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DRM Tinkering with Intel's PXA270?
putko asks: "Intel has a new line of chips with DRM built in. This appears to be the very first DRM-enabled chip to hit the streets. This microprocessor is unlike others available, because the user doesn't have complete control over the thing, and your computer can (theoretically) betray you.
For a while now, there have been computers (IBM ThinkPad) that won't boot unless you give the password, but you could always rip out the hard drive and read it, right? With this chip, the keys and RAM are on the chip, and the flash is encrypted, so this really looks locked up tight.
Has anyone worked with this chip, and is possible to build your own device that uses the Intel Trusted Wireless Platform to protect your secrets (like your software, perhaps)?"
"I'm reminded of this due to Slashdot's recent story on the iPAQ, which uses the chip (and has some neat security features too). Somewhat surprisingly, nobody brought up the Doomsday scenarios, there. It should also be mentioned that there are companies selling incredibly tiny boards for it. Maybe you can run Linux on them?
Wouldn't it suck if the chip had the capabilities and you couldn't use them in your own projects -- e.g. if that was just reserved to big companies like Microsoft? On the other hand, if you can use the features, you might see some neat applications. Assuming you can program the DRM stuff, how do you avoid locking yourself out of the chip while developing? What extra pitfalls may developers run into using it?"
Wouldn't it suck if the chip had the capabilities and you couldn't use them in your own projects -- e.g. if that was just reserved to big companies like Microsoft? On the other hand, if you can use the features, you might see some neat applications. Assuming you can program the DRM stuff, how do you avoid locking yourself out of the chip while developing? What extra pitfalls may developers run into using it?"
Thing is, it's already showing up. I've seen the PXA270 as the processor in a number of PDAs already, including ones I was showing some interest in. And yet there's NO mention of any special DRM functionality in the processor in the advertising or even during the process of purchasing one (examples include Dell's new x50 and x30 series, and a number of HP's iPAQs). I haven't seen mention of DRM functionality in any reviews yet either, which makes this the first I've heard of it.
Good to know, though. Time to go look into it a little closer and see if anyone plans on putting out a PDA with a VGA screen and a different processor. Today, AFAIK, the only VGA capable models all use the PXA270.
I'm a developer for these chips, and I have to say, this is much ado about nothing.
This has been said before - the primary goal is to get the board part count down.
The primary goal is to get the board part count down.
Let me reiterate once more: The primary goal is to get the board part count down.
With this chip, the only thing that it means is that you don't need o include a flash chip on the board.
The system will still be reflashable through a JTAG interface - just as any other device with flash connected to a CPU would be. In that respect, this machine is no more holding us "hostage" than any other previously released iPAQ or Zaurus.
I thereby declare you, sir, to be talking out of your ass.