[IP] An observation about Apples claims on jamming cell towers

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

I would observe that unless Apple has done a remarkably sloppy job of  
designing a modem chip for the iPhone that  the claim that jail  
breaking the iPhone is dangerous to  cell towers raises a number of  
interesting questions.  there are many PCs, programmable software  
radios, and developmental cell phones that are very open to the  
writing of specialized drivers. With a large number of such devices  
available why have we not seen cell towers collapsing all over United  
States. and the world. Either the hacker community has ignored this  
tempting target or cell system is considerably more robust than Apple  
claims.

Given the above  concern, I would also assume that designers of Tower  
equipment would be sensitive to any disruption and would design their  
software and hardware to protect against such attacks.

This seems like a rather simple technical issue to examine. rather  
than have a future access to innovation stifled in a manner that Apple  
and others suggest, perhaps a small group of technical people should  
examine the issues and make recommendations for what seems to be the  
pile of lawyers that are arguing the copyright issue. If there is no  
such danger many of Apple's claims dissolve.

Apple also seems to be claiming that any attempt to install  
unauthorized software can cause serious damage to the cell system and  
the Apple  phone itself. I must express some doubts to this claim  
without some concrete examples. I'm sure that a person could foul up   
their own phone  (I have managed to do that in one or two cases ).  
However unless Apple does a much finer examination of quote approved"  
software in app store I find it difficult to believe that such  
malicious applications could not come in through the normal channels.

I'd love to hear apples explanation.

Dave


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