Intel has confirmed that code posted to the Internet earlier this week is the master key that is part of an Intel-created standard used to make sure only authorized devices are playing copyright-protected movies.
"We can use it to generate valid device keys that do interoperate with the (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) protocol," Intel spokesman Tom Waldrop told CNET today. ...

Sony has stealthily released a new firmware for the Playstation 3 earlier tonight. The new software update weighs in at 33.5 MB.

Although Sony did not release notes about firmware 3.42 for the Playstation 3, many users are reporting (via Exophase) that it blocks the USB exploit which previously allowed unsigned code to run on the system. As a result, homebrew devices used for the exploit (such as the PS Freedom, PS Groove and PS Jailbreak) are no longer functional after the update.
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Last week Apple announced a complete overhaul of its iPod lineup including a new Shuffle, a new Nano (with multitouch screen) and a new iPod Touch. While the nano looks cool, it’s pricey and honestly I haven’t been interested in a dedicated MP3 player in about a decade.
The new iPod Touch however piqued my curiousity. With many of the same specs as the iPhone 4, I wondered if the new Touch might be a neat way to get most of the functionality of the 4 without the albatross of a contract AT&T hangs around your neck.
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Two weeks ago you'd have to pay an Australian importer for a specialized USB key. Four days ago open-source software let you roll your own. Today, there's no need for any of that -- you can hack your PS3 with a tethered smartphone. ...

Gamers who have decided to forgo the 3-week wait and download illegitimate copies of Halo: Reach will suffer some less than pleasant consequences.
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Poor, poor Sony. First PSJailbreak splayed wide the PS3's security model, now PSGroove has arrived calling itself the "open source PSjailbreak." The code must first be downloaded and installed onto a $30ish AT90USBkey or a $25ish Teensy++ USB development board.
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