Could Addonics iPod Drive Cable Be RIAA's Next Weapon?

Iria · Feb 4, 2006, 04:01 PM

On Friday, Addonics Technologies announced a cable to allow a Toshiba 1.8-inch hard drive -- the same hard drive used within the Apple iPod -- to be connected to a computer.

However, the cable could also prove to be the RIAA's latest weapon in the war over sharing copyrighted music.

By itself, the $14.99 cable provides a connection between the 1.8-inch Toshiba hard drive and a standard 2.5-inch 40-pin IDE hard drive interface. A number of intermediary attachments will also allow the drive to connect to a Serial ATA, Firewire, or USB interface. A USB converter kit with enclosure costs about $69.95, but allows the drive to be accessed by a notebook or desktop PC.

Addonics created the drive cable from specifications provided by Toshiba and its own knowhow, Bill Kwong, president of Addonics, told ExtremeTech.

However, the cable was also commissioned by computer forensics experts, Kwong said, who needed a way to determine if illegally copied data -- such as music illegally copied from RIAA artists -- was stored on the iPod's drive. A standard IDE write blocker can be used to turn the Toshiba drive into a read-only device for forensic applications, he added, preventing the intentional or accidental destruction of data.

The cable can also be used in isolated instances to back up a user's iPod, in the event that the drive is suspected of failing.
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Read More / Source: ExtremeTech

Feb 4, 2006, 04:01 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Could Addonics iPod Drive Cable Be RIAA's Next Weapon? On Friday, Addonics Technologies announced a cable to allow a Toshiba 1.8-inch hard drive -- the same hard drive used within the Apple iPod -- to be connected to a computer. However, the cable could also prove to be the RIAA's latest weapon in the war over sharing copyrighted music. By itself, the $14.99 cable provides a connection between the 1.8-inch Toshiba hard drive and a standard 2.5-inch 40-pin IDE hard drive interface. A number of intermediary attachments will also allow the drive to connect to a Serial ATA, Firewire, or USB interface. A USB converter kit with enclosure costs about $69.95, but allows the drive to be accessed by a notebook or desktop PC. Addonics created the drive cable from specifications provided by Toshiba and its own knowhow, Bill Kwong, president of Addonics, told ExtremeTech. However, the cable was also commissioned by computer forensics experts, Kwong said, who needed a way to determine if illegally copied data -- such as music illegally copied from RIAA artists -- was stored on the iPod's drive. A standard IDE write blocker can be used to turn the Toshiba drive into a read-only device for forensic applications, he added, preventing the intentional or accidental destruction of data. The cable can also be used in isolated instances to back up a user's iPod, in the event that the drive is suspected of failing. ___________ Read More / Source: ExtremeTech