New Plugin Allows Developers to Turn iOS Devices Into Bitcoin Mining Bots

[wiz329]

Very interesting idea, I'd like to know how exactly it's implemented though.

(1) What level of GPU resources would it take? (I would hope it wouldn't use the CPU, as that would be ridiculously inefficient) If so, I doubt anyone would be interested in this, as that would suck your battery life VERY quickly. Anyone ever tried running something like Handbrake without a power cord plugged into your laptop? Even Haswell doesn't bring much battery life there, because it is at full load all the time.

(2) How effective would this be anyways? As I understand it, most bitcoin mining is done by very specialized computers that use ASICs that are approximately 1,000,000 times faster than a regular CPU (regular CPUs are never used -- the cost of the power is more than the gain).

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To charge your phone once everyday for a year would cost around 12 cents...

And that just goes to show how little actual mining power this would supply.

 

[kkamann]

Turn off Background App Refresh?

Since this supposedly mines during the devices' latent times, wouldn't turning off Background App Refresh keep it from mining in the background?

This.

 

[Freyqq]

While a clever idea, on a phone--where power is at such a premium, and the design is so heavily oriented around power efficiency--this seems like an exceptionally terrible idea. I desperately hope (and rather expect) that Apple won't let anything running this through the App store.

On a desktop system where you weren't battery limited, it would be a much more "fair" tradeoff. Of course, the irony for the end user is that having their CPU maxed out would eat more electricity, which costs money, so the game is no longer "free to play" at all (the same is technically true on a phone, but the power used is so small its negligible). I wonder, in fact, if the mining operation is even cost effective in terms of power draw on a desktop--do you get more pennies in revenue than you use pennies in kWh?

You don't really need to. Using the Geekbench 3 results as a ballpark, a server with a 2x 8-core Xeon E5-2687W (about a year and a half old, 20MB cache, 3.1GHz, power draw for each CPU of 150W, total 300W) can score about 48,000 (though 40,000 looks more common). An iPhone 5s scores a bit over 2500.

So the big-iron server is, ballpark, about 19 times faster than an iPhone 5s.

Comparing it to a high-end 2013 4-core 3.5GHz i7 iMac, the iMac scores around 15,000, so the iMac is around 6 times faster.

GPU acceleration could change those results, and the specifics of Bitcoin mining may lend themselves to work well with some particular architecture, but in general those give an idea of the speed differential.

The A7 is, notably, an exceptionally fast ARM cpu, but in any case depending on how you look at it, it either takes a lot of phones to equal a half-kilowatt server, or the iPhone is a really, really fast phone.

As I understand it, bitcoin mining is more GPU dependent than CPU dependant. Geekbench is a CPU test.

 

[larrylaffer]

If these dummies had half a brain, they'd have developed their own app using it, and just mined for themselves.

Apple's obviously going to block any app that tries to do this now that they've advertised it, so it's a non-starter.

 

[cclloyd]

Tell me please:

Would anyone be less opposed to this if it only activated while on A/C power?

 

[Bug-Creator]

Tell me please:

Would anyone be less opposed to this if it only activated while on A/C power?

I don't like trojans of any kind at any time !

 

[Parasprite]

Tell me please:

Would anyone be less opposed to this if it only activated while on A/C power?

That'll be sure to absolve the developer of overheating complaints!

Besides, unless people are opting to leave the app open overnight to make the developer money I couldn't see it being open long enough to accomplish anything. Especially with games.

 

[simon the diver]

thirty percent

How long before apple changes the dev agreement to insist on 30% of any bit coins mined ?

 

[pacohaas]

There's no difference between these and iAds or some other banner Ad that has nothing to do with the app functionality except to use spare CPU cycles on your device to display advertising to you. If you want to spare the CPU, most decent apps give an in-app purchase option to disable them, I would expect the same could be done with this new plugin if the app developer chooses wisely.

 

[xhArRiSoNxD]

Okay so how can I mine Bitcoins while my phone is charging at night?

 

[blackcrayon]

As I understand it, bitcoin mining is more GPU dependent than CPU dependant. Geekbench is a CPU test.

GPUs are much better at it, but at this point are useless because the difficulty of mining is now too high even for the best desktop GPUs. Mining litecoins (an alternative to Bitcoin) is much more profitable for GPUs- there's no reason why this plugin couldn't mine those instead though (but would still be ridiculously slow on a mobile device).

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Apple would never allow it. And should punish those developers who add this plugin to their apps, by banning them forever from the AppStore.

This will definitely succeed with Android. The good thing about this is that all the lame and sketchy iOS Developers will move to Android to exploit this easy money scheme. We should expect a much cleaner AppStore in the near future.

 

[iSee]

Not really. The wattage is much lower but performance per watt is about the same on bitcoin mining. A GPU will do much better. And an ASIC will do better than that. For maximum efficiency you need a massively parallel array of units that can do bitwise operations. Everything else is just wasting energy (even using an architecture based on instructions loaded from memory, for example, is a total waste) A mobile CPU doesn't really fit the bill there.

The nature of bitcoin is such that eventually only the most energy efficient method of generating coins will beat the cost of electricity to power it. So this whole ideas is wasteful and stupid.

Interesting but not relevant to my post since I was replying to a post comparing a general desktop to an iOS device (not a mining box -- I should hope a dedicated box would beat the efficiency of a general device).

I agree it's wasteful, though "stupid" depends on who you're talking about. The people selling the plugin will make money if they can snow the developers. End users will not be paying a whole lot for that electricity becuase there just isn't that much in an iOS device, so there's little to be stupid about. So it's really up to the developers to be stupid or not. It's a con: "Here's a magic way to make money off your free app!" (It's going to take a LOT of playtime to have a chance at any bit coins. Any app that popular likely has much better monetization options.)

 

[ALMF]

Does anyone have a list of Unity-based apps?

I want to know which ones to avoid updating... I really don't want what should be a low-power-use app to suck down all my battery...

I believe these are (not all are apps)

Dead Frontier (2008)
Three Kingdoms Online (2008)
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall (2009)
Uberstrike (2009)
Max & the Magic Marker (2010)
Thomas Was Alone (2010)
Battlestar Galactica Online (2011)
Family Guy Online (2011)
I Am Playr (2011)
Rochard (2011)
Shadowgun (2011)
Temple Run (2011)
Triple Town (2011)
Bad Piggies (2012)
Cypher (2012)
Dead Trigger (2012)
Endless Space (2012)
Escape Plan (2012)
Guns of Icarus Online (2012)
Prime World (2012)
realMyst for iOS (2012)
Slender: The Eight Pages (2012)
The World Ends With You: Solo Remix (2012)
Organ Trail: Director's Cut (2012)
Among the Sleep (2013)
ARMA Tactics (2013)
Cities in Motion 2 (2013)
Dead Trigger 2 (2013)
Deus Ex: The Fall (2013)
Dungeonland (2013)
Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms (2013)
Guns and Robots (2013)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (2013)
Interstellar Marines (2013)
King's Bounty: Legions (2013)
MechWarrior Tactics (2013)
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (2013)
République (2013)
Rust (Alpha 2013, TBD)
Shadowrun Returns (2013)
Slender: The Arrival (2013)
Surgeon Simulator 2013 (2013)
Temple Run 2 (2013)
Wasteland 2 (2013)
War for the Overworld (2013)
Kerbal Space Program (2013)
Gone Home[29] (2013)
DJMax Technika Q (2013)
Folk Tale (2013)
Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey (2014)
Project Eternity (2014)
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues (2014)
Torment: Tides of Numenera (2015)
Castle Story (TBD)
Shadowrun Online (TBD)
Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta (TBD)
The Dead Linger (TBD)

 

[9000]

Bitcoins are for stupid computer hippies or losers on Reddit. Now I'm even more afraid to update anything.

 

[Windlasher]

Everyone is saying that they would delete a company's app, but no company that uses this is going to advertise the fact that they are using it. You'll just download the app, it will run - given that the code likely works on a low priority background thread, you'll never notice it, and they will get what they want. I doubt you'll recognize that your battery is draining any faster than it already does, and continue to use your device as is.

And you think no one will figure out and announce which apps are using it? With people picking apart anything and everything these days, they will get outed.

 

[/dev/toaster]

I really hope Apple doesn't approve apps pulling this crap.

 

[Windlasher]

Duh!!

HEY DEVELOPERS:

I have an idea, create a FREE bit coin mining app that says its a bit coin mining app. I can leave it running or not, when I am not using my phone, say overnight while my phone is plugged in or sitting on my desk. MY choice not yours. When I crack a bit coin, you get 10% of it and I get the rest. Therefore If you have enough people using it, you could make some money.

 

[/dev/toaster]

Tell me please:

Would anyone be less opposed to this if it only activated while on A/C power?

Nope. And for the record, unless the battery was already had 100% that would slow down charging.

Would I be less opposed if it was A/C and 100% battery ?
It will generate unwanted heat ...

Would I be less opposed if it was A/C, 100% battery and didn't increase the temp ?
Nope, I don't want abusive crap like this on my device.

 

[9000]

Tell me please:

Would anyone be less opposed to this if it only activated while on A/C power?

No because I wouldn't trust it to only do it on AC power
Also, Bitcoins are stupid, so no.

 

[dysamoria]

Yay. Another way to waste resources and battery power.

 

[Parasprite]

Does anyone have a list of Unity-based apps?

I want to know which ones to avoid updating... I really don't want what should be a low-power-use app to suck down all my battery...

I believe these are (not all are apps)

Dead Frontier (2008)
Three Kingdoms Online (2008)
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall (2009)
Uberstrike (2009)
Max & the Magic Marker (2010)
Thomas Was Alone (2010)
Battlestar Galactica Online (2011)
Family Guy Online (2011)
I Am Playr (2011)
Rochard (2011)
Shadowgun (2011)
Temple Run (2011)
Triple Town (2011)
Bad Piggies (2012)
Cypher (2012)
Dead Trigger (2012)
Endless Space (2012)
Escape Plan (2012)
Guns of Icarus Online (2012)
Prime World (2012)
realMyst for iOS (2012)
Slender: The Eight Pages (2012)
The World Ends With You: Solo Remix (2012)
Organ Trail: Director's Cut (2012)
Among the Sleep (2013)
ARMA Tactics (2013)
Cities in Motion 2 (2013)
Dead Trigger 2 (2013)
Deus Ex: The Fall (2013)
Dungeonland (2013)
Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms (2013)
Guns and Robots (2013)
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (2013)
Interstellar Marines (2013)
King's Bounty: Legions (2013)
MechWarrior Tactics (2013)
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (2013)
République (2013)
Rust (Alpha 2013, TBD)
Shadowrun Returns (2013)
Slender: The Arrival (2013)
Surgeon Simulator 2013 (2013)
Temple Run 2 (2013)
Wasteland 2 (2013)
War for the Overworld (2013)
Kerbal Space Program (2013)
Gone Home[29] (2013)
DJMax Technika Q (2013)
Folk Tale (2013)
Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey (2014)
Project Eternity (2014)
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues (2014)
Torment: Tides of Numenera (2015)
Castle Story (TBD)
Shadowrun Online (TBD)
Unearthed: Trail of Ibn Battuta (TBD)
The Dead Linger (TBD)

So... is this going to precipitate a witch hunt against anything that uses Unity even though they have absolutely nothing to do with a 3rd party plugin maker?

Hold on, lemme go get the popcorn!

 

[i.mac]

Tell me please:

Would anyone be less opposed to this if it only activated while on A/C power?

Understand this: with this crap, YOU are using MY device and resources for YOUR gain.

Do YOU see what's wrong with this?

 

[9000]

HEY DEVELOPERS:

I have an idea, create a FREE bit coin mining app that says its a bit coin mining app. I can leave it running or not, when I am not using my phone, say overnight while my phone is plugged in or sitting on my desk. MY choice not yours. When I crack a bit coin, you get 10% of it and I get the rest. Therefore If you have enough people using it, you could make some money.

Sounds like a good idea, but I'm afraid they'd start doing this on apps that give the user some kind of benefit... eventually spreading to all apps to replace ads.

 

[i.mac]

No because I wouldn't trust it to only do it on AC power
Also, Bitcoins are stupid, so no.

Exactly. Bitcoin is a parasitic concept.