Apple Moves to Make iPhone Unable to Record Live Concerts

[Gannon]

And I find it hilarious that this information had to come from a BRITISH newspaper.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...g-filming.html


Apparently, they applied for a patent which will sense an IR signal from the stage and render the camera/video function moot.


This will certainly become ubiquitous at corporate concerts...where their interests are challenged by YouTube uploads of performances...but probably NOT in smaller venues without stadium seating where those damn things held above the crowd interfere with EVERYONE behind the shooter.

Then again, bands in places like the Majestic probably want all the exposure they can handle...heh. Even shitty YouTube recordings...

[maxx]

Oh, yeah, everyone who records a band's performance and posts it on youtube is doing them a big favor. Ain't it awful that people can't steal others' work? If a band wants "exposure" on the internet, they'll post their own performances.

[ejames01]

"contact the iPhone and automatically disable its camera function."

What? So they are going to make it so other people can control YOUR device? Time for a Android phone.

[Gannon]

OH, if Hollywood succeeds at this with Apple, it will become mandatory on all Smartphones. Guaranteed.


Who's 'stealing' what, Maxx?! Is there money being made on YouTube hits to the poster?

Hell, the Grateful Dead had it right. Let EVERYONE record all the shows, and the distribution becomes a growth accelerator for attendance, provided the performances don't suck!


Now, I'm ALL FOR my musician friends earning money on the downloading of their music...studio or live...but it seems most only want falsely auto-tuned perfection, when that is never what they can deliver in person...unless they are Milli Vanilli, LOL!

People I know would ALL love to have recordings of shows they went to...I really dig being able to 'relive' a great concert through my home system. Especially if the video wasn't directed by some crack-addled rapid-editing freakazoid...the image has to match the music or there is heavy work for the brain to reconcile the two. [[I hate MOST music videos...for that reason...happy enough to have a great sound recording and turn the teevee off!)

Cheers

[ndavies]

A bigger problem is what is to stop criminals or a corrupt government agencies from putting these blocking devices in their cars or hats. It would stop the generation of evidence that could be used against them. The cell phone has become one of the biggest sources of damaging evidence.

[Jimaz]

If an iPhone were held up and used to film during a concert infra-red sensors would detect it.

These sensors would then contact the iPhone and automatically disable its camera function.

People would still be able to send text messages and make calls.

That sounds like it would be awfully easy to defeat. Either block whatever IR signatures the sensors receive or block whatever signal the sensors send. And how would this stop non-iPhone cameras?

[Gannon]

All of the camera imagers can sense beyond our visual capabilities, and some use IR as a focus echo if they have adjustable lenses [[which haven't hit SmartPhones yet, as far as I know). They might be used for other automatic functions, too.

I don't think it would be as easy as you think, Jimaz.


I'm with you, N, on the potential future negative ramifications of this...wonder how many of those intersection camera systems can also transmit IR already?! [[I'm pretty leery of those damn things popping up everywhere.)

[Whitehouse]

And I find it hilarious that this information had to come from a BRITISH newspaper.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...g-filming.html


Apparently, they applied for a patent which will sense an IR signal from the stage and render the camera/video function moot.


This will certainly become ubiquitous at corporate concerts...where their interests are challenged by YouTube uploads of performances...but probably NOT in smaller venues without stadium seating where those damn things held above the crowd interfere with EVERYONE behind the shooter.

Then again, bands in places like the Majestic probably want all the exposure they can handle...heh. Even shitty YouTube recordings...

Not to bring them to new ideas but maybe you achieve the same effect if you place an enormous QR square on the podium, and the iPhone reads it, it may stop recording.



The one who replied on the bottom of the screen, sees the bigger picture....

smurfhunter
With all due respect, I think you Brits are missing the real concern. At the surface this seems to protect the intellectual property of content owners [[cinema, live concert, etc.), but there's the more insidious threat.

Governments could use this tech. to disable video capture during police brutality, political protests or other events that would be unfavorable to the ruling establishment.

It's a way to impose censorship on individuals. Of course it'll be presented in the interest of protecting national security or some rubbish, but you get the idea.

-A paranoid American

[wolverine]

As for all the jailbroken phones...they''ll just keep recording the concerts. People can do whatever they want with the iphone, and access whatever components are installed on their phone, but not available them. You just lose your warranty.

[wolverine]

Not to bring them to new ideas but maybe you achieve the same effect if you place an enormous QR square on the podium, and the iPhone reads it, it may stop recording.



The one who replied on the bottom of the screen, sees the bigger picture....

I hate QR codes. They are everywhere and ugly. It's interesting how you don't even need a network connection to have the advertisement displayed. I'm seeing entire billboards now that are just QR ads. Recently, I saw a local town chamber of commerce advertise a parade with just a qr stamp. No images, no text. So much for creative marketing teams...instead here's a link to our website.




12345678

[Gannon]

As for all the jailbroken phones...they''ll just keep recording the concerts. People can do whatever they want with the iphone, and access whatever components are installed on their phone, but not available them. You just lose your warranty.

It is only a matter of time before the Hellywood attorneys find their test case which forces the ruling that ALL hacked phones are merely an attempt at subverting copyright laws.


As I suspected, Apple is now scouring everyone's iTunes automatically and reporting what you've got on your hard drive. If it wasn't purchased at their store, or you don't own the CD hard copies, and it is copyrighted material...you will be in huge trouble.



It is only a matter of time before the lockhold is complete...that ugly HDMI connection for all HDTVs is a big part of this, too. Seals up the video chain against unauthorized recording. I'm a huge enemy of that, but because the HDCP [[content protection scheme) signal within the HDMI circuitry OFTEN screws up and causes the blue screen of death on average citizen's televisions.


Worse thing EVER is that all new BluRay disc players have to go on-line to update their firmware occasionally...in order to be able to play the newer releases. This is the most fucked-up concept ever in the history of home entertainment electronics...because it interrupts the enjoyment of the gear on the way to experiencing another of Hellywood's upchuck&excrement extravaganzas...and ad nauseum sequels and remakes of movies that were done better the FIRST time.

An average person can buy the latest movie at Best Buy on the way home from work on a Friday...invite a number of folks over for movie night...but when they are all sittin' there with their buckets of hot popcorn and Bud Light and licorice and jujubees, all they see on the screen is the warning that they need to link to the internet to watch the movie.


IF the setup was done well, and the internet is up to speed...then it is a breeze. BUT, it is WAY more common for the wireless connection to slow things down, perhaps not link up and confirm...or the website to have issues...and then, Murphy's favorite [[it seems) is to cause some glitch in the download so the entire player seizes up.


MY solution?! Well, I've got some of the best video gear available on the marketplace...from EARLY in the HD roll-out...and can upscale standard DVDs to 720p, which is the lower-end of HD...and on my CRT projector and studio monitor tube they look just spectacular. Like reality, enough.

I still encourge my clients to buy DVDs, because the internal video processing in new flatscreens...or new DVD players...upscales similarly and look just as good, if not better, than what I enjoy at home. Screw BluRay...and their forced programming of those damn FBI warnings telling us we're all thoughtcriminals.


No cheers on this one, sorry for the rant...touched a nerve. Need espresso...

[wolverine]

It is only a matter of time before the Hellywood attorneys find their test case which forces the ruling that ALL hacked phones are merely an attempt at subverting copyright laws.

The act of jailbreaking a phone is not illegal and it's already been decided by the courts. Apple tried and failed. What they can do is void your warranty. To many people, that's not a problem at all. Using a modified device to commit a crime is different. You will be charged for piracy [[at the very worst) but not be charged for modifying the device.

As I suspected, Apple is now scouring everyone's iTunes automatically and reporting what you've got on your hard drive. If it wasn't purchased at their store, or you don't own the CD hard copies, and it is copyrighted material...you will be in huge trouble.

Apple isn't actually policing iTunes libraries, but you are correct, they could obtain the information if they wanted to know, but how could they prove you obtained songs illegaly? They really can't. The courts give some rights to duplication at home. You can legally rip a CD that you purchased into your computer.

But HUGE trouble? Gannon, of course software companies and the recording industry know who's stealing their stuff. They could track any individual user if they wanted to, but they rarely do. It's an extremely costly measure on their side...and rarely only done to make an example....cases that involve users making thousands of illegal copies and selling them. Apple would never be able to assemble any good evidence that could even prove they've had damages against them, and the worst they could possibly do it's close your iTunes account. The only time they ever close accounts is for DRM stripping...but now apple is starting to become "okay" with that...at least offering a fee to do so.

It is only a matter of time before the lockhold is complete...that ugly HDMI connection for all HDTVs is a big part of this, too. Seals up the video chain against unauthorized recording. I'm a huge enemy of that, but because the HDCP [[content protection scheme) signal within the HDMI circuitry OFTEN screws up and causes the blue screen of death on average citizen's televisions.


Worse thing EVER is that all new BluRay disc players have to go on-line to update their firmware occasionally...in order to be able to play the newer releases. This is the most fucked-up concept ever in the history of home entertainment electronics...because it interrupts the enjoyment of the gear on the way to experiencing another of Hellywood's upchuck&excrement extravaganzas...and ad nauseum sequels and remakes of movies that were done better the FIRST time.

It's unfortunate I agree, but the reality of today's technology. Everything is on a network. Some people find huge benefits, others find it horribly problematic.