Short Bits: DRM, Vista SP1, Xbox 360, More
Hard to think people are just now getting around to talking
about the DRM crap made by Peter Gutmann and Bruce Schneier. I went after Schneier
in Feburary, but it’s hard to imagine that these “professionals” up into
the ring without knowledge of any of the real issues. Oh well, they might be incredibility smart individuals,
but maybe they should stick to cryptography.
Too bad cryptography has so many useful purpose, since it is the basis
of digital rights to start with. Ed Bott also covers this story
nicely.
Vista SP1 hit the web in the form of a leaked beta last
week. APC Mag did a nice in-depth
look into whats there so far. Media
Center has some sort of update in SP1, I’ve yet to bother to look into this,
but I doubt it is anything major at this point.
A new version of DVRMSToolbox
for Vista is out. Casey published /mceDvd360
for any developers who want to attempt to get DVD streaming (transcoding)
working for a nice Xbox 360 Extender-based solution. Source code in C# for anyone is who
interested in a new project. The Media
Center SDK was also updated.
The new Xbox
360’s Premiums with HDMI still use 90mm chips. Boo.
At least they still cost a little less with the recent price drop.
Missing Remote did a nice
ATSC/NTSC Tuner Guide that runs down the pros and cons of just about every
current tuner on the market. Before your
next purchase, be sure to check out the guide to make sure you are getting the
best bang for your buck.
