Apple Approves Bitcoin Wallets

[Ron~Popeil]

I still have the blockchain app on my old iphone 4 do they not work anymore?

Fire it up and try it. I think you can still use legacy apps either way. They are just not considered supported.

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[Joshuar]

Great news...soon Apple would begin accepting bitcoin payments.

[adamselene]

That is simply not backed up by reality.  THOUSANDS of malware apps are in the genuine Android market while almost none are in the genuine Apple app store.  This is an issue for regular users not just people who rooted their phone. 

http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/overview-android-malware-analysis/

Here's a rebuttal to a more recent but similar malware analysis:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/03/24/report-97-of-mobile-malware-is-on-android-this-is-the-easy-way-you-stay-safe/

tl;dr - Most of the malware figures are derived from studies that include external app marketplaces in their figures. The total percentage of malware on the Play Store is ridiculously small and they're removed as soon as they're discovered.

They're mostly from shit apps with a ton of permissions, descriptions in broken English, and zero reviews. It's really easy to avoid malware on Android. Also, Android apps are sandboxed, so you can't extract data from another app (like your private keys).

That simply isn't true. The IOS apps are pre-screened for malware before being allowed in the store.

There are a lot of examples of malware that people got from the android app stores.

I am much more comfortable with a bit coin sitting in a closed ecosystem.

Android apps are scanned for malware as well. People can and do obscure code enough to get it through both stores, but not long enough to do any real damage.
Apple also has a higher barrier to entry for app approval (including paying for a yearly developer license vs a one time fee).

[Ron~Popeil]

That is simply not backed up by reality.  THOUSANDS of malware apps are in the genuine Android market while almost none are in the genuine Apple app store.  This is an issue for regular users not just people who rooted their phone. 

http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/overview-android-malware-analysis/

Here's a rebuttal to a more recent but similar malware analysis:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/03/24/report-97-of-mobile-malware-is-on-android-this-is-the-easy-way-you-stay-safe/

tl;dr - Most of the malware figures are derived from studies that include external app marketplaces in their figures. The total percentage of malware on the Play Store is ridiculously small and they're removed as soon as they're discovered.

They're mostly from shit apps with a ton of permissions, descriptions in broken English, and zero reviews. It's really easy to avoid malware on Android. Also, Android apps are sandboxed, so you can't extract data from another app (like your private keys).

That simply isn't true. The IOS apps are pre-screened for malware before being allowed in the store.

There are a lot of examples of malware that people got from the android app stores.

I am much more comfortable with a bit coin sitting in a closed ecosystem.

Android apps are scanned for malware as well. People can and do obscure code enough to get it through both stores, but not long enough to do any real damage.
Apple also has a higher barrier to entry for app approval (including paying for a yearly developer license vs a one time fee).

When it comes to my bit coin I don't want to easily avoid malware, I want to avoid it completely or at least as much as humanly possible.

 

[adamselene]

When it comes to my bit coin I don't want to easily avoid malware, I want to avoid it completely or at least as much as humanly possible.
 

Fair enough.

[TheButterZone]

The quoted paragraph did not say bitcoin specifically, it said "approved virtual currencies".

Bitcoin will not be approved if Apple has its own VC patent.

It didn't say "Apple approved" if you want to get technical about it.
Come on, there were US Senate Hearings, the IRS has commented as well as other agencies, companies all over the world are accepting it, Wall Street is in on it, etc. and you think this is not in line with their definition?

1) That which is not specifically banned is legal, usually.

2) "provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions" is distinct from "approved virtual currencies" - it's not surplus verbiage, or redundant. Laws do not "approve" of things. When you read things written by lawyers, you must think like one.

[ArticMine]

Apple has probably realized that if they kept censoring Bitcoin it would:
1) Expose the censorship polices of the walled garden to a wider group of people
2) Would hurt sales in the long term if Bitcoin were to become mainstream as Bitcoin would become a prime example of what is so wrong with Apple's business model.

The malware issue ignores that fact that what is needed is one or more trusted app stores  where software is screened properly for malware. There is no need to restrict a user to a particular store, stores or source of software. The GNU/Linux communities had this figured out long before there was an "app store" from Apple, Google, Microsoft etc. They had and still have trusted repositories for software. The latter is one of the main reasons why there hardly any malware for GNU/Linux.

There is no need for a locked down censored device to protect users from malware as Apple and more recently Microsoft have argued. The real reasons for the locked down devices are 1) DRM,  2) Customer lockin 3) Anti competitive business models 4) Price fixing etc.

By the way IOS is not immune to malware and malware has found its way into the Apple app store.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2012/07/06/first-ios-malware-hits-app-store/

[keithers]

We will see if Blockchain.info and Coinbase make its way back into the appstore....

[Littleshop]

That is simply not backed up by reality.  THOUSANDS of malware apps are in the genuine Android market while almost none are in the genuine Apple app store.  This is an issue for regular users not just people who rooted their phone.  

http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/overview-android-malware-analysis/

Here's a rebuttal to a more recent but similar malware analysis:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/03/24/report-97-of-mobile-malware-is-on-android-this-is-the-easy-way-you-stay-safe/

tl;dr - Most of the malware figures are derived from studies that include external app marketplaces in their figures. The total percentage of malware on the Play Store is ridiculously small and they're removed as soon as they're discovered.

They're mostly from shit apps with a ton of permissions, descriptions in broken English, and zero reviews. It's really easy to avoid malware on Android. Also, Android apps are sandboxed, so you can't extract data from another app (like your private keys).

That is not correct.  There are enough flaws in Android and unpatched due to updates not being available for most users so you cannot say private keys are safe.  They can also throw in a keylogger pretty easily.  

Even the Google Play store has malware.  200+ examples so far with huge numbers of downloads.  Contrast that to Apple, so far 1 single piece of malware that is known and of course is no longer available. 

For Bitcoin, the iPhone seems like one of the safer places to have a wallet.  

[Ron~Popeil]

That is simply not backed up by reality.  THOUSANDS of malware apps are in the genuine Android market while almost none are in the genuine Apple app store.  This is an issue for regular users not just people who rooted their phone.  

http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/overview-android-malware-analysis/

Here's a rebuttal to a more recent but similar malware analysis:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/03/24/report-97-of-mobile-malware-is-on-android-this-is-the-easy-way-you-stay-safe/

tl;dr - Most of the malware figures are derived from studies that include external app marketplaces in their figures. The total percentage of malware on the Play Store is ridiculously small and they're removed as soon as they're discovered.

They're mostly from shit apps with a ton of permissions, descriptions in broken English, and zero reviews. It's really easy to avoid malware on Android. Also, Android apps are sandboxed, so you can't extract data from another app (like your private keys).

That is not correct.  There are enough flaws in Android and unpatched due to updates not being available for most users so you cannot say private keys are safe.  They can also throw in a keylogger pretty easily.  

Even the Google Play store has malware.  200+ examples so far with huge numbers of downloads.  Contrast that to Apple, so far 1 single piece of malware that is known and of course is no longer available. 

For Bitcoin, the iPhone seems like one of the safer places to have a wallet.  

That is my stance. I don't get into the fan boy stuff. When my bit coin is on the line I want as secure a platform as possible.

[Blues426]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpJshq8IAAAm45t.jpg

Good point!

[redwhitenblue]

This should help increase the adaption of Bitcoin by the masses.

[BillyBobJoe]

anyone who still uses Apple after all that Bolshevist crap, needs brain surgery  

a device should do what the owner wants it to do, independent from any regulation, at the end of the day it's the owner and not the lawmakers that paid for the device. apples arrogance is breathtaking.

this is like selling a car that is hard coded not to go faster than the current speed limit  

What you don't get is maybe some want a car that can not go above the speed limit.

Move on and quit trying to impose your will on others. OK?

[Ron~Popeil]

anyone who still uses Apple after all that Bolshevist crap, needs brain surgery  

a device should do what the owner wants it to do, independent from any regulation, at the end of the day it's the owner and not the lawmakers that paid for the device. apples arrogance is breathtaking.

this is like selling a car that is hard coded not to go faster than the current speed limit  

What you don't get is maybe some want a car that can not go above the speed limit.

Move on and quit trying to impose your will on others. OK?

I never quite understand the hatred some people have for all things Apple. If you don't like you simply don't use it.

[jabo38]

This is great news.

Apple has app stores for each country. 

That now means if Bitcoin or other virtual currencies are illegal in that country, like India for instance, that Apple can not host any bitcoin apps. 

In countries like the US, where bitcoin is totally legal, then Apple can have apps.

[monim1]

I am using Iphone 4s. Can i use this wallet on my iphone 4s ?

[Light]

I never quite understand the hatred some people have for all things Apple. If you don't like you simply don't use it.

IMO, people hate Apple because of its clear corporatism that is based upon trying to shark consumers with fancy ads, offering literally zero customisation options (you can't even change your own battery), and the fact that the system is completely locked down (unless you jailbreak). Not to mention, Apple consistently tries to ensure you cannot jailbreak. It would be like a PC manufacturer forcing you to use Windows even if you didn't want to. Just because you don't have to buy something doesn't mean what that company/entity is doing is agreeable. If you didn't voice your opinion about matters the status quo would never change and we'd all have the stigma and stereotypes we had a hundred years ago.

[bryant.coleman]

IMO, people hate Apple because of its clear corporatism that is based upon trying to shark consumers with fancy ads, offering literally zero customisation options (you can't even change your own battery), and the fact that the system is completely locked down (unless you jailbreak). Not to mention, Apple consistently tries to ensure you cannot jailbreak. It would be like a PC manufacturer forcing you to use Windows even if you didn't want to. Just because you don't have to buy something doesn't mean what that company/entity is doing is agreeable. If you didn't voice your opinion about matters the status quo would never change and we'd all have the stigma and stereotypes we had a hundred years ago.

The Apple guys are among the most greediest bunch I've ever heard of in my life. Since they are an American company, they get unfair advantage from the American courts (see the Samsung vs Apple battle). But I've never liked any of their overpriced trashy products.

[Its About Sharing]

The quoted paragraph did not say bitcoin specifically, it said "approved virtual currencies".

Bitcoin will not be approved if Apple has its own VC patent.

It didn't say "Apple approved" if you want to get technical about it.
Come on, there were US Senate Hearings, the IRS has commented as well as other agencies, companies all over the world are accepting it, Wall Street is in on it, etc. and you think this is not in line with their definition?

1) That which is not specifically banned is legal, usually.

2) "provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions" is distinct from "approved virtual currencies" - it's not surplus verbiage, or redundant. Laws do not "approve" of things. When you read things written by lawyers, you must think like one.

Why would a company basically describe bitcoin, which in most places is legal (more than fitting their "approved" definition), if it didn't want to allow it on its devices?
It seems they are opening more doors, rather than closing them. Why paint themselves in a corner? It would have been better to not say anything. I don't see your point there.

Time will tell, and not much time I'm betting.

[bananaControl]

Here's what will happen:

1. Apple will release the 100% pre-mined iCoin to work with their iBeacon shit. And mindless Joes will bend over and love it - even praise Apple for their fantastic innovation.

2. Google will wake up and get behind bitcoin.

3. A bloody fight to the death.