Apple Worked With U.S. Government on 'Secret' iPod
Apple worked with the U.S. government on a "secret" modified iPod, according to a new report by former Apple software engineer David Shayer published by TidBits.
Shayer explains that in 2005, he was asked by the director of iPod software to "help two engineers from the U.S. Department of Energy build a special iPod." The engineers were in fact contractors from Bechtel, a large U.S. defense contractor. Only four individuals at Apple were aware of the project at the time, none of whom still work at the company, and there was no paper trail as all communication occurred in person.
The team set about modifying an iPod to record data from added custom hardware. It still had to look and work like a normal iPod, with any additional data recorded to the iPod's hard disk needing to be undetectable. Shayer's main role in the project was to oversee any help needed by the Department of Energy from Apple. The contractors were given an office at Apple headquarters, and over several months they were taught how to navigate and change the early iPod operating system.
The specific modified device was a fifth-generation iPod, chosen for its easily-opening case and large 60 GB disk. It was also the final iPod for which Apple did not digitally sign the operating system, allowing for easier software modification.
The Department of Energy is responsible for U.S. nuclear weapons and nuclear power programs, and in 2005 its budget was $24.3 billion. $9 billion of this budget was intended to meet defense-related objectives such as nuclear deterrence.
Shayer never saw the additional hardware personally, but believes that the iPod was modified to function as a "stealth Geiger counter." He speculates that such a device would be extremely useful for the Department of Energy when conducting covert operations to gather evidence of radioactivity.
Popular Stories
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay.
As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017
"APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote.
Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements.
While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way.
By the time the ...
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe.
Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2:
With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices.
According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models.
The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong,...
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist."
In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year.
The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time.
Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
