A Thread to a Thread

[fez]

I know how to do it.

Create a file which is compressed and encrypted, and has a massive, complex, AVAILABLE formula for decrypting it.

This formula will take (the amount of time) to be decrypted.

Think, for example, of a zip file that on the fastest super-computer would take 10 minutes to de-zip. Whatever you do, you have absolutely no choice, you HAVE to wait for that 10 minutes is up before you can get to your file. no ifs, no buts, no faking, you HAVE to wait for the 10 minutes.

problem solved. Do I win a prize?

What? So how does that work? Everyones computers are different specs so that 10 minutes that a supercomputer would take would translate into days, months for some computers. You need a system that is completely user device agnostic.

 

[arknor]

steam do it all the time with preorders lol.... do i win?

also a lot of games wont auth themselfs until a specific date pretty much the same thing :S

also 5 seconds on google finds this program

What is TimeLock?

TimeLock is a Windows based program designed to encrypt a file for a specified amount of time. During that time the original file will be totally unavailable. At the end of the time the file will be decrypted for you to view. Click the screen shots button to see what it looks like.

also this

Your computer must run continuously if you can't connect to the net

If TimeLock relied on your own computer's timer then it would be easy to defeat by just pushing the clock time forward. In order to stop this TimeLock maintains its own internal timer. A consequence of this is you have to leave your machine on all the time. Running the encryption for a week means you have to leave your machine on continuously for that week.

You might wonder if this is bad for your machine. In reality it isn't. Computers these days are designed to run non-stop. In fact, the most stressful time for a computer is when it is powering up and down. There are all sorts of thermal stresses incurred as the machine gets up to running temperature and cools down. There is also the stress on the fan and hard drive motors as they power up from nothing. This doesn't mean your machine won't fail but it's a bit less likely than if you powered your machine up and down every day. If you stop and think about it, you run your fridge non-stop without a thought and your computer will consume less power than that.

One more thing. The above statements only apply to desktop PC's. They do not apply to laptops. Laptops do not have the level of cooling that desktop machines have. Because of this, prolonged running of a laptop may cause over heating problems.

Your computer doesn't have to run continuously if you can connect to the net

If you can connect your computer to the internet then you don't have to leave your computer on continuously. TimeLock has the capacity to get the time from secure time servers spread around the world. Once it has this information you can turn your computer off. The next time TimeLock runs it will again try and get the time. If successful it will compare the current time to the previous net time and use the difference to reduce the amount of time remaining on the encryption.

 

[Strife212]

It can be done remotely, via a local file alone no chance.

 

[britboy4321]

What? So how does that work? Everyones computers are different specs so that 10 minutes that a supercomputer would take would translate into days, months for some computers. You need a system that is completely user device agnostic.

Being completely user device agnostic wasn't part of the spec.

My system is sound ..

 

[HumbleCoder]

I have an idea/concept that I do not have the time to do anything with. Therefore, I've been considering donating it to anyone who wants to run with it as a unique business idea.

With all due respect what a silly thing to write. Ideas are a penny a dozen, people have them all the time esp people in the tech/internet world. Ideas are, pretty much, worthless. What matters is execution and executing well, lots of people have the same idea independently but to be an RSA, Facebook, Google et al it's all about execution.

That type of sentiment really winds me at work, someone actually said to me recently, I have 3 or 4 good ideas for iPhone apps but I won't tell you in case you steal them. Get. Over. Yourself.

(Sorry if that was a bit ranty, I didn't mean any disrespect )

 

[VFM Addict]

With all due respect what a silly thing to write. Ideas are a penny a dozen, people have them all the time esp people in the tech/internet world. Ideas are, pretty much, worthless. What matters is execution and executing well, lots of people have the same idea independently but to be an RSA, Facebook, Google et al it's all about execution.

That type of sentiment really winds me at work, someone actually said to me recently, I have 3 or 4 good ideas for iPhone apps but I won't tell you in case you steal them. Get. Over. Yourself.

(Sorry if that was a bit ranty, I didn't mean any disrespect )

Don't follow you there

Surely I was actually in agreement with you there. I basically I have a concept that I don't have the time to do justice to. I'm not looking to sell it. Just to (note I said) donate it to those who do have the time to execute it properly.

I can't see that we differ one bit on this one. If you read the other thread you will see I've given quite a bit of thought to the execution and am not trying to sell that either. It a free donation. Again we appear in agreement.

Where we do differ a bit (although not the case here) is that ideas are not worthless provided that you know how to sell them even un-executed. I've closed many a deal in my life using just the idea or concept alone and then had to go away and decide how best to execute it. Plus even in my retirement I've sold a couple of ideas just as such (i.e. bare ideas). Although I do agree that an idea has to be staggeringly original and faultlessly robust before you can sell it unpackaged. For the record, my other half has done the same before now. She has sold several concepts for advertising campaigns without even knowing the specific product they would be used for. You'd be surprised how many people in creative industries struggle to come up with new ideas and will often buy original ideas in the raw.