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ruslan120

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 12, 2009
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Assume that Activation Locks, getting into the device to use it is not an issue. Syncing your device does not give it away (the kindred soul from the future installed patches to simulate an iPhone 11 Pro Max to Apple’s servers).
 
By the way, I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max for sale for $50,000 but will make it worth your time.
 
This would be like taking an iphone 11 back to 1990. The wealth of information in the OS alone would be worth billions imagine researchers discovered the Exposure notification API in 1990 it would have changed the way we view viral outbreaks. I imagine DARPA would love it whoever got their hands on this phone would have many advantages. However as more and more services move to the cloud its also possible you would get a brick with a really advanced battery and a CPU just strong enough just to reach the cloud and make an emergency call as well. Still valuable in advancing batteries and wireless technology but it would contain a lot less than phones do today.
 
This would be like taking an iphone 11 back to 1990. The wealth of information in the OS alone would be worth billions imagine researchers discovered the Exposure notification API in 1990 it would have changed the way we view viral outbreaks. I imagine DARPA would love it whoever got their hands on this phone would have many advantages. However as more and more services move to the cloud its also possible you would get a brick with a really advanced battery and a CPU just strong enough just to reach the cloud and make an emergency call as well. Still valuable in advancing batteries and wireless technology but it would contain a lot less than phones do today.

You’ve explored what the potential technology differences would be. But what would you do?

However as more and more services move to the cloud its also possible you would get a brick with a really advanced battery and a CPU just strong enough just to reach the cloud and make an emergency call as well.

I hadn’t thought of that. Good point good sir



... would be worth billions imagine researchers discovered the Exposure notification API in 1990 it would have changed the way we view viral outbreaks. I imagine DARPA would love it whoever got their hands on this phone would have many advantages.

I think they envisioned using computers to track viruses back then, no? Although agreed they probably didn’t foresee this ability using smartphones, algorithmic tracking, plethora of technologies

You would take the phone to DARPA?

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Send anonymous tips about its features to MacRumors for massive street cred

Can I change my answer to Invisible Elf’s
 
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Yeah I would probably go with DARPA or the NSA. (I know unpopular) They work with experimental projects 15-25 years out so this could expedite some of their projects and not many organizations have the ability to reverse engineer this type of technology like they would. Plus one simple mistake could destroy or damage it you need the best of the best looking at it. They work with research labs at major universties (MIT,cal tech, Stanford etc) so they tech would filter into the private sector slowly and equally over time avoiding one company getting an extreme head start and the public freaking out over time travel. I could always go for a neutral country like Switzerland but I wouldn't want to take the risk of getting intercepted and it ending up in China or another hostile country and they would probably end up reaching out to the US and EU for help in the end.
 
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What do I do with it?

Winning lottery number research. (I'm assuming Safari still exists and it's pulling data from 2050).

Only 2020 databases / web connectivity. The device is masked and doesn’t give itself away, but only today’s internet can be used.

Laughed out loud though, I like the way you think good sir.
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@Airforcekid Do you ask them to sign papers promising G-Men won’t take you away for “further study” once they confirm the technology is from 2050?

(Respect for doing one’s patriotic duty. I would most likely sign papers for a reward of a billion dollars and do my best to avoid the g-men situation, and then do the same. But I don’t want to be forced to evade the US government, and have no desire to have reason to.)
 
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1. First of all, travelling time in backwards is pretty much impossible at this time. So you won't able to get 2050 iPhone in beginning.

2. One of the rules for time travelling is not changing course of history. So any suggestions of using future information for any gaining is out of question.

3. We don't know if iPhone still exist in 2050. I mean, by then we can reasonably assume we are moving past smartphone era. We probably rocking chips inside our freaking body and robot is taking over the humanity.
 
Yeah I would probably go with DARPA or the NSA. (I know unpopular) They work with experimental projects 15-25 years out so this could expedite some of their projects and not many organizations have the ability to reverse engineer this type of technology like they would. Plus one simple mistake could destroy or damage it you need the best of the best looking at it. They work with research labs at major universties (MIT,cal tech, Stanford etc) so they tech would filter into the private sector slowly and equally over time avoiding one company getting an extreme head start and the public freaking out over time travel. I could always go for a neutral country like Switzerland but I wouldn't want to take the risk of getting intercepted and it ending up in China or another hostile country and they would probably end up reaching out to the US and EU for help in the end.

Well, if someone comes in with 2050 iPhone, we can safely assume time travelling is normal in that time. We can also safely assume counties like China will also capable sending their own people back.

Second, one of rules of time traveling is not to interfering and not change history. This pretty much restrict what time traveller can do. So I don't think time traveller would share this device to any government agencies
 
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I’m going to say nothing! Probably won’t work with our bands and it will probably run on some kind of battery we can’t charge, or it won’t need to be charged.. that would be cool. The second thing I would probably do is drop it as I’m handing it back.
 
1. First of all, travelling time in backwards is pretty much impossible at this time. So you won't able to get 2050 iPhone in beginning.

2. One of the rules for time travelling is not changing course of history. So any suggestions of using future information for any gaining is out of question.

Thats exactly what a time traveler would say. Where are you keeping the iPhone?? ( :) )

Tomorrow, we discover a wormhole on our Moon between point A and point B on the Moon and NASA and has been working with Elon Musk to harness wormhole relocation technology. It is small and an alien civilization has left a “handle” for us to move it, as well as a vessel that can move it at the speed of light. They left instructions for NASA to
- Move one end of this wormhole around our solar system at the speed of light until 2050
- In 2050, to fly to this wormhole and put a representative with an iPhone 2050
- To have this representative find @Aoligei and hand @Aoligei this iPhone without any indication as to what it does or what it is capable of, without explanation

3. We don't know if iPhone still exist in 2050. I mean, by then we can reasonably assume we are moving past smartphone era. We probably rocking chips inside our freaking body and robot is taking over the humanity.

Yeah, after the singularity. You’re probably right.
 
Contact Apple and make a deal for a large percentage of their share and board member position.
At least it will keep the loop of ensuring that Apple would make that exact phone that I got, preserving the timeline. :D
 
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I’m going to say nothing! Probably won’t work with our bands and it will probably run on some kind of battery we can’t charge, or it won’t need to be charged.. that would be cool. The second thing I would probably do is drop it as I’m handing it back.

The iPhone has activated its Drop Detection feature, has de-materialized into its nano-particle constituents, and has re-materialized in your pocket.

No battery drain experienced.
 
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Contact Apple and make a deal for a large percentage of their share and board member position.
At least it will keep the loop of ensuring that Apple would make that exact phone that I got, preserving the timeline. :D

G-Men find @ian87w after he contacts Apple (federal authorities are brought in after Apple confirms the iPhone is from 2050) and he is imprisoned in Area 51 for questioning.
 
Assume that Activation Locks, getting into the device to use it is not an issue. Syncing your device does not give it away (the kindred soul from the future installed patches to simulate an iPhone 11 Pro Max to Apple’s servers).

Use the stock app to check on the stock history between now and 2050
 
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If I got it in 2050? I'd congratulate myself for still being able to understand and use the thing at my advanced age.

If I got it today? Presuming it was sufficiently intuitive, I'd spend a bunch of time geeking out over what it can do and what has changed. I'd also have to use a lot of imagination regarding all the non-working features that depend upon an infrastructure that won't exist for 30 more years. And chances are, nearly any app that depends on an outside data source will not work to some degree. Would it be able to connect to today's cellular and wifi protocols? Assuming the 2050 web is still running on the same fundamental technology, would Safari 2050 reject every site as a security risk?

Certainly, someone would pay a fortune to reverse-engineer what they find. And then we'd see if all the theories about time travel paradoxes hold true.
 
Sell it to Apple or the highest bidder who wants to reverse engineer it and be 30 years ahead of the competition.

At first I thought this was the best way to make money from it, but instead I would try to tear it down and discover all the suppliers and software incorporated into it, and use what I learn to make investments. Sort of like the Almanac in BTTF2, but for tech companies instead of sports scores. Also, I wouldn't be evil like Biff.

It would be entirely possible to discovery that a major component, hardware or software, is made by a company that does not exist yet; and knowing that 30 years in advance is a huge opportunity. I could approach the people that start that company the weekend after they start it and offer them a big hands-off investment. Also, it would provide huge insight into how companies that do exist today are doing, or if they've pivoted to another industry. Imagine cracking open that iPhone and seeing an Adobe chip in there. That is hugely valuable information that you can trade on.
 
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This would be like taking an iphone 11 back to 1990. The wealth of information in the OS alone would be worth billions imagine researchers discovered the Exposure notification API in 1990 it would have changed the way we view viral outbreaks. I imagine DARPA would love it whoever got their hands on this phone would have many advantages. However as more and more services move to the cloud its also possible you would get a brick with a really advanced battery and a CPU just strong enough just to reach the cloud and make an emergency call as well. Still valuable in advancing batteries and wireless technology but it would contain a lot less than phones do today.
The graphene battery with 500 hours / instant charge tech alone would change the world.

PS: I would check the stocks app. Small possibility that it may have some cached knowledge.
 
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