Stolen IPOD

... maybe because that is a horrible invasion of privacy issue?

Are you serious. That is absolutely ridiculous.

You just sound pissed off because your iPod was stolen. When push comes to shove, can you seriously expect Apple or any other company to implement something like this? Would you expect your mobile phone network to track your phone if it was stolen? I wouldn't. And why would you need IP address?

More importantly, why should Apple care that someone stole your iPod? It's not their responsibility. Plus, they make more money if you have to go out and buy a new one. Jeez.

You could add it to your insurance, but depending on your deductable and what your insurer says its worth, you could end up with nothing that route. I had an iPod stolen too ... it just happened to b in my truck at the time my truck was stolen. And my CD's, my stereo, tools, etc ... my homeownrs insurance covered the inside of the vehicle and I was able to get enough back to pay for a new iPod.

The moral of my story ... have someone steal your car and claim the iPod was in there along with all of your tools and stuff. I'd rather you committ insurance fraud than Apple log my iPod.

Sorry dude, but looks like you just live and learn...

In addition to my earlier rant, please don't tell me you opened an account to moan about your 'Pod. Please.

Hold on max, wezy904 clearly spent some time constructing this argument. It is not just your typical bitch&moan post, but a serious Q&A topic. Wether you agree with this solution or not is the very topic up for discussion.

Personally, I think there should be more practical additions to iTunes such as this (and re-downloading lost/stolen purchased music. I mean, come on!), but I also fight strongly for privacy. If Apple checks the serial number of a "NEW" iPod against a database of stolen S/N's or even twice a year, I can live with that. It is when you store information on a user, tie it to an account, or can gather other information by the frequency of iPod use, that I my problems arise.

There are some obvious oversights in iTunes that wreak of RIAA restraints and I am split between pinning this iPod check on Apple or the RIAAA. On one hand, Apple does respect users privacy pretty well but not 100%, (MiniStore anybody?) but on the other hand this technology could easily be abused for marketing purposes and I can imagine Apple shooting themselves in the foot rather than walk with the RIAA by forbidding such technology in their contract.

If there was some kind of disabling solution for whenever a stolen iPod identified via serial number was connected to the internet through iTunes I would support it, and it would perhaps have a good chance of making such a crime pointless.

Sounds like a good idea, and shouldn't be too difficult to implement I suppose. One would have to send Apple the iPod box/packaging to prove original ownership perhaps, and make a non hackable disable-er thing to make the iPod stop functioning completely.

There would be no need to keep or use the IP address, just deactivate iPods black listed whenever they're connected to iTunes on a computer with an internet connection. Simple, a deterrent (criminals will soon stop stealing iPods if they find out they won't work) and an otherwise non invasive technique and very effective.

Sure you lose out on an iPod, but then again, if stealing iPods becomes useless (which it most notably would to most) then iPods wouldn't be stolen.

Of course you could get really anal criminals that load iTunes on to a computer without an internet connection and use the iPod that way. Though if the machine itself goes on the internet the serial number could be kept on iTunes (on the machine) and "phone home" to verify the serial number and then disable the iPod when it is next connected, so disconnecting the internet whilst using a stolen iPod wouldn't work either...

The #1 use for a stolen iPod is to sell it to a noob.

I'm sorry for being so confrontational, but I feel that it is not Apple's responsibility to play a part in the recovery of lost iPods. Unless I have completely misinterpreted your argument. However, I do agree with mattyj's argument that the iPods should be disabled. Still, imagine how many 'broken' iPods will be appearing on places such as eBay, etc. I don't feel that this is a 'Big Brother' issue, think of how many legal entities have your details for much less valid reasons.

I also agree that music should be allowed to be redownloaded from the iTMS, just recently I lost around £50 of music when I accidentally erased my hard drive (I was mucking about with some partitioning tool - you can blame my curiosity in Windows Vista for that one). Luckily, I have most of the music on my Mac (the erased drive was in a PC), so I suppose in reality I've lost about three quid's worth.

Anyway, going back to the topic at hand, can't you call up your mobile phone network and get the device disabled if you discover it's stolen? I think you could use a similar technique without invading privacy if you really wanted to remotely disabled iPods. I'm sure there's a solution.

Oh, and by the way I do apologise for coming across as a bit of a twat - I didn't realise until I looked at the post the next day.

Yes you can do that with mobile phones, the sim card gets deactivated when you claim it is stolen, although it may cost you something. Obviously iPods aren't wireless, so the method of disabling them would not be as fool proof as the mobile phone solution, however it is a solution nonetheless.

i bought my ipod from a girl at my school. so did my brother. so does that mean we would be tracked according to your plan? they were both used and registered under diffrent names before we had them.

oh and on the whole point of stolen ipods becoming useless because they would be locked up, there are always hacks out there to undo them. i used them on unlocking my psp. and people are always working to get around them. so i think that locking up ipods with software just slows down hackers. it dosent stop them.

In my mind the check would occur only when you first associate your iPod with a computer. There are always ways to get around this security, but if you you know you need to do that, well...

I know, I just made the dreaded "If you fight for privacy, what are you hiding" statement. Ten lashings.

eh, i bet the patriot act says something tricky like we have the right to track your music choices through your ipod.

Only if there were reported stolen. And the original owner would have to produce the paper work and box for the iPod they wanted to claim it as stolen. So no, you wouldn't be tracked.

I would make a measure built into the iPod that once identified, would fry a chip in the iPod so that it physically could not work anymore, not a simple hack. There aren't ways around that.

It's $300 or $400. That's pretty damned cheap. It isn't your fucking car. It isn't your computer. Get over it.

sorry no. im a senior in hs. i dont have 300-400 USD to throw around.

Simple. Keep the fucking thing in your pocket. Unless you get jumped (don't wear the white headphones in a dangerous neighborhood), you pretty much deserve losing it.

i guess it dosent matter for me anymore. my ipod crashed last night.

now im trying to get in touch with apple.

I was at my aunt's house, and I had just listened to it. I put it in my bag, and I didn't think that my family would ever steal from me. When I went to look for it, it was gone. I told my mom, and everyone started this frantic search. Two of my cousins have been known for stealing. One of which wanted one, and the other who was eyeing it earlier and got mad when I refused to let her see it. She was watching where I put the IPOD. My mom is like we can just buy a new one, and I'm like it's not about that. That was $250, and I wouldn't dream of making them pay for it. What the person who stole it doesn't realize is that I am registered on this site that tracks IPODs if they are stolen. On top of that, my IPOD was about to die. The little bar was red. I am so pissed off. I was going off on my family last night. What made me suspicious of these two people is that once the search for it started, they both ducked off. When I confronted her, she backed up and looked scared as hell. I told her that I have no problem getting law enforcement officials involved. Some of my family members work with the police department so it's really no problem. I would rather you ask and me give it to you. I don't want to have to lock my stuff up in my car when I visit somebody's house. I intend on getting my IPOD back. It's not even about the IPOD. It's about the fact that I cannot even trust my own family. What kills me the most is that the person went into my person and bypassed the digital camera, jewelry, cell phones, credit cards, and everything else. This person was on a mission to get that IPOD. That leaves one person. I can eliminate my male cousin because he wouldn't want a bright pink IPOD video. Yeah, right. My female cousin is the one who has it, and if I find out that she does, hell will come to earth that day.

It feels like such an invasion, I must be violated... call the ACLU! This is truly the attitude of the thief. As for me, I consider it reasonable and prudent that I can register my S/N and/or MAC address (for iTouch) and use a LoJack service to prosecute the perpetrator. Oh, LoJack is already in service for cars and laptops!

If you turn on a wireless device, be it a cell phone, laptop, whatever, or if you plug into the wired communications infrastructure - you have NO privacy, period. Just look at the number of programs that Apple has running on your PC that connect your PC to them, then tell me what information is Apple sending from your device to their databases? Let's bust the guilty and stop living in a fantasy of privacy.

Ugh - when is Apple going to do something - anything. Everyone under the sun is tracking information - so why can't Apple track IPs and serial numbers of a stolen ipod.

I found some sites online to report a stolen iPod, but the best one appeared to be http://www.stolen-property.com/

Hopefully sites like this, and Apple someday, will deter iPod theft.

In the UK, there's a national database of stolen phones. If your phone is stolen, it becomes unusable on any network. I believe they also log if it tries to connect, but not having used it personally I'm not sure.

Not that I necessarily think Apple should do something like this, but the phone companies weren't a great example.


It's not the SIM card that they track it by, it's the phone's IMEI number. While that can be spoofed as well, it's nowhere near as easy as just changing a SIM card.

Amorya

After having three Ipods stolen after my car was broken into, I have one question for all those opposed to Itunes preventing Ipods from syncing.

Where did you get YOUR Ipod?

i guess it dosent matter for me anymore. my ipod crashed yesterday.

now im trying to get in touch with apple.

I find it quite interesting that everyone replied that such practice would be an invasion of privacy. In order to post to this forum one must register. That registration requires your date of birth and email. When one registers an IPod it requires everything but your underwear size. That information is stored and connected to that device. ITunes requires BANKING information to complete purchases... How's that not a privacy issue?
If/When the device is stolen regardless of what Apple claims, it can be tracked. There should be a method of informing the original owner that their device has been located and proper authorities should be notified. I agree that the original owner should not be provided with details on the person registering the device but someone that CAN take action should be notified. I have never had this happen to me personally so I am not speaking out of anger or resentment just common sense. I know a musician that had this happen to him. On his stolen device he stored original recordings that were used to communicated with band members before studio work was done. Who's to stop the IPod thief from stealing his original ideas? He is a seasoned verteran and copyrights his material. I personally think that if someone has the nerve to STEAL they do not deserve the common curtousy of their identity remaining private. If someone broke into your home and took something of value and let's say you had security cameras. Would you not know the identity of the thief? Wouldn't that be an invasion of PRIVACY??

With all the info APPLE asks for, why don't they have some sort of system in place for things that are stolen?  These Ipod's are NOT cheap - you have to buy the ipod, buy itunes....etc - Why isn't there something in place when they get stolen??? I am sure they have enough $$

 

And yes, I too am a PISSED off customer that got their IPOD stolen!

 

Eh? That's private.

 

 

I'm sorry, but as you grow up, you'll learn to take better care of your belongings. Don't leave your iPod on a table at school and expect it to be there when you get back from the bathroom. Don't leave it in your bag, unlocked, while you go and play some hoops. Don't leave it on the lunch table at the cafeteria when you go get some more veggie lasagna.

 

Oh, thank goodness. Someone else that still believes this.