back to article Apple asks US gov to hide iPhone details

Apple has petitioned the US Federal Communications Commission to keep details of the iPhone 4 secret — some for a month and a half, some in perpetuity. Saying that Apple is secretive is akin to saying that the sky is blue or that water is wet. Still, Apple's letter to the FCC, as revealed by Patently Apple, is a veritable …

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  1. VeganVegan
    Black Helicopters

    The word is 'immaterial'

    Standard way to render particular information immaterial.

    The information has no value in and of itself if it is released after the device ships. Thus, any time after device release would work just fine.

    They could have asked for release 1 second after shipping, or many days later (preferable, given the shipping delay already announced).

  2. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Jobs

    What a wanker!

    1. Alien Doctor 1.1

      iTitle goes here (but not for 45 days)

      Agreed; much that this will raise the ire of jobsian fanthingies, I must also add - fuck you Steve and I want my liver back.

    2. Aaron 10
      Jobs Halo

      Hmmm?

      "What have YOU done that's so great?"

      http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2010/05/steve_jobs_to_g.php

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      @AC re: wanker

      Oh, I see, so you know him well? Met him before? Or are you just basing this idiotic and offensive conclusion on stories you read about him, written by publications interested in generating something out of nothing so they can get more readers which in turns generates more advertising revenue?

      Corporate secrecy (and corporate espionage) is rife in capitalism - anyone wanting to protect their IP are wankers, or just this one?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Stop

        he is a twat though

        "Or are you just basing this idiotic and offensive conclusion on stories you read about him, written by publications interested in generating something out of nothing...."

        Or possibly you know, the open letter he plastered up on the apple website or the derisive dismissive emails he is constantly sending out to the little people. Even if you believe nothing that doesn't come directly from his keyboard he is still a twat.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        re Jobs the Wanker

        Never met him - but he is a wanker

      3. John Bailey
        Grenade

        Aww.. Did we diss your boyfriend?

        Nope.. Sorry. Steve Jobs being an unpleasant and vindictive person is very well known. Has been since the early Apple days. So should not come as news to the faithful.

        And come on.. Apple is renowned in the industry for excessive secrecy. Most will keep their designs and their plans secret, but shows like CES would be impossible without the rest of the industry showcasing their stuff to the world up to and beyond a year in advance.

  3. Peter 39
    Pint

    details, details

    Maybe this request is for the details of the Verizon model to be kept secret until end of July (or whatever the finger-counting gets to) ??

    Why assume that this request if for the just-announced iPhone 4? Do we know that the ID mentioned is for the phone that was announced?

    If it is, it's a bit late. Crikey mate - you think that you're going to get an approval in seventeen days ?!? And Apple won't announce a ship date until they're confident they can meet it.

    Tin-foil hat time

  4. Bill Cumming
    Big Brother

    it's probably for...

    The "iPhone 4gs"... Which they will start leaking info for right after everyone has bought an iPhone 4.

    Apple will officially announce it in August... lol...

  5. Tzael
    Joke

    Humour or reality?

    This might help explain a few things...

    http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

  6. Peter H. Coffin

    Oh hell no...

    "Secret" means you keep it within the company. Once you're dealing with the government, you're talking to the COUNTRY, be it The People, The Crown, whatever. And THAT, folks, needs must be as public as possible.

    Granted, it'd probably take the FCC 45 days to respond to a request for information in the first place, but....

  7. Waffles666
    Linux

    Dont care

    Why anybody would buy one if these over an android phone is a little beyond me.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
      Big Brother

      re: Dont Care

      IF the Android is so good then what about this then?

      http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/06/18/2030243/HTC-Android-Smartphone-Stores-Browsing-Screenshots

      Disclaimer, I don't have any type of Smartphone( Android, iDrone or Crapberry). I use a total crap Sony-Ericcsson since my Nokia 3310 died a few months ago. However, I'm on the lookout for a decent one. So far there seems 'gotchas' like this related to all current ones.

      BB for obvious reasons.

      1. batfastad
        Jobs Horns

        So?

        It caches a thumbnail of the browser screen so you can have a thumbnail grid in the bookmarks menu. A factory reset doesn't get rid of it because it's stored on the SD card. Can always just delete em manually.

        What, Android phones/iBlown/all browsers ever store your browsing history for a customiseable number of days??? OMG Failzzz

  8. Tone

    Steve Davies 3

    Try reading the article http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/06/18/2030243/HTC-Android-Smartphone-Stores-Browsing-Screenshots

  9. JeffyPooh

    Prediction: Request denied

    FCC will only grant the most-inarguably reasonable of such requests, and only until such time as the device hits the market (where upon the competition will buy one anyway).

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Halo

    45 days, because...

    ...there is a special chip inside that emits a localized radio signal that reprograms the human brain to make the iPhone 4 user fall inline with Apple's Matrix and it takes 45 days for this process to complete.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      yes!

      Whether it's radio waves, or subliminal on-screen messages, or some kind of halucinogenic compound on the coating, absobed through the skin, I've become convinced that there must be some rational explanation for the Apple fans' zeal. That they *believe* the user interface is brilliant seems to be part of the psychosis. It's a neat trick, however they pull it off.

  11. TonyHoyle

    Secrecy gone mad..

    They're keeping the *user manual* secret after the release date? WTF?

    So anyone who receives an iphone 4 better not read the manual or you'll be on dodgy legal ground.

  12. Watashi

    Strong-arm tactics

    Why are Apple asking for the 45 day and the "indefinate" secrecy? To give the impression that Apple has power over the FCC, and that the FCC will bow to whatever stupid request they make.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Wake up you lot!

    Now let me see....you bleat about wanting to keep something a secret and what happens? The world and his dog want to know why!

    FFS! It's a cheap and nasty ad scam! Get approval from some governent body in days? Jebus H Jobs, you usually need about 18 months to get this sort of thing approved not 18 days!

    If nothing else, the Apple ad machine is a rollin' and nothing is gonna stop it!

  14. Dan 79
    Thumb Down

    Non Event

    2 minutes research (remember that, El Reg?) shows they filed an almost identical letter last year.

    https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blobs/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=1121448&native_or_pdf=pdf

  15. Robert Ramsay

    They are keeping it secret...

    because the CPU is made of slices of living human brain.

  16. no_RS
    Alert

    FCC Confidentiality

    What Apple have requested is the same as any other company would request and is allowed under the FCC rules, the sensitive information that could damage Apple is allowed to remain confidential. Any information that the user could get by purchasing the product and looking for themselves cannot remain permanently confidential.

    Once the product is known to the public irrespective of whether it is on sale, short term confidentiality ends.

    These rules are for any company obtaining FCC certification for a radio transmitter and Apple is not getting anything special, just what everyone gets.

    So for all the people who do not understand what the FCC does/does not allow, you've had a quick lesson. I do not work for Apple or really like their products but in this case we all get the same, like it or not.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    BRAINS!

    "And why 45 days of secrecy when the iPhone 4 is scheduled to be released on June 24, a mere 17 days after its announcement?"

    *Counts fingers*

    So...that's....28 Days Later.

    I think Jobs may be planning the zombie apocalypse.

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