Did I ever mention the story I read in Wired, about the guy who took an iPad into an Apple Store and used it to jailbreak his iPhone, with the store's own Wi-Fi?
On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 11:04 PM, Mr. Worf <hellomahog...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Apple applies for patent to kill jailbroken devices > by Steven Musil <http://www.cnet.com/profile/stevenmusil/> > > - Font size > - Print > - E-mail > - Share > - 240 > comments<http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20014356-37.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0#comments> > > 7 > > [image: A browser-based iPhone 4 jailbreak was released just days after > the U.S. Copyright Office ruled that such bypasses were > legal.]<http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20012305-37.html> > > A browser-based iPhone 4 jailbreak was released this summer, just days > after the U.S. Copyright Office ruled that such bypasses were legal. > (Credit: Steven Musil/CNET) > > Apple is apparently ramping up its battle to prevent > iPhone<http://www.cnet.com/apple-iphone.html> > and iPod <http://www.cnet.com/ipod/> owners from jailbreaking their > devices. > > The company has applied for a > patent<http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=OR&d=PG01&s1=20100207721.PGNR.&OS=DN/20100207721&RS=DN/20100207721>, > titled "Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an > Electronic Device," that covers a series of security measures to > automatically protect devices from thieves and other "unauthorized users." > Unauthorized users apparently applies to those who engage in jailbreaking, > which allows devices to run apps not approved by the company producing the > operating system--such as Apple, the main target of such bypasses. > > The application, which was filed in February 2009 and published Thursday, > describes measures to identify "particular activities that may indicate > suspicious behavior," so that "safety measures" can be taken to restrict the > device's functions. Those activities include the "hacking, jailbreaking, > unlocking, or removal of a SIM card," according to the application. Apple > also intends to send warnings to owners via e-mail or text message when such > activity is detected. > > The application also describes a variety of measures that could be used to > help identify the unauthorized user, including the activation of a camera > that could capture and geotag the device's surroundings, and perhaps current > user, and transmit that information to a remote device: > > In some embodiments, an unauthorized user can be detected by comparing > the identity of the current user to the identities of authorized users of > the electronic device. For example, a photograph of the current user can be > taken, a recording of the current user's voice can be recorded, the > heartbeat of the current user can be recorded, or any combination of the > above. The photograph, recording, or heartbeat can be compared, > respectively, to a photograph, recording, or heartbeat of authorized users > of the electronic device to determine whether they match. If they do not > match, the current user can be detected as an unauthorized user. > > When unauthorized use has been detected, "access to particular > applications can be restricted, access to sensitive information can be > restricted, sensitive information can be erased from the electronic > device...," the application states, effectively wiping and bricking the > device. > > Apple representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. > > In July, U.S. Copyright Office ruled that bypassing a manufacturer's > protection mechanisms <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20011661-38.html> to > allow "handsets to execute software applications" no longer violates federal > copyright law. However, while the U.S. Copyright Office has declared the > software legal, Apple has repeatedly discouraged users from loading such a > bypass, reminding them that doing so will void their device's warranty. > > "As we've said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak > their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to > become unstable and not work reliably," Apple had said in a statement in > response to the ruling. > Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. Before joining CNET > News in 2000, Steven spent 10 years at various Bay Area newspapers. E-mail > Steven <stev...@cnet.com>. > > -- > Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! > Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ > > -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
