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Technology Stocks : Mobile Computing - OSs & Manufacturers UNMODERATED -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sam who wrote (3126)	3/8/2011 5:34:20 AM
From: sylvester80	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3170

Apple’s remote kill switch By: Peter Chubb \| August 22, 2010 \| More In: Cell Phone Information, Cell Phones Jailbroken iPhone: Apple’s remote kill switch product-reviews.net Apple understand how frustrating it is when a user loses or has their iPhone stolen, which is why the Cupertino company plans to patent a remote kill switch. However, the system will also detect if a handset has been jailbroken and then render the handset useless. Apple seems in a constant battle to keep up jailbreaking, the latest is the iPhone iOS 4.0.2 Jailbreak and Unlock. According to Neil Hughes from AppleInsider most phone makers already have this kill switch, but Apple plans to go further with theirs and will brick any of their devices. Looking at the diagram below you will see just how simple the system is; it shows that any abnormal activity could lead to the device being shutdown remotely. We have to wonder what is Apple’s main focus here, is it for the user if their device is stolen, or more for them when one of their products gets jailbroken? We are not certain if such a feature would be implemented, it will be like Apple watching you 24/7. Hughes already points out that there is already an app called Find My iPhone, which is good enough to locate your handset if you have misplaced it or it has been stolen. Do you believe that Apple should be allowed to brick your iPhone if it had been jailbroken?

To: Sam who wrote (3126)	3/8/2011 5:37:01 AM
From: sylvester80	Respond to of 3170

Apple attempts to patent kill switch that roots out unauthorized users, detects jailbreaks By Sean Hollister posted Aug 21st 2010 8:58PM engadget.com Just about every mobile operating system manufacturer can remotely delete apps from the smartphones they help provide, but if a recent patent application is any indication, Apple's looking to lock down the whole enchilada on future devices. The basic concept is as simple as the diagram above -- certain activities trigger the phone to think it's in the wrong hands -- but the particular activities and particular remedies Apple suggests extend to audiovisual spying (to detect if a user has a different face or voice than the owner), and complete remote shutdown. While the patent mostly sounds targeted at opt-in security software and would simply send you an alert or perform a remote wipe if your phone were stolen or hacked, jailbreaking and unlocking are also explicitly mentioned as the marks of an unauthorized user, and one line mentions that cellular carriers could shut down or cripple a device when such a user is detected. Sounds great for securing phones at retail, sure, but personally we'd rather devices don't determine our authority by monitoring our heartbeat (seriously, that's an option) and we're plenty happy with the existing Find My iPhone app.