Re: Re: [OT] Mac Vs Window (was [OT] 'kin Windows!)

[Jim Noble <yahoo-groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Phil Harris wrote:
> Anyway, starting with the iPhone 3G Apple implemented the requirement
for
> two-way authentication between the iPhone / iPod and whatever device
was
> connected to them before the two would play ball and talk to each
other ...
> suddenly overnight hundreds of devices which were iPod compatible no
longer
> were, and I don't just mean things like iPod docks and music players
which
> had previously been able to extract the audio from iPods directly ...
no,
> this applied to things like chargers as well so suddenly your iPod
charger
> which works perfectly with your iPod Classic can no longer be used
with your
> iPhone 3G. That's why you see notes on products which say "Not
compatible
> with iPod Touch or iPhone 3G".
>

The reason why some chargers don't work is because apple took out
compatibility with firewire (bah humbug...). The old chargers provide
12v on the firewire pins, which doesn't connect to anything internally
on the newer iPods. (Although I'm sure Apple are hardly crying about
people having to go out and buy a new
"compatible,-and-paid-the-royalty-fee" charger of course...)

> Of course Apple will sell manufacturers an authentication chip that
then has
> to be redesigned into whatever products you are producing - this is a
major
> pain in the arse if your product is software based as they won't do an
> equivalent software authentication (it obviously exists within
iTunes).
>

The chargers only have to present a voltage on a couple of pins to get
the iPod to accept charge (a couple of resistors between the power and
data pins achieves this - USB bus only for newer iPods though). There's
no "authentication chip" for simple devices AFAIK (happy to be
corrected
if that's wrong though).

There may well be an authentication requirement for a data connection to
the iPhone (& iPod touch), but that seems sensible given the nature of
the device (I have stuff stored on my iPhone I would be decidedly upset
about someone being able to extract by plugging some sort of data
extraction device. Neither would I want someone to be able to connect a
device and install malware...).

Jim




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