Phoenix DRM Reads Your E-Mail

martensitic writes "eWeek reports that Phoenix has developed a utility allowing users of its laptop DRM BIOS (last discussed here) to 'check their Outlook data on a notebook computer without needing to boot the machine.' Since Longhorn is still several years away, Pheonix is developing their own trusted apps to sell the BIOS to laptop manufacturers. One can only imagine what other innocuous bells and whistles will be used to leverage DRM onto Joe Laptop's machine."

Comments

Cool !!!

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

Now I can write an Outlook virus that takes out the system BIOS

No... you have it all wrong...

[cnelzie]

...when you boot a computer equipped with this new BIOS you get the following:

POST

BIOS initialization

Nag Screen Asking you if you want to read your email or continue to boot.

Nag Screen Asking you if you want to read your email or continue to boot.

Nag Screen Asking you if you want to read your email or continue to boot.

Nag Screen Asking you if you want to read your email or continue to boot.

Then you come back to your new computer with your cup of coffee expecting to see your Windows desktop...

You hit the NO key, which is a combination of CTRL-SHIFT-N-Enter keys.

Nag Screen Asking you if you are really sure you want to boot into the OS, because you can read your email from the BIOS.

You confirm by contorting your hands and hitting the combination of keys confirming that you really want to boot into the OS.

The comptuer boots and you enter Windows, check a few web sites and then check your email.

Who the heck is going to use this? This seems like that 'wonderful' push technology that MS pushed so many years ago that turned out to be something nobody wanted.

It's like the new "2-Stroke Gasoline Engine Powered Toothbrush". Sure, it might be more powerful then a plain old battery powered toothbrush, but nobody wants that stinky gasoline exhaust smell in the morning, plus it brushes to 'well' that the enamel on your teeth is removed after one use...