Skip to main content

Steve Jobs Confirms iPhone Has a Kill Switch!


Jennifer LeClaire, newsfactor.com
Mon Aug 11, 3:50 PM ET

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has confirmed that the iPhone 3G has a kill switch that can remotely remove software from the devices.

Jobs told The Wall Street Journal that Apple needs the capability in case it inadvertently allows a malicious program -- such as an application that steals user's personal data -- to be distributed to iPhones through its App Store.

"Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull," Jobs said.

Switch Not Used

Jobs' statement reveals Apple hasn't used the kill switch yet, but the company did remove an application from the App Store last week.

Apple removed the $999 "I Am Rich" application, which had the sole purpose of showing people the owner has money. The program creates a red icon that sits on the iPhone deck with a the words "I Am Rich" underneath. After the user activates the application, it glows on the handset like a ruby.

Apple initially approved the application, which bumps up against the pricing limit for applications sold on its App Store. The company was not immediately available for comment on why it decided to pull the plug.

Disappearing Acts

But the real controversy started when Jonathan Zdziarski, author of the books iPhone Open Application Development and iPhone Forensics Manual, discovered a URL buried in Apple's firmware. That URL links to a file dubbed "unauthorizedApps" where malicious or simply bad apps might go once they disappear from the App Store.

According to Zdziarski, I Am Rich isn't the only app to disappear. BoxOffice (renamed to Now Playing) and NullRiver's NetShare were also removed. But removing the applications from the App Store and removing them from a consumer's iPhone are two different issues.

"The kill switch is a very controlling gesture. I am not sure why Apple didn't disclose it up front as simply a security measure," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "Consumers will accept an awful lot if you let them know what they are accepting."

What Else is Apple Hiding?

In the past, Jobs has said he wants to be careful not to allow applications to bring down the network. Greengart doesn't see that as a major threat, especially since Apple is approving the applications.

However, Greengart said he's less concerned with the "heavy-handed and Big Brotherish" kill switch than the fact that Apple didn't disclose it in the first place. As far as he knows, no other mobile phone has a kill-switch capability.

"To my way of thinking, the issue is that you don't really know what your phone might be doing or not be doing," Greengart said. "I am not 100 percent sure what the capability is or is not. That is the problem. What is the capability? When might they use it? When wouldn't they use it? Is there anything else Apple is not disclosing?"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

13 Qualities Every Leader Should Have

www.menshealth.com Leadership is one tough-to-figure art. That's why the Constitution devotes only a few hundred words to describing the president's job, and fewer still—not one—to the kind of person the chief exec ought to be. But take heart. We've figured out what makes a fellow worth following. Our leader-of-the-free-world specs come without reference to public policy. Great presidents can believe in big government or in small, and they can be born on Park Avenue or among the amber waves. We're fed up with the sneers, with the divisive polemics about who's a slacker because he didn't serve and who's a hero because he did. Mostly, we're impatient with insinuations that liberals don't believe in family and conservatives don't believe in civil rights. Our studies show that millions of people in Massachusetts have values and millions more in Texas have brains. Here are some qualities of mind and heart that will serve our republic well from either
Post a Comment
Read more

You've Been Making Chicken Breasts All Wrong - Here's the Right Way to Do It For Weight Loss

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a staple for healthy eaters everywhere - they're lean and they're an excellent source of protein, but all too often they're also bone-dry and flavourless. This could lead anyone astray from healthy eating! Fortunately, Disneyland Resort Executive Chef Chris Faulkner has a solution for dried up, unappetising chicken. As a star chef and Ironman triathlete, he knows how to fuel a body in a way that also tastes delicious (read: gourmet sports nutrition!). As Chef Chris told us during our Lunch 'N Learn cooking class at Disneyland, "Cook the breast with the skin on, then take it off to keep the chicken juicier. You'll save calories by removing the skin, but you'll have more flavour and better texture." Don't forget to brine your chicken, too. His recipe: lemon juice, orange juice, salt, peppercorns, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, and sliced lemons, limes, and oranges. Simmer for 20 minutes, then add ice to cool
Post a Comment
Read more

Vitamins A and E: Why are these antioxidants good for you?

Gerontologist Denham Harman, also known as the ‘father of the free radical theory of ageing’, was the first to discover the concept of free radicals in 1954. Free radicals are now suggested as one of the major contributors to ageing. Free radicals are reactive molecules and are involved in disease development. Sources of free radicals include stress, pollution as well as smoking and high alcohol consumption. The need for antioxidants in our daily life is thus crucial due to increased exposure to such free radicals. What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are thought to be able to slow down ageing and thus improve skin health through preventing reactive oxygen species from causing damage to our biological system. This is done by detoxifying these reactive oxygen species and thus be able to repair the resulting damage on proteins, fats, and DNA. Antioxidants are also capable of repairing damaged molecules like your DNA, can promote the destruction of cancer cells, and thus stop canc
Post a Comment
Read more