Gizmodo: cracked

Asus Helps Your Pirating Including Software Cracker for Free

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:54:00 EDT

Asus—makers of inexpensive Eeeverything—is now shipping illegal cracking software to make your computing life even cheaper. According to UK publication PC Pro, not only they have accidentally included a piracy tool with their recovery DVD, but they have also put several confidential documents and source code inside. So nice of them.

A PC Pro reader came across this when his anti-virus software flagged the recovery DVD included with his Asus laptop. The cracking application is included inside the WinRAR folder. The documents are in another directory, containing confidential information from Microsoft addressed to PC manufacturers ("Don't even think about distributing DR-DOS with your PCs! Don't!"), associated software keys, program files, and source code and internal documents from Asus detailing program incompatibilities. [Image via PC Pro]

AnyDVD HD Is Here, So Start the Blu-ray BD+ DRM Crackin'

Benny Goldman — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:35:00 EDT

Late last year, disc-copying software maker SlySoft claimed they cracked the BD+ DRM protection in Blu-ray discs. They weren't kidding. The newest version of AnyDVD HD strips Blu-ray discs of BD+, allowing you to copy even the most locked-up Blu-ray discs (*cough*Fox*cough*) to your heart's content—assuming the copies are for personal use, of course. On the DVD front, the updated software rips movies that can't be read by Windows, and can now get around most ARccOS protection. Sounds like a reasonable temptation to all you pirate types, so run along, have at it and report back to us. [SlySoft] Thanks, Mike!!

Blu-ray Copy Protection Cracked, Disk Copying Software Out by Year's End

Jason Chen — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:32:31 EDT

Slysoft, the makers of AnyDVD, CloneDVD, and many other disc-copying software apps, have just cracked the Blu-ray BD+ copy protection. This means, if Slysoft's predictions are correct, a commercially-purchasable suite to copy Blu-ray movies will be available by the end of the year. However, Blu-ray blanks—especially dual-layer ones—are still so costly right now ($40+ for a writable) that it's not financially feasible for people to be duping their own movies. You know, unless you really enjoy the blank disc look over the professionally done Blu-ray disc with the proper case and materials. Weirdo. [Golem via Inquirer]

Blu-ray Now Cracked, and That Makes Two

Charlie White — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:00:00 EST

Movie studios, start your attorneys, because muslix64, the guy who cracked HD DVD with his BackupHDDVD utility has done it again. His next Pandora's box is called BackupBluray. It's not perfect yet, because the first iteration can only ~~crack~~ backup Blu-ray discs whose CPS unit key is known, but sources say full decryption will be added soon.

Of course, all of this unraveling of Blu-ray and HD DVD's bulletproof security is for backup purposes only. Certainly those who have bought these discs should be allowed to store away a backup for safekeeping, you know, in case the disc gets scratched? But we thought these encryption schemes were impossible to crack. Perhaps "impossible" is a relative term. – Charlie White

BackupBluray rip utility released [WesleyTech]