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Apple Disables Egyptian iPhones' GPS
floydman writes "Apparently the Egyptian government is paranoid about its community using GPS devices, to the degree that it demanded Apple remove any GPS functionality from its iPhone 3G.
They claim that 'GPS functionality should be limited to military purposes.' Egyptian blogger Ahmed Gabr brought this issue up in another article, and talks about how this does not make sense, since Google maps and the like can be used. I also happen to know for a fact that most of the modern cars in Egypt have built-in GPS systems."
Non sequitur. There might be very few new cars, but most of that few might have GPS.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
True, but let's imagine you have a car, a tank full of gas and are lost in the middle of some desert. You have enough fuel to reach anything within 100 miles but what is within 100 miles? More important, is there anything within 100 miles (hopefully you were clever enough to only use up to half your tank's contents...)?
But let's imagine your car broke down and you're in the middle of the desert. Let's also assume you were smart enough to bring along a sat phone for emergencies (like this one). What do you want to prefer to tell a potential rescue team? "I'm in the middle of the Sahara, try to find me" or "I'm at xxxx'N, xxxx'E, come pick me up"?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I'm not saying their point is right, but I can see where they are coming from.
Cell phones have been used for years to remote denote bombs. With the iPhone you easily have a programable bomb denotonator.
Imagine this: Code the iPhone to check GPS coordinates. Then hook up it to the bomb with a while continuiously checking GPS coordinates and then either denotes the bomb at specific coordinates or informs "someone of interest" that the bomb has made it to specific location.
Sounds rather powerful detonator imo. I'll admit I know little about iPhone programming. One has to admit that sounds like a very plausible use case.
I've always said English was my second language. Had Romeo and Juliet been written in C, I might have understood it.
Because of course any terrorist who's planning to build a GPS guided missile to blow up a market will suddenly change his mind and start growing flowers and raising puppies when he discovers that GPS receivers are banned by the government.
If you mod me Overrated, you are admitting that you have no penis.
"Other than, say the ability to drop a UAV bomb on government buildings or open markets from hundreds of kilometers away ?"
Please design and execute this plan, while delivering more destructive power than a suicide bomber with pockets full of hand grenades... or an RPG (for government buildings). Oh, and do that with the economics means and know-how of terrorists... and make sure no one knows about it.
There is a reason why UAVs are JUST getting into the fray in modern warfare. They are not EASY to build or guide. And even the most advanced UAVs, have a fairly limited payload... and we're talking about large craft, that cost hundreds of millions to design.
Finally, GPS is available to terrorists through a billion other sources. Apple's position here nothing more than a publicity stunt. Kind of reminds me of handgun bans.
Other than, say the ability to drop a UAV bomb on government buildings or open markets from hundreds of kilometers away ?
Meh it's cheaper to have a true believer strap explosives to himself and guide himself there. When you have that kind if resource at your disposal why would you pay for iphones and predator drones.
Most "might"? Let's just say that if the customers shop for cheaper cars, they also closely look at the price of the new cars, so nav systems, or systems like the (us only) 'on star' are not going to be popular, so a waste of money for manufacturers to install. Any no, new cars are definitely not the same globally...
Maybe you should travel more, longer, and/or farther, you'd have noticed that too.
They don't fear terrorists, they fear rioters.
GPS and GSM is the first thing countries like China cut off when a riot occur.
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
Motre or less. Plus it's not uncommon for poor countries to have a very uneven weath distribution (yes Zimbabwe, I'm looking at you). Top of the range Mercedes with all the extras for the ruling clique, and nobody else can afford a car at all.
In that case 100% of new cars have GPS, climate control and gold-plated ashtrays.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Except that there are no maps stored on the phone its self, and from what I've seen no way to access the raw GPS info.
So you'll have a blue GPS dot on top of a blank map.
maybe Apple caved because they want to sell iphones there?
A Smith & Wesson beats four aces -- Murphy's Law of Poker
Comment removed based on user account deletion
To put this as politely as possible, some people need to get their liberal heads out of their asses and realize that the danger of terrorism is very real in some countries, and protection is absolutely required.
You misunderstand the comment, methinks. The problem is not that we do not believe in terrorism, or that it is a Bad Thing (tm).
What we are saying, from within our 'liberal asses', is that clamping down on the freedom to know where one is will do nothing to stop terrorism.
Therefore, we are arguing that one should not clamp down on that freedom.
In fact, some of us outrageous 'liberals', have this odd idea that _whenever taking away some freedom will do nothing or next to nothing to prevent some harm, that freedom should not be taken away_. If you are concerned about the death toll, take away the freedom to drive cars over 10 mph. Then we can talk about the next thing to go...
IAIFARSIJDPOOTV - I Am In Fact A Reality Star; I Just Don't Play One On TV
Maybe we should start a war on stupidity next ?
No point. We would not stand a chance.
True, but let's imagine you have a car, a tank full of gas and are lost in the middle of some desert....
Full tank? Ask the guy at the station for directions.
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