Apr 16
The likes of Apple, Google, Microsoft and other major figures in the smartphone industry have signed a pledge that will make it harder to steal cell phones—from July 2015, at least.
Mar 20
Forget infected USB sticks and complex card skimmers: sometimes, the low-tech solutions work just as well. Now, a team of crooks from Salford, UK, has used a simple old tunnel to steal cash from an ATM.
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Mar 05
When you die, don’t forget to include your Apple ID in your will. Because, if happen to bequeath any Apple devices to friends and family, they’ll be useless hunks of metal and glass without the secret word. At least, that’s what we’re left believing after a standoff between Apple and a dead mother’s sons.
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Dec 23
This past Friday, Bloomberg TV anchor Matt Miller took an on-air opportunity to give the gift of Bitcoin to two of his fellow anchors during his "12 Days of Bitcoin" segment. And in a beautiful twist of karmic justice, punishment for running such an absurd segment in the first place, every last digitally invested cent was stolen immediately.
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Nov 28
US carriers can now block activation of stolen smartphones if they head abroad
Posted in: Today's Chili
US wireless industry group CTIA has announced that a stolen phone database launched last year by T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon is now final, including integration with international carriers. That’ll let foreign operators block stolen US device activations, a bone of contention for law enforcement officials stateside. They complained that the list was having no impact on thefts, since organized crime groups were simply dumping devices overseas where their serial numbers couldn’t be detected. Police would prefer to also see kill switches installed in handsets to truly put a dent in phone-knapping, but carriers have strenuously objected to that idea — strictly out of self-interest, according to some. For its part, the CTIA said that the completed database at least means there are fewer countries where gangs can hawk their stolen wares. Still, as the carrier group pointed out, if a stranger asks to “borrow” your phone for directions, just, don’t.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: CTIA
Nov 19
Remember the idea to prevent cell phone theft with a so-called kill switch that would disable the device remotely after it had been stolen? Well, lawmakers are having the darnedest time getting a policy in place, in part due to carriers. Let me rephrase that: due to greedy carriers.
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Sep 21
NYPD has a message for you iPhone and iPad folks pic.twitter.com/cxzHLpgh60
— Jim Rosenberg (@jimrosenberg) September 21, 2013
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Sep 21
You’re down and out. You need to make some quick cash. You’re not opposed to criminal activity. What do you do? Cook meth? Nah, just sell some stolen graphing calculators out of state.
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Sep 19
Prosecutors in New York and San Francisco have given Apple’s new iOS 7 software some high praise, all thanks to a simple security measure. District Attorney George Gascón (SF) and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (NY), both part of the “Secure Our Smartphones Coalition,” are “strongly urging” smartphone owners to apply the company’s latest update because it now includes the Activation Lock feature by default, prompting users to set a passcode the first time they use iOS 7. Once enabled, the security feature stops thieves from reactivating a stolen phone and will require the original owner’s Apple ID and password to unlock a device, even after it’s been wiped. Although it’s relatively minor tweak, the attorneys believe it could help to reduce mobile-related crime — in fact they’re pressuring Google, Microsoft and Samsung to do something similar (although hopefully not too similar).
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Apple
Via: AP
Source: NY Attorney’s Office
Sep 04
The latest development on the recent HTC saga reveals that Thomas Chien, the arrested ex-VP of Product Design, was possibly lured by the Chengdu municipal government to set up a phone company in China. According to Taiwan’s Next Magazine (pictured above by sister publication Apple Daily), Chien flew to Chengdu several times in the first half of this year, which got HTC suspicious since it doesn’t have any direct business there.
The alleged offer was that if Chien left HTC with some of the technology plus some money, then the municipal government would — through another company it set up — take care of the remaining costs for opening the factory, production and marketing. Previous reports say while still at HTC, the ex-exec had e-mailed some confidential Sense 6.0 files to external contacts, but there’s no confirmation on whether those people are linked to the Chengdu government.
Filed under: Misc, Mobile, HTC
Via: Reuters
Source: Apple Daily (Chinese), UDN (Chinese), ET Today (Chinese)
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