Stolen Ipad

HuskieN wrote:

Find my iPhone was always a free service that any user with an Apple ID could use. It's unfortunate that most don't know how to use it.

I am not sure why you would think that. You must think that Apple users are a stupid bunch. Whlst better than nothing, the 'find me' and 'lock' functions are far from foolproof. All a thief has to do is delete the users email details or move the slider in iCloud and the stolen iPad will never show up when connected to the internet. Which is exactly what has happened to my iPad2.

HuskieN wrote:

Don't be so careless with your iPad. Lots of people want these things; and

robbers aren't going to be nice and just skip you to rob somebody else.

I hope you never find out the hard way that, even if you are VERY careful, thieves can be VERY clever!

Apple users generally are a not so bright bunch as compared to the Android people who are generally techies, with some iPhone people in with the mix. I'm still an Apple guy, but it's just what seems to be the truth.

If a robber breaks into my house, I'd have bigger things to worry about than my iPad getting stolen. My WiFi iPad never leaves the house, I don't have much use for it elsewhere.

You know, do you think Samsung and those other tablet makers track their devices? No, they don't. It'd cost too much for Apple to include this as a feature that many people wouldn't even use. Not to mention the lawsuits from paranoid people that Apple will sell their information and give it to the government or something else.

I don't know what you mean by move the slider in iCloud since I've never tried looking my iPad's location on my computer, but I'm pretty sure it'd need a passcode.

Out of order, I know.

Aside from being rude, you're factually wrong.

Other vendors *do* lock their devices upoon reports of theft. B&N locks their Nooks and Amazon locks their Kindles. Both will result in an unusable device (short of the Nook Color where a thief can install an alternate operating system). In order to activate and use the device, the user must submit proof of ownership to 3rd tier customer support--the only level staff that can remove a device from the blacklist. So in fact, vendors can and do retain personal information and will blacklist a device and only unlock upon proof of ownership.

Samsun is an OEM vendor of tablets so that's not relevant to what B&N, Amazon, and Apple do or ought to do for end users.

Similar to the analogy regarding cars and GPS theft recovery, your position on this is based on ignorance regarding standard operating procedure. It's only Apple that refuses to provide this level of security for its customers for reasons that do not logicaly cohere.

Doesn't stop the thief from going to an area where there is no WiFi or 3G, and either installing a new OS on it, or resetting it. I don't even know why I got myself into this lost cause of a thread that won't gain traction, so I'm getting out.

As it stands currently, there is no alternate OS to install on an Apple device and there is no way to reset the UDID of an Apple device. A theif can never alter ther serial of a Nook Color, either, it will always be blacklisted. The thief can install a custom android operating system, that's not relevant to an iPad discussion however, but will never be able to register the device with B&N and use it with the official software or get free wifi at a store.

I'm not sure why you got yourself into this discussion, either, so far from your posts it appears because you were attempting to troll. Luckily, I can post the correct information and I'll leave it up to others to ignore your personal based insults at Apple users in general.

Regardless, Apple does not do what you want.

Send suggestions here (which is far more likely to get something done rather than arguing here).

-> http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I understand privacy, but it's just a blanket in this case. Here's what CAN be done, but isn't. Apple has a list of MAC addresses asscoiated with their device's serial numbers. A MAC address is much harder to "Forge" than just "Resetting" the device to factory defaults. This is a combination of numbers and letters that are the "Thumbprint" of ANY device connecting to ANY internet. If someone steals an Apple product, yes, tehy are going to reset it to bypass security protocols. It would be phenominal is Apple woould work with Law Enforcement to give them the MAC address associated with the owner's device so it can be flagged. Then the law enforcement could contact major Internet Service Providers and have an alert be sent to their department notifying them of when that device connects to the internet on that company's network. Then, Law Enforcement could obtain necessary paperwork to obtain the exact location of the device's access point, and be that much closer to recovering it, with probable cause and legally. THAT, my friends, is the real solution to solving this. But, apparently, in America, who the **** cares what's right, or possible. Glad I can go to Iraq to help ensure ***holes get their "Privacy" and our devices.

To quote Chris CA:

Regardless, Apple does not do what you want.

Send suggestions here (which is far more likely to get something done rather than arguing here).

-> http://www.apple.com/feedback/

I downloaded and installed the free MobileMe device finder. If you leave it some where e.g. Japan you and use your iPhone or another iPad to locate it. However we all know GPS is accurate for radius whose door would you knock on ? Suppose ten people have iPods in this area for stolen item who is the their ? Thats why there is no service of sort unless you have Mac ip tracing burned into iPad not sure if there are companies that offer such service. Sorry for your loss.

Sorry for typos I used my iPad. It should read "...item who is the thief"

Just had a new (unregistered) iPad stolen. All we had to go on was the serial number of the device which we had to go to the store it was purchased at to obtain. The police got a warrant, and went to Apple with the serial number. Apple looked up who it was registered to, and where the registration occured. iPad recovered.

My daughter's iPad was just stolen yesterday. JPO933 when you say that the police got a warrant and went to Apple with the serial number, how was that done? Just curious. We filed a police report but I get the impression that, unless they recover it in a raid or something, I'm just screwed.

I have only been an Apple customer a couple of weeks and I guess I was just naive to think that this device could be located when someone else logs into iTunes. I have locked it remotely but if they delete everything off of it, I guess the "Find my iPhone" app is useless too because it's not showing up at all.

Thanks for listening...

When a device it registered, Apple has that name associated to the device by the serial number. I'm not sure if they record anything else like IP address.

The events went like this:

-Device stolen

-Police report filed

-Serial number obtained from retail store

-Apple contacted, will not release name of person who registered device

-Police contacted again, told device was registered, Apple will only release info with a warrant

-Warrant and police contact Apple

-Police contact us with identity

I'm not sure of the exchange between Apple and the Police. I don't know if they found the thief by their name (they registered the stolen device with their real name), or IP address. Either way, we recovered the device on the personal level since they were an acquaintance. If not, the police would have done the work to get it back.

Thanks JP0933 for your timely response!

That's an awesome police department. The iPad was just stolen last night and we filed a police report today and gave them the serial number.

I guess I will have to push the Police Department here to get a warrant and contact Apple. I wonder if they'll even do this? I wonder how long it will take for someone else to try and register it with iTunes.

Ugh!! Thanks again!

Hi, I'm sorry for your lost, like you I had my Ipad stolen, but from under my nose. My Ipad was a Christmas gift from my sons and daughter in 2009. I had my Ipad in a rolling case together with my wallet, my rolling case was hidden under a table covered by a skirt. I used my Ipad all week long and when I wasn't using it it stayed in the case. Last Wednesday 29-Feb I was again working only this time I had no time to pull my Ipad from the case, when I returned to my hotel room and went to pull the Ipad ouit of my case it was missing. I had read many storys like yours and didn't even bother to report it. I know for a fact that no one is going to make an effort to find it, morover, I live in Florida and this happened to me in New Orleans. The way I see it is like this; even though Apple has the technology to find any of their products out there they will not do anything help find the Ipad. The reason for this is that people like us love Apple products particularly the Ipad, people like us will turn around and buy another Ipad and thats what Apple wants us to do. It's all about the money, will Apple put their resources to try to locate something that we ourselves have part of the blame, no they won't. They are so confident in their product that they know we will turn around and buy another one. Tomorow I will take part of IRS return and go buy another Ipad, that is what Apple is counting on, and they are getting away with it...