Is Apple Guilty of Planned Obsolescence? To prevent users from opening their devices, Apple is switching to a new tamper-proof screw. It's planned obsolescence, says one critic. Apple’s increasing use of tamper-resistant screws is a form of planned obsolescence, says one critic. As previously reported, Apple is using proprietary five-point security screws in the iPhone 4 and new MacBooks Airs. The special screws were first used in the 2009 MacBook Pro to stop users from replacing the battery.
The screws are unique to Apple and serve one purpose only: to keep users out. The plan, says iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, is to force customers to upgrade their gadgets sooner than necessary. “It’s a form of planned obsolescence,” says Wiens. iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens Planned obsolescence is an industrial design strategy that encourages customers to upgrade their products sooner than necessary. According to Wiens, the special screws prevent owners from upgrading or repairing their machines themselves.
Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment. ForbiddenByApple – Hey ! This too much like an Apple Product, its FORBIDDEN. Apple Blocks Jailbreakme.com From Stores, Pranksters Undeterred | Gadget Lab. The best part of the easy, web-based jailbreak exploit for iOS devices was that pranksters have been hacking iPhones inside Apple Stores. They have been walking into stores, visiting Jailbreakme.com in mobile Safari and boom, Apple’s own demo devices are hacked. It’s that easy. Of course, Apple didn’t like this, especially as restoring a single phone to its defaults and re-loading its media library can take an hour or more.
So Apple did what any parent would do if the kids were causing trouble: it blocked Jailbreakme.com from the in-store Wi-Fi. A simple, effective fix, right? Actually, no. One ne’erdowell, who goes by the name IT Geek, worked around it by using the mobile hotspot feature on his Nexus One to get an in-store iPad connected to the big wide internet. This is especially ironic, as he’s tethering the iPad to his cellphone data-connection, something AT&T still won’t allow you to do with your iPhone. Apple Stores block jailbreakme.com, can’t stop the jailbreaking [Engadget] JailbreakMe Hackers Expose Gaping Security Hole In iPhones–And Fix It Only For Jailbreakers - Andy Greenberg - The Firewall. Meet Comex, The 19-Year-Old iPhone Uber-Hacker Who Keeps Outsmarting Apple - Andy Greenberg - The Firewall.