Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Apple, Patent, iPhone, Abuse | Themes: Smartphones, Audio/Video Players, 3GSM
Last year Apple filed a patent entitled Consumer Abuse Detection System and Method that will add to the company's moisture detection technology currently residing in MacBook Pros, iPhones, and iPods. According to AppleInsider, the new system described in the patent will be able to detect and store into memory "consumer abuse events."
"The system may include an interface by which a diagnostic device may access the memory to analyze the records and determine whether a consumer abuse event occurred, when the event occurred, and, in some embodiments, what type of abuse event occurred," the patent reads. "By providing the capability to quickly and easily detect whether consumer abuse occurred in an electronic device, a vendor or manufacturer diagnosing a returned product may be able to better determine whether or not to initiate a product return under a warranty policy."
The proposed system will provide several facets: a liquid and thermal sensor, a shock sensor for drops, and a "continuity" sensor that will detect tampering. Apple said that the new system should cut down costs for product vendors and manufacturers that typically handle warranty returns of abused products.
"Personnel at the point of sale may often times exchange the returned product with a working replacement product regardless of the cause of failure in order to avoid potential conflicts with the customer," the patent reads. "As a result, it is not uncommon for consumers to receive replacement products or repair services on abused products not covered under the terms of a warranty. Such erroneous replacements or repairs may be costly to the vendor and/or manufacturer of the product."
-
Previous News Article
News Corp Charging for Online News -
Next News Article
LG Watch Phone to Cost Over $1,000
Accidents happen, but now the consumer is punished. Way to go Apple.
in easy way to place the blame on the consumer in case their ipod explodes.
Personally, I'll stay away from anything equipped to deny me a return or refund.
"Hmm... says here that it was dropped."
"Yeah, after it exploded, I sure did drop it."
f**k you apple. you will never get another dollar of my business.
Wow, what's next - a built in GPS tracker to make sure you don't take it out of the country?
How are we to know that this "abuse event recorder" will not label a device failure as abuse? I hope that someone finds a quick workaround for this mechanism, then the consumer will have the last laugh.
People are really gonna start to get pissed off by Apple when they 1) pay an assload for one of their overpriced devices and 2) pays even more for an extended warranty just to find out that their device reports abuse or some shit and cannot be replaced.
So I go and buy a new car, take it out the front and crash it, should I get a refund because I damaged it? I can see, from a companies perspective why they would want to integrate such a thing...But what if the sensor is faulty???
This is just another way that Apple is trying to screw the customer and save themselves money. Warranties already suck enough... now they are going to come up with EVERY excuse not to fix it now.
News Flash: You can drop something and it still works!!! Hell, I've dropped my Blackberry over 10 times and it still works. Now all Apple will do is pin the blame of the problem to the fact that you dropped it, even if it has nothing to do with that issue... and the customer is too STUPID to even realize that it doesn't and will open their wallets so that Apple can take even more of the customers money.
I hate Apple.......
the consumer already pays a % counting on those cases described. Now Apple wants some other places to get more juice.
Apple sheep and their toys are the testing grounds for police state features to be implemented by Microsoft for the masses. Windows and OSX already leave a ton of forensics info and backdoors, and the company that helped Microsoft with their Bitlocker encryption assured everyone that it "wouldn't be a problem for law enforcement".
Linux EXT3 and EXT4 file systems start overwriting any kind of forensics trail from a previous session every time the drive is mounted, and Truecrypt provides excellent cryptography, which isn't even feasible to brute-force crack with a long and complex enough password.
Seems like the Apple fanboys are negating as many thumbs up as they can in this article.
so you're saying the moron with a 2 digit iq and a 5 digit yearly income behind the counter is qualified to diagnose complex electronics? Highly unlikely, not to mention, crApple will just make the policies strict. Happen to live in a place with high humidity? well you're screwed. jog with your device? well there's an impact right there. Explodes in your pocket? well it was your fault for not buying a new one soon enough.
/sarcasm
Ps: i wouldn't include the "sarcasm" bit, but i know there are some idiots who won't get it.
its like that little tab in cell phones that turn pink when they detect moisture and the phone provider refuses to warranty the product.
What if you buy a product which was dropped or mis-handled by the store you bought it, or the shipping company who shipped it or someone else along the chain prior to your ownership? Would the events have dates and would you get a copy of this so you could prove that you did not own the dvice at the time the alleged incident occurred?
*sigh
You're all morons. The rabid hate for Apple amuses me, as if the alternatives are any better. Stop buying electronic devices if you can't handle how big companies act, because they're all the same. No one even bothered to bring up the only question that really matters, which is how much will all of these sensors add to the cost and what happens when a sensor goes bad or is inaccurate or not calibrated correctly?
"The system may incluve an interface by which a viagnostic vevice may access the memory to analyze the recorvs and vetermine whether a consumer abuse event occurrev, when the event occurrev, anv, in some emboviments, what type of abuse event occurrev," the patent reads.
I fixed it.
I "think" apple's faking this patent to trick their consumers into thinking that they have this "advanced" technology.
OR...
Oh well, apple's never getting my money XD
Steve jobs agenda, today:
1 screw customers more.
2 ??????
3 profit
Way to be intrusive tech community's tend to love intrusive products even when they don't have things to hide.
Ahhhh, so now it can't be used as a grenade?
Well, there goes my iGrenade app I was hoping to make my fortune on.
If this goes into an iPhone or iPod and you own that app that acts like an old Etch-a-sketch, do you void the warranty the first time you erase the drawing you just made?
When Jobs got sick, was he infected with evil Ballmer DNA or did M$ just swap out his brain?
Apples are what we'd all be using if the Nazis won the war
Damn, no more last minute warrenty claims by microwave...
$5 says taking you brand new purchase home from the store, opening it's packaging, or turning it on will result in an "abuse" flag for some customers.
You're all morons.
Way to start a post. People always love to be called that.
[citation][nom]Maxtor127[/nom]No one even bothered to bring up the only question that really matters, which is how much will all of these sensors add to the cost and what happens when a sensor goes bad or is inaccurate or not calibrated correctly?[/sitation]
Actually, acecombat above did ask that question.
Erm, that should have been a 'c'. Where's that edit button again?
How are we to know that this "abuse event recorder" will not label a device failure as abuse? I hope that someone finds a quick workaround for this mechanism, then the consumer will have the last laugh.
My guess on ETA for hack: 3-9 days.
The good news: If apple patent it then nobody else will be able to use it.