially been ended, then we can play our hand and revisit hacking the software. Until then...zzzzziiiiippppp!

[mahkeymike]

As much as i would love for someone to post a hacked binary for the ions, dddrtman is right. Everyone should hold off posting about hacking the ion software until ami/merit officially drops their support and/or move on.

You can still purchase kits for these systems, this can potentially have them find out and have the board shut down.


Old megatouch xl and force is likely fine to talk about as they haven't been supported for several years now.


Lets bide our time and hold our cards close. Once support for the ion system has officially been ended, then we can play our hand and revisit hacking the software. Until then...zzzzziiiiippppp!

Nobody is either capable, or interested in hacking it. In this entire forum section, in various threads, i mentioned soo many ways to bypass the security checks in place. And so far nobody has asked me anything remotely knowledgeable about it. I dont think anyone even tried the methods i mentioned. I am not posting any hacked binarys that contain copyrighted code. However, I am pretty sure its legal to post patches that do not contain copyright code. It would be up to the person interested to obtain the copyrighted code to be patched.(in this case the iso's) And those are publicly available (for now, but probably not for long).

[Ken Layton]

Just saw this posted over at Vending Times that the final version of Megatouch has just been released:

https://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=9EFDFCDFF400491EB2BF9DD5381BDCE9

[mahkeymike]

Just saw this posted over at Vending Times that the final version of Megatouch has just been released:

https://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=9EFDFCDFF400491EB2BF9DD5381BDCE9

Looks like i has to be downloaded directly to the ML-1. Unless someone pulls the hard drive from one and makes a 1:1 image copy, theres no way the average user can play around with it.

[ed12]

yes a before and after .img is the work around

ed

[mahkeymike]

Now that i think about it, anyone with a ML-1 better pull the hard drive out after it updates and make a 1:1 image copy of it because IF and WHEN that hard drive eventually dies, they are --sexytimes--. Good luck getting a replacement after 2014 year is up.

EDIT sorry, i missed this    language   

[lilshawn]

moved discussion regarding the ML-1 to another thread here as this one was getting a little off track...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,138908.0.html

[M.Lanza]

well anyone thinking this was not comming has there hand in the sand box..
be nice when they give up support for the ion's
i have been after there key for a byte now.
i know it can not be any harder then the x/l
expect the tripple hash >there u go mackeymike<
and i can wait until the support ends >31/12/2014<,
then the fun begins

ed

Is the fun beginning yet?

[lilshawn]

i'm sure ed12 or someone will contact someone at AMI/merit and see what their stance with the product line is.

If they've abandoned it, then game on, if not... the brakes stay on.

[ed12]

end's 01/01/15  simple sweet
game on

ed

[Peja]

Since I am a newb when it comes to this stuff......what exactly are we waiting for?  Once time is up, it can be imaged? 

Does that mean I can install it on my ion 2008 without a new key, or am I still stuck shopping on ebay?

[lilshawn]

end's 01/01/15  simple sweet
game on

ed

Since I am a newb when it comes to this stuff......what exactly are we waiting for?  Once time is up, it can be imaged? 

Does that mean I can install it on my ion 2008 without a new key, or am I still stuck shopping on ebay?

I've sent an e-mail to my contact at Megatouch LLC to get their perspective on this. I've basically asked them if they mind if someone were to hack/mod the game software to support new hardware....and if they consider the merit force/ion/ml-1 software to be "abandonware"

I'm sure they don't care if we mod the software to use new hardware. really i just proposed the question to seem less forward with asking if they now consider the megatouch software abandoned.

basically, if this is now abandonware, game on.

Once I get an answer I'll let you all know, but I'd like to get a definitive answer on this. I wouldn't like to see this place shut down and our "project" halted if someone where to start poking their nose in here and not liking what they see.

[ed12]

well i asked there legal egal's
for a pdf copy of what i have been told verbal..i like it iron clad u know,
so i await the pdf,will post when i get it,but to date they even state look to third
parties for supply's as they are drying up....
now mind my question was more along the line's of the key's
then modding there s/w >leave the old layer joke out<
ami has 0 interest..this i did get,so i await

ed

[Ken Layton]

Judging by the Megatouch website, all they do now is games on your cell phone. No more mention of the countertop machines and no mention of tech support for the countertops. Also gone from the website are ALL THE MANUALS for the countertops as well as the software manuals.

[ed12]

yes correct ken
as i stated they :ami: have no interest in counter-top/full size game's,
but rather are following touchtune's lead in the :new-age:,thus leaving the door open
now with that siad i am un-clear on modding the s/w,but am very clear on there
key's,just want the ppw in order

ed

[Peja]

Since I am a newb when it comes to this stuff......what exactly are we waiting for?  Once time is up, it can be imaged? 

Does that mean I can install it on my ion 2008 without a new key, or am I still stuck shopping on ebay?

I've sent an e-mail to my contact at Megatouch LLC to get their perspective on this. I've basically asked them if they mind if someone were to hack/mod the game software to support new hardware....and if they consider the merit force/ion/ml-1 software to be "abandonware"

I'm sure they don't care if we mod the software to use new hardware. really i just proposed the question to seem less forward with asking if they now consider the megatouch software abandoned.

basically, if this is now abandonware, game on.

Once I get an answer I'll let you all know, but I'd like to get a definitive answer on this. I wouldn't like to see this place shut down and our "project" halted if someone where to start poking their nose in here and not liking what they see.
[/quote]

Thanks for the follow up lilshawn.  Since I have nothing of value to contribute like you, ed, ken, etc.....I will just wait here patiently to hear back from you all.

Thanks guys.

[mahkeymike]

I am pretty sure they wont like anyone touching it. And if they still hold the copyright to the software they could try to sue anyone trying to infringe on it. What i am not sure on is what is considered infringement if someone is not profiting from it. And furthermore, what kind of damages could they try to sue for if they are not profiting from said copyrighted material. Meaning how could anyone cause them to lose money if they are not supporting or making money to begin with. This is a very iffy situation considering there track record for this kind of stuff.

[ed12]

no mike
it is game on....rowe dose not use a key >pre-say<
they are totaly ethernet bound,much like it's-gamming golden t live 2013/2014/2015
u must have the pid card module and a active account with them
to get live feed's/up-date's etc,plus if your account is not active for 28day's
the pid is black-listed....

glad your still around.

ed

[lilshawn]

I have recieved a bit of a disconcerting message back from Megatouch LLC this morning.

Mr. -lilshawn-,
                       
Thank you for inquiring about Megatouch’s future plans regarding its hardware and software products.
 
While Megatouch plans to phase out its coin operated machinery manufacturing operations as announced on January 9, 2014, it will continue to support certain coin machinery in the near future. Megatouch will also continue to manufacture, modify and create new releases and versions of Megatouch’s software products for use in various applications.  As a consequence, the Megatouch software is and will continue to be actively supported by Megatouch and Megatouch’s announcement of its plans should not be construed as a release or waiver of its intellectual property rights in its software and hardware.
 
As you know, all uses of the Megatouch software are subject to its license conditions set forth in the end user Terms and Conditions.  You are welcome to view the Megatouch end user agreement at legacy.megatouch.com/support/manuals/manuals.php under “Terms and Conditions” of the product through which you obtained our software.  Under the license, users agree to utilize the Megatouch software subject to certain limitations including not creating derivatives, not reverse-engineering, not decompiling and not re-publishing Megatouch software.  In addition, the user recognizes Megatouch’s existing intellectual property rights in its software and hardware, including but not limited to copyrights, patent rights and trade secrets.
 
Megatouch therefore views any attempts by users to modify the Megatouch software to be both a material breach of the terms of its user license as well as an infringement of its intellectual property rights.  Accordingly, in the event that Megatouch concludes that its proprietary software is being hacked, patched , modified or distributed without its prior written permission, Megatouch will not hesitate to take any and all actions that it deems necessary in order to fully enforce its legal rights.

It sounds like the coin-op portion is being phased out totally, but it also it sounds as if there may be still some plans for the software in the future (goofy tablet thing they have going on or some other home based unit) and they'd like to keep their options open to use it someplace else.

[ed12]

yes shawn
there is 2 different camp's now
1 say's we no longer support it ?
the other say's ami is going forward with some sort of support ?
so for now I am going to error on the side of safe...

ed

[lilshawn]

yeah it seems kinda like that.

1 hand says: dropping support, get everything you can, 'cause once it's gone, that's it.

the other hand says: oh yeah, we are still going to support it.

it could be a copy paste response. I didn't really expect them to come right out and say yep, we are abandoning it, give 'er bullets. but i think now we are left with more questions than before.

I think because currently you CAN still get hardware and software, this is their stance. once the supplies dry up and you CAN'T get anymore hardware, it may change.

[mahkeymike]

Of course there going to tell you that. No company wants there intellectual property tampered with regardless if they plan to abandon it, or support it 10 year later. The bottom line is they still own it.

This is just a small bump in the road. They did such a ---smurfy--- job on security with Ion its not even funny. They didnt even bother to obfuscate the main binary so that bit about reversing or decompiling is a joke. Most of the hardware protections are done through scripts that are "human readable" so theres nothing to reverse or decompile. Also, they use linux which is open source so editing a few linux scripts to my knowlege is not a breach of there license terms.

Bottom line, as long as you dont touch their software that is installed on the linux OS you should be ok.
Would they try to go after you for doing so? I dont know, most likely yes. Would they lose? I suppose that depends on how good your lawyer is at proving you didnt touch the "code" they own.

[ed12]

yes mike correct
they used open source s/w
so that part would be a no nomaier
but I just wonder about there key-code
let's say like mame we run without a key
where would legal come to play ? as we did not hack there :key:
we just by-passed the chk , this leave's it as wide open question..
imho

ed

[lilshawn]

the Linux OS is an open source OS...

wouldn't that make it subject (somehow) to the GNU General Public Licence?

[ed12]

yes shawn
the gnu is a wide open non paid for s/w
so they hold no legal ground there..
there key is a different story , in my eye's

ed

[lilshawn]

the key really only is a hardware check that tells the software it's okay to run or not. it provides no decryption of the software i'm aware of.

it's more of an "if keynum = 3623 then run. if not then norun"

after the check at boot, the software never polls the key data again.

[mahkeymike]

the key really only is a hardware check that tells the software it's okay to run or not. it provides no decryption of the software i'm aware of.

it's more of an "if keynum = 3623 then run. if not then norun"

after the check at boot, the software never polls the key data again.

It reads configuration data from the key and stores it in memory. The data on the key is country specific. One reason is default languages. And i am sure some country versions might have more or less games then other country versions and names of games may be different.

[MichaelC]

well anyone thinking this was not comming has there hand in the sand box..
be nice when they give up support for the ion's
i have been after there key for a byte now.
i know it can not be any harder then the x/l
expect the tripple hash >there u go mackeymike<
and i can wait until the support ends >31/12/2014<,
then the fun begins

ed

ed, Already bypassed the hardware checks on the install discs. Anyone that wants to get the OS (centos) installed on any PC let me know. Currently In the process of breaking down the "USBIO::ReadDS1995KeyData" and "USBIO::ReadDS1995KeyDataWithV40FailOver" function within the main binary.   

BTW, the file your looking for in disc 1 iso is "initrd" extract "initrd~" and use 7zip to extract the files. Your looking for "/usr/local/lib/libinstaller.so" have fun!

Look for function "installer::setup"

mahkeymike,
How did you ever make out in analyzing those functions?

[mahkeymike]

mahkeymike,
How did you ever make out in analyzing those functions?

Those functions as they imply, read the key (configuration data) and place it into memory.

[Ken Layton]

This Megatouch website no longer functions:

http://legacy.megatouch.com/

Does this mean there's no longer a Megatouch company?

Is it now "game on"?

[lilshawn]

I've been trying for a while now to try and contact ANYBODY regarding Megatouch LLC and their intellectual properties. No luck yet.

a guess a way of doing it would be to blast some hacks all over the internet and see if somebody raises a stink.
(don't actually...please don't) 

Once I find out who or what or somebody gets back to me, I'll be sure to post. I want this 100% before we go ahead with anything.

[ed12]

merit llpc (England)
u personally think the would come across the pond ?
remember there is a dif country code for each machine
ie (key code) and software
example here sa3022- (33) = Canada
example here sa32022-00 = usa
and so forth

ed

[Ken Layton]

I've been trying for a while now to try and contact ANYBODY regarding Megatouch LLC and their intellectual properties. No luck yet.

a guess a way of doing it would be to blast some hacks all over the internet and see if somebody raises a stink.
(don't actually...please don't) 

Once I find out who or what or somebody gets back to me, I'll be sure to post. I want this 100% before we go ahead with anything.

Any word yet?

[lilshawn]

i've been getting nothing from everybody. (including trying to obtain updated firmware for some bill acceptors.)

not a peep. nobody will talk to me.