The Glade 4.0

Among a bevy of patents awarded to Apple this week was one that would enable or disable certain features of a phone depending on its location. It could be useful, but it also raises serious questions about who really owns your device.

The patent, "Apparatus and methods for enforcement of policies upon a wireless device," was pointed out by Apple Insider Thursday. It's similar to an application made public in 2011 that would use a sensor in the phone to detect whether it was allowed to take pictures or make calls. The new patent relies on GPS, cell tower or Wi-Fi data to determine location, and then "changing one or more functional or operational aspects" of the device.

The suggestions for use are innocuous and practical: a movie theater that automatically sets phones to silent; a classroom that prevents outgoing calls; turning off Wi-Fi in a hospital. But it's not hard to imagine abuses of the system as well: it could be a useful tool for any oppressive regime, for instance, or be used to force the shutdown of phones at a protest — something that happened last year in San Francisco.

There's nothing in the patent that indicates it is going to be implemented, though iPhones and other smartphones do already have the ability to adjust things like ring volume and Wi-Fi settings depending on location. The difference this patent describes would be that it's not the user making the changes, but whoever sets "policies" in the area.

You can read the patent in its entirety at the Patent Office's website. Apple was also awarded numerous other patents this week, from mobile payment systems to email interfaces, thought only a few are actually in use.

SAN FRANCISCO — Cell phone service was operating as protesters gathered at a San Francisco subway station during rush-hour several days after transit officials shut wireless service to head off another demonstration.

An estimated 50 protesters gathered Monday afternoon on the Civic Center Station platform chanting "no justice, no peace." They also swarmed a Bay Area Rapid Transit train, trying to prevent its departure.

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Law enforcement eventually cleared the platform and closed the station. BART trains went by without stopping.

An officer told the few remaining protesters that the demonstration was unlawful and warned of arrests if people didn't leave within two minutes.

Outcry against cut service
BART officials have said that their decision to cut cell phone service on Thursday was made out of concern for passengers' safety. The move was criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union and others.

"It's wrong," American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Michael Risher, whose group was scheduled to meet later Monday with BART's police chief at the agency's headquarters in Oakland. "There were better alternatives to ensure the public's safety."

Former BART director Michael Bernick applauded the move, saying it ensured a safe and uninterrupted commute Thursday night.

"Finally, BART said enough," said Bernick. "BART put its riders and commuters ahead of these protesters and the ACLU."

The incident last Thursday night helped raise questions about the role that social networks are playing in helping people, from Egypt to London, organize online. In the U.S., with its history of free speech, critics are saying BART's move was unconstitutional.

BART cut power to its wireless nodes Thursday night after learning demonstrators planned to use social media and text messaging to organize a protest against police brutality on one of the subway platforms.

The tactic appeared to work because no protest occurred.