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Apple Sued Over Meltdown and Spectre in U.S. as iPhone Slowdown Lawsuits Now Total 45
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You seems to have implied that they waited until after the holiday shopping season to mention anything about this. As though it was about trying to not losing sales. As if this issue didn't affect EVERYONE... and someone would have bought a different phone instead.
Why do so many people instantly want to assume the absolute worst possible motivation.
Can i ask you a serious question? Which smart phones currently sold are not affected by this issue? And so you think no manufacturer should have released any new phones for the number of years it will take to make new hardware?
I don't know really. Perhaps knowingly releasing a product with a security flaw that is extremely dangerous to the end user and knowing the fix could degrade performance of up to 30%. Here's a scenario of weighing the risks vs the $$$ at Apple's hq. The processor was already too late in the cycle to redo, so Apple pushed ahead. Considering the security flaw was known in June, the severity of the flaw which gave you access to kernel data (the worst kind), it is like having access to the secure enclave where touch id and face id are kept at. Apple released new iPhones into the wild after the fact, and only now in the month of January was 10.2.2 released to patch the flaw. The lawsuits do have merit.
iPhones prior to the knowledge should be safe from lawsuits, but the new iphones might not be. Its like releasing a processor with a backdoor, virus, or keylogger built in for the unscrupulous to exploit. If a fix is possible with software, why did Apple wait 6 months to release the fix? What kinds of damage had occurred between the June and January window?
The iPhones have ARM chips designed by Apple, this doesn't have anything to do with Intel, they have their own problems.
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And intel make/design Apples ARM chips?
What would be the basis for suing intel for Apple designed SOCs installed in Apple devices running Apple software?
Yeah but Apple didn’t design the components that have the bugs. The components were created and supplied by Intel and ARM.
Apple designs customizations to licensed ARM tech. yes. But this issue is more fundamental and lower level... And FWIW:
"affects Intel, AMD, and ARM processors, broadening its reach to include mobile phones, embedded devices, and pretty much anything with a chip in it. Which, of course, is everything from thermostats to baby monitors now."
You're not entitled to any particular clock speed at any given time. You have no idea what you're talking about and neither does anyone filing suit.
Well they have money...... and as any lawyer knows, if you sue them and win you get a huge payout, and if you loose you get a boost to your reputation for taking on the big guys so next time there is a higher chance of getting that huge payout.
No, it was simply no one really knew until benchmarking software was used to stress test the system.
99% of people would not have known until someone did this, now they are wetting their collective pants thinking they are entitled to some imaginary huge payout.
Unless somethings changed, consumers would have to prove concrete damages and harm to proceed with claims.
I dont recall intel or other CPU manufactures getting bent over for potential Y2K lawsuits?
I guess if this is success which i just can't see how it could ever be - that any and every bug or security hole will end in court action. I'm sure ARM, Intel and apple took every care to ensure the device was fit for purpose based on the current known issues/limitations - but unless you can get a fortune teller to give you an answer as to "what's going to happen" somewhere down the line, all the tech companies are going to be out of business very quickly.
Regardless, apple are being sued for the iPhone based on the title which is nothing to do with intel CPUs, so its not applicable to intel. "ARM-based processor designed by Apple, ranging from the A4 to A11 Bionic chips used in iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple TV models."
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Absolutely. Stinking Ambulance Chasers. Unless of course there was some type of collusion between ARM/Apple that kept a known flaw concealed. Initially we were told patches were already in 11.2, correct? Yet the next week post breaking news there were several updates? Were these in addition to what Apple had already stated?
IMO none of the chip flaw suits will be about design. They will be about who knew what when.
Seems like with all these lawsuits, the end goal is to slow down Apple product development or cost them finances for defenses. Not liking this current state of affairs.
possibly, if it is that big of a security issue, then yes. but we only know what they tell us.
Not necessarily true. This isn't unique to Intel or ARM. Apple may or may not take reference designs from ARM, but more likely they just license the ARM ISA and design their own implementation. Either way, they have designed chips with the flaw. Simple as that. If you think Intel is at fault (which seems silly to me), then Apple would be at fault as well.
Yes, having your phone shut down cold in the middle of using it is far better.
This is actually untrue. Apple has their own chip design team. That team can, at their discretion, change anything of the new ARM CPU architecture they might not like.
Furthermore, this team is also needs to patch any hardware issues with the ARM CPU. Just like they did with the BootNeuter and Pwnage tool bugs.
If Apple made stuff that actually "just works" it wouldn't get sued.
Yes, making a hardware fix is very difficult, expensive, if not impossible in the late stages. Doesn't excuse apple of releasing a product with a known defect. Takata knew about their air bags hurling shrapnels but continued to sell them. Takata then got sued into bankruptcy. With Apple, if certain security breaches occurred using spectre/meltdown after the known fact, like a hack on transunion where everybody's social security numbers got stolen, there will be a lot of pain for apple. My opinion is, if Apple released a security patch quickly after the discovery, then Apple will probably get off scotch free. But 10.2.2 was only released last week. 6 months window where a lot of bad things can happen.