Memory Stickups, MP3s and Clie

It is possible to listen to MP3s on a generic Sony Memory Stick (blue) using a Sony Clie. Sony has tried over the years to prevent honest people from ripping songs from purchased CDs onto various MP3 compatible devices. Sony has created a type of copyright technology called Magic Gate. “MagicGate refers to the copyright protection technology used by the MagicGate Memory Stick™ and other MagicGate Memory Stick™ compatible devices. The Memory Stick™ Walkman and MagicGate Memory Stick™ work together to check the data and ensure it complies with copyright protection. If no problems are detected, the data is exchanged in encrypted form; if authentication is not passed, data cannot be exchanged or played back.” This text was extracted from Sony’s handbook for the Clie. Magic Gate technology is used at the moment by Sony on Magic Gate Memory Sticks (white). Theoretically MP3s are not supposed to work on generic Sony Memory Sticks (blue) while installed in a Sony Clie PDA. Since Sony makes most of the devices that use Memory Sticks, they can control which data can be used on those devices by limiting the Memory Sticks capabilities. Well, me being the way I am, I did not read the stupid handbook first before operating my Sony Clie N770C. So that little clause about politically correct MP3s and Magic Gate Memory Sticks did not have a chance against my ignorance. First, I stuffed all the MP3s that I could get on that poor Memory Stick. Second, I inserted the bloated Memory Stick in Clie’s slot (no, these are not sleazy innuendos). Third, I turned the media player on……nothing happened. The media player did not find the MP3s. Hmmm……I unscrewed the top of the Clie pen, turned the Clie over and injected the pointy end into the reset hole. I turned the thing back over and waited a few seconds…..turned the media player back on and…….I got this stupid grin on my face as I was waiving my middle digit to the Sony Clie handbook. Guess you did not think about that one did you……Soooony!