<------ this is a picture of an evil apple. . .

from p2p news / p2pnet

iPods will play only what Steve Jobs wants users to play, in theory if not in fact. So it falls well within his rules and regulations that his vaunted MacIntel features an Infineon chip poisoned with Microsoft's 'Trusted Computing' DRM.

"DRM protection and trusted computing enabling chip is found to be wired inside the new Intel-based Macs while no official statement, documentation or press release tells consumers about its existence," says Robin Good on MasterNewsMedia, quoting Italy's attivissimo.blog.

He quotes a translation of Paolo Attivissimo's post as saying:

I have been silent, up to now, on the new Macs with Intel processor. You may find it strange, being evident and unhidden my passion for Macs, but there's a reason for that and its name is Palladium.

To tell you the truth, it also has another name: "Trusted Computing". The name Palladium is a leftover of a Microsoft project of 2002, then awkwardly renamed Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, but it is still used, although improperly.

The basic idea of Trusted Computing is that security on a computer is obtained via hardware, through a specific chip dedicated exclusively to this task and called Trusted Platform Module (TPM). It's a very controversial project, as I wrote four years ago. Originally sold as a beneficial security system for users (which is partially true), trusted Computing and Palladium risk to open the doors to inviolable copy-protection systems and to censorship and surveillance issues to unprecedented levels.

The analysis by Electronic Frontier Foundation is inexorable and rigorous; although also the IBM refutation is worth reading.

The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) says it's a, "not-for-profit organization formed to develop, define, and promote open standards for hardware-enabled trusted computing and security technologies, including hardware building blocks and software interfaces, across multiple platforms, peripherals, and devices. TCG specifications will enable more secure computing environments without compromising functional integrity, privacy, or individual rights. The primary goal is to help users protect their information assets (data, passwords, keys, etc.) from compromise due to external software attack and physical theft.

"TCG has adopted the specifications of TCPA and will both enhance these specifications and extend the specifications across multiple platforms such as servers, PDA's, and digital phones. In addition, TCG will create TCG software interface specifications to enable broad industry adoption."

In alphabetical order, its principal 'promoter' members are AMD, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Infineon, Intel Corp, China's Lenovo Holdings, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems.

Interestingly, Apple isn't on the TCG list.

I have itunes but I only use it to download a few free podcasts. Apple will never see so much as one cent from me.

Well one cool thing about Macs and iTunes is the ability to share streamed music throughout the house. I can store all of my music and movies on my Mac Mini hooked up to my HDTV. Then I can access it on my laptop while I'm sitting in the Kitchen or something and listen to some tunes on the other side of the house. Or Hook up a MacMini in every room of the house and access music from one centralized server with no more hassel than clicking share on the host computer. If they're all Macs they'll have that iLife interface that works pretty well too! Also loving the idea of booting Windows with the new Mac. It sounds amazing to me!