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Apple patents disabling unauthorized iPhone use. Taking photos and GPS coordinates of perps?

Although the original patent appears to be focused on stolen phones and methods of finding the people who stole them (and getting the phone back), Slashdot opines (seriously?!) that Jailbreakers could fall into Apple’s net:

“Apple yesterday applied for patent to allow remotely disabling electronic devices when ‘unauthorized usage’ is detected. The patent application covers using the camera to take pictures of the unauthorized user and using GPS to determine location, and it involves ascertaining whether the phone has been hacked or jailbroken, using that as criteria for detecting ‘suspicious behavior.’ The patent would allow the carrier or any other ‘authorized’ party to disable or restrict the functionality of the device. Is this Apple’s latest tool to thwart jailbreaking?”

Maybe a little net can come out of the phone too? Or poison gas?

“But I wanted to FaceTime over 3G?!” Too bad punk!

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites.


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