Windows users at risk from flaw in Macromedia DRM

Microsoft has warned that both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 suffer from a vulnerability resulting from a flaw in a bundled DRM module. First reported by Symantec, this antipiracy component has been bundled with Windows for the last six years.

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So, once again, DRM actually reduces the security of a system, especially on older XP systems in homes where you KNOW the Administrator account name (or it's something really original like Compaq_Administrator, LOL) and there is no password.

All those poor folks who thought they just wanted to play a game are now vulnerable... again.

At least this wasn't something as horrible as a rootkit, but still, there is code running on my box that I really don't want there, and it's sole purpose is to make copy protection easier. Too bad that copy protection has been broken for years, and is effectively useless.

Sigh...

Blu-ray’s DRM crown jewel tarnished with crack of BD+

SlySoft promised the BD+ would be cracked by the end of 2007, and the company was on the money. Blu-ray's one DRM "advantage" over HD DVD has apparently disappeared, as the newest beta of AnyDVD reportedly can rip discs protected with BD+.

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I have some level of hope that the content producers will realize they are in a losing war, and learn to adapt to the new reality. If not, at least I get the freedom to do what I want with media that I've paid for, whether they like it or not.

The genie is out of the bottle, and there's no putting it back. The DRM on Blu-Ray was one of three issues stopping me from buying into the technology.

In no particular order, the issues are:

1) DRM - I don't want to be restricted in my use of a product. I can play DVDs on my computer, or I can rip them and use media center software to distribute them throughout my house. I can do the same with CDs, and make a copy so that my $15 CD or DVD doesn't get scratched up when my kids forget to put it back in the case. That doesn't seem like much to ask.

2) Cost - The intial cost of a Blu-Ray player is fairly ridiculous, especially when Walmart was carrying a Toshiba HD-DVD player for $98 in the last week. Wow!

3) Sony - They've just pissed me off too many times in the past. DRM on CDs, not playing burned CDs or DVDs in my Sony DVD player, rootkits... ROOTKITS! !@#@&*#!!! My Sony Trinitron TV that broke after 4 years, in the 6th year, and the 7th and last year.

The advantages of Blu-Ray do exist. I like the larger capacity. Eh. Whatever. HD-DVD seems to be big enough for movies in HD.

Link to Linked in, and help promote yourself!

A link to my linked in page... heh.

Lemme create a literary work about a "hex"

I think I'll write a quick blurb... about a spell. Or a hex, as it were.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39330

Using this as my inspiration, I've decided to write something fun. Let's hear it for free speech and Fair Use!

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For in the darkest depths of yore, there were many attempts to stifle speech, and many attempts to prevent fair use. For, of all the uses, Fair was the fairest. And against the hosts of Fair, there stood the evil empire, MmmPah! And the hosts of the MmmPah relied on their superweapon AACS, which had a critical weakness, as all superweapons do. These hosts of the MmmPah were numbered thusly:

09 Executives, shrieking mindlessly
f9 Legal notices, issued hopelessly
11 Lawfirms, cashing checks
02 Websites, taking down posts
9d Technicians, searching for bloggers
74 Law clerks, preparing take down notices
e3 Media members, submitting stories
5b Members of congress, bought and paid for

These were the hosts of the evil MmmPah, but against them were arrayed the seemingly infinite hordes of the Fair, and the Fair were profligate, and spake unto the world the number of freedom. And this number was 0xd84156c5635688c0, for this was the number of supporters of the Fair, posting on blogs against the evil MmmPah.

And in the final battle, the hosts of the MmmPah and the hordes of the Fair clashed, and as they arrayed for battle, and strove for control of the imposing but fatally flawed AACS, the combination of the two proved most propitious for the hordes of the Fair, for the hosts of the MmmPah combined with the number of freedom proved too much, and a new thing was brought into the world, and this thing was Freedom, and all of the hordes of the Fair, looking upon it, proclaimed it good. But the hosts of the MmmPah, seeing that they had encouraged and nurtured the Freedom, which was anathema to them, cried out in fury!

For the array of the hosts of MmmPah, in order, followed by the number of freedom, created a new and interesting spell. This hex cracked the shell of the AACS, and as its vital energy spilled, there arose a shout, as it was an idiots tale, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

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Fun weekend!

I finally got to do two things this last week that I've wanted to do for quite a while:
1) Get away for a couple of days to be a person all by myself,
- and -
2) Meet some friends in person that I've known online for over a year.

What a rush! I really enjoyed both, and I'm incredibly grateful to my lovely wife Michele for realizing I needed it, and letting me go. She's pretty tolerant these days, and hasn't given me grief for wanting to occasionally do things on my own a little. I've been a "good married family man" since 1993, and had "our friends" since about 1990 more than "my friends".

Actually thats not totally true. For the past few years, I've been able to go hang out with some friends for a few hours on the occasional Tuesday night. That's helped. In the last year, I've been able to do something besides watch TV and sit on the couch every night. Granted, playing an online game with some folks a few times a week isn't exactly living life to its fullest, but I've enjoyed it, and at some level, I've really needed it.

I feel like I've had pressure building inside me for quite a while over this. Now... It's mostly gone. I got to go hang out with friends, have some drinks, bullshit about things, go someplace different, etc.

Mainly, I got to go off by myself, without a load of condemnation, without guilt, and with approval. I don't feel like I'm staying home because I *can't* leave, but because I want to. I don't feel like an inmate in my own life anymore. What a release. I highly recommend it!

Dieting is a pain.

I've been on a quest, for about 9 months now, to get into shape, and try to find a sustainable, long term way to first lose, and then maintain, weight. I did really well, I think, for a while. I lost about 37 lbs. over about 6 months, and then I've just maintained that loss for the last three. I'm happy that I'm maintaining. That's great. But I really need to lose another 20-30 lbs, and my willpower is having some problems.

Every time I'm on a diet, I hit a wall, starting in December and January. I usually try to pick it back up in February, and then March shoots me down again. Maybe I need the summer season to provide the motivation. Maybe I just get tired of dieting. I'm not really sure, but it's been a real struggle.

This year, I'm trying to just maintain my current weight for a while. I'll try to pick up the diet and the weight loss again soon. Maybe that will do the trick.