[Windows Mobile Development and Hacking General] asmblur:
Unfortunately I'm too much of a lurker to create a new thread but since it involves some of the topics in this thread I'm going to add to this one. I'm an embedded software engineer with 20 years of experience in reverse engineering. I've got a MFT Sync 2 and have been doing a great deal of research on what is involved in breaking this ****er open. To date I've learned that the i.MX5 uses UART3 for the "debug" serial port and there is an input I/O labeled EOL which can be used to put the bootloader into a special mode. I'm not sure if EOL needs to be pulled high or low as I have no decent pictures of the boards to trace the EOL to see if it's tied to a pull-up or a pull-down. This is of little interest to me, however. My goal is to gain full access to Windows Mobile in order to replace the bootloader with one which will allow dual-boot of Linux and Windows Mobile, along with removing the signing restrictions on Windows Mobile(trivial registry changes and minor patches to the bootloader). I also intend to dump the flash memory despite their pathetic attempt to protect the TSOP pins with epoxy(always a laughable protection and one that proves that they have something to fear from access direct to the flash). The end goal is to create a software-based solution to do this so that all of us who have been abandoned by Ford can extend our Infotainment systems as we please. I bought a new 2016 Fusion SE and like many of you am very pissed off by the lack of support by Ford. The fact that they won't bother supporting AppLink for MFT is extremely lame(not that their are any decent apps, but the technology itself would allow things like linking our smartphones to Sync in a meaningful way). Having enabled Navigation was nice but I find it to be sub-standard, IMO. More than once it's routed me in insane directions. I would much rather create a google maps AppLink-style integration since GMaps is free, constantly updated and rarely steers me wrong.

So my proposal is this. I have the time, experience and drive to bust Sync open. I do not, however, have a MFT system that I'm willing to modify as my warranty on my car was expensive and I have no desire to void it at this time, nor do I want to take the chance of toasting it. I am willing to dedicate the time to do these things but I require donations in the form of PayPal or a functional MFT system(which the monetary donations would be used to purchase). All code/information will be open-source and free, though some of it may be closed temporarily in order to avoid Ford patching holes until they're fully exploited. People who donate will get full access to all information.

Additionally, anyone who has experience with Windows Embedded 6, Windows Automotive, Adobe Flash Exploits, ARM(particularly assembly language) and general RevEng are welcome to join in. I'm willing to share all tools that I have at my disposal and encourage you to do the same. Even if you don't have any development experience but have access to related tools and information, please contact me.

Finally, I know that I am a "ghost" here on XDA. Truth be told, "asmblur" is a not a name I used to go by and I choose to use this one to avoid potential issues from corporations that were not so happy with the fact that I laid waste to their pathetic protections on their systems. I'm an extreme proponent of consumer rights to modify and extend the functionality of products they own and nothing pisses me off more than a company locking the consumer out of their own property. As a software engineer, I respect the right of an intellectual property owner. In my opinion, protecting your I.P. should involve litigation when their rights are breached, NOT locking down a system so that only "approved" software may be used. In the past, game consoles(I won't say which ones) where my target and I'm happy to say that many of my innovations can be found in "homebrew" software to this day. I no longer have interest in game consoles but when I buy a product and find it lacking features I know I could add but the system has protections in place that inhibit me from doing so, all I can say is: GAME ON!

Hopefully this post doesn't break any rules at XDA. I'm not trying to make any profit and I'm not interested in scamming anyone. I have an extensive workshop with the tools necessary to perform the tasks I've outlined(though sadly my oscilloscope has bit the dust, luckily I can live without it). I've got years of experience working with teams spread throughout the world as well, but unfortunately English is the only language I speak fluently. "Il y a un écureuil dans mon pantalon." is about the extent of my French.

Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you! -ASM