“Apple has investigated a system where portable devices like iPods and iPhones would detect and store into memory ‘consumer abuse events’ such as exposure to extreme cold, heat or moisture in void of warranty, a new patent application reveals,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“The invention, entitled ‘Consumer Abuse Detection System and Method,’ was discovered by AppleInsider in a new patent application disclosure this week. Apple originally filed for the patent on Feb. 1, 2008. The concept aims to detect issues, like a dropped iPhone, that might void the warranty on the device,” Hughes reports.
“Apple already includes liquid submersion indicators in its MacBook Pros, iPhones and iPods,” Hughes reports. “They irreversibly change color once they come in contact with a liquid, thereby offering the company’s retail store staff and authorized repair specialists an easy way to determine if a customer caused damage to their product with liquids — incidents that aren’t covered under Apple’s standard warranties. Rather than the physical indicator, the new system would save information of damage digitally into memory.”
Read more in the full article here.
Shouldn’t a ‘Consumer Abuse Detection System’ really be something that warns you when you’re about to buy a Microsoft product?
If Apple is going to install thermometers in their devices, we need an app to show the temperature. Might as well add an altimeter and barometer too. Make it a mobile weather station.
Oh…consumers abusing devices. I thought it was about vendors abusing consumers.
All future Apple products will be tattle-tells. Lovely!
They should do this. Having seen first hand what people will try to pass off as a product manufacturing failure (I’m looking at you Mr My Kid Drove Over His Ipod Can He Have A New One) I think it’s in Apple’s interest to make people be responsible for what they do to their products.
Bottom line is, if someone doesn’t value their iPod enough to take care of it then tough crap if they break it. Not Apple’s fault.
Won’t the MPB’s set off the extreme temperature through normal use? I know that the ones that I’ve owned would have.
This is an aberration. You mac people should know that this is impossible. My Microsoft will never prevent you from screwing up your system (manually or automatically). This is about FREEDOM, people, FREEDOM.
Your freedom. Our abuse.™
if there are to be sensors to detect temperature, moisture, and cold, then they could be used in a whole new range of applications!!!
consider the creative code written for the motion sensors.
what could be written that could take advantage of these new sensors?
woot!
It sounds great… for Apple. I get that better detection of abuse would make the bottom line better. The only thing that concerns me would be false positives. With my luck, I’ll be one of the 1/10 of one percent whose iPhone fails and reports a drop or tampering when in fact, I didn’t drop it or tamper with it. I’m sure when and if they implement such a system, the implementation will be excellent and I’ll have nothing to worry about…
This is good news for me, the Apple customer who is carefu with equipment for real, not the guy who thinks he is being careful when he tosses, squeezes, drops, spill on etc. his toys and then says “it has never even been out of the house”.
Just watch who the people are that complain about this technology and the ones who praise it. You will be able to spot the abusers very easily. And don’t give me that “what if the sensors fail” crap. That puts you in the former group; those who are worried about getting caught for “something they didn’t do”.
“Hmmm… According to your iPhone which records your body’s movements, you were engaging in adulterous behavior at 11:29 am August 3, 2010 at the home of your best friend while they visited relatives in Kansas. You exceeded the speed limit 867 times during the past month and regularly attend church service at Christ the Scientist 2 miles from your home…”
I love all my Macs, however during video play, my 2006 MBP could cook a pizza.
Hey…maybe that’s not a bad thing…a leftover slice would fit nicely.
Would that void the warranty? They need a mozzarella detector.
“Honest Mr. Genius Bar guy,
” rel=”nofollow”>it was working perfect yesterday.”
Or a Zune (Tang) Sensor
Every time one (it) gets within a 100 yards
iPod will fart to expel any noxious gases possibly encountered
You Try. We Succeed.™
and/or … Will auto trigger alert warning via iFart App
You Keep Trying. We’ll Keep Succeeding™
Damn Tune
You gotta stop doing that, made me have to clean my glasses
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Oh well, when you see your Brother, tell ’em we said “Hey”
BC
The whole society runs towards an Aldous Huxley type of “brave new world”.
Apple isn’t innovating on this point. Credit cards and such do it since years allready. The technics just develope so fast taht these “people control” thing will only get increasing.
They’d better be sure that the moisture sensor can distinguish between a real submersion in water and condensation from bringing a cold piece of equipment into a warm place (kind of like your glasses fog when walking into the house in wintertime). The iPods are used outside by people in summer *and* winter, and even if it’s in your jacket pocket, the stuff still gets cold too. It’s impossible not to do so.
Does that mean unless you’re in Arizona you basically void your warranty?
Typical for apple-> deep pockets but short arms. It all seems very micosh*t-esque doesn’t it? Actually microsh*t would probably try it but it’d crash, trigger an abuse reporting hypercycle leading to a massive memory leak and stack crash, resulting in BSOD. The more things change, the more they stay the same….
Did anyone notice that the acronym is CADS?
The system could be very valuable to Apple. It would allow Apple at least some clue as to why certain units fail why most by far don’t. Is it abuse or isn’t it? it could also help Apple with all the “viral class action law suits” that spring up around the world. “Really! My iPod burned down my house!” Apple
could find out what conditions
the device was exposed to before musteriously spontaneously combusting.
MDN!!! Build a typo checker into this app!!