Secret Software Angers Customers (Adobe for Gov.)

CBS ^ | Jan. 10, 2004

[Leroy S. Mort]

Got no problem with the concept, but Adobe was idiotic not to disclose it up front, with an explanation.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Now the cat's out of the bag, I give the hackers about 3 weeks....

[Leroy S. Mort]

The cat was out of the bag the first time a counterfeiter tried to copy a bill. So they hack it or go back to Photoshop 7.

[Ex-Dem]

I doubt it'll take long for the software cracking community to defeat the anti-counterfeiting measures and produce a "clean" version of Photoshop. Might mean more business for JASC though (assuming they aren't doing the same thing with their software).

[HiTech RedNeck]

Whatever this secret thingy is, it has to work with all possible orientations of the funny money. Perhaps the shade?

[Young Rhino]

Dobie for Gov?

[hotpotato]

I've also noticed I can't grab images from DVDs playing on my iMac.

[Ex-Dem]

Not sure. From reading some usenets, Adobe may be using software from Digimarc, which specializes in digital watermarks. Someone speculated that there are tiny colored "rings" printed on the bills. It could also be, as you suggested, that it looks at the colors in the image (and the dimensions, I assume).

[John Jorsett]

Counterfeiters can just use The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). Being open source, there's no chance that it's going to ever have this "feature."

[Zack Attack]

My biggest question would be how much does this bloatware slow down Photoshop. Is it noticeable?

[PUGACHEV]

Those who are lucky enough to have Photoshop 7.0 and Illustrator 10 should hold on to these gems as they represent the best we're ever going to see from Adobe. With the new CS versions of their popular programs, Abobe offer only minimal improvements in function or performance while bringing intrusiveness to a disturbing new level.

After installing any of the CS upgrades, your computer will first have to connect to the internet for authorization before the program will run. Then, if you reformat, replace your hard drive, or make other changes in your system, or sometimes for no apparent reason at all, the program will again contact Adobe over the net for authorization before it will open. Adobe, of course, keeps all of this information (and who knows what else) for their own future reference -- as their "Privacy Policy" statement informs you while the computer is seeking permission to load the program you paid for. It's a very creepy feeling, to say the least, and it's not worth any of the small improvements the CS upgrades offer.

[henderson field]

I don't want "minimal impact." I want "no impact." Communists.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I can't think of any ill effects.

Until some artist tries to make a picture of "gag money" with, say, Saddam's head in place of George Washington's and loony slogans on the "bill." Or a picture features a prominent piece of a bill but not a major portion.

[jpsb]

What if you are not on-line, using a host that doesn't have access to the internet?

[jpsb]

Once they get the bugs worked out they'll move on to drivers licenses, ss cards, graphic sex, weapons blue prints, etc. And most likely a message sent to the appropreate law enforcement agency, followed a computer shutdown that requires a special password to reboot. Hang on to your old software and old computers!

[PUGACHEV]

Without an internet connection Photoshop CS will not activate untill you telephone or fax Adobe and receive their authorization. Once you send them your computer serial number and your Adobe registration, I believe they send you a code which allows you to load the program on that particular computer. Of course, anytime you make the changes I mentioned, you have to repeat the process.

As far as more upgrades go, it's Adios Adobe for me, and BTW, maybe there is more "bloatware" installed as someone suggested, because I do notice that Photoshop CS is much more sluggish and balky than 7.0.

[Action-America]

Those yahoos haven't got a clue!

Not only the new currency, but the old currency, as well, can't be counterfeited using an inkjet printer. Here are some of the technologies that make it not even worth attempting:

• Microprinting - small printed words that are so small that each letter is not much larger than an individual ink droplet from an inkjet printer. That small print just can't be rendered with an inkjet printer.
• Fine-Line Printing Pattern - instead of gray scale, extremely fine lines are used to simulate gray scale. These fine lines cannot be scanned and recreated even with a commercial grade scanner and inkjet printer. It ends up just looking gray.
• Inscribed Security Thread - the little metallic thread that runs through the bill, inscribed with "USA100" or whatever other denomination. This can only be seen if you hold the bill up to the light. An inkjet cannot duplicate that.
• Watermark Portrait - The watermarked portrait of the President, that can only be seen when you hold the bill up to the light. An Inkjet cannot duplicate this.
• Color-Shifting Ink - several places on the bill, ink is used that appears to change colors as you look at it from different angles. Inkjet ink won't do that.

Those are just some of the technologies that are being used on our currency. Some of these technologies, along with many other technologies that cannot be duplicated by an inkjet printer, are being used on all major foreign currencies, as well. Any idiot who tried to pass a bill printed on even the highest quality inkjet printer would be asking for trouble.

The only purpose that this gimmick of the government's serves, is to limit creativity. But the real factor that proves that they haven't got a clue is that there are probably a million programmers around the world, who can write their own scanning and image manipulating software and many of them will probably do so and some will post the result to the Internet, as Shareware or Freeware. Some of those programmers are in China and other countries, where the US government can pi$$ and moan all they want and not have any effect.

It's just more brainless tripe from our government. I've been a Photoshop user since version 2 and may never have reason to copy part of all of a bill, but just on principle, I'll be looking for some of those programs that don't have such restrictions in them, in the future. This actually opens up a big market for some foreign entrepreneur, who might want to use that edge to create a non-compromised product that will compete with Photoshop.

Adobe may have shot themselves in the foot this time.

 

[Petronski]

Now the cat's out of the bag, I give the hackers about 3 weeks....

I give the Feds about 10 days to post a 'honeypot' crack.