Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on April 28, 2011
How to Activate Find My iPhone for iOS 4
Apple last week rolled out a major update for its mobile operating system iOS 4, and among the new features is a nifty free tool: Find My iPhone.
As its name suggests, Find My iPhone is a tracking feature to locate a missing iPhone 4, iPad or fourth-generation iPod Touch. (Only the latest models get the free feature.) If you’ve dropped your iDevice in a cab, or if someone’s stolen it, you can hop on a computer to follow the GPS coordinates of the iPhone on a Google map (see above).
Or, if you’re just absent-minded like me and you misplace your iPhone as often as you lose your keys, you can use your computer to trigger a beeping sound to help you find it. It should be loud enough to hear from under a couch cushion. (You’ll never have to bug a friend to call your phone again.)
If you do indeed think your iPhone is in the hands of a thief, you can use Find My iPhone to remotely lock the device or wipe the data. (Do note, however, that a clever thief could just remove the SIM card, and you wouldn’t be able to track or wipe the phone.)
Of the many new features in iOS 4.2.1, I found this one to be one of the sweetest bonuses. Find My iPhone originally was only available as part of a MobileMe subscription, which costs $10 per month. Making it free was a nice move on Apple’s part: An iPhone can potentially contain a treasure trove of personal information, so losing one is a big deal.
You need to activate Find My iPhone before you lose your phone, so do it now. Since the steps to turn this useful feature on aren’t immediately obvious, here’s how to do it:
1. Make sure you have the latest iOS update (iOS 4.2.1) installed. Plug in your iPhone and click “Check for updates” in iTunes to get the software.
2. With iOS 4.2.1 installed, tap the Settings app on your iPhone. Then tap “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” and “Add Account.”
3. In the account menu, enter your iTunes or Apple ID and password (i.e., the login you use to buy iTunes media on the iPhone).
4. The “Find My iPhone” option should appear. Slide it to “ON” to activate it.”
And you’re done! From here on, you can hop on a computer and enter www.me.com in a web browser. Then enter the same login credentials you used to register for Find My iPhone, and you’ll immediately get a GPS reading of the phone, along with a simple menu of buttons allowing you to lock, wipe, or send a message or sound to the iPhone.
Brian is a Wired.com technology reporter focusing on Apple and Microsoft. He’s also writing a book about the always-connected mobile future called Always On (publishing April 2011 by Da Capo).
Follow @bxchen and @gadgetlab on Twitter.
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Source:wired.com
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on November 29, 2010
London Police Bust Suspected iPhone Crime Ring
London detectives on Wednesday arrested nine people suspected of a massive iPhone and credit card scam.
The suspected thieves eight men and one woman are accused of using fake credit cards and identities to purchase iPhones on in the UK, and then selling them through a middle man for up to 450 each.
UK carrier O2 contacted police after noticing a loss of 1.2 million worth of premium phone calls that the alleged thieves placed with the fraudulent phone accounts, leading police to a monthlong investigation.
The officers seized about 15,000 worth of brand new mobile phones, along with hundreds of other SIM cards, computers, cash and fake documents in raids in London, Southend, Walsall, Birmingham and Middlesbrough, according to BBC News, which originally reported the story.
Via AppleInsider
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Source:wired.com
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on August 19, 2010
Geek And Thief Come Face To Face Thanks To Find My IPhone
A LiveJournal blogger tells the first riveting tale involving Find My iPhone, a new feature in the latest iPhone 3.0 operating system designed to help users recover their lost or stolen iPhones.
Kevin Miller, who goes by the LJ handle HappyWaffle, recounts his experience quite thoroughly. In summary: After attending Brickworld, the world’s largest Lego convention, Kevin and his friends end up at a dive bar in uptown Chicago, where he accidentally (and perhaps drunkenly) leaves his iPhone. They return to the bar to recover it, but the iPhone is apparently in the hands of an individual who still subscribes to the philosophy of “Finders, Keepers.”
The group proceeds to use a MacBook Pro and Sprint wireless EVDO card to log in to Apple’s MobileMe internet service, where a map spits out the location of the iPhone. From thereon, the story gets exciting: The trio of “skinny white guys” stumbles into a Puerto Rican neighborhood. (He notes that he brings up race only to illustrate that he and his friends stood out awkardly.) Kevin uses MobileMe to send messages to his phone requesting it be returned.
Then, in a dramatic turn of events, the dot on the map begins to move, and the group chases it. After a game of refresh-the-map-and-chase, they eventually come face to face with the thief, and he sheepishly hands it back over.
Amusing tale, though we’re not very thrilled about the idea that Find My iPhone is conducive to confrontation, as demonstrated by Kevin. The outcome could have been far different had the thief been armed.
What are your thoughts about Find My iPhone and how it was used in this particular story? Any suggestions for how this feature can be used more prudently? Add your comments below.
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by publisher on June 23, 2009
