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Patent Watch: Apple Preparing for Intel Switch with New Protections and Features

Swad

By Swad

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As has been reported in several news outlets, Apple has filed for a patent which seems to be directly preparing the company for the upcoming Intel switch. Patent 20050246554 was filed by Apple for rights to what they call a "system and method for creating tamper-resistant code."

 

According to the article:

 

"Tamper-resistant software is software that is difficult to change, tamper with, and/or attack. Code obfuscation is one technique for achieving tamper-resistant software. Generally, the goal of code obfuscation is to make it difficult for attackers to determine what is happening in a block of code. If attackers use debuggers or emulators to trace instructions, code obfuscation can make the code difficult to understand or change."

 

Also of note is the ability to select for the Macs to choose from one of the three operating systems: OS X, Linux, or Windows. This would seem to indicate that Apple is committed to earlier statements of supporting (but maybe not encouraging) multiple operating systems.

 

Will the "tamper resistant code" be a part of Apple's mechanism for locking the OS to Apple hardware?

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bofors

Excellent find to however dug this information up. This is huge issue. I have yet look at this patent application, but should Apple actually have some technology that this community really finds "difficult" to "study", it may be useful to look at some of the other patents and academic papers that Apple cites in said application. Otherwise, Apple's use of the word "difficult" is the very telling here, it is theoretically impossible for Apple to prevent people from running OSx86 on unsecured hardware.

 

Note to Mashugly: The direct link to this thread from the front page does not work (yet?).

EDIT: OK, the link is working for me now, feel free to edit this stuff out of my post, I just was too lazy to send you a PM.

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bofors
nothing is uncrackable.

 

That's right and I actually constructed a three-line proof in term of theorectical computer science that shows this is true for OSx86 on generic hardware.

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Metrogirl
nothing is uncrackable. took RELOADED 1.5 years to crack StarForce, but was eventually done :D kinda doubt this will be as difficult, but you never know ^_~

 

Maxxuss took just two weeks to fix 10.4.3 ;)

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U.C.

I dont think even the final version / retail will be that tough too crack. Steve jobs probably realise by doing this, he has many advantages

  • Dont have to support hardware other than what they include with thier system
  • ppl with pc's will buy , crack and install Mac OSX on thier unsupported systems, thus genrating money
  • Market share of MacOSX will rise

It is like a two sided sword. Yes everybody wont be smart enuf to crack it. But then the ppl will also buy the apple pcs after the realise how cool the hacked version of OSX on thier PC is.

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xtraa
I dont think even the final version / retail will be that tough too crack. Steve jobs probably realise by doing this, he has many advantages
  • Dont have to support hardware other than what they include with thier system
     
     
  • ppl with pc's will buy , crack and install Mac OSX on thier unsupported systems, thus genrating money
     
     
  • Market share of MacOSX will rise

It is like a two sided sword. Yes everybody wont be smart enuf to crack it. But then the ppl will also buy the apple pcs after the realise how cool the hacked version of OSX on thier PC is.

 

Exactly what i think! Steve J.'s O-Tone would be "Sorry Bill, at least we tried" ... hrhrhr

 

:(:dev:

Edited by xtraa
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