A look at Apple’s secret testing lab where Secure Enclave chips are subjected to extreme tests, and Q&A with Craig Federighi about Apple’s commitment to privacy (Andrew Griffin/The Independent)
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes inside an iPhone or an iPad, now’s your chance to peek inside. Apple’s new Q&A with Craig Federighi has the scoop. The session, which took place in San Jose, California, featured a deep dive into the ins and outs of Apple’s hardware and software development. Topics included the iPhone X’s edge-to-edge display, Face ID, the “Secure Enclave” chip for encryption and authentication, and much more. Plenty of companies develop amazing technology and make great products, but few can claim to have been the ones to invent or improve upon something as ubiquitous as the cell phone. In this interview with Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, we deeply look at how Apple works behind the scenes to push the envelope of innovation.
What is Apple’s secret testing lab?
A look at Apple’s secret testing lab where Secure Enclave chips are subjected to extreme tests, and Q&A with Craig Federighi about Apple’s commitment to privacy. On December 1, 2014, Tim Cook announced Apple had created a new testing lab. The “Apple Special Projects Group” (ASPG) ‘s sole purpose was to find new ways to innovate and revolutionize the tech industry. One of the more interesting aspects of ASPG is that it is housed in the same building as Apple’s famous secrecy center, the secretive Cupertino Research Lab. TechCrunch states that the ASPG is in a 10,000-square-foot space in the San Francisco office building. Inside this space, employees work to find new ways to integrate computers, sensors, and wireless devices into everyday life.
How at Apple’s secret testing lab Secure Enclave chips are subjected to extreme tests?
The Apple Secure Enclave is the company’s secure processor for iOS devices. It contains the cryptographic security components of the iPhone and iPad. According to Steve Wozniak, the chip can withstand being submerged underwater for six minutes, having liquid sprayed into its innards, and having its operating voltage reduced by half. It can even withstand being struck by a hammer. It’s been subjected to all manner of extreme tests.
What is Q&A with Craig Federighi about Apple’s commitment to privacy?
A look at Apple’s secret testing lab where Secure Enclave chips are subjected to extreme tests, and Q&A with Craig Federighi about Apple’s commitment to privacy, Apple’s commitment to privacy and its push for encryption across its products was made clear on Wednesday during its WWDC keynote. During a session entitled “Security, Privacy, and Human Rights,” Craig Federighi, VP of iOS Software Engineering, took a moment to explain why encryption was a priority for Apple. According to Apple, encryption “protects users from a growing number of threats to their personal information and the services they rely upon daily. Encryption makes it harder for criminals, terrorists, and oppressive regimes to intercept communications, access accounts, or corrupt systems.”
Conclusion
A look at Apple’s secret testing lab where Secure Enclave chips are subjected to extreme tests, and Q&A with Craig Federighi about Apple’s commitment to privacy. The company is reportedly trying to ensure it has no backdoors left in iOS 11 devices. Apple has created its special testing lab to ensure that iOS 11 has no backdoors. The special testing lab is called the “Apple Special Laboratory,” or ASL, located in the company’s Cupertino, California, headquarters. The lab has multiple high-end computers with custom software to test iOS 11. The machines were all manufactured by Dell, and each contains a separate Secure Enclave chip. According to an Apple executive, it was designed to mimic the hardware and software of the iPhone’s Secure Enclave. Apple also confirmed its version of the Trusted Execution Environment, which is found in the iPhone X.
FAQs
1. Where is Apple’s secret testing lab?
Apple’s secret testing lab is in a secure area of the company’s Cupertino campus. It’s a room just for testing, not product development.
2. How many chips are there in the iPhone?
There are two chips inside the iPhone. One chip is the main processor. The other chip is the Secure Enclave, a special chip that stores all the personal information on the phone, such as your contacts, photos, calendar, messages, and passwords.
3. How long does it take to test a chip?
It takes about three months to test a chip.
4. Why do they need to test it so long?
They need to make sure that the chip is stable. If the chip is unstable, it could stop working anytime.
