What ELSE could ASIC Mining devices be used for (Theoretical)

[scrybe]

Is there anything else out there that uses DBL SHA-256?

Just once more for good measure: NO

Not true, double sha-256 is actually used for many things. There is plenty of software/websites that use it to store passwords in databases, such as:

http://www.clipperz.com/security_privacy/crypto_algorithms

Wow, your website needs 60 Billion encryptions per second? Or even 4.5? You must be bigger than google.

The problem to most uses of double SHA-256 is the scale difference. Nobody is going to spend $1300 on some thing that they can do with a CPU without noticing the load.

The only workload being built today that can leverage the ASICs in the pipeline today is AltCoins. Some like PPCoin are even avoiding merged mining, which means that you should be able to follow an optimal difficulty path if you really want to have alternatives.

[DobZombie]

Not true, double sha-256 is actually used for many things. There is plenty of software/websites that use it to store passwords in databases, such as:

http://www.clipperz.com/security_privacy/crypto_algorithms

Cool!

I knew bitcoin wasn't the only thing on the planet to use this type of 11 year CIA encryption


This is pretty interesting...
http://www.clipperz.com/security_privacy/crypto_algorithms/sha_2_secure_hash_algorithms

[Blazr]

Wow, your website needs 60 Billion encryptions per second? Or even 4.5? You must be bigger than google.

If you read again, you'll notice the question I was answering was:

Is there anything else out there that uses DBL SHA-256?

Anyways, to answer your question, no, I don't think there is any website/software/business out there that would need an ASIC just to do password hashing, but a hacker trying to brute-force a password database would need something like 60 billion hashes a sec.

[Morblias]

Theoretically by adding a flux capacitor and a delorean it could become a time machine
But in reality - it has a single purpose - crunching double sha256

How much would it cost per day to run it at 1.21 Gigawatts?

[DobZombie]

How much would it cost per day to run it at 1.21 Gigawatts?

I believe you mean jiggawatts

[ice_chill]

I guess the only real answer: we will find out once the ASIC becomes obsolete for Bitcoin mining.

[-ck]

Is there anything else out there that uses DBL SHA-256?

Just once more for good measure: NO

Not true, double sha-256 is actually used for many things. There is plenty of software/websites that use it to store passwords in databases, such as:

http://www.clipperz.com/security_privacy/crypto_algorithms

I guess you're forgetting these ASICs will take a fixed length hex word describing a bitcoin block header and they output a nonce. They do not try to solve random length passwords or anything like that...

[DobZombie]

I guess you're forgetting these ASICs will take a fixed length hex word describing a bitcoin block header and they output a nonce. They do not try to solve random length passwords or anything like that...

what's a nonce?

[memvola]

I guess you're forgetting these ASICs will take a fixed length hex word describing a bitcoin block header and they output a nonce. They do not try to solve random length passwords or anything like that...

what's a nonce?

That's the number you are trying to find, it's what mining is all about. You try to find a number (nonce) that will make the block hash value lower than the target value.

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Nonce

I would read the related articles as well.

Theoretically, you could invent a problem that is almost identical to Bitcoin block hashing, but it's unrealistic to expect to find an existing problem that fits that criterion.

[DobZombie]

Theoretically, you could invent a problem that is almost identical to Bitcoin block hashing, but it's unrealistic to expect to find an existing problem that fits that criterion.

Cheers

This was the kinda back 'n' forth I was looking for.  Information and discussion.  Not these twats that just jump on and yell IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

Thanks bud!   

[ice_chill]

There was once a mention by BFL that the ASIC can also do some type of password cracking, but they disabled it so as to not run into any export restrictions.
But no mention whether it is hardware disabled or firmware disabled.

[DobZombie]

If it isn't hardware disabled, this could be something intelligence agencies (or bad guys) might like to get their hands on.

[crazy_rabbit]

If it isn't hardware disabled, this could be something intelligence agencies (or bad guys) might like to get their hands on.

That's a new business niche for all the GPU farms that are going out of BTC business.

[Bogart]

If it isn't hardware disabled, this could be something intelligence agencies (or bad guys) might like to get their hands on.

That's a new business niche for all the GPU farms that are going out of BTC business.

I understand there are already ppl doing this as a security auditing service for WPA keys and such.