iPhone Kill Switch is an Innovation

We’ve all heard by now about the iPhone kill switch, a.k.a. the blacklist feature. Apple CEO Steve Jobs confirmed its existence. The intent behind the capability is high-minded, according to Jobs. Apple would need it in case a malicious program inadvertently were to be distributed to iPhones via the App Store. “Hopefully, we never have to pull that lever,” Jobs said, “but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull.”

The iPhone app kill switch makes sense. It is an innovative approach to protecting a platform in this age of criminal conspiracies to steal your personal information. To read more about this, see the latest entry in my blog, Bove’s Blips.

What’s the New Mary Jane?

She catch Patagonian pancakes
With that one and gin party makes
She having all the ways good contacts
She making with Apple and contract.
What a shame Mary Jane had a pain at the party!
– Beatles, “What’s the New Mary Jane” (Lennon/McCartney), one of the missing Beatles songs released in the Anthology series.

I started writing something like a Web diary way back in 1996, before the blogosphere existed, titled What’s the New Mary Jane. The last “blog entry” in Sept. 2003 told about how my band, the Flying Other Brothers, had started a mini-tour. Like Bob Dylan’s infamous Never Ending Tour (which lasted at least five years, give or take a year), our tour seems like it will never stop; unlike Bob’s tour, ours did not sell out venues and generate cash rewards. Like touring, blogging can also seem like an endless chore with no return. I suffered Blog Depression way back in 1997, and posted less and less over time until I gave it up entirely.

Until now. Welcome back, Maryjane. What’s new?

The Rockument podcast, produced by yours truly, are free shows devoted to rock music history. Each show includes information about each song and its musicians, with links to artist, fan, and historical sites, and links to music for purchase on Amazon.com or iTunes.

The Flying Other Brothers podcast, hosted by yours truly, are free shows from our tours. Also visit the Flying Other Brothers home page for info about our tours.

To support my book, Microsoft: Just Say No (No Starch Press) I started Get Off Microsoft, which offers a topic-specific blog about getting off Microsoft, and links to information, alternative software, and resources.

To get my other books — including iPod and iTunes for Dummies — see my personal site at tonybove.com.

This is my personal blog, a continuation of What’s the New Mary Jane. I promise to not waste your time. I’ll write only about things that interest me, or piss me off.