New iPods Try, Fail to Block Linux

BoingBoing: New iPods Reengineered to Block Synching with Linux

"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..."

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ipodminusitunes: We've Won!

"Thanks to some inspired work by a few heroes, we've managed to work out how to get everything working again.

"This is what we've found out: the hash at 0x58 is the one that matters. And we know how to generate it..."

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Related Stories:

• How To Manage An iPod From A Linux Desktop With gtkpod(Aug 07, 2007)
• How To Manage An iPod From A Linux Desktop With Rhythmbox(Aug 02, 2007)
• How To Manage An iPod From A Linux Desktop With Amarok(Jul 27, 2007)