• Kryo (unregistered)

    TRWTF is that the HP iPaq is now the only device where Jack's app uses a truly secure login system. I really hope that "unique" ID used on other devices is unique per app, or otherwise shady apps could just harvest your ID and login as you, and also resets upon factory reset, otherwise whoever you sell your phone to is going to get your account as well. Device fingerprint based ID should never ever be used for login, only to distinguish between devices, like ad networks (in)famously do. Just do the right thing on all devices and generate an unique, random token, preferably on your own servers, instead.

  • Pyth0n (unregistered)

    Then HP moved this bunch of half-educated monkeys to BIOS development department and life goes on... Oh wait — the least educated part was sold to Logitech to make firmware and drivers...

  • P. Wolff (unregistered)

    Jack had read the documentation many times, and it always stated that the ID was guaranteed to be unique.

    Well, this at least is reassuring. Or is it because at those times, documentations used to be on paper instead of on the Internet?

  • Palm (unregistered)

    Is it so hard to find a photo that matches the article? Why put a photo of a Palm III ?

  • V Bleg (unregistered)

    TRWTF is totally insecure user authentication system.

    However HP not fixing obvious bugs on iPaq is nothing new. Back in the day I came up with issue when certain character sequence from serial port would totally lock up the com port, requiring hard reset of the device. When reported, HP promptly responded "won't fix".

  • Decius (unregistered)

    Set ID=5

    //Chosen by fair dice roll //Guaranteed to be unique

Leave a comment on “Best of 2019: When Unique Isn't Unique”

Log In or post as a guest

Replying to comment #510634:

Log Out

« Return to Article