Microchips With Multiple "Selves"

Stony Stevenson brings news from Rice University about designing integrated circuits with multiple distinct identities, which could be used in new types of hardware-based DRM, among other things. From the news release: "'With "n-variant" integrated circuits, it is possible to design portable media players that are inherently unique,' said Farinaz Koushanfar, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice and principal investigator on the project. 'New methods of digital rights management can be built upon such devices. For example, media files can be made such that they only run on a certain variant and cannot be played by another.' Koushanfar said content providers could also use n-variant chips to sell metered access to software, music or movies because the chips can be programmed to switch from one variant to another at a particular time or after a file has been accessed a certain number of times."

Comments

It's time for a hippocratic oath for comp sci.

[plasmacutter]

I think it's time to have a hippocratic oath and a certification board like the AMA for comp sci.

The amoral and unethical should be stripped of their credentials and cast out of the profession.

No, this is not an overreaction either. To the average joe computers are more mysterious than the workings of the human body, and just as critical to a person's quality of life in the modern age.

Anyone who would work to poison the digital world with this filth does not deserve to be respected or employed in the field.

Re:Why always media?

[plasmacutter]

We have firewalls, alphanumeric passwords, and various forms of encryption to do that.

Unfortunately, one of the greatest means of getting to this data, hacking the wetware between the monitor and the seat, can never be protected by technical means.

P.S. DRM is about keeping you from accessing your own data, not protecting your data from other people.