Posted on 08/13/2004 6:02:57 AM PDT by Tai_Chung
Hacker cracks Apple's music-streaming codes SAN JOSE (California) - The Norwegian hacker famed for developing DVD encryption-cracking software has apparently struck again - this time breaking the locks on Apple Computer's wireless music streaming technology.
Mr Jon Lech Johansen released on his website - defiantly named So Sue Me - a software key that helps to unlock the encryption Apple uses for its AirPort Express, a device that lets users broadcast digital music from Apple's online iTunes Music Store on a stereo that's not plugged into a computer.
Some security consultants say that with the key and another program he released, Mr Johansen, also known as DVD Jon, has helped pave the way for other software applications other than Apple iTunes to work with AirPort Express.
Mr Johansen, an open source advocate, has been critical of Apple's proprietary system, which largely restricts Apple's hardware and software products to work only with each other.
On his website, for instance, he praised a newly-developed technology by RealNetworks that will make songs from its online music service compatible with the market-dominating Apple iPod portable music player.
His latest endeavours, which he posted on Wednesday, mark the third instance he's circumvented Apple's music copy-protection technologies this year.
Apple officials did not immediately return calls for comment on Thursday.
Mr Johansen, now 20, was 15 when he posted on the Internet software that unlocked the codes the film industry used on DVD movies to prevent illegal copying. The act made him a folk hero among hackers.
After the film industry complained, Norwegian authorities charged him with data break-in, but he was acquitted at trial and on appeal.
I never understood why so many people hold Apple in such high regard. They have done a lot of user un-friendly things over the years. They introduce operating systems which will not run on your 3 year old Apple computer. They totally destroy their loyal dealer network. They change standards so new peripherals will not work with older computers. They allow clones and compatibles then destroy the clone industry. Virtually every product they have ever released has had a giant profit margin compared to the PC industry. One department, where I work, had eleven PCs and two I-Macs; they literally clapped when the two I-Macs were removed. I am not trying to start an argument about which is better Mac's or PCs, my point is that Apple has done some pretty rotten things over the years which its boosters tend to ignore.
... bring out yer pings ...
Kudos to Johansen.
My PowerBook is 4 years old and I am running OS X 10.3 aka Panther. Of course being profitable is bad though. I have used both operating systems and OS X is the better choice.
Interesting. With the iPod, it appears that Apple has made at least part of itself as attractive to hackers as Microsoft has done.
You're right on some parts, the clone 'experiment' and dealer networks, but I'm running OSX on a quite old iMac. And the migration strategy from OS9 to X was quite well done and easy on the user.
I wouldn't choose iMacs for business use, get a tower.
And all things considered, in a great many cases, Macs are more economical.
I got spoiled with free OS upgrades too, but I'm still using my Macs to do work whenever possible.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Namely, they grabbed a significant piece of a market.
What the guy broke was an encryption code for an audio out jack on Airport Express that allows a stereo to play music from your Mac without having to actually hook the computer up to the stereo (you hook the Airport Express up instead).
The limitation he broke was that RealNetworks spyware and popup window manufacturing program called "RealPlayer" would be able to use the hack to use the same audio out jack as iTunes.
In terms of practical effect, I don't see it having any effect whatsoever. iTunes is far better than any other music playing program, so most Mac users never look at third party software for music playing.
The hack this guy made had nothing to do with what you can do with your mp3's or mp4s.
The oldest iBook that Mac OS X 10.3.x Panther will run on, and be useful, is the all white "Dual USB" G3 500MHz with maximum RAM. http://www.lowendmac.com/pb2/ibook3.html
The Power Mac G4 450MHz will run well with Mac OS X 10.3.x Panther, with 1.5GB RAM, 2.0GB if you can manage it. http://www.lowendmac.com/ppc/g4saw.shtml
The installation should include Mac OS 9.2.2. We create three partitions of the hard drive. The first partition is for Mac OS 9.2.2; the second partition is for the Panther installation; and the third partition is a backup partition to which we routinely back up our data.
Your copies of Microsoft Office 2001 and Adobe Photoshop 5.x.x etc., when installed on the Mac OS 9 "side," can be run while operating the computer on Mac OS X. Mac OS 9 can be started from Mac OS X, and Mac OS 9 then runs on top of Mac OS X.
Suggested reading:
http://www.macattorney.com/panther.html
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/
http://www.osxguide.com/
http://www.osxfaq.com/
Get yourselves some books:
Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Panther Edition: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0596006152/qid=1092411311/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-5277599-2247923?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Mac OS X Hints: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0596004516/qid=1092411367/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-5277599-2247923?v=glance&s=books
UNIX for Mac: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/076453730X/qid=1092411403/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/104-5277599-2247923?v=glance&s=books
Yup -- and at the same time the pissed off some "open source" advocate. This seems to be a common thread with hacker types. That's not a knock on open-source, BTW, just a commentary on the religious fervor that some folks bring to that particular table.
You should have at least 30GB of hard drive.
To find new hard drives for Mac PowerBooks and iBooks, try Developer Depot: http://www.devdepot.com/powerbookdepot.html
For Power Mac hard drives, I'd recommend this as a minimum: http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=454531
The clone wars were started when Jobs was out of Apple. The management that took over when Jobs left the first time was turning Apple into another beige box PC Clone. Jobs wanted to take Apple back to it's creative roots. The management team that took over from Jobs were a bunch of Kmart assistant managers that were bankrupting the company. He killed the clones and started the OSX stuff. This was a change in direction, but it also came with a complete changeover in management.
Apple going proprietary on the dealer network has been a good thing for me. When I was dealing with CompUSA, they didn't have clue one about anything. When I go to an Apple Store, their people know what they're talking about. Example: Power up problem on eMac. CompUSA wanted to replace the power supply. Apple Store showed me an internal reset button that fixed the problem in about five seconds.
We don't know that until they're given the opportunity. Now we'll see.
The hack this guy made had nothing to do with what you can do with your mp3's or mp4s.
Won't slice my cabbage, either. Guess it's useless.
Any closed system of hardware and software can be more reliable that the wild and wooly PC world. Going with apple is like living in a plastic bubble. The germs won't get you.
TIP: Buy Kingston RAM for it. The RAM must all be the same brand. You could use Centon brand or what Apple sells, but you will have headaches if you mix brands.
TIP: There's a firmware update for some older Power Mac G4's, and you must check with the Apple website to find out if a firmware update is available for your Power Mac G4, and install it before attempting the Mac OS X installation.
You really need to sit down and read everything that the O'Reilly book has about installing Mac OS X. You should probably also get their book for Mac OS X 10.2.x Jaguar and read its installation section(s), too.
TIP: Don't take any shortcuts --- do the fresh installation --- initialize the disk prior to installation (and prior to partitioning the disk).
TIP: I wasn't kidding when I said that you need at least 30GB of disk space.
The Mac OS X 10.3 Panther Finder is a different engine than Mac OS 9.2.2's, but it is still much like the old Finder, on enough of the basics.
Yet, the Finder is a shell application for the UNIX Mac core, just like GNOME or KDE are shell "Finders" for the UNIX Linus core.
The new Mac's are UNIX machines, and you will have to learn about some of their UNIX-like commands, plenty of which are the same commands used on Linux OS boxes.
TIP: Keep a written log of everything you do, because you are going to need to consult it; we call them "build records." You will eventually get the hang of using a well-edited and revised build record, as a guideline for future installations.
TIP: You will very much need a high-speed connection to the Internet, to download the many updates from Apple; the files are large.
We do not use their automated software update; instead, we update manually, because it affords us much better control, given the state of Internet connections, even with a high-speed connection.
Find a friend or neighbor or household that has a high-speed connection and take the Mac there; you'll be glad that you did. Because otherwise, you could spend three days installing all the software.
TIP: We do not use Symantec Norton Utilities. We use AlSoft's DiskWarrior 3.0.x. We do not use TechTool Pro. We do use Norton Anti-Virus 9.0.x.
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