Even though Google supports (some might say encourages) unlocking the bootloader and gaining root access on its own Nexus line of Android devices, it's currently blocking the newly announced Google Movies service on rooted devices.
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Member since:2010-03-30
It's security by obscurity, inherently broken.
Just to satisfy my curiosity (and don't take this as a hint that I hold a point of view opposite to yours), what kind of security isn't "security by obscurity"? I mean, I use TruCrypt on one specific volume... and the security of what I store there is based on no one but me knowing the password. Ditto for my debit card, my computers, my online accounts, etc. It seems to me that every kind of security I ever face is based on some kind of obfuscation or secrecy, a.k.a "obscurity".
If this is "inherently broken", I wonder what would save us.
Member since:2011-01-28
vodoomoth,
"what kind of security isn't 'security by obscurity'? I mean, I use TruCrypt on one specific volume... and the security of what I store there is based on no one but me knowing the password."
Security by obscurity is a term applied to those who rely on obfuscated code and/or not non-disclosure of source in order to protect content. This is opposed to using mathematically sound encryption algorithms in a correct way.
Encryption can only protect content from 3rd parties who do not possess the keys (obviously). And herein lies the fatal flaw inherent in all DRM - the keys are necessarily distributed to the end user.
All DRM, from microsoft, apple, real networks, digital cable boxes, and so on are flawed and will always be flawed due to the fact that they are using secure encryption algorithms in an insecure manor. So while the encryption algorithm (ie AES) is secure, the DRM implementation inherently suffers from the need to obscure the keys from the very party who will be using the keys.
DRM can make the attacker's job more difficult, but in the end it cannot be made mathematically secure due to the fact that the keys exist on the same endpoint which the DRM is attempting to restrict.
"Ditto for my debit card, my computers, my online accounts, etc. It seems to me that every kind of security I ever face is based on some kind of obfuscation or secrecy, a.k.a 'obscurity'"
Well it's true, there may be a semantic exception for "passwords". But encryption is unlikely to be the weak link in any of the examples you cited. It's much more likely for a partner to suffer a perimeter breach where the attacker has access to the unencrypted data.
"If this is 'inherently broken', I wonder what would save us."
Encryption is still sound against third party interception. It's the DRM model which is inherently broken, mathematically speaking.
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Member since:
2011-01-28
".. is to add a simple way to make it appear, to a particular app, that the device isn't rooted when it is."
I wonder if a rooted device becomes blacklisted? Or if google deploys an application to determine if it is _currently_ rooted?
"DRM is useless."
Yep.
It's security by obscurity, inherently broken.