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Summit Seeks to Reduce iPod, Gadgets as a Crime Target

Monday, April 30th, 2007 at 4:55 PM - by

Home Secretary John Reid would like to reduce the attractiveness of personal electronic gadgets as targets of crime, and he's forming a summit meeting in the UK with Apple and Sony invited to discuss the problem, according to Computing (UK) on Monday.

"If I had one piece of advice it would be to ask the manufacturers to design in features which reduce crimes," Mr. Reid told the BBC.

Mr. Reid wants the manufacturers to design in features that would make the devices useless if stolen and useless to sell by thieves. One such system already in place for mobile phones is called the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) system. When such a phone is stolen, it can be disabled the next time it connects to the network.

As a result, theives are turning their attention from phones to music players and GPS devices without such protection.

The story noted that the IMEI would not work for iPods, since portable music players don't log onto a network when used. Such details will likely be discussed at the summit meeting.

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Bosco said:

member since 03 Jun 2002 with 1002 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Apr 30, 2007 6:42 pm

Here's an idea for Apple. They could put a sticker on the iPod which reads "DELL DJ Ditty". Is that what the Home Secretary is looking for?

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A guest said: (hide)

Tue May 01, 2007 10:05 am

Maybe a "Zune Jacket" that camouflages your iPod as a Zune will make it theft proof.

Then you only risk mocokery from people who think you actually bought a Zune....

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