What Apple Does and Doesn't Know About You 214
Daniel_Stuckey writes "Tucked inside Apple's first-ever transparency report, published yesterday, was a not-so-subtle dig at the tech giant's competitors. 'Our business does not depend on collecting personal data,' Apple wrote. 'We have no interest in amassing personal information about our customers.' It's no secret that for social web companies like Google or Facebook, collecting, storing, and analyzing data about every aspect of your life translates into cold, hard cash—the more sensitive and personal, the better. But in the emerging post-NSA new world order, the unwritten privacy-for-cool services agreement that drives the internet ecosystem is making netizens increasingly uneasy."
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Re:iads? (Score:5, Informative)
On an iOS device go to Settings->Privacy->Advertising and there is a setting labelled "Limit Ad Tracking" which you can enable or disable.
I don't think Facebook or Google offer that.
Re:iads? (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, Google does have that with their accounts. FaceBook, no, I don't think so.
Re:Hmm (Score:5, Informative)
Where is the '-1, Factually Incorrect' mod when you need it?
1) Yes, all Apple devices now prompt for an AppleID when you first turn them on. There is a 'Skip' button that you apparently completely missed, though. It is not a hidden button.
2) Apparently you were unable to do a simple Google search to figure out how to create an iTunes Store account without a credit card. Apple has posted directions [apple.com].
Or does reality not fit with the bad image you want to have of Apple?
Re:Hmm (Score:5, Informative)
You could not find the "Skip" button on this screen?
http://cdn.tutsplus.com/mac.tutsplus.com/authors/john-winter/appleID-Mac.jpg [tutsplus.com]
Re:Hmm (Score:4, Informative)
People are refuting the facts you posted. Fact is, I have never created an Apple account before. Never. Following your link, I found that the directions contained in the link are in fact somewhat outdated. But - using that link, I found the information necessary to create a new account, using fictitious information, and NO CREDIT CARD NUMBER had to be submitted. As a result of testing the validity of your post, I now have an account with which I might download "stuff", without ever paying for anything. Hell - I'm gonna go poke around, and see if they have anything that I'm even interested in. Do they have free music? Guess I'll find out . . . .
Re:It's true. (Score:2, Informative)
how about opening up the OS to allow people to install anything they want?
Two words: quality control.
Re:It's true. (Score:5, Informative)
I suspect these days Apple makes a lot of money from iTunes.
Well if only Apple released quarterly earnings [apple.com] so that you could find out.
iPad: $19.51B
iPhone: $6.19B
Mac: $5.62B
iPod: $0.57B
iTunes/Software/Services: $4.26B
For the sake of argument all of the $4.26B was iTunes sales. That means Apple gets $1.26B after they give their 70% cut to the copyright/developer. But that's revenue not profit. Well $1.26B is a lot of revenue and again let's assume it's 100% profit (it's not). However, they make almost 6x as much revenue on the iPhone and 18x much on the iPad. In other words, their software sales is a pittance compared to hardware.
Re:It's true. (Score:4, Informative)