iPhone Takes Screenshots of Everything You Do 225
The_AV8R writes "Jonathan Zdziarski showed that every time you press the Home button on your iPhone, a screen capture is taken in order to produce a visual effect. This image is then cached and later deleted. Zdziarski says that there have been cases of law enforcement looking up sex offenders' old data and checking recovered screenshots." This revelation occurred in the midst of a webcast on iPhone forensics, demonstrating how to bypass the iPhone's password security (not trivial, but doable). Video from the talk is not online yet but is promised soon over at O'Reilly.
FUD (Score:4, Funny)
Therefore, forensics experts have used this security flaw to successfully nab criminals who have been accused of rape, murder or drug deals, Zdziarski said.
iPhone: the tool of choice for rapists, murders, and drug dealers!
Joking aside, the article is puzzling and it reeks of FUD: if the iCrooks were bad enough to get the authorities to actively track and sieze their data then they deserve to be caught for being too stoopid to buy disposable phones in cash from 7-11. Even Johnny dormroom pot- dealer knows that!
Just out of curiosity... (Score:5, Funny)
Pragmatic (Score:4, Funny)
It's pragmatic to not press the home button when doing home invasions or killing people, I guess.
And this just in! (Score:5, Funny)
It turns out that you browser will store all the information needed to recreate the web pages you visit! Not just a screenshot! This critical flaw appears to have present for years in all known browsers! The end is near!
Seriously? Come on. I know ./ likes to post anything related to the iPhone, especially if it involves "spying", but this is pretty uninteresting. Security is traded for speed and features on a daily basis, including places where do so presents a major risk (*cough*Outlook). This is really not too surprising since it trades at most a little privacy in exchange for a neat effect; what would you expect Apple's iCandy to do?
Re:FUD (Score:5, Funny)
Joking aside, the article is puzzling and it reeks of FUD:
Apple FUD on slashdot? Maybe the LHC is gearing up for armageddon after all.
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:And this just in! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:It's nice to know (Score:5, Funny)
Only the guilty have something to hide! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Just out of curiosity... (Score:1, Funny)
> What type of incriminating things are sex ofenders doing with their iPhones.
Yeah, I think they'd prefer the iPod badTouch.
Re:It's nice to know (Score:2, Funny)
You must have a problem with .bash_history too, right? Caching your keystrokes! OMG!
I don't much like .bash_history, so I usually do this:
$ rm .bash_history /dev/null .bash_history
$ ln -s
Can I do something similar with the iPhone? Better not to have to think about it, even if it isn't incriminating.
Benjamin Franklin was talking about exactly this when he said:
"They who can give up essential privacy to obtain a little temporary eye-candy, deserve neither privacy nor eye-candy."
That man was way ahead of his time.
Re:FUD (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Even the Author Doesn't Think It's News (Score:5, Funny)
I _am_ Jonathan Zdziarski
No, I'm Jonathan Zdziarski!
Re:Even the Author Doesn't Think It's News (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Even the Author Doesn't Think It's News (Score:4, Funny)
Welcome to Slashdot. Here's your oversized novelty foam finger.
Re:Makes you wonder.... (Score:3, Funny)
If I lived in a house with all of that screaming, I'd probably be violent, too.....
Layne
Re:Just out of curiosity... (Score:2, Funny)
Particularly with new hardware...
iKnowWhatYouDidPhone (Score:1, Funny)
Turns out iPhone is really iKnowWhatYouDidPhone!
Re:FUD (Score:5, Funny)
Or a pharmacist.
I'll show them... (Score:4, Funny)
I wrote a little app to fill the cache with screenshots of the IRS web pages. Anyone tries to investigate me, they'll have to carefully examine Publication 936, the instructions for Schedule F1, the guidelines for reporting "nanny" wages, and the like. Even if they aren't literally bored to death, they definitely won't want to look any further.
Re:Makes you wonder.... (Score:4, Funny)
(sorry, I tried to find the link)
Re:FUD (Score:5, Funny)
Alls I heard was "I love apple" and "I'm a huge fanboy"..
Re:Makes you wonder.... (Score:3, Funny)
Or iPint which is a free app
Everything I do? (Score:1, Funny)
So my iPhone takes a 'screen' shot of EVERYTHING I do? This is disturbing to say the least. Let's say, for example, I am sitting on the crapper. Does my iPhone take the shot at the beginning, or at the end? That would be good to know. Also, what if left my iPhone in the other room, you know, for privacy. Will my iPhone take a screen shot of me not being in the room, but in another room, you know, doing something? Wow! Everything I do? It's mind-boggolin g (sp?)
Re:It's nice to know (Score:1, Funny)