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Xbox Hacking Book Prepares to Fly Off Shelves
SecurityFocus posted an article today about a new book that covers hacking the Xbox. The book's author, Andrew "Bunnie" Huang, reports that it's selling well, even though the release date has not yet arrived. Presumably, this is because the book covers soldering techniques and adding features like blue LEDs and modchips to Xboxes, most of which violate the DMCA. If this stuff is interesting to you, you can order a copy from Huang's site. It amazes me that a book such as this could be banned, yet car service manuals can be sold in most bookstores.
The proprietary Microsoft BIOS ROM is what this whole DMCA spectre revolves around. You own the box but not the ROM inside. It's not your right to modify it. (As dictated by law. I'm all for mods)
No. Fucking no. They want to stop hacking and modding of the XBox because they don't want people pirating games. Clean, simple answer. There's no dramatic conspiracy behind it, they probably don't even care if someone wants to waste their time running Linux on it..they don't want people pirating games. Why? Because the system is cheap. They're losing tons of money on it, and the only money they're gaining back is from deals with companies producing games, and the few people out there buying the machines to -play- the new games. If XBox piracy becomes too commonplace then they'll essentially be shovelling hundreds of thousands of dollars building systems directly into the toilet.
> the issue is distributing information about how to bypass copyprotection which is very illigal just ask the poor guy who made decss.
No. 2600 got in trouble for distributing the source code for DeCSS because the source code (while information, at some level) is a "circumvention device" (according to the judge). The functional aspect of the code (once run through a compiler) was key to this. It would be difficult to argue that a book is an actual "device," and the DMCA does not ban anything (relevant) other than the act of circumvention and circumvention devices.
Liberal Democrats??? How about the entire Senate. Link
So, when you purchase an "Xbox" or other such item you actually only purchase a license to use it but not actual ownership of that physical unit. And of course, not being a property owner, you have no rights other than the right to use as the License states.
Since I have not purchased an X-Box, I might be wrong... but I'm sure that Microsoft lets you know of the fact that they consider your X-Box THEIR property AFTER you open the box.
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
I believe they already do this, or are at least planning to. I believe this was brought up on here before. ....
Basically, to service your vehicle, a repair shop needs the help of the car's computer. The car's computer gives the repairman certain diagnostic codes. By deciphering these codes, the repairman can figure out what the computer already knows is wrong with the vehicle.
However, since this information could be considered "encoded" then the automakers can give the codes only to those authorized dealerships or those paying large sums for the codes.
Anyone who devises a means of figuring out the information stored on the car's computer would be "breaking the code" or circumventing encryption that protects the auto makers Intellectual Property. And of course then they'd be sued all to hell.
The conclusion is that the automakers could use DMCA protections to ensure that only expensive authorized dealerships have access to the information necessary to repair your car. This would cause smaller owned car repair shops to close. That would cause the dealerships to have less competition and be able to charge more money. That would lead to the automakers being able to demand more money for the codes. And onward into a never ending spiral of corporate greed crushing American citizens through monopolistic practices encouraged and enabled by the DMCA.
However, I haven't found any auto repair shops that aren't a bunch of scammy crooks anyway, so good riddance. Just wish we didn't have to throw away more freedoms to get rid of the scamming autorepairman.
The old "all consoles sold at a loss" myth... The best truth is told here: acts of gord, proclamation 2!
Nope, try cromwell.
http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/download.php
xbox bios replacement, no microsoft code. I mentioned in another thread that I'm thinking of chiping an xbox to make a mythtv front end. I intend to use cromwell in the chip, and just turn the chip off when I want to play an xbox game.
No DMCA violation, no copyright violation. Just a dual purpose piece of hardware. Just doing what microsoft wants sometimes, doing what I want other times.
That sounded almost like a defence of the DMCA, but I didn't mean it to. Hmmm.... Somebody must have laced my mountain dew.
As someone already said they do this with the cars ECU or computer. People can get a scanner to get codes from the more popular cars but there are cars out there that only a dealer can work on.
But then we also have modders there are garages that can modify the ECU for better fuel economy, more horsepower, or adjust it for optimal settings for whatever modifications you may have chose to make.
Although now I hear many manufacturers have what they call learning ECU's. They sell it to the consumer as a way to get better fuel economy and emissions. But in reality whatever you try to do in terms of reprogramming and modifications get eventually set back to default as the computer learns itself back to its factory settings.