Egyptian iPhones lose GPS capabilities

According to a NYTimes report, Apple has killed the GPS feature of their iPhone 3G smartphone for the Egyptian market.

The decision was made because the Egyptian government feared the feature would create a national security risk. The government added that the technology should remain limited to military applications.

Critics of the move note correctly that "Google Maps is capable of giving would-be terrorists a bird�s eye view of sensitive government locations" and that the GPS is not even on that level.

Arvind Ganesan, director of the business and human rights program of Human Rights Watch, adds: �Here is the big question for Apple: Is this an ad-hoc approach or is there a fundamental policy, balancing the freedom of expression and information with the demands of the government?�

Good question.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 11 Dec 2008 2:21

Advertisement - News comments available below the ad

14 comments

iamgq

I guess its better to be safe than sorry

11.12.2008 03:12 #1

hikaricor

Originally posted by iamgq: I guess its better to be safe than sorryNo. You fail.

11.12.2008 03:21 #2

iamgq

whut?
you fail?
i dont get it?
a trend in youre life maybe?

11.12.2008 08:12 #3

kujejones

Yes this is an epic fail. Why? I'm pretty sure terrorists have access to eBay where they can get a normal iphone. Or a real GPS. All this will do is make normal consumers pissed off.

11.12.2008 08:57 #4

narmo

Originally posted by kujejones: Yes this is an epic fail. Why? I'm pretty sure terrorists have access to eBay where they can get a normal iphone. Or a real GPS. All this will do is make normal consumers pissed off.but wouldn't the GPS satellites there be locked to only a few systems? and not public access?

11.12.2008 15:47 #5

wolf123

One thing about google maps yahoo maps and any other map service they are not up to date I looked my new Walmart is not built and its 2 years old.

By the way if you disagree with this statement please show me a map service that is up to date.

11.12.2008 16:05 #6

ddp

narmo, you can use any gps system anywere in the world & not be locked out. civilian versions are not as precise as military systems.

11.12.2008 17:11 #7

iamgq

Yall are too funny, talking about epic fails, terrorist this and that yadi yadi yada... Its a dang Phone with out GPS, nothing else.
It sounds like the African goverment is being cautious is all and maybe for reasons that I care less about. Epic Fail- hahaaaaa who thinks of this shit?

12.12.2008 04:47 #8

varnull

They have the right to say what is and isn't allowed for sale or use in their country. Look deeper into the matter for a moment and you will see that there are ways to use gps units to remote trigger devices without any operator, making them better than a timer or needing somebody nearby with a view of a precise place.

*edit* too much information :)

Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
Welcome to the other side of the looking glass Alice

12.12.2008 05:20 #9

DXR88

too true varnull, but there a millions of GPS capable phones. whats to stop the luney's from getting one, not much. in the end it will only serve a bases.

besides common Egypt what military tech could possibly worth defending from the 60's-70's.

12.12.2008 12:22 #10

hermes_vb

This is an advanced civilization who built the pyramids. They don't need GPS. They can probably navigate just by looking at the stars. LOL.

17.12.2008 03:18 #11

DXR88

Originally posted by hermes_vb: This is an advanced civilization who built the pyramids. They don't need GPS. They can probably navigate just by looking at the stars. LOL.Perhaps, but at one point in time every human could. its not a case of advancement but a bad case of arrogance to culture. when every watch in the world stops ticking you'll wish you'd have listen to grand pappy.

but if all the clocks just stopped, well lets just say why even bother with time.

17.12.2008 13:44 #12

qazwiz

I don't get this:
why not keep GPS in and give every terrorist a free iPhone?
HUH? WELL?

2.1.2009 05:40 #13

qazwiz

Originally posted by varnull: They have the right to say what is and isn't allowed for sale or use in their country. Look deeper into the matter for a moment and you will see that there are ways to use gps units to remote trigger devices without any operator, ...aw com'on, are they gonna use a $400 phone with a GPS unit in it, a 100$ GPS stand alone unit, a $10 cell phone or a $2 barometric pressure gauge to set off a "private destructive device" ????

I include the barometric device because there was a movie about that THIRTY YEARS AGO!!!! (hero had plane land at Denver airport the "Mile High City" to prevent the explosion)

security jobs seem to require a history of lunacy it seems of late. taking X-acto knives from little johnny, the knitting needles from granny and toe nail clippers from cousin IT

even box cutters are a "rush them" item... in that rushing to the offender will allow anyone disable the offender before HE can do permanent harm to anyone (some damage can occur which MIGHT be deadly if untreated, but standard first aide procedures will keep them alive until they can be treated by a surgeon )

anything you can do with a knitting needle (to maim or kill) can be done with a standard pen or pencil. and a trained person can pull a mans heart out of the chest so the victim can see his own heart before he dies... so are they going to ban writing tools and hands with more than two fingers?

GPS tells you where you are at, within a degree of accuracy according to the technology being used... for civilians it use to be 75 feet but may be down to a couple yards now... military won't say their accuracy but I bet an inch isn't impossible.

so if civilian accuracy can target it they don't need the $400 dollar item, when less than $100 does the same

but the throw away cell phone is cheaper and though it does require human action, that action is just callind the cell, nothing more.

very easy

2.1.2009 06:13 #14

AfterDawn: News