When I write code for embedded devices, I make it so the user cannot send dates in the distant past. For example, I say it cannot be anymore in the past than 2015 (for the year).
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Apple Will Fix 'January 1, 1970' Date Bug in Upcoming iOS Update
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Actually, it was all planned like this. The designers of what we know now as Unix-based systems did believe in time travel. They just wanted to make sure to make it impossible to go back to a time prior to Woodstock (1969), where the likelihood of increased society corruption would occur.
This is also why it's impossible to time travel past January 19, 2038, since this is when all time (epoch) will stop.
We will forever be stuck in between the years 1970 and 2038 for all eternity.
There has been a meme going around saying that if you do it the Apple logo when you turn on your iPhone will be the classic rainbow colors, so people were dumb enough to do it.
It's called a bug. Perhaps a variable that was not initialized properly, or a condition that was not properly checked.
Is it really that difficult to think of a possible reason?
You assume they would do it to their phone. Someone could do this to brick the phone of someone they dislike if they get access to the phone. Now, that it's out in the media, Apple needed to work on a fix.
FAIL. What a ridiculous thing to say. If whatever you are doing no matter how ridiculous is within operating system limits then changing to that setting is the fault of APPLE if it causes a problem.
If I try and change my IP address to 127.0.0.1 the computer will either warn me or prevent me from doing so. If no warning is posted and I make the setting change and suddenly nothing works at all due to a BUG it’s Apple that are at fault.
What kind of blind fanboy would say anything different?
I have a pretty solid suggestion to everyone to stop this from happening to their phone...
Anyone care to guess what it could be?
Anyone care to guess what it could be?
Thanks! I needed the laugh after reading these posts!
So, I guess the simple way forward for Apple to prevent setting the date/time to 1 January 1970, is in a future iOS update, instead make the minimum date sometime later, say a nice date like 1 January 1971.
Apple SHOULD be fixing this issue FREE of charge for those users with damaged phones due to setting the date/time this way. Setting the clock to this date/time is a completely valid choice in iOS and is an oversight in Apple’s programming of iOS.
Now, those individuals setting their clock to 1 January 1970 with the knowledge it bricks the phone are just wasting their own time. Lost time can never be found, silly people.
Apple SHOULD be fixing this issue FREE of charge for those users with damaged phones due to setting the date/time this way. Setting the clock to this date/time is a completely valid choice in iOS and is an oversight in Apple’s programming of iOS.
Now, those individuals setting their clock to 1 January 1970 with the knowledge it bricks the phone are just wasting their own time. Lost time can never be found, silly people.
Well, Cheers for your sympathy Ikrupp. When did we decide that Apple devices were only for people who weren't idiots? and when did we decide that you got to say who was and wasn't stupid? I hope someone you know steals your iPhone/pad and bricks it, then you can come crawling back here.(I'll still be sympathetic don't worry
) It is also completely possible that networks could start being compromised and iOS devices would be susceptible to man-in -the-middle attacks. A malicious server could pose as an Apple time server and provide the 1970 date. That would make a whole network of iOS devices bricked. Still the users fault?
And to whoever made the comparison with this issue and BMW selling cars and not fixing them when the user runs out oil, this is COMPLETELY different. The you buy a car from BMW you are told that the car must be maintained and this includes the oil. Here Apple provided the option to select this, It is IRRELEVANT at to why or how the user ended up setting it. All that matters is that is Apple provides the option in their OWN settings menu, they should be responsible for supporting the setting. This is a software bug and eventually Apple will take responsibility and fix affected/bricked devices, question is how long......
Being a developer, I have learned one thing, they will always make a better fool. Bugs happen, it's part of the development process.
Well that date, Thursday the 1st of January 1970 is the Unix Epoc; the start of unix time calculation.
But I don't understand while setting this date for iOS (a Unix derivative) causes the device to lockup?
But, as many others have commented, this is simply a bug
Unix time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time
But I don't understand while setting this date for iOS (a Unix derivative) causes the device to lockup?
But, as many others have commented, this is simply a bug
Unix time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time
"Jimmy, make sure you optimize the kernel so that way it doesn't crash and brick iOS when a user simply changes the date back!"
Cook should fire Forstall again. That worked so well with Maps.
Why would that even be an option? The farthest back the phone should be allowed to be set to is 2007, when iOS came to be.
Apple has officially acknowledged the "1970" date bug affecting 64-bit iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. The support document does not identify a current fix, but Apple said that an upcoming iOS software update will prevent the issue.Manually changing an iOS device's date to January 1, 1970 results in a continuous reboot cycle, effectively bricking the device. Restoring through iTunes in DFU Mode may work for some users, while others have resorted to hardware fixes.
Apple has not provided a reason for the bug, but YouTube video maker and programmer Tom Scott speculates that setting the date close to January 1, 1970, which is 00:00:00 in Unix time, may be resulting in an integer underflow -- in this case, a date prior to January 1, 1970.
iOS then handles the underflow by returning the negative integrer to the maximum value, which Scott says results in a date that is some 20 times longer than the universe is expected to last. Scott believes iOS may have difficulties handling this large number, resulting in affected devices crashing.
German website Apfelpage.de shared a second YouTube video showing that opening an iPhone and resetting its battery could fix the problem, but this method could damage your smartphone and void your warranty. The safer option is to visit a Genius Bar or contact Apple Support online or by phone.
iOS is a Unix-based operating system, and Unix time starts at 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970. Apple does not allow you to manually set your iOS device to a date prior to then, likely in an effort to prevent a bug like this, but changing the date to May 1970 or earlier still causes issues on 64-bit devices.
Article Link: Apple Will Fix 'January 1, 1970' Date Bug in Upcoming iOS Update
As a time traveler, I routinely commute between 1968 and 2016. So I often have to set my iPhone back before 1970. Just because you can't see a reason to do this to your phone doesn't mean nobody does. I really wish people could be more thoughtful when they post here.
Time doesn't need warnings before changing. You have to be completely OCD to set the date and time exactly like this and unknowingly experience this bug.
There is no reason why anyone would change this setting in a way that this bug would occur.
BUT
A. How do you know theres NO reason
B. Reasoning is irrelevant, the fact is you CAN change this in the STANDARD settings menu
C. Id like to think that at any time I could let someone else use my phone and they wouldn't be able to BRICK it, sure they can delete some stuff, change some codes or even make me have to restore, but not BRICK it