No DRM in Headphones for New iPod Shuffle

MacRumors · Mar 16, 2009, 04:45 PM

The Mac web has been abuzz over the past few days regarding the possibility of an "authentication" or "DRM" chip included inside the headphones for Apple's new iPod shuffle released last week. After several days of investigation, explanations, and misunderstandings, the chip appears to contain no authorization or encryption component.

Following up on comments from iLounge regarding the existence of such a chip, Boing Boing Gadgets discovered the chip located inside the new iPod shuffles' headphone control module. The discovery touched off speculation that Apple had added the chip as a means to force third-party manufacturers to pay a licensing fee in order to produce headphones compatible with the new iPod shuffle.

Macworld, however, contacted an Apple spokesman about the matter. While the spokesman confirmed the existence of the chip, its intended purpose is said to be related to the "Made for iPod" program alone. Boing Boing Gadgets was also able to speak with Apple and received what is so far the clearest explanation regarding whether the chip contains DRM:

Quote:

Just spoke with Apple. There is no encryption or authentication on the chip, so clones could conceivably be made, just not with "Made for iPod" official certification. And now we know!

Article Link: No DRM in Headphones for New iPod Shuffle

Mykbibby · Mar 16, 2009, 04:47 PM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

Well that's great to hear... The less DRM the better.

Kilamite · Mar 16, 2009, 04:49 PM

Good news! I read the Engadget article and paniced - I'm not a fan of the iPod headphones, and didn't fancy paying a premium price for 3rd party headphones because of this proposed DRM.

Happy now!

PeteB · Mar 16, 2009, 04:49 PM

It's actually a prototype of a mind-control chip.

Markov · Mar 16, 2009, 04:49 PM

Good. I don't think everyone really wants DRM part of their daily lives...

DRM annoys the hell out of me.

GeekLawyer · Mar 16, 2009, 04:50 PM

BoingBoingGadgets really came into their own in this whole story. That quirky little band of "happy mutants" stayed a step ahead of the established media.

Good on them. And good on Apple for less DRM.

InkMaster · Mar 16, 2009, 04:51 PM

May I be the first to say YAAY!

I personally don't care for the shuffle and would never buy it, but nice knowing that those who will get it be able to use whatever they want with it.

Consultant · Mar 16, 2009, 04:51 PM

Yes, also the Apple Insider article explaining what IS DRM.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...tion_chip.html

mr_matalino · Mar 16, 2009, 04:53 PM

Everyone...just...relax

JMax1 · Mar 16, 2009, 04:54 PM

And knowing is half the battle!

Jayomat · Mar 16, 2009, 04:56 PM

i haven't heared of that "feature", better said restriction, but it would have been the most **!"§%&!`? thing apple has ever made...

alexbates · Mar 16, 2009, 04:58 PM

Good, Im glad to hear that other headphones might work in the future.

I hope Apple doesn't decide to do this with other iPods later though.

edolecki · Mar 16, 2009, 05:01 PM

Excellent! I have been hearing tons of bad voodoo being aimed @ Apple over this now debunked rumor.

lunarworks · Mar 16, 2009, 05:03 PM

It doesn't matter if it's true or not: The story can't be undone. All the haters will continue to say that "Apple has DRM in their headphones!", even though it's been disproven.

Eric S. · Mar 16, 2009, 05:09 PM

Better news, but I still won't be buying one.

BRLawyer · Mar 16, 2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr_matalino

Everyone...just...relax

And once more the PC fanboys come with their FUD about this headphone DRM, which ends up as a lot of BS, of course...Apple doesn't need to do that when it's on top of the game for years and years already.

Scottsdale · Mar 16, 2009, 05:10 PM

Maybe people shouldn't be so damn quick to accuse without having a clear understanding of what they are accusing Apple of doing in the first place.

Apple should bring lawsuits for harmful damage to reputation by ALL that reported the inaccurate information. Congrats to Mac Rumors for getting this right.

Honestly, this is Apple's business anyways. Why shouldn't they have the right to decide who gets to sell parts that work with Apple devices. THEN, it is the consumers choice whether they want to deal with an Apple company that will not work with their worthless Bose headphones... JK, I know there are a bunch of Bose haters/lovers on this site.

But seriously, we all know that Apple requires APPLE hardware to run OS X, why shouldn't it require Apple licensing at a minimum if companies wish to profit off Apple's iPods? At the same time, opening the availability will usually create a WIN-WIN scenario where Apple will get more iPod sales if people can buy their own headphones when Apple is getting paid for the headphones in the $79 price to begin with.

The rumors sometimes go overboard though, and here is a perfect example. A bunch of the other sites reported this information as verbatim FACT.

Way to go Arn and crew. Waiting reflected accurate reporting here.

Gasu E. · Mar 16, 2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteB

It's actually a prototype of a mind-control chip.

...did you ever wonder how it is that the iPod always seems to play the very song you want to hear at the time?

Le Big Mac · Mar 16, 2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mykbibby

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

The less DRM the better.

It's not even DRM, even under the theory of what it does. It's a chip that could require a proprietary connector, which is also a problem, because it means everybody would have to pay to play.

I hope this report is correct, and the others wrong. I don't really want an Apple Tax on accessories for iPod.

Voidness · Mar 16, 2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunarworks

It doesn't matter if it's true or not: The story can't be undone. All the haters will continue to say that "Apple has DRM in their headphones!", even though it's been disproven.

Exactly. A misinformed statement in iLounge's Shuffle review spread to all tech blogs like wildfire, who took this statement as an undeniable fact and started their sensationalist blogging.

amac4me · Mar 16, 2009, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottsdale

Maybe people shouldn't be so damn quick to accuse without having a clear understanding of what they are accusing Apple of doing in the first place.

...

Way to go Arn and crew. Waiting reflected accurate reporting here.

I couldn't agree more!

slffl · Mar 16, 2009, 05:19 PM

Well what do you know? Yet ANOTHER rumor that turns out to be untrue, but posted on all the flaming anti-Apple zealot websites like Gizmodo, Digg, and Engadget.

Also, I bet the retractions don't get the attention the made-up-rumor does.

Eric S. · Mar 16, 2009, 05:26 PM

Ars Technica is still reporting that third-party headphones require an Apple-supplied chip, although it is one that does not do authentication:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...plied-chip.ars

8CoreWhore · Mar 16, 2009, 05:28 PM

So the world is not ending after all?

Scottsdale · Mar 16, 2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore

So the world is not ending after all?

Not until December 21, 2012!

Whatever you do, DON'T HOLD OFF ON BUYING THE NEW iPOD SHUFFLE FOR 3+ YEARS... At $79, live a little.

Mar 16, 2009, 04:47 PM	#2
Mykbibby macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Palm Springs, CA	Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20) Well that's great to hear... The less DRM the better. __________________ Mac Soda: Quenching Your Thirst for Everything Apple

Mar 16, 2009, 04:49 PM	#3
Kilamite macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Scotland	Good news! I read the Engadget article and paniced - I'm not a fan of the iPod headphones, and didn't fancy paying a premium price for 3rd party headphones because of this proposed DRM. Happy now! __________________ - MacBook Pro Unibody 15" 2.8GHz 'anti-glare' - Apple TV 1TB (work in progress) - iPhone 3G 8GB - MobileMe // OS X 10.6.2

Mar 16, 2009, 04:49 PM	#4
PeteB macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jan 2008	It's actually a prototype of a mind-control chip. __________________ iPod Touch 2G/32Gb -17" HiRes MBP 2.6Ghz - Spyder3 calibrated - LR & CS3 *Photo Gallery*

Mar 16, 2009, 04:49 PM	#5
Markov macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2007 Location: NJ	Good. I don't think everyone really wants DRM part of their daily lives... DRM annoys the hell out of me. __________________ MacBook Pro: 2.2Ghz, 4GB ram, 320GB HDD, Snow Leopard, Win 7 64bit iPod touch 2G, 16 GB 80 GB Classic -P- Go Phillies! -P-

Mar 16, 2009, 04:51 PM	#7
InkMaster macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nagoya, Japan	May I be the first to say YAAY! I personally don't care for the shuffle and would never buy it, but nice knowing that those who will get it be able to use whatever they want with it. __________________  MichaelFlux.com 

Mar 16, 2009, 04:50 PM	#6
GeekLawyer macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Florida	BoingBoingGadgets really came into their own in this whole story. That quirky little band of "happy mutants" stayed a step ahead of the established media. Good on them. And good on Apple for less DRM.

Mar 16, 2009, 04:51 PM	#8
Consultant macrumors 601 Join Date: Jun 2007	Yes, also the Apple Insider article explaining what IS DRM. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...tion_chip.html __________________ Search MacRumors: Mroogle \| Famous Mac Users \| Apple's Comprehensive Guides \| Get a Mac ads =)

Mar 16, 2009, 04:53 PM	#9
mr_matalino macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2005	Everyone...just...relax __________________ All I say is "Jub Jub" and I still make more sense than you.

Mar 16, 2009, 04:54 PM	#10
JMax1 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL	And knowing is half the battle! __________________ How does Pig Latin work for Canadians, eh? 17" Intel iMac, Broken G4 Powerbook, 20 GB iPod Photo, 8GB iPhone, Migilia TV Micro, and two dogs.

Mar 16, 2009, 04:56 PM	#11
Jayomat macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Rainy-Town	i haven't heared of that "feature", better said restriction, but it would have been the most **!"§%&!`? thing apple has ever made...

Mar 16, 2009, 04:58 PM	#12
alexbates macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Georgia, USA	Good, Im glad to hear that other headphones might work in the future. I hope Apple doesn't decide to do this with other iPods later though. __________________ 13" 2.53GHz Unibody MacBook Pro: 250GB HD, 4GB RAM 10" MSi WIND Hackintosh: 1.6GHz Atom, 160GB HD, 2GB RAM, Leopard 10.5.7 15" 2.16GHz MacBook Pro: 320GB HD, 3GB RAM Twitter

Mar 16, 2009, 05:01 PM	#13
edolecki macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2009	Excellent! I have been hearing tons of bad voodoo being aimed @ Apple over this now debunked rumor.

Mar 16, 2009, 05:03 PM	#14
lunarworks macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada	It doesn't matter if it's true or not: The story can't be undone. All the haters will continue to say that "Apple has DRM in their headphones!", even though it's been disproven.

Mar 16, 2009, 05:09 PM	#15
Eric S. macrumors 68030 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, California	Better news, but I still won't be buying one. __________________ aluminum MB 2.4GHz/4GB/250GB/9400M, 10.5.8/XP Pro PowerMac G4 1.0GHz/1.3GB/360GB/Radeon 9800 Pro, 10.5.8/10.4.11 previous: Mac Plus, IIci, PB 100, Quadra 840av, PowerBase 200, iBook G3/G4

Mar 16, 2009, 05:10 PM	#17
Scottsdale macrumors 68020 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: E.E.U.U./U.S.A.	Maybe people shouldn't be so damn quick to accuse without having a clear understanding of what they are accusing Apple of doing in the first place. Apple should bring lawsuits for harmful damage to reputation by ALL that reported the inaccurate information. Congrats to Mac Rumors for getting this right. Honestly, this is Apple's business anyways. Why shouldn't they have the right to decide who gets to sell parts that work with Apple devices. THEN, it is the consumers choice whether they want to deal with an Apple company that will not work with their worthless Bose headphones... JK, I know there are a bunch of Bose haters/lovers on this site. But seriously, we all know that Apple requires APPLE hardware to run OS X, why shouldn't it require Apple licensing at a minimum if companies wish to profit off Apple's iPods? At the same time, opening the availability will usually create a WIN-WIN scenario where Apple will get more iPod sales if people can buy their own headphones when Apple is getting paid for the headphones in the $79 price to begin with. The rumors sometimes go overboard though, and here is a perfect example. A bunch of the other sites reported this information as verbatim FACT. Way to go Arn and crew. Waiting reflected accurate reporting here. __________________ "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein

Mar 16, 2009, 05:19 PM	#22
slffl macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Salt Lake City, UT	Well what do you know? Yet ANOTHER rumor that turns out to be untrue, but posted on all the flaming anti-Apple zealot websites like Gizmodo, Digg, and Engadget. Also, I bet the retractions don't get the attention the made-up-rumor does. __________________ Why waste your time posting how much you hate Apple products?

Mar 16, 2009, 05:26 PM	#23
Eric S. macrumors 68030 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, California	Ars Technica is still reporting that third-party headphones require an Apple-supplied chip, although it is one that does not do authentication: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...plied-chip.ars __________________ aluminum MB 2.4GHz/4GB/250GB/9400M, 10.5.8/XP Pro PowerMac G4 1.0GHz/1.3GB/360GB/Radeon 9800 Pro, 10.5.8/10.4.11 previous: Mac Plus, IIci, PB 100, Quadra 840av, PowerBase 200, iBook G3/G4

Mar 16, 2009, 05:28 PM	#24
8CoreWhore macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX	So the world is not ending after all? __________________ MBP 2.16 / AEBS / iPhone 3GS / 3rd Gen Shuffle

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