Apple responded today to FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, who issued a statement that "urged" Apple to activate the FM chips that he claimed are in iPhones in the name of public safety. The recent hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria were the hook for the reasoning. The only problem? Apple hasn't even included FM radio chips in iPhones since the iPhone 6s.
That's right, Pai called on Apple to activate radios that don't even exist.
As John Gruber astutely points out, the statement has the stink of trying to shift blame or attention off of the FCC's own response and readiness issues. Pai has been banging the drum for months now and it's been a talking point of the NAB for years. When ostensibly asked for comment by Bloomberg, National Association of Broadcasters spokesman Dennis Wharton said "The notion that Apple or anyone else would block this type of information is something that we find fairly troubling." Again, the radios do not exist in iPhones and haven't for over a year now.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @12:26AM (2 children)
I used to live 1/2 mile from an AM radio station transmitter that had multiple giant antennas. One day my toaster was buzzing to a beat. I unplugged it and the heat coils were still buzzing a tune. Landlines and other AM radio stations were a problem too as all you could hear was 1970s KCBQ shows.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by frojack on Sunday October 01 2017, @01:04AM (1 child)
Since it was AM 1170, 50,000 watts, on a tall steel tower your toaster was probably picking it up up 73.1, 146.5, 585,, 1170, 2340, 4680, and associated multiples and fractions. The tower itself re-radiated fractionals all up and down the spectrum.
Its amazing the amount of power AM stations put out.
And its amazing how far you could hear them on a cold winter night.
They served a purpose back then. With no internet, these big stations tied the country together. You might never know there was any other kind of music that what your local "DJs" played were it not for the fact you could listen 5 states away some times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_50_kW_AM_radio_stations_in_the_United_States [wikipedia.org]
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @10:17AM
I won't be surprised if some people can actually hear radio broadcasts without a conventional receiver: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrophonic_hearing#Radio [wikipedia.org]