Digg.com

[Channing]

I read the stuff linked on the front page but am not sure what it means. Could someone with a little bit more tech savy explain what has happened?

[DukeUsul]

I read the stuff linked on the front page but am not sure what it means. Could someone with a little bit more tech savy explain what has happened?

There's been a lot of talk around the web about breaking the new encryption for the HD-DVD format (high definition DVDs). The old DVD encryption was broken by a 16-year old from Norway (DVD Jon). Hence, anyone with the code was able to break the copy protection and copy the DVDs. Supposedly the new HD-DVD format was going to have super-duper, triple-awesome, unbreakable encryption. Well, the problem is that you don't have to break the encryption if you have the key.

Any hardware or software that plays back HD-DVDs has the key embedded in it somewhere to decrypt the data. So someone hacked some HD-DVD playback software and found the key. Voila. Now you can decrypt any HD-DVD you want and steal the content.

So the story posted here at DBR today was about Digg.com, a very popular site for nerdy people like me, the user community was actually posting the decryption key on the site. Wary of being sued, the owners kept taking it down. But I guess they got harassed enough that they just gave in to the anti-DRM community.

Anyway, that's all from memory, so I may be off on some of the details.

[watzone]

I think you did a great job with your explanation, but I hate DBR for showing me a site that I will waste lots of time on. It really is a pretty cool link. That said, I would like to see other people share any really cool links in this thread.

[-jk]

My other favorite site is http://www.empegbbs.com - dedicated to the first (and possibly still the best; Apple recently hired its creator) portable mp3 (http://www.riocar.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index) player.

While most of the forums are empeg related, the off-topic forum is fabulous for anyone who' a bit nerdy (guilty as charged).

-jk

[Channing]

Two of my favorites, which I am sure plenty people on here already read are:

www.borowitzreport.com for political satire. The guy is an absolute comedic genius.

Some sample headlines:
BUSH FIRES SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Critics Question Timing of Decision

BUSH: AHMADINEJAD MUST DISMANTLE LAST NAME
Threatens Sanctions Against Polysyllabic Leader

NEW HILLARY SOFTWARE LETS VOTERS CUSTOMIZE HER POSITIONS
Hillary 8.0 Could Spell Victory in ’08

www.instapundit.com for more legitimate political information.

[DevilAlumna]

www.borowitzreport.com for political satire. The guy is an absolute comedic jenius.

Yesterday's was hilarious:


White House Seeks Lying Czar

The White House in recent weeks has been quietly searching for candidates for the position of “lying czar,” a high-level administrator who would oversee all distortions and misrepresentations about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a White House source confirmed today.
<snip/>
many insiders wonder why an administration that already has advisor Karl Rove and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would also need a “lying czar.”