5 ms·

It worth noting, for some features like hiding Taiwan flag, the logic is to check both system setting and hardware sales region, it will be on if either is true

It worth noting, for some features like hiding Taiwan flag, the logic is to check both system setting and hardware sales region, it will be on if either is true.

owens99 7y ago
Is there documentation to show which features, like this, are based on hardware sales region?
- orhmeh09 7y ago
  On a recent story (perhaps the most recent popular one on this topic), a former Microsoft employee said they maintained an internal database to keep track of what was necessary for each country. I’ll see if I can dig it up.
- hrktb 7y ago
  It’s a touchy subject so usually not documented. On the softer side, shutter sound can’t be muted on the camera app for JP sold iPhones, I can’t find any offical doc (not customer discussion) mentioning it. edit: there was some doc, just with a vague “shutter sound might be disabled depending on your region” mention.
  - greggman2 7y ago
    it's a ridiculous law . You want to take a picture of your sleeping baby without waking her. Sucks to be you. Want to take a picture of your cat or dog without them changing their pose in response to the sound. You can't. Want to take a picture at a wedding without distrubing the mood? Or bad for you. Want to take a picture at a fancy quiet romantic dinner without annoying all the other guests? Can't do it. In the meantime any pervert (the claimed reason for the law) can use any non-phone camera or for that matter any other camera app than the built in one
    - dsfyu404ed 7y ago
      >it's a ridiculous law It's par for the course. Laws in response to moral panics tend to suck and inconvenience reasonable people while having simple workarounds.
    - innocenat 7y ago
      1st, it's not law. 2nd, if you are in Japan pretty much everyone is used to the shutter sound.
    - zingermc 7y ago
      Is there a shutter sound if you take a video?
      - nroets 7y ago
        Even if there is, it will only be at the beginning. So you can circumvent the intent of the law (e.g. filming the police) by starting to film yourself, pretending to stop and then point the camera at the subject.
        Forbo 7y ago
        The intent of the law was to dissuade upskirt photos on trains, not filming the police, if I recall correctly.
        kazagistar 7y ago
        There is always some bullshit moral outrage used as the excuse to make laws that are really there to protect existing institutions of power.
        infecto 7y ago
        I think you are mistaken. There is no formal law AFAIK but it was just an agreement made by companies in Japan. You are free to order a phone outside of Japan. This was a huge issue in Japan when phones started getting cameras and so everyone made a handshake agreement.
  - mrunseen 7y ago
    For example Facetime banned in UAE https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204170 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204170
  - not_a_cop75 7y ago
    Refusing human rights is a touchy subject, especially when the violators of human rights pay so well. The corrupting influence of money is becoming more and more widespread. Pretty soon, perhaps the only way to avoid human slavery will be direct payouts to the powerful, as if that isn't slavery already. Perhaps we're already there.
- iaml 7y ago
  Pride watchface is locked on russian watches even if region is set to US.

It worth noting, for some features like hiding Taiwan flag, the logic is to check both system setting and hardware sales region, it will be on if either is true.

owens99 7y ago

Is there documentation to show which features, like this, are based on hardware sales region?

orhmeh09 7y ago
On a recent story (perhaps the most recent popular one on this topic), a former Microsoft employee said they maintained an internal database to keep track of what was necessary for each country. I’ll see if I can dig it up.
hrktb 7y ago
It’s a touchy subject so usually not documented. On the softer side, shutter sound can’t be muted on the camera app for JP sold iPhones, I can’t find any offical doc (not customer discussion) mentioning it. edit: there was some doc, just with a vague “shutter sound might be disabled depending on your region” mention.
- greggman2 7y ago
  it's a ridiculous law . You want to take a picture of your sleeping baby without waking her. Sucks to be you. Want to take a picture of your cat or dog without them changing their pose in response to the sound. You can't. Want to take a picture at a wedding without distrubing the mood? Or bad for you. Want to take a picture at a fancy quiet romantic dinner without annoying all the other guests? Can't do it. In the meantime any pervert (the claimed reason for the law) can use any non-phone camera or for that matter any other camera app than the built in one
  - dsfyu404ed 7y ago
    >it's a ridiculous law It's par for the course. Laws in response to moral panics tend to suck and inconvenience reasonable people while having simple workarounds.
  - innocenat 7y ago
    1st, it's not law. 2nd, if you are in Japan pretty much everyone is used to the shutter sound.
  - zingermc 7y ago
    Is there a shutter sound if you take a video?
    - nroets 7y ago
      Even if there is, it will only be at the beginning. So you can circumvent the intent of the law (e.g. filming the police) by starting to film yourself, pretending to stop and then point the camera at the subject.
      - Forbo 7y ago
        The intent of the law was to dissuade upskirt photos on trains, not filming the police, if I recall correctly.
        kazagistar 7y ago
        There is always some bullshit moral outrage used as the excuse to make laws that are really there to protect existing institutions of power.
        infecto 7y ago
        I think you are mistaken. There is no formal law AFAIK but it was just an agreement made by companies in Japan. You are free to order a phone outside of Japan. This was a huge issue in Japan when phones started getting cameras and so everyone made a handshake agreement.
- mrunseen 7y ago
  For example Facetime banned in UAE https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204170 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204170
- not_a_cop75 7y ago
  Refusing human rights is a touchy subject, especially when the violators of human rights pay so well. The corrupting influence of money is becoming more and more widespread. Pretty soon, perhaps the only way to avoid human slavery will be direct payouts to the powerful, as if that isn't slavery already. Perhaps we're already there.
iaml 7y ago
Pride watchface is locked on russian watches even if region is set to US.