[ShepherdsDog]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile ... tml?hpt=T1

Quote:

Apple devices appear to be tracking their owners' locations and storing data about people's whereabouts without their knowledge, according to a report posted Wednesday on a site called iPhone Tracker.
The unauthorized surveillance started in June 2010, when the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system was released, according to two researchers who say they discovered a hidden tracking file and posted it out of concern for users.
Apple has not responded to the allegations.

But just to soothe your paranoia....

Quote:

The program's developers, listed as Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, say this data is stored on a person's iPhone or 3G-enabled iPad and on computers that are synced with those devices. There's no evidence, they say, that the data is also transmitted to Apple as it's collected.

Yes comrade, the state/corporation is only interested in your well being.

[Mr_Canada]

1. Find a large body of water with a calm surface
2. See how far your iPhone can go

[martin14]

All cell phones have been tracked for years. This should not be news to anyone.

However, that was usually the company, not the phone itself.

Nice.

[bootlegga]

Cell phones have always had tracking software in them - so they can locate the nearest tower (AKA cell) and stay on the network. I would also assume that since they started using GPS on cellphones that they had developed more elaborate tracking system for that.

Both of those features were needed by cell phone companies to facilitate the use of the phone itself - but I've never heard of a cell phone maker bundling its own tracking software on the phone it sells.

Still, given Apple's turn in recent years (from lovable tech underdog to global tech tyrant), it's not surprising that they're adopting practices such as this.

[Lemmy]

If we can take off the foil hats for just a moment, it's worthwhile to note that cell-location has become an important forensic tool and evidence of cell phone location has been used to convict hundreds of criminals. Big Brother ain't ALL bad.

[OnTheIce]

When you register your new iPad via iTunes, they offer you a free feature to track your iPad in the event it's stolen or lost.

I don't think it's a big secret that these devices have GPS, they make it clear when you sync them for the first time and propose the tracking option for your device.

[bootlegga]

The tracking technology was already in place, that's how cellular technology works - there was no need for Apple to add in a second layer of tracking.

I'm not saying that they're tracking users or necessarily planning anything nefarious, but given how Apple has changed from lovable underdog to a just another greedy megacorp, I'm sure there is some profitable reason behind it - just like there was a profitable reason for Microsoft to bundle Internet Explorer in its Windows software bundles the late 90s.

[raydan]

I'm surprised that portable devises have not used tracking to send you location-specific publicity... or have they.

[Tricks]

It forgets to mention that if you upload a picture taken on your iphone (along with other devices) the location you took that picture is stored in the exif data, along with a bunch of other shit.

[dino_bobba_renno]

Tricks wrote:

It forgets to mention that if you upload a picture taken on your iphone (along with other devices) the location you took that picture is stored in the exif data, along with a bunch of other shit.

I can't remember the name of it but there's some type of app that groups photos by location. It's kind of a kewl idea but I wonder how long before employers and companies start using it to access information on you.

[DerbyX]

bootlegga wrote:

The tracking technology was already in place, that's how cellular technology works - there was no need for Apple to add in a second layer of tracking.

I'm not saying that they're tracking users or necessarily planning anything nefarious, but given how Apple has changed from lovable underdog to a just another greedy megacorp, I'm sure there is some profitable reason behind it - just like there was a profitable reason for Microsoft to bundle Internet Explorer in its Windows software bundles the late 90s.

Yep. Parents of teens caught on a few years ago (It was in an episode of Reba too).

http://www.gpscellphonetrackingtips.com ... for-teens/

If this had been around when I was a teen I think I would have left the phone at home.

[Tricks]

dino_bobba_renno wrote:

Tricks wrote:

It forgets to mention that if you upload a picture taken on your iphone (along with other devices) the location you took that picture is stored in the exif data, along with a bunch of other shit.

I can't remember the name of it but there's some type of app that groups photos by location. It's kind of a kewl idea but I wonder how long before employers and companies start using it to access information on you.

Forget employers, you get someone who knows how to, they can get everything about you. I've seen people get their names, addresses, where they go to school, their phone numbers, parents names, parents numbers, principal, principals numbers, parents work etc. Just from a single picture.

[OnTheIce]

DerbyX wrote:

bootlegga wrote:

The tracking technology was already in place, that's how cellular technology works - there was no need for Apple to add in a second layer of tracking.

I'm not saying that they're tracking users or necessarily planning anything nefarious, but given how Apple has changed from lovable underdog to a just another greedy megacorp, I'm sure there is some profitable reason behind it - just like there was a profitable reason for Microsoft to bundle Internet Explorer in its Windows software bundles the late 90s.

Yep. Parents of teens caught on a few years ago (It was in an episode of Reba too).

http://www.gpscellphonetrackingtips.com ... for-teens/

If this had been around when I was a teen I think I would have left the phone at home.

You watch Reba?