[Wormsie]

From BoingBoing:

"The latest iPods have a cryptographic 'checksum' in their song databases that prevents third-party applications from synching with the portable music players. This means that iPods can no longer be used with operating systems where iTunes doesn't exist -- like Linux, where gtkpod and Amarok are common free tools used by iPod owners to load their players. Notice that this has nothing to do with piracy -- this is about Apple limiting the choices available to people who buy their iPod hardware." - http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/14...eengineer.html

In addition to that, those Windows users who don't want to use iTunes are also facing a dilemma, because WinAmp and other Windows audio players will not be able to access iPod's database.

I hope a hack will be possible for this and that the free software community protests. It's very likely that my next mp3-player won't be an iPod (the Cowon players seem nice).

[Catbert]

Suits you right for giving money to Apple.

[Trumgottist]

Originally Posted by YESNO, in the comments part of that link

The purpose of a checksum is to ensure data integrity. They're used all the time... they're like a little signature that you can use to tell when even one bit of your data has changed. They are very useful in preventing database corruption.

The purpose of a checksum is not "to block synching with Linux," in other words. They have a valid and well-known purpose that any engineer would attest to. Absent evidence to the contrary, I have to assume that that is the same reason they're being used here.

Apple has no legal or moral obligation to ensure that unsupported devices and software will continue to work with their products. Their only obligation is to not go ridiculously out of their way to *block* those unauthorized third parties-- either through technical or through legal means.

Enough with the panic, already. Apple is allowed to update their products.

[…]

Checksumming is not something to be "broken" or "worked around." It's a *feature* that amarok etc are going to have to *implement*.

This is a hugely, hugely important difference. This is not DRM or anything like it. It's one of the many valid uses of encryption technology--- it's the same principle as a digital signature. And the key is just sitting there in iTunes for anyone to copy.

Cory would have a lot more impact if he paid attention to these nuances, instead of being the boy who cries wolf.

If that's true, this isn't such big a deal.