Big Brother Apple
By Davey Winder in Editorial
Look, I make no bones about it, I have grown to like the iPhone but Apple has left me feeling pretty poorly treated to the core. I mean, the whole version 2 software upgrade lockout thing and the MobileMe storm in the computing clouds were hardly great customer service success stories were they? Then there’s this iPhone kill switch debacle which could see users applications, bought and paid for, switched off remotely by Apple for whatever reason they choose.
Yet nothing seems to be able to stop the Apple revolution, at least as far as the iPhone is concerned. The Wall Street Journal interviewed Steve Jobs and the Apple CEO reckons that sales of iPhone software alone will hit something like
Rated: 100% (1 votes)
Loading ...Comment by Dan Jones - August 11, 2008 on 2:37 pm
I think the thing with this is it depends on the use of the kill switch. If its only used to kill Spyware containing or similar software, all is good. If however its used to kill apps that contain no malicious code then er, no, I’d not be a happy punter.
If apple want to play the game well, they should hand the kill-switch over to a reputable 3rd party security testing firm and actually make good press out of the entire debacle. Apple could of course submit their requests to said firm if they spot a bad “Apple” application.. but they should not hold the power themselves.
Being honest I believe having a kill switch maintained by a reputable party even for Windows would help with the sheep who install Spyware and trojan ridden file-sharing applications on their PC’s in the Vista world also… I hate to think of how many of my friends machines I’ve disinfected as they simply did not know enough to avoid getting infected…. despite AV being in place.
Comment by Davey Winder - August 11, 2008 on 2:50 pm
I think it comes down to a bloody huge IF though.
As well as the precise definition of malicious of course.
Comment by zato - August 12, 2008 on 6:35 am
“Yet nothing seems to be able to stop the Apple revolution”
Certainly not lying 2 digit gamer/haters.
“Can you imagine the fury that would be unleashed if Ballmer was to announce a kill switch in Vista”
Why would Microsoft want to kill malware on computers when they can get the suckers to pay to have it removed and then pay Microsoft protection money for the rest of their lives.
Comment by TaoistTotty - August 12, 2008 on 12:58 pm
This does seem rather like big brother.
How long before someone else gets access to this and starts turning important applications off?
Does the user, or the creator of the software have a right of appeal?
Comment by james - October 24, 2008 on 11:17 am
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Comment by batteries - December 8, 2008 on 4:12 am
Many state and local election officials are encouraging voters to use Absentee Ballots to avoid the long lines and delays expected at the polls on November 4th due to the record-breaking surge in newly registered voters.
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