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Reading your proposal for having an FPGA hold a critical part of the encryption process, I was reminded of the many places we have seen this idea before: dongles (parallel port and USB), arcade games (slapstic from Atari, the CPS-2 "suicide batteries", and NAOMI to name a few), SmartCards, and others.

Instead of using FPGA, I would use a cheaper PIC or Atmel device -- the security is in the algorithm implemented in the device. Having a copy of the hardware in the hand of an attacker, whether cheap or expensive, nullifies the extra security it provides. Notice for the devices above, they were all compromised after diligent work over time.

For a out-of-band verification system, I can see this working pretty well -- for an individual user or server. Making sure that the device does the calculation and not holding a "shared secret" is the key. Having to carry around a physical device to decrypt your data would be inconvenient; having only one device that can authenticate users is ideal (and a spare device for Murphy).

I just find it curious that the wheel of progress is rotating back to using separate hardware to implement hashing or security instead of just relying on algorithm complexity.

Yeah, you really have no idea what you're talking about do you?

There were many games that had copy protection, including Atari.

According to the Aaron's Log, he is the one who made the 3dfx Voodoo emulator. (scroll down the page till November 2003) http://www.aarongiles.com/mamelog.html

Stifling huh? Where do you think http://www.aarongiles.com/ works?

The also have a decent leg up on it
They HAVE software that does this. They bought it. And one of the dudes who writes for MAME helps make it happen. Its called virtual PC. It has run on ppc before and can again.

http://www.aarongiles.com/

The version of Sam & Max will more than likely be the updated directx version by by Aaron Giles of MAME and ex-LucasArts fame. Previously this updated binary (resources are the same I believe) was only available in parts of the UK and Europe in a compilation pack know as the Entertainment Pack. As LucasArts don't have this available for people who already have the game, preordering Armed & Dangerous to get the bonus disc is the only way many people can get an updated version from LucasArts, or your could just look here.

The version of Sam & Max will more than likely be the updated directx version by by Aaron Giles of MAME and ex-LucasArts fame. Previously this updated binary (resources are the same I believe) was only available in parts of the UK and Europe in a compilation pack know as the Entertainment Pack. As LucasArts don't have this available for people who already have the game, preordering Armed & Dangerous to get the bonus disc is the only way many people can get an updated version from LucasArts, or your could just look here.

and is now a microsoft employee? and has his own website random website? no didnt know that.

I don't know if I should mention is here, but how about the Windows SCUMM engine in the LucasArts Archives(R): Adventure Collection? It is written bij Aaron Giles.

Jac

Or visit his site. Now a mame hacker.

aarongiles.com

Apparently he received somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 postcards, although I'm sure he'd be happy to get a couple more.