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View Full Version : Lose Your iPhone? Security May Be in Future iPhones


Jeff Campbell
04-03-2009, 09:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.iphonealley.com/news/patent-iphone-phones-location-home-when-stolen?' target='_blank'>http://www.iphonealley.com/news/pat...me-when-stolen?</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"A patent application shows that Apple is considering adding a security mechanism to the iPhone that would cause it to automatically phone a security agency after being stolen. Upon detecting a force exceeding a predetermined threshold, the device would enter a prevention mode, causing it to send a security transmission in the form of a telephone call or email containing it's GPS coordinates."</em></p><p><em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1238779553.usr105634.jpg" /></em></p><p>In the patent application, it discusses how this would be activated such as sudden movements beyond a certain vibration threshold, pre-determined standby time, etc. Seems to me it should be a lot simpler than that, like logging into a website that you have registered with previously and activating it that way. Or perhaps by calling your phone and punching in a code. I just think this sounds too complicated, but I'm glad they are at least trying to come up with something like this since I've been the victim of an iPhone theft previously and this would have been handy!&nbsp;</p>

jdmichal
04-06-2009, 10:54 PM
This is a classic example of an overengineered solution. Why not simply create a Google Latitudes (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,487629,00.html)-like system, which simply always reports where your phone is after you register it. No need for any activation or dubious "theft" detection. (God help you if you drop your phone!)

There is a much bigger problem though: You will never motivate anyone who has the power to do something to care.


Cell phone companies don't care. If someone walks in right now and tries to activate a phone on the IMEI stolen list, the policy is to simply reject the registration. There is no requirement to either hold the phone or contact the police. I encountered this personally -- with AT&T, no less -- when my phone was mistakenly taken at a party, and I reported it stolen. (Luckily I had the owner information filled in, and the person later contacted me on Facebook to return it.)
The police have better things to do than request a warrant to go search, at best, a home for a stolen phone. At worst, they'd be searching an entire apartment building. And those phones are pretty easy to hide. The only way they MIGHT be interested is if there's a massive number of reportedly stolen phones in a single location. Which is going to happen maybe once or twice, before people figure out to either turn the things off or wrap them in aluminum foil to block the GPS and/or cell signals.


So, basically, I don't see any way in which this idea is not full of fail. But I'm willing to entertain other opinions!