A month ago we shared with you a patent from Apple that detailed a method by which iPhone cameras could be disabled during “sensitive events.” While the idea sounds grand for concertgoers who don’t want to see thousands of phones in the air, not everyone is on board with the idea of Apple being able to censor any sort of recording, no matter where it is.
Users of the online activist platform Care2 have started a new petition asking Apple to not put the patent to use. Not now, not ever.
While the ability to remotely disable cameras in iPhones is nothing more than a few diagrams and an abstract on paper at the moment – nor is there any proof that Apple would ever pursue the patent – concerned activists don’t want to take a chance. Instead, they want to make their voice heard by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Inside the petition, which is titled “Tell Apple: Don’t Allow Police to Remotely Disable iPhone Cameras,” author Julie Mastrine writes:
“Imagine: you’re walking down the street when you see police officers slamming a woman to the ground. They’re exhibiting a shocking use of force — one officers pushes her face into the ground. Another sticks his knee into her back. You become worried. You pull out your phone to record the incident — only to have your camera mysteriously shut off.”
The petition goes on, adding that “the release of this technology would have huge implications, including the censoring of political dissidents, activists, and citizens who are recording police brutality.”
At the time of this article’s writing, the petition is only 400 signatures shy of its 20,000 goal.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.