Begin forwarded message:
From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed@reed.com>
Date: July 31, 2009 3:25:33 PM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Cc: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com>
Subject: Re: [IP] An observation about Apples claims on jamming cell towers
Dave - I think it would be great for the FCC or Congress to appoint a blue-ribbon study commission on this category of claims by Apple and various cell providers, with witnesses required to testify under oath, to determine if either there is a threat to the nation that is not being treated seriously by the wireless operators, or alternatively, a tacit agreement among cellular providers and equipment suppliers to restrain trade in the independent cellphone software development industry.
You would be a great chairperson of such a study commission.
On 07/31/2009 01:19 PM, David Farber wrote:
You would be a great chairperson of such a study commission.
On 07/31/2009 01:19 PM, David Farber wrote:
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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