Apple locks out third party apps from new iPods
September 18th, 2007Less than a fortnight ago Apple introduced its new range of iPods including a new model, the iPod touch. After celebrating the new features beautiful designs and innovative interface some commentators having taken the hood off have discovered a less welcome feature.
Apple has begun adding SHA1 hashes (a one-way scrambling method) to the start of the iTunesDB file, the database which stores meta information about the digital content on your iPod. This effectively renders the iTunes database to one particular iPod. Any other iPod can neither read nor write to the database. Third party software will be unable to work with the database and is rendered useless. Apple has made iTunes the only software you can use to interact with your iPod.
This may be in answer to record companies such as EMI dropping DRM from their digital music catalogues making it much easier for third party software developers to produce apps able to replace iTunes as an iPod manager. Apple’s action effectively reinforces iTune’s dominance in the download market.
Unfortunately this will leave Linux users out in the cold as the Cupertino company as yet does not produce a version of iTunes for them.
Apple seems to be losing the plot. What we all want as music consumers is a simple device that we can transfer our music to and then listen to it on the move. We don’t want to be forcd to use anyone’s software or have our possessions police our use of the things we pay for. Record labels are abandoning DRM so Apple cannot blame them for its having to use encryption to restrict how we move our music around our home.
Apple seems to be getting more like Microsoft every day.
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Tags: copy_protection, ipods, ipod_classic, ipod_mini, ipod_nanos, ipod_touch, itunes,
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