Trusted Computing

Here is a great little video about Trusted Computing, a topic that all of us will (unfortunately) hear a lot more about in the coming years. The idea of trusted computing is a good one: only permit software to run on a computer that the user explicitly trusts (as opposed to software that installs itself, sometimes surreptitiously). The (industry) idea of Trusted Computing is less good: only permit software to run on a computer that the manufacturers explicitly trust. If, for example, Microsoft doesn't trust that Firefox browser you're running, they you won't be able to run Firefox on the same computer as your version of Office/TC. If, for example, that independently created music video isn't "trusted," then don't try to run it in the media player that came with your computer. And that one you downloaded to play the indy music? It probably isn't "trusted," either.

Makes you wonder who YOU trust...

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