March 26, 2020

Well THIS is an Odd Story

There is a report that the source code for the Microsoft X-Box graphics has been hacked and is being held for ransom.



Ummm...

Hacking as I understand it is generally copy and paste, not cut and paste, and even in the latter case, there would be backups and X-Box test beds so  Microsoft ought to still have their code. Presumably this a threat to release it to competitors, but I can't imagine that the X-Box is that far in advance of other consoles in the graphics department that 100 million would be warranted.

IT people please explain this to me, because it looks like a Hollywood screenwriter's idea of a pitch for some mid-budget thriller.



UPDATE:See also hereherehere,  and here... So it's AMD And X-Box graphics card schematics then? That makes more sense.  

Posted by: The Brickmuppet at 08:48 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Chip designs are code these days, in specialised languages such as VHDL or Verilog.  You specify the functions you want and the constraints they need to fit within, and then a very clever compiler turns it into the patterns that will be etched onto the chip.


So it really is source code, just of a different kind to what we usually see.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at Thu Mar 26 09:03:08 2020 (PiXy!)

2 Ah. thanks! That makes sense. 

Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Thu Mar 26 09:16:35 2020 (5iiQK)

3 Note:  no legit competing maker of graphics chips, specifically Intel and nVidia, but also including Arm, Imagination, etc., would go anywhere near this because of the ma$$ive law$uit$ they'd inevitably lose.

Posted by: Rick C at Thu Mar 26 10:50:03 2020 (Iwkd4)

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What colour is a green orange?




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