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Thursday March 23, 2006 5:16 pm
How iTunes Works
Ever wonder how it is exactly that iTunes works? Well, we have your hookup — no need to wonder any longer. HowStuffWorks has published a complete, exhaustive, in-depth article explaining in detail how iTunes actually works.
The iTunes Music Store is composed of XML-based pages, lots of them encrypted using 128-bit AES in CBC mode. AES-CBC is a type of symmetric-key encryption. AES (“advanced encryption standard”) basically takes a 128-bit block of code and reorganizes it into a 128-bit block of “ciphertext” using a particular key (an encryption algorithm). CBC mode (“cipher block chaining”) is a method of disguising any encryption patterns that might reveal the key.
It’s really quite an interesting read, covering all the aspects of what iTunes does, how it works, and why. Great for the inquisitive mind, the Apple geek, or anybody with an inquisitive nature.
Read More 
| HowStuffWorks
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