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Gadgets Customers Use New IPhone Feature to Locate and Confront Crooks
Jason Mick (Blog) - June 22, 2009 12:40 PM

38 comment(s) - last by Zaphod Beebleb.. on Jun 26 at 3:07 PM

The new "Find My iPhone" feature from Apple has allowed several users already to track down their iPhones, confront the crook(s) who took them and reclaim their property. (Source: Gizmodo)

Apple scores a win with its latest innovation

The iPhone OS v3.0 officially launched last week. Among the many improvements was beefed up security. Along with encryption and a remote wipe option, the phone features a promising security tool called "Find my iPhone" that lets users track their lost iPhone and potentially confront the crook or crooks who took it.

The key weakness to the feature (and the remote wipe) is that it can be easily disabled by removing the SIM card, if the iPhone thief is that clever. However, as the average episode of Cops shows you, many criminals are less than clever.

Already reports have emerged of iPhone users recovering their lost phones with the feature. A LiveJournal user named Kevin (LJ s/n happywaffle) posted a blog bragging of such a confrontation. He writes:

Last night, after seeing Second City improv, we ate at a pleasantly sketchy dive bar in uptown Chicago, where the food was mediocre and the characters were questionable. I definitely had my iPhone while at our table, and I definitely did NOT have it (whoops!) when we were 100 feet down the street.

I raced back into the bar, not even particularly concerned, but it was gone like baby. In less than five minutes, with very few people in the small place, my beloved JesusPhone had managed to vanish into a black hole. Our waitress was sympathetic, and I left a number, but I was immediately glum about my prospects of seeing it again.

Eventually, he describes he located the phone with the help of two friends and his laptop. He describes the confrontation:

"Have you got it?" I asked as I marched up to the guy, acting far more intimidating than I felt. Our iPhone-pilfering friend apparently works at the sketchy bar, and as he fished around in his bag, he gave a questionable alibi about having found the phone, intending to return it, but being intimidated by "all these scary-looking messages" that kept popping up on the display. "Um, yeah, those were from me," I replied curtly. He pulled my phone out, totally unharmed, and handed it over. I resisted the urge to giggle.

I shook his hand - Lord knows why I did that - and the three of us walked off. We laughed triumphantly, adrenaline racing, feeling like the Jack Bauer trio. (Disregard the fact that we'd just left a Lego convention.)

While such confrontations are obviously problematic, as they could put the user in danger, Apple appears to have scored a win for providing users with a way to potentially recover their lost phone. As more of users' lives, files, and personal information end up on phones, such a capability means of recovery become increasingly necessary. And Apple and AT&T appear to have successfully provide their customers exactly that.

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iVigilante?

By therealnickdanger on 6/22/2009 1:04:21 PM , Rating: 4

While I think this is awesome, I hope no one tries to litigate after they track down their phone and get stabbed. You know someone will try to sue.

RE: iVigilante?

By therealnickdanger on 6/22/2009 1:09:28 PM , Rating: 3

Edit:
Awesome feature though.

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RE: iVigilante?

By Cypherdude1 on 6/22/2009 9:51:46 PM , Rating: 2

Interesting story. I clicked on the blog entry http://happywaffle.livejournal.com/5890.html to read the details. In your story, I assumed he returned to the restaurant and confronted the employee. He actually confronted him at a bus stop and that's how he determined the person standing there had the iPhone.

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RE: iVigilante?

By Lord 666 on 6/22/2009 1:16:42 PM , Rating: 3

Sued for being stupid? The example Mick used was perfectly executed; never do an operation like this by yourself. Need one person to watch the door and at least one person that has your back.

Even better would be if the people you roll up with had guns and cuffs.

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RE: iVigilante?

By JasonMick

(blog) on 6/22/2009 1:27:27 PM , Rating: 5

Might be a good sting operation for groups like:
http://www.freewebs.com/heroesnetwork/
http://www.worldsuperheroregistry.com/world_superh...
http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org/index.html
http://superheroesanonymous.com/

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RE: iVigilante?

By therealnickdanger on 6/22/2009 2:19:22 PM , Rating: 1

OMG Jason, those are great!

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RE: iVigilante?

By spwrozek on 6/22/2009 3:17:06 PM , Rating: 2

It doesn't get much better than Captain Jackson (and his family)...

http://www.captainjackson.org/cjpage.asp?section=c...

http://www.captainjackson.org/cjpage.asp?section=c...

http://www.captainjackson.org/cjpage.asp?section=q...

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RE: iVigilante?

By scrapsma54 on 6/22/2009 1:28:48 PM , Rating: 3

Kinda says a lot. You have to be smarter than the criminal.

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RE: iVigilante?

By bildan on 6/22/2009 2:57:28 PM , Rating: 3

Yeah, I'd bring my buddy Luigi. He's 6'11", 300 lbs, carries a sawed off 12 gauge in a shoulder holster. It's said he can stare down a rattlesnake. :-)

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RE: iVigilante?

By callmeroy on 6/23/09, Rating: -1

RE: iVigilante?

By eddieroolz on 6/22/2009 2:58:26 PM , Rating: 4

I like the Eastwood pic.

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Great! Now what about iPods?!

By Lord 666 on 6/22/2009 12:51:49 PM , Rating: 4

Stolen iPods should be enabled for remote castration. I'm talking once the thief connects to it using iTunes, no charging, no transfer of songs, no playing of music, and reporting the IP to authorities. If the iPod could deliver an electric shock to the jerk, even better.

Of course with a valid police report and serial number.

RE: Great! Now what about iPods?!

By Golgatha on 6/22/2009 1:04:07 PM , Rating: 5

They should source the batteries from Sony and include a remote DIAF option.

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RE: Great! Now what about iPods?!

By eddieroolz on 6/22/2009 2:59:13 PM , Rating: 2

Damn, ran out of points :(

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RE: Great! Now what about iPods?!

By xti on 6/22/2009 1:50:53 PM , Rating: 2

it can be done! my iPhone was plugged into my computer during a storm and i was holding it looking at a text message. then i got a good little shock from the phone.

Someone call Thor or something and offer him a job @ AT&T.

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RE: Great! Now what about iPods?!

By Belard on 6/22/2009 9:59:15 PM , Rating: 3

Check out this phone below, its the most powerful Phone in the world and its security function is the best, hands down.

http://www.flixxy.com/sumsing-turbo-3000-cellphone...

iPhones suck in comparison.

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there goes the system

By vapore0n on 6/22/2009 2:13:20 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
The key weakness to the feature (and the remote wipe) is that it can be easily disabled by removing the SIM card,

Thanks for pointing it out?

RE: there goes the system

By eddieroolz on 6/22/2009 3:00:40 PM , Rating: 2

I think if you remove the SIM then it's a useless hunk of plastic, so its either disable it and get a nonoperable phone or enable it and potentially get the cops to bust your ass.

I'd choose the former :P

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RE: there goes the system

By zombiexl on 6/22/2009 3:04:28 PM , Rating: 2

Is it tied to that particular sim? You could always pull the sim from another ATT phone and put it in there.

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RE: there goes the system

By dragonbif on 6/22/2009 3:33:08 PM , Rating: 2

Do phones have a MAC address or something that is in the Hardware itself?

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RE: there goes the system

By sprockkets on 6/22/2009 5:23:06 PM , Rating: 2

Yes, they do - the IMEI number. As to whether removing the SIM does any good, someone needs to clarify.

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RE: there goes the system

By Hare on 6/22/2009 5:23:22 PM , Rating: 2

It's called an IMEI code. After you report it to the authorities they request operators to reject all activities with that device identity. Makes stolen phones useless.

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Not so innovative

By zombiexl on 6/22/2009 2:54:03 PM , Rating: 2

Sprint and Verizon have had similal feature for years on all their GPS enabled phones, although for a fee. Plus they dont require a sim card, making it more difficult to disable.

Also police could technically use GPS or even cellular triangulation from the phone to track the phone and theif.

RE: Not so innovative

By Shadowself on 6/22/2009 3:31:22 PM , Rating: 2

How do they communicate with the network if they don't have a sim card? How does the network know what phone it is without a sim card?

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RE: Not so innovative

By Yongsta on 6/22/2009 4:49:36 PM , Rating: 2

MEID / ESN (Serial Number) of the phone?

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RE: Not so innovative

By mfed3 on 6/22/2009 5:33:37 PM , Rating: 2

Verizon, the largest carrier in the US is CDMA / EVDO which does not use SIM cards. Dont post.

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RE: Not so innovative

By zombiexl on 6/22/2009 5:34:47 PM , Rating: 2

CDMA phones dont use sim cards. ATT used to use TDMA, which is pretty similar, and has only been GSM for about 7/8 years in the US.

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RE: Not so innovative

By walk2k on 6/22/09, Rating: 0

RE: Not so innovative

By jRaskell on 6/23/2009 1:24:32 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
and later returned to him..

I think you're being more than a little optimistic wording that way. I sincerely hope you don't believe it would have eventually been returned if he hadn't taken the initiative to track it down himself.

Yes, he did leave it behind, but I also fully believe that the employee that picked it up did so with no good intentions.

It wasn't returned to him. He tracked it down and took it back.

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Terror

By InternetGeek on 6/22/2009 8:57:09 PM , Rating: 2

Please don't use that picture again. The thought of Clint Eastwood pointing at me with a rifle and telling me to get off his lawn is too scary.

RE: Terror

By captainpierce on 6/23/2009 7:07:22 AM , Rating: 2

He can blow your head off and sleep like a baby.

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Did he really just...

By EasyC on 6/23/2009 12:14:19 PM , Rating: 2

Did he really just refer to an iPhone as a JesusPhone???

I think if Steve Jobs creates the iChurch and declares himself the diety of said church, then I'd finally break the racism barrier and hate my first group of people.

RE: Did he really just...

By aguilpa1 on 6/23/2009 4:37:24 PM , Rating: 2

LOL! Let him drop in water and see if it walks...., or even floats for that matter.... HA!

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hmm i was going to return the phone but instead

By rmclean816 on 6/22/2009 10:56:43 PM , Rating: 2

i got psychotic messages.
hmm
maybe i'll just throw it in the toilet next time.

Upgraded Feature

By Ebbyman on 6/23/2009 10:09:35 AM , Rating: 2

The phone should take random pics and send them back to person looking. You never know, you might catch a glimpse of the sucker. Then you can decide how to handle the situation. If the guy is wearing a tie, you confront him. If he looks shady, you tell on him to the police.

If you have an iphone

By aguilpa1 on 6/23/09, Rating: 0

Endorsing the endorser's endorsement

By crystal clear on 6/23/09, Rating: -1

By crystal clear on 6/23/2009 5:38:03 AM , Rating: -1

quote:
A LiveJournal user named Kevin (LJ s/n happywaffle) posted a blog bragging of such a confrontation. He writes:

Reading through what he writes gives me an impression this is a classic example of

Undisclosed "sponsored" blogging .......

Current Section 255.0(b) defines an endorsement as any
advertising message that consumers are likely to believe reflects the opinions, beliefs, findings, or experience of a party other than the sponsoring advertiser.

The author of this article has presented the contents in such a way, as if he himself endorses the endoser & the endorsement other than the sponsoring advertiser.

Its NOT that I am accusing the author of this article of any wrong doings,but he has to be very careful on such matters,he can be misunderstood/misinterpreted "It's about trust."

Dont endorse the endorser neither the endorsement...keep clear.

"It's sort of a recognition that word-of-mouth marketing in whatever form, whether electronic or not, is a significant part of the marketing strategy of modern companies," Cleland said. "Because it's new, I think it is imperative that we provide some kind of guidance."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5...

Existing FTC rules already ban deceptive and unfair business practices. The proposed guidelines aim to clarify the law and for the first time specifically include bloggers, defined loosely as anyone writing a personal journal online.