ban

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on ban:

England set to ban smartphone use during school day

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A ban would outlaw smartphones in schools during lessons and even on breaks.
A ban would outlaw smartphones in schools during lessons and even on breaks.
Photo: RDNE Stock Project@Pexels.com

England’s ruling Conservative Party plans to issue new guidance Monday banning smartphone use in schools, including during breaks from lessons, according to several sources.

While some schools already have restrictions in place, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s new guidance would set a country-wide ban.

Apple is blocking Telegram updates worldwide

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Telegram logo
Telegram has rolled out updates, you’re just not getting them.
Photo: Telegram

Telegram’s efforts to protect user privacy have seen its secure messaging service banned in Russia, where Apple has been ordered to remove the app from its App Store within 30 days. But it seems the impact of those demands is being felt worldwide.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has revealed that Apple hasn’t approved a Telegram update in any country since Russian authorities started piling the pressure on.

Apple’s biggest rivals back fight against Qualcomm

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Red iPhone in hand
Other tech companies aren't happy that Qualcomm's trying to ban the iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple has some serious backup in its battle against Qualcomm, as a lobbying group representing some of tech’s heaviest hitters (including a handful of Apple’s biggest historic enemies) have called on regulators to reject Qualcomm’s bid to ban the importing of iPhones.

Some of the names in said group? Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Samsung — all of whom have filed official comments in support of Apple with the U.S. International Trade Commission.

U.S. bans laptops and tablets on flights from 10 airports

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Emirates
Emirates is one of the airlines affected by the ban.
Photo: Emirates

The U.S. has confirmed a ban on laptops, tablets and other large electronics on flights from 10 international airports throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

These devices can be carried in checked baggage, but they’re no longer allowed in the passenger cabin. The U.K. is set to announce a similar ban shortly.

Twitter begins censoring profiles that post ‘sensitive’ content

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Twitter
Will Facebook and Instagram follow suit?
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

As part of its ongoing effort to make micro-blogging a less offensive experience, Twitter has begun censoring profiles that post “potentially sensitive” content.

Users that publish offensive tweets and images will have their profiles grayed out, forcing visitors to push a button to see censored content.

Apple’s ban hammer comes down on Iranian iOS apps

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DigiKala's iPhone app is one of the casualties.
Photo: DigiKala

Apple appears to be pulling iOS apps from Iranian developers despite making the App Store available in Iran last September.

Several titles from Iranian startups have disappeared in recent days, but it’s not clear why Apple has suddenly begun bringing down the ban hammer.

Apple Unexplainably Bans Gift Sharing In Line Messaging App

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linestickershop

Asian messaging service Line, which has been a big success on iOS, turned over $58 million in revenue during the first quarter of 2013 with its new monetization model. But it’s just been dealt a massive blow by Apple.

The Cupertino company has unexplainably forced Line to remove its gift sharing feature, which allowed users to send stickers priced around $1.99 to their friends.

AppGratis The First Of Many App Recommenders To Be Pulled By Apple

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appgratis

When AppGratis was yanked from the App Store last week, it didn’t take a genius to work out why. The app violates an App Store guideline that was introduced last October banning iOS apps from promoting other iOS apps from different developers. It also used push notifications to deliver marketing messages by recommending apps with a once-daily notification, which is also not allowed.

What is confusing is why AppGratis was pulled — just days after its iPad app was approved — when there are plenty of similar services that remain in the App Store. But according to sources familiar with Apple’s plans, its ban was the first of many the Cupertino company is about to dish out.

Motorola Going After The Whole Kit And Caboodle, Looking To Ban Just About Every Apple Product Under The Sun

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Motorola is looking to bring down the ban hammer on almost every Apple product out there, including every Mac OSX computer. I have no idea if Motorola is just looking to throw spaghetti at the wall or what, but they have a long list of infringements that apparently the International Trade Commission has agreed to investigate.

Apple Thinks These Geometric Shapes Are Way Too Sexy For Your iPhone

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geoporn
Should visual geometry be considered pornography?

Rhombi, triangles, and rectangles probably don’t elicit a sexual response from you most times, but Apple thinks those beautiful shapes can be a little bit too orgasmic when combined in different configurations. Artist Luciano Foglia’s app of geometric shapes was recently rejected by Apple because they claimed it contained “excessively objectionable or crude content.” But it’s just a bunch of geometric shapes, so why did Apple label it as pornographic? Take a look and judge for yourself:

iPad Trademark Dispute Could See Complete Ban On Shipments Into And Out Of China

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ipad-boxed

A trademark dispute currently ongoing between Apple and Proview Technology recently saw the iPad banned in one Chinese city, but things could be about to get a whole lot worse. A lawyer for Proview, which claims to own the rights of the “iPad” name in China, is seeking a ban on iPad shipments into and out of China.

Not only would that mean that Chinese customers cannot get their hands on the device, but the rest of the world would be without the iPad, too.

China Stops Selling The iPad As Trademark Dispute Continues

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ipad-seizure

Retailers in Shijiazhuang, China, have halted sales of Apple’s iPad after it was claimed that the Cupertino company does not have the rights to the iPad trademark in the country. Proview Technology, which believed it still owns the iPad name, is seeking $38 million in compensation from Apple and seems to have secured a ban in at least one city as Chinese authorities begin confiscating the device.

Apple Could Knock The World’s Biggest Android Maker Out Of The U.S. Tomorrow

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Photo by pj_vanf - http://flic.kr/p/akd5eE
Photo by pj_vanf - http://flic.kr/p/akd5eE

HTC, the world’s largest maker of Android phones, is in all likelihood furiously rubbing rabbit’s feet and sweating buckets in the face of a potential trade ruling Tuesday that could slam the door on U.S. sales of all handsets using the Google mobile operating system. Experts already predict Android is in “serious trouble.”