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Apple Disables Egyptian iPhones' GPS

Posted by timothy on from the just-extrapolate-a-bit dept.

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."

7 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. Why do Egyptians need GPS anyway? by RemoWilliams84 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can't they just look around and figure out which pyramids they are standing between and go from there?

    --
    "I don't have to think. I only have to do it. The results are always perfect, but that's old news." - Meat Puppets
    1. Re:Why do Egyptians need GPS anyway? by Keith_Beef · · Score: 5, Funny

      Pyramid based triangulation...? No, that will never catch on.

      K.

  2. Swell plan by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In a country that consists to a good deal of desert and other not too pleasant terrain where getting lost means dying it's a really, really good idea to disallow tools that allow you to find out where exactly you are.

    Is it me or is this already beyond stupid and paranoid? What "advantage" could a terrorist/communist/boogymanoftheweek gain from knowing where he is? I guess those people are

    a) knowledgeable enough of the area to know where they are.
    b) Usually not interested in blowing themselves sky high in the middle of nowhere and
    c) Not too picky of where they strike, as long as it causes enough people to get terrorized (hence their description).

    So I'm waiting for a really good explanation why a potentially life saving function should be turned of for "security" reasons. I know, "national security" means "whatever keeps the government in power" these days, but shouldn't we at least keep the pretence up that it's about keeping the people safe?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Swell plan by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Funny

      grab your iphone.. fire up urban spoon...

      shake...

      Choices are sand, sand, sand...

      Hmmm.... I think we'll have sand today.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    2. Re:Swell plan by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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.

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
  3. Re:Anonymous Coward by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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."
  4. Re:Anonymous Coward by Idiomatick · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'd like to illustrate your point with superbly beautiful moving graphs! It is TED so you must click it.

    http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html