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California Law Now Requires All Smartphones to Have Built-In Kill Switches By July 2015
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Still doesn't help!
I had my iPad stolen several months back now; it took several weeks but the iPad did turn on.... I saw it's location, the police went knocked on the door...no one answered (obviously). The iPad since then hasn't turned back on, so I am left with 2 options really.... either the thief threw it away.... or still has it so I go over and check myself; which could totally be dangerous OR I simply have to accept that it is gone. It's on the lost list for it's cellular carrier so it can't be reactivated... sucks really miss having my iPad but can't afford a new one.
I had my iPad stolen several months back now; it took several weeks but the iPad did turn on.... I saw it's location, the police went knocked on the door...no one answered (obviously). The iPad since then hasn't turned back on, so I am left with 2 options really.... either the thief threw it away.... or still has it so I go over and check myself; which could totally be dangerous OR I simply have to accept that it is gone. It's on the lost list for it's cellular carrier so it can't be reactivated... sucks really miss having my iPad but can't afford a new one.
Thank god someone is forcing the lazy firms to do something. It's obvious that most hardware companies were dragging their feet on the matter because more stolen phones = more legit sales (replacement devices).
With a kill-switch, you'll be killing off a large part of the black market right at the source.
And for all the nay-sayers, grow up and quit stealing other people's stuff.
With a kill-switch, you'll be killing off a large part of the black market right at the source.
And for all the nay-sayers, grow up and quit stealing other people's stuff.
California native and I've lived all over the US. The jealously toward California is hilarious. I don't blame people, since this is one of the best states to live.
Also, please don't come here. California is awesome without you.
What's stopping a thief to sell the phone for parts then?
Digitizer and battery alone is about $200 or $300 in value.
Now with iPhones soon to come equipped with sapphire digitizers, the value of those screens will be probably $300 to $400.
Sure, the full value of the phone would be diminished now that it has a kill switch, but the phone still has value for parts.
Digitizer and battery alone is about $200 or $300 in value.
Now with iPhones soon to come equipped with sapphire digitizers, the value of those screens will be probably $300 to $400.
Sure, the full value of the phone would be diminished now that it has a kill switch, but the phone still has value for parts.
Less value and less of a market to sell to with potentially more effort and time to do it would generally imply less drive to do it. It's not that it would stop the issue, but hopefully diminish it noticeably, which is still an improvement.
I'm amazed that there are already so many sarcastic responses to this news article less than two minutes after it was posted. There is absolutely no way on Earth that this was properly read in time to make those types of reactions.
Why, oh why, must everyone complain and whine about everything, especially without even fully understanding what he/she is complaining about?
Try this on.
Given what we know about the reach and power of US intelligence agencies, you don't think that mandating the inclusion of a "feature" that is able to remotely shut off citizens' phones is concerning? At all?
Let the market deal with it. If people are fine with kill-switches then they can buy a phone from a manufacturer that includes them. Those that aren't fine with them can buy a different phone with the understanding that they might be at a *slightly* higher risk of being robbed for their phone...
I wouldn't be surprised if this law is used to curtail civil liberty in the future, lock out the phones of political dissidents lol "watch what you say about Obamas mama"
california is good for me.
it has diverse ethnic cultures which means more food options and more fun things to do.
people are less religious and there are more places to shop (rodeo dr).
homes on hills have good views, beach is close and i can even ski during winter.
tax rates suck but that's what accountants are for.
it's a good thing i am not on an employee's salary.
it has diverse ethnic cultures which means more food options and more fun things to do.
people are less religious and there are more places to shop (rodeo dr).
homes on hills have good views, beach is close and i can even ski during winter.
tax rates suck but that's what accountants are for.
it's a good thing i am not on an employee's salary.
wow i'm not a liberal but it must be inconvenient to live a life thinking this way.
do you also think 911 was a government inside job?
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i agree with the negative sentiment that we don't need government regulations for these things.
why should the government force others to copy apple?
what about cheap smartphones?
there are now 70 dollar smartphones.
do we need kill switch on those too?
however, this is not the worst example of government regulations so i'm not going to protest much.
People worried about phones being killed by government officials would do well to read the text of the bill.
"The bill would authorize an authorized user to affirmatively elect to disable or opt-out of the technological solution at any time."
If you don't want this protection from theft, you simply turn off the feature.
As it goes if the government wanted to stop you communicating they don't need this bill to do it.
"The bill would authorize an authorized user to affirmatively elect to disable or opt-out of the technological solution at any time."
If you don't want this protection from theft, you simply turn off the feature.
As it goes if the government wanted to stop you communicating they don't need this bill to do it.
Agreed. I hate the cost of living here, but the weather keeps me in the bay. I can run outside in the middle if winter with a tshirt and shorts. I'm healthier than I've been in my entire life!
I wish people would LEAVE California and go back to whatever cow town they came from. It's getting too crowded around here.
I wish people would LEAVE California and go back to whatever cow town they came from. It's getting too crowded around here.
too crowded?
maybe in the bay area but in LA it's pretty good.
my neighborhood barely has any cars passing by and no multiunit housing within a mile
What part of Cali are you from?
In L.A. it takes like 30min to travel 10 miles in any direction.
Lol the haters
California invented your iPhone. I moved away from the east coast and never been happier.
So go back to being fat and watching tv all day while we enjoy the sunshine.
California invented your iPhone. I moved away from the east coast and never been happier.
So go back to being fat and watching tv all day while we enjoy the sunshine.
You sure you're from Cali?
It takes like 20-30 minutes to drive 10 miles around here.
yeah sounds like SF.
in LA it's really not too bad.
i avoid rush hours during weekdays and usually it's not jammed.
Nothing. You cannot stop theft completely. This is simply meant to reduce thefts by making it less palatable for the opportunistic thief, and to protect your data and various accounts.
I've seen nothing that would suggest this law gives any government agencies the power to shut down your phone. Activation Lock is entirely customer-initiated. Also, given Apple's commitment to the privacy of their customers, they have little interest in disabling your account at the government's behest.
You don't know much about California's politics, do you?