Apple Wants iPod to Charge Only For You (Not Thieves)
July 29, 2007 by Lauren
Yet another attempt to cut down on theft is being considered by Apple. There's already a slew of things you can do for yourself to protect any gadget, though at the end of the day, anything can still get swiped. I'm not sure if this is the most foolproof method to employ, but it's the new concept and it could be a nice feature, regardless. The plan is to make iPhones charge for you and you only, rendering stolen phones useless, attractive bricks after a period of time.
It only makes sense to try something new, as the iPhone is as hot as ever and still being stolen enough to break anyone's heart. Though it sounds potentially inconvenient at some point, the technology refuses to charge an iPhone that has been connected with an unauthorized computer.
"For devices that are mainly
powered by a rechargeable-power-supply (eg. music-players, phones,
Personal Digital Assistants), disabling the recharger effectively
renders the device inoperable when the power of the main power-supply
has run out," Apple notes in the filing. "As such, disabling the recharger should serve as a deterrent to theft."
It really seems obvious and easy, so at the same time, why haven't we tried it before? Well played, Apple. When plugged into a computer, the codes burried in your iPhone and in your software are compared for a match. Naturally, if these codes don't match, the "guardian circuit" could be triggered to prevent any further charging. The guardian circuit itself is suggested in the patent and would be attatched to the charging unit; it could/would prevent further charging if necessary, hence the name.
It's as I've said before, this isn't necessarily the most effective attempt at improving security. For the measures to work, every crook and criminal would have to actually realize the iPhones won't charge for them. Otherwise, these gadgets will be swept up and gone from your possession, business as usual. It simply isn't as if a thief is going to retrun the phone to your doorstep, even once they realize that it's no good to them. That said, I do like the concept and would look forward to its inclusion.
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