Israel Blocks iPad Imports, Citing Wi-Fi Transmission Regulations 204
unixcrab writes with this excerpt from The Mac Observer: "Apple's iPad is proving to be popular everywhere — except Israel. The country's Communication Ministry is refusing to let people bring the multimedia tablet into the country because it hasn't tested and approved the Wi-Fi technology used in the device, according to Haaretz. Ministry officials commented, 'The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its Wi-Fi modem] compatible with American standards. As the Israeli regulations in the area of Wi-Fi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel.' The government seems serious about its iPad import ban. Customs officials have already confiscated ten iPads and told their owners to ship them overseas."
sounds like someone in iCon Group has friends (Score:3, Interesting)
Apple doesn't sell their own products directly in Israel, they have a distributor there. Every iPad brought in represents a lost sale for them. Sounds like they're angry about not getting the device quickly enough and losing early sales.
http://www.apple.com/il/buy/ [apple.com]
This should not be news! (Score:5, Interesting)
That is pretty common in a lot of countries.
In Argentina, if you import a device with a plug different from our official plug (in size and shape), the import can be rejected.
Even if you could buy a cheap adapter in order to make it work (provided that the voltage is compatible), you are banner for importing until you request a device with the right plug.
So some people end up paying bribes to enter such a devices.
Re:So... (Score:4, Interesting)
The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.
Re:So... (Score:4, Interesting)
And more importantly, why are there different WiFi standards? Why doesn't everyone just use 802.11?
802.11 a, b, g, or n? Currently the discrepancy may be 802.11a - y2008 variant that allows for 3.7 Ghz transmissions but is only approved by the FCC, not EU governments.
Something is better than nothing (Score:3, Interesting)
Unless, of course, they HAVE to declare or they face serious tax evasion penalties.
Face how? Remember how I said the device was just about un-detectable by security? It's super flat, if you just leave it under a laptop they wouldn't think much of in on an X-Ray.
I know Israel security is very tight, but I'm thinking incoming residents don't face much more scrutiny of luggage than in any other country I've been in - where you say you have nothing to declare, possibly get sniffed by a dog, and you are on your way.
Remember the devices are being confiscated, and the people are being told they have to send them back overseas. So if you DON'T hide them you are out $500 for sure, instead of possibly being out a bit more.
Of course, I'd just wait until they ship there, but if you're bringing in something under $1k I see to reason to really declare it as it's probably more bother than it's worth, fines or no.
Non sequitir (Score:3, Interesting)
If Israel's WiFi standard is like Europe's, this begs several questions:
0) Isn't it likely that Apple has already explored this ground? If not prior to the iPad's rollout, then after introducing the same technology in the iPhone when they introduced it over a year ago throughout europe and Israel?
1) Why haven't european regulators also rejected the iPad? Since they apparently have not, they must have tested the iPad (or grandfathered it as comparable iPhone tech) and accepted it.
2) Since the europeans tested and accepted the iPad, why haven't the Israelis accepted the european test results since they're supposedly equivalent?
Sounds like the Israelis are waving a red herring. Either they're protecting an in-country product or license, or they're punishing Apple for something. Either way, this kind of pissy petulence makes them sound like a snotty child.
"I'll take my ball away and play with myself."
Re:Nothing to do with Apple (Score:3, Interesting)
What are the odds they charged her for the 3 bullets?
Not too high, considering they eventually reimbursed her for the computer.
Re:Nothing to do with Apple (Score:2, Interesting)
If one of these [wikipedia.org] had actually run over her, there’d have been very little left to identify her by. But don’t let that dissuade you from disseminating false information... keep right on defending people who foolishly walked into demolition zones and deliberately stood in the way of the equipment.
Other countries' laws. The US is the exception. (Score:5, Interesting)
Israel isn't the exception. The US is. This is the only country to have certified the use of the apple toy.
We make a big deal of having people who come to OUR country respect OUR laws. That means a cellphone jammer that's legal in the UK cannot be brought nor used into this country. Laptops get confiscated and searched at the border, and people are interrogated about cash. We can discuss the libertarian aspects in the other 1700 threads... BUT
Israel is doing no differently than WE do. Their communication ministry (equivalent of our FCC) dictates what is ok and what isn't, and just as the apple toys are not certified for use in Europe they are not certified for use in Israel.
I'm sorry you don't like that your laptop can be confiscated. I'm sorry you think it would be worse if you're on a business trip. Don't bring drugs to Singapore, icrap to Israel, or laptops with kiddie porn to the US. You'll lose them and your liberty.
This "article" is worthless because it implies Israel is the exception. In fact it's we who are the exception.
Time to drop the false sense of outrage and enlightenment and respect other countries rights not to live by our (US) laws.
E
Re:Nothing to do with Apple (Score:2, Interesting)
Mechanical asphyxiation with fractures and hemorrhaging sounds a lot more like having a wall fall over on you than it does like having a 50-ton bulldozer run over you.
It does not say how those wounds were caused, so it does not deny a bulldozer went over her.
In any case, standing in the way of a 50-ton bulldozer is stupid.
No, what is stupid is not being willing to stand up for what you believe. At least she did that.
Falcon
Re:So... (Score:3, Interesting)
In practice, though, no portable device transmits anywhere near a watt. The only way you get close to 1W ERP is if you're using a base station with a directional aerial. AFAIK, most laptops are capped somewhere around 50 mW, well below the ERP limits of any country, with typical transmit power more on the order of 10-30 mW.
Either way, it sounds like this isn't so much about the actual power, but rather about the lack of certification.
Re:Why.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Perhaps they got tired of hating iPalestinians ?
i think you are mistaken about who hates who here.
true, some people here in Israel don't like Palestinians. and with a good reason, almost everyone here got family, friend, relative that got hurt/killed by palestinian terror.
i do too (more than one actually) and still i don't hate them, just hope we get along in future.
on the Palestinian side that's a bit different, while we learn in schools about how we should make peace with our Arab friends (even when some don't want to).
Palestinian learn in school how to hate us / kill us (not all i hope, but generally). and that's a hard fact.
so maybe you tried to be funny, and it is actually. but i don't like when people say we hate Palestinian cause it's just not true.
i was a solider in IDF, actually as squad leader and i have seen (on TV) how US or Russian fight in their wars,
the way and risk our soldiers take just to not hurt Palestinian is huge and unseen in any (active) armed forces around the world,
and this is something I can be proud of.