Anonymity and portability on ipad2? James Bond would use a pen and rice paper!

[peter martinsen]

I have only two major concerns of using ipad2 (or ipad3 or ipad1 if it proves unworkable on ipad2)...

1. privacy & security: I don't just mean low level privacy, I mean that as an investigate journalist working on sensitive subjects, I need to be immune form well-funded organizations reading my content or tracking my movements - whether it's in China, USA, Russia etc. So, I am suspicious of 3G, even its non-3G subscription service as it seems to require location trackability to do such simple things as reading maps and customizing them (seems odd to me, what is the relevance of where *I* am when I just want to know the layout of streets in London or Moscow?) I have purchased my ipad with cash, registered it to 'John Doe' and presumably buying all apps with anonymous gift cards.

But there are other concerns as well - icloud etc. Who has backdoors? What steps are necessary for maximum privacy? The 'privacy policy' of Apple has a lot of holes in it. So, the best solution is to have any data impossible to pass on to third parties as it does not exist or is false.

2. international utility: My work and hobbies take me all over the world. I can't be tied down to limitations of national borders or an app working in nation A but not in nation B.

All the entertainment, business and news apps are unimportant.

Is anyone else on this forum working with the same goals and finding solutions?

 

[Gabriel1]

Investigative journalism eh Peter, which presumably is not your real name? .......obviously you will have investigated the fact that you can take the sim card out and the GPS functionality still works.....but obviously can't be reporting back......in addition you could use a myfi unit to provide bandwidth without popping any sims in your iPad and of course, last of all, you could turn off location services!

Over and out.......this message will self destruct in 5mins!

The Archangel

 

[peter martinsen]

No, I hadn't gotten that far. Thanks for the tip. As with everything there are tradeoffs of security/privacy vs. convenience/ features.

To put it in a less politicized/controversial light, can I use the built-in map app (or indeed any third party one) with an ipad2 with location finder turned off? If no, why not? I don't always need navigation capability (how to get from wherever I am to wherever I am going), just using much more sophisticated maps than paper versions, i.e. where is the intersection of street A and B in city C. Perhaps there is some technical reason such as the closest tower must be found in order to give the user the net access in order to do this. But again, I do not understand whether it is technically possible to use maps to 100% or 90% functionality without betraying one's location. I can use a paper map without telling the publisher where I am, I don't see why I should have to tell the seller of digital maps likewise. If so, that would seem rather 'Big Brother' (big corporations working with big governments).

In fact, I am using a wifi only ipad but have discovered that without an elaborate, bulkier and not without downsides workaround, it is necessary to have the pricier 3G. Already I observe that the wifi model working with a wifi connection is slow. As I understand (?) it, the maps capability does not require a subscription to any 3G service such as one gets with a mobile phone, but instead works like the Kindle ereader, without it.

Are there any other services that work in 3G ipad2 without requiring any paid or otherwise subscription?

 

[peter martinsen]

I stand corrected

The map is indeed working with location finder turned off. Don't know why I didn't work before - ah, I remember I hadn't connected yet to wifi. So, then it is a no brainer - this is all I need to do? Is there any feature I lose other than find my ipad and directions without telling maps manually where I wish to start from? But the question remains - why do I need any net connection (either wifi or 3G) in order to use maps? I should be able to limit functionality and use that app without, no?