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Phoenix DRM Reads Your E-Mail

Posted by michael on from the no-joking-matter dept.

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."

2 of 298 comments (clear)

  1. Re:BIOS Alternatives? by ebuck · · Score: 5, Informative

    Try already exists.

    Look at:
    LinuxBIOS: http://www.linuxbios.org/index.html
    OpenBIOS: http://www.openbios.info/
    FreeBIOS: http://freebios.sourceforge.net/
    GBIOS: http://www.agelectronics.co.uk/gbios/

    Some (like LinuxBIOS) have boot times under a second from cold start to mounting / (root).

    Each comes with their own strenghts (and weaknesses). The trick will be to get everyone to adopt a better BIOS than the one pre-installed on their computer. Messing around with BIOS isn't as easy as messing around with a new web browser, so don't expect mass adoption any time soon.

  2. Re:Talk about a misleading headline! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's not like the BIOS transmits info anywhere else or logs keystrokes.

    and how do you know that? Has everyone forgotten the last fiasco with this company? for a quick reminder see http://www.cexx.org/phoenix.htm.

    Their PhoenixNET BIOS (circa 2001) would change your home page and search engine, pop up links on your desktop and in your web-browser and would automatically download and install software on your machine!

    And you're going to trust these people with your PIM data?