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Agorism
03-23-2011, 10:06 PM
Interesting

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/23/senators-ask-apple-to-ban-dui-checkpoint-alert-apps_n_839300.html

FrankRep
03-23-2011, 10:09 PM
Senators call for takedown of iPhone apps that locate DUI checkpoints (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/03/23/senators_call_for_takedown_of_iphone_apps_that_loc ate_dui_checkpoints.html)


Apple Insider
March 23, 2011


Four U.S. senators are calling for Apple to remove iPhone and iPad App Store apps that help users to avoid DUI checkpoints, even as rival smartphone maker Research in Motion has agreed to remove offending apps from its BlackBerry App World store.

Democratic Senators Harry Reid, Charles Schumer, Frank Lautenberg and Tom Udall sent letters to Apple, Google and RIM on Tuesday requesting that the companies, which all run prominent mobile application digital storefronts and smartphone platforms, take down or modify apps that notify users of police checkpoints. According to the senators, the apps in question are "harmful to public safety" because they could allow drunk drivers to evade police detection.

aGameOfThrones
03-23-2011, 10:16 PM
Posted!! http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?284631-Government-Wants-to-Control-App-Market


Also:

BlackBerry backpedals on traffic apps


BlackBerry users no longer will be able to pinpoint police drunken-driving checkpoints.

Following a request Tuesday from four Democratic senators, Ontario, Canada-based Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, has agreed to pull from its online store downloadable applications that allow its operating systems to identify the locations of local police DUI checkpoints.

Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada, CCharles Schumer of New York, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and Tom Udall of New Mexico asked RIM, Apple and Google to disable or stop selling the apps for BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad, and Android devices.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-03-24-scofflaws24_ST_N.htm

South Park Fan
03-23-2011, 10:20 PM
Why are these companies such cowards?

On a different note, does this affect everybody with Blackberries or Iphones, or does it just affect those who don't already have the app?

FrankRep
03-23-2011, 10:23 PM
Why are these companies such cowards?

Apple and RIMM want to make money, not make some kind of political statement and go bankrupt.

Agorism
03-23-2011, 10:41 PM
I loVE the iphone, but I see the downside of centrally controlled ap store.

These aps could become very effective as technology progresses.

anaconda
03-24-2011, 04:42 AM
Perhaps an Android phone?

prmd142
03-24-2011, 05:09 AM
with android you can sideload apps. so even if Google complies with this, you can still get the app on your android phone. Open source FTW!!

mrsat_98
03-25-2011, 06:16 AM
Interesting

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/23/senators-ask-apple-to-ban-dui-checkpoint-alert-apps_n_839300.html

Very


Apple and RIMM want to make money, not make some kind of political statement and go bankrupt.

go bankrupt ? :D


with android you can sideload apps. so even if Google complies with this, you can still get the app on your android phone. Open source FTW!!

American style Roadblock bomb.

So forth of July are going to all take our video equipped cell phones and turn around at the check point because there was something in the way, like my country's dead rotten country's corpse that drawing flies. Or for what ever reason you choose just turn around while documenting that you are not making any traffic violations then just see how many Check Point NAZI's violate the peoples collective rights.

TonySutton
03-25-2011, 06:27 AM
Can't iPhone users simply jailbreak their phone and use whatever apps they wish?

jmdrake
03-25-2011, 08:47 AM
Why are these companies such cowards?

On a different note, does this affect everybody with Blackberries or Iphones, or does it just affect those who don't already have the app?

It affects users who depend on the app store for their apps. Blackberries are more open to third party development as are Androids. Apple requires developers to pay a $99 fee for a developers key. But independent third party apps can run on "jailbroken" iPhones.

Or you can not install an app at all and have a mobile web browser app that can do the same thing by using the Google Latitude API.

http://code.google.com/apis/latitude/

jmdrake
03-25-2011, 08:50 AM
Apple and RIMM want to make money, not make some kind of political statement and go bankrupt.

And so they're going to go bankrupt because a few senators said so? Maybe, but I doubt it. What could happen is that these senators might not vote the way Apple / RIM wants on some new piece of telecom legislation. In that case the companies are being cowards.

jmdrake
03-25-2011, 08:51 AM
Here's a question. If someone has enough of his faculties that he's able to use his phone to avoid DUI checkpoints, is he really to impaired to drive?

fisharmor
03-25-2011, 08:56 AM
Why are these companies such cowards?
It might have to do with them realizing that they exist only as long as the federal government tolerates them existing.
If anyone, big business and big money are the entities that truly understand the monopoly on the use of force.
They understand better than individuals that they can be dismantled, their executives can be put in prison for decades, their properties can be confiscated, and the public will cheer it on - all for offenses they couldn't possibly have forseen.
The rule of law doesn't exist in this country and hasn't for some time. Money is certainly a part of it, but I suspect not wanting to get raped in prison has to do with it as well.


Apple and RIMM want to make money, not make some kind of political statement and go bankrupt.
Kind of like how Google backpedalled and kept service going in China, right?

fisharmor
03-25-2011, 08:57 AM
Here's a question. If someone has enough of his faculties that he's able to use his phone to avoid DUI checkpoints, is he really to impaired to drive?

This ignores the more fundamental questions:
1) If the driver doesn't do any damage, what's the problem?
2) If the driver does do damage, why is he protected from the legal consequences because he was drunk?

HOLLYWOOD
03-25-2011, 09:09 AM
Why are these companies such cowards?

On a different note, does this affect everybody with Blackberries or Iphones, or does it just affect those who don't already have the app?

M-O-N-E-Y! That's how the cozy relationship between Fascist Government works... so do what .GOV says and we'll insert huge TAX Credits/Writeoffs so your corporation pays next to nothing in taxes. ;)


Apple and RIMM want to make money, not make some kind of political statement and go bankrupt. No money in the 1st amendment... plenty of money is low interest government loans and huge tax writeoffs.


I loVE the iphone, but I see the downside of centrally controlled ap store.

These aps could become very effective as technology progresses. Hopefully, AMAZON's APP STORE will allow freedom in buying whatever APP we wish to over the internet.

pcosmar
03-25-2011, 09:20 AM
Here's a question. If someone has enough of his faculties that he's able to use his phone to avoid DUI checkpoints, is he really to impaired to drive?

/Rimshot

That is the part they don't want you to "get".

However, using a cell phone is more dangerous than having a drink.