Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had so much success with its iPod/iTunes digital music and video ecosystem over the last five years. Much of that success that most other companies can't seem to duplicate includes an easy-to-use interface (competitors are catching up, though), excellent design, a knack for chic marketing and a perfectly-placed mystique about the product that makes each one unique. Apple even gives consumers free engraving on most iPods -- who else does this? Nobody.

But, along with those accolades come consumers who would love to use the iTunes platform to purchase music, TV shows and now movies, but who don't necessarily want to use an iPod to view and listen to all that content. Enter DVD Jon, now 22-years-old, who years ago busted the encryption used on DVDs to prevent copying of actual physical media that customers already owned. I applauded his move when the information and technology became public, since music and movie studios presume all customers are thieves (we aren't) and try to control content I've already paid for.

Well, DVD Jon now has involvement with a new company, DoubleTwist Ventures, which aims to actually "add" digital copy protection to music files. This will allow music from other download services to be used on your "protected" iPod, as well as letting Apple's iTunes see music and video players not made by Apple as "iPods," so that iTunes content can be downloaded into non-Apple digital media devices. Is this illegal?

After all, this new service by DoubleTwist is not removing copy protection, nor is it bypassing protection -- it's just allowing cross-platform usage of media we'd all love to have and enjoy, but can't since so much ridiculous digital protection is in place everywhere. Since the hardware and software companies have not provided what consumers want, I guess DVD Jon will be providing it. Kudos.

Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) ended the day up 63 cents, 0.78%, to finish at $81.68. The stock seems to be holding steady to the ground it made last week.

Our own Jon Ogg makes a convincing case for the iPod's FairPlay encryption being hacked and offered to other companies to use as being a good thing for the iPod ecosystem. He reasons that this would encourage more people to use iPods. Jon's thought is backed up by the fact that 'DVD Jon' himself said he talked to Jobs about it, who said Apple wouldn't sue him, but that he would have to keep an eye out on the music companies.

Because of all the earnings out there, the story regarding another iPod and iTunes hack has been in the backseat. There is an interesting story out on Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) regarding a hack on the iTunes and iPod restrictions, although this is sort of a continuation and follow-on article to what Doug McIntyre already wrote this week. It seems that now more is known and the ramifications are clearer.

This is regarding notorious source code breaker Jon Lech Johansen, or "DVD Jon," who previously broke the code for encrypting DVD and other downloads. Now this is on FairPlay.

So while iPod and iTunes are exclusive, this cracked code allows users to bypass the inter-dependability and turn it into interoperability. Johansen reverse engineered the code. Apple may not like this one red bit, and you can bet their attorneys are going to block this all they can. But the issue here is that Apple touted itself for years as the alternative system, yet now the iPod/iTunes dominance has taken what used to be the Win-Tel (Microsoft-Windows and Intel-Pentium) alliance to a new modern day extreme.

Yes, this gets into a controversial area. Everyone loves their MP3 players (if that term isn't old-school already), and iPod users take this to the extent that it is THE must-have fashion accessory.