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Apple Shares New Ad Explaining How iMessages Are Powered by Renewable Energy

George Bailey said:
Maybe they do think that, but if so then they're mistaken - Apple can't read the messages. They're encrypted end to end.
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Maybe this has changed but I have definitely seen articles that said while the messages are encrypted end to end the key used is under Apples control and they can change it without the end user being notified.
 
MacRumors said:
Apple has released a brand new ad called "Renewable Energy," which takes place entirely within the Messages app. The ad is focused on explaining how 100% renewable energy at Apple's data centers enables users to send and enjoy iMessages to and from friends.

The ad argues that since the tech behind iMessages is renewable and environmentally friendly, users are showing Earth "some love" by using the service. The ad ends with Apple's green-stemmed Earth Day logo and arrives just in time for Earth Day, which is April 22.
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Even for Apple this is monumentally stupid. How dumb are Mac users? Clearly I'm wrecking the curve.
 
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I applaud Apple touting their greenness, but until they stop using leather for their apple accessories, they'll never truly be a green company. Slaughterhouses are the antithesis of green. Also, even tho they make a big show of cracking down on Chinese labor abuses, it still goes on.
 
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...except I'm guessing the local wi-fi networks (and the rest of the internet) needed to connect iMessage is NOT powered by renewable energy. So.....
 
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recoil80 said:
But the products are highly recyclable....
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Recyclable for them to re-use the materials to sell you back a newer product for more $$$.

The point is, what Apple is doing is forcing obsolescence as it pads the pockets of stakeholders, but it only hurts the consumer who wants to keep using the same trusty product for years. New iOS versions also do the same by making the older hardware unusable. My 2014 iPhone 6 Plus feels like a dinosaur with its lag sometimes, 2014! God forbid you are attempting to use a 2012 iphone 5, that must feel like trudging through tar in flippers.

The point is, all of apple designing, and soldering, and constantly increasing power hungry software/firmware upgrades are meant to force us poor slobs to upgrade. And its getting annoying. The only product I own that works as well as it did when I purchased it is my 2012 Mac Mini. That product allows to you upgrade the RAM and hard drive. What did the 2014 version do? Solder the freakin' ram and the single drive mac minis now can't be upgraded to dual-drive - SO LAME.

You just can't win.
 
uofawildcats96 said:
Might just be me, but I feel like the average consumer's first thought when seeing this ad will be, "wait, all of my messages go to an Apple data center where they can read everything I send?"
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Nope. That's just you.
[doublepost=1461331694][/doublepost]
garoto said:
No. The average consumer is going to think every message they send goes to the Maps app.
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You guys must be Bernie supporters. Screwsville.
 
currocj said:
Recyclable for them to re-use the materials to sell you back a newer product for more $$$.

The point is, what Apple is doing is forcing obsolescence as it pads the pockets of stakeholders, but it only hurts the consumer who wants to keep using the same trusty product for years. New iOS versions also do the same by making the older hardware unusable. My 2014 iPhone 6 Plus feels like a dinosaur with its lag sometimes, 2014! God forbid you are attempting to use a 2012 iphone 5, that must feel like trudging through tar in flippers.

The point is, all of apple designing, and soldering, and constantly increasing power hungry software/firmware upgrades are meant to force us poor slobs to upgrade. And its getting annoying. The only product I own that works as well as it did when I purchased it is my 2012 Mac Mini. That product allows to you upgrade the RAM and hard drive. What did the 2014 version do? Solder the freakin' ram and the single drive mac minis now can't be upgraded to dual-drive - SO LAME.

You just can't win.
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I did update the RAM on my iMac, but you can't have upgradable RAM and disk on iPads and Macbooks now that they're so thin. Soldered RAM and storage is the way to go if you want to have that kind of products.
I'd have loved a retina MBP with the old unibody case, but I see they're trying to make their Mac as thin as possible and they're not going back
 
Arthur75 said:
Doesn't matter much anyway considering the current situation :
limits-to-growth-forecast.png

This is the "standard run" from the limits to growth 1972 study, on which we are almost perfectly on track.
Now entering unknown territory basically ...
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What is this based on?
[doublepost=1461332056][/doublepost]
Benjamin Frost said:
Precisely.

Apple is so full of crap these days. It would be better for the earth to not use an iPhone at all. The resources used by Apple to make their products are gargantuan and highly destructive to the earth. The electricity that most use to power those devices is not renewable.

It would be much better for the environment to not use an iPhone at all.
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But getting back to actual reality, what's better then?
[doublepost=1461332192][/doublepost]
Sharewaredemon said:
Because the transmission of your information TO the data centre, and then FROM the data centre TO the recipient travels across other servers/infrastructure, and these are not owned by Apple and are likely powered off of coal/nuclear/environmentally devastating megadams/etc.

Also "less bad" is hilarious.

It takes energy to build/maintain these data centres and generally that's done on the back of diesel.

If we didn't use computers it would be better than if we used computers powered off of renewable energy that required fossil fuels to make.

Full disclosure - yes I am using a computer. Hopefully in the next 10-20 years I won't anymore.


Here are some fun facts:

"Transporting data now uses 50% more energy than world aviation."

"20 years ago the Internet used 0% of human energy consumption."

"Today, the digital economy uses 10% of the world's total electricity ."(of which 50% comes from coal).

"That amount of energy is the same amount that was used to light the entire planet in 1985."

These are in this book - http://www.worldcat.org/title/age-of-earthquakes-a-guide-to-the-extreme-present/oclc/903187876
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So basically what Apple is doing there is still better than the alternative of not doing that. Got it.
 
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hrishidev said:
Oh if iMessage and Apple's Data Center are environment friendly then why not open iMessage to android platform?
If people switch to iMessage from other messaging apps, it will make larger impact.
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Funfact: They advertised it as an open API at release.

In Germany iPhones are at around 15% market share, Macs at around 10%, so iMessage is pretty much useless.
 
currocj said:
Recyclable for them to re-use the materials to sell you back a newer product for more $$$.

The point is, what Apple is doing is forcing obsolescence as it pads the pockets of stakeholders, but it only hurts the consumer who wants to keep using the same trusty product for years. New iOS versions also do the same by making the older hardware unusable. My 2014 iPhone 6 Plus feels like a dinosaur with its lag sometimes, 2014! God forbid you are attempting to use a 2012 iphone 5, that must feel like trudging through tar in flippers.

The point is, all of apple designing, and soldering, and constantly increasing power hungry software/firmware upgrades are meant to force us poor slobs to upgrade. And its getting annoying. The only product I own that works as well as it did when I purchased it is my 2012 Mac Mini. That product allows to you upgrade the RAM and hard drive. What did the 2014 version do? Solder the freakin' ram and the single drive mac minis now can't be upgraded to dual-drive - SO LAME.

You just can't win.
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I don't agree my iPad 2 under 9.3.2 is very usable.
 
Nigglesworth said:
Every time Apple solders RAM or a SSD to a perfectly good upgradable computer, a little bit of our planet dies! Wake up and put your $ where mouth is and stop this ********.
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I can not figure out what your reply has to do with the post you replied to, am I missing something?
 
Lemon Mac said:
Complete and utter Greenwash.

The majority of the zillion iphone users charge the phones with domestic electricity that is produced predominantly by non renewable means.

I appreciate Apple is taking its environmental responsibilities seriously, but this sort of self promotion off the back of their efforts just seems lacking in real sincerity.
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I don't get that all.

Apple is damned if they do, damned if they don't or damned if they talk about what they are doing to be responsible.
 
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meaning-matters said:
Sure, how much energy & pollution to produce, build and maintain (including trucks/cars driving to/from daily) such a data center (not to mention all the iDevices and their charge)?
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Those things would happen whether the data center energy was renewable or not.
 
Benjamin Frost said:
Precisely.

Apple is so full of crap these days. It would be better for the earth to not use an iPhone at all. The resources used by Apple to make their products are gargantuan and highly destructive to the earth. The electricity that most use to power those devices is not renewable.

It would be much better for the environment to not use an iPhone at all.
Click to expand...

And it would be better for you not to use a computer that also runs on non-renewable energy to post on these forums running on more non-renewable energy.
So start being a leader and stop posting here. THAT will show Apple and the rest of us. Be an example!
 
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recoil80 said:
But the products are highly recyclable.
One thing I'd like from Apple would be the ability to bring my Mac to the AS and get my logic board replaced with the latest model.
The Macbook and MBP chassis can remain the same for a few years, and having the ability to change only the logic board would help users have the latest and greatest model without wasting displays, keys, batteries and the unibody aluminum structure.
Apple may use the logic board in refurbished products or recycle them to retrieve precious materials.

I'd do that with iPad and iPhone, but models change shape every other year so I'd be very difficult to replace the logic board. Instead Apple should offer the customer more to upgrade the iPhone bringing the old model to the AS and sell refurbished units or recycle materials from them.
A lot of old smartphones are buried in drawers, why they could be recycled.
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Were you trying to make a point, or just rambling on about a whole lot of nonsense? His point is, Apple makes computers that aren't upgradeable. Forcing you to buy a new one. That is bad for the environment.
 
Wowereit said:
Funfact: They advertised it as an open API at release.

In Germany iPhones are at around 15% market share, Macs at around 10%, so iMessage is pretty much useless.
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So basically not useless to many of those who use it?

And iMessage was advertised as an open API?
 
Sefstah said:
Were you trying to make a point, or just rambling on about a whole lot of nonsense? His point is, Apple makes computers that aren't upgradeable. Forcing you to buy a new one. That is bad for the environment.
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And the reality is that most people don't upgrade parts, so on the overall scale that aspect of it is essentially moot.
 
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