1984 - Big Brother and Apple

Apple is developing software that will sense when a smartphone user is trying to record a live event, and then switch off the device's camera. Anybody holding up their iPhone will find it triggers infra-red sensors installed at the venue.

These sensors would then automatically instruct the iPhone to shut down its camera function, preventing footage from being recorded. Only the iPhone's camera would be temporarily disabled; other features, such as texting and making calls, would still work.

Apple filed a patent application 18 months ago in Calfornia. It has just come to light after being obtained by The Times. Such a development would be welcomed with open arms by many concertgoers, fed up with their view being blocked by a sea of glowing mobile phone screens.

However, the real reason Apple is developing the technology is to placate broadcasters upset that members of the public are posting footage of events on websites including YouTube when they have bought the exclusive rights.

Many of these firms sell their own recordings of high-profile events, including Glastonbury and Wimbledon, and dislike being pipped to the post by reams of amateur footage online.

Assisting record companies in this manner is likely to help Apple secure more favourable terms with labels when negotiating deals to place music for sale on its iTunes website. It could also potentially provide Apple with another source of revenue by charging people to film live events.

As the App store has become under complete control, Apple has become Big Brother as depicted in George Orwell's 1984. Apple's famous commercial in 1984 on breaking through Big Brother as a metaphor of the introduction of the Macintosh has reversed the metaphor for their own benefit. Apple has become awfully paranoid and vastly restrictive towards it's users and consumers in general. We're just not surprised -- this type of foolish, petty, and capricious behavior from Apple has sadly become par for the course with Apple.