Alleged iPad thief learns harsh GPS-delivered lesson

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 24 January 2012 20:04

Opinion and Analysis

Listen up, moronic thieves: if you're dumb enough to steal modern technology like iPads, iPhones and other smart, connected devices, you'd better be prepared to dance with the police - and very large dudes called Otis who have a bad habit of dropping the soap.

If you've ever had your iPhone or iPad stolen, and you were smart enough to activate 'Find My iPhone' on your device, there can be no sweeter justice than retrieving your stolen devices thanks to modern GPS technology.

Find My iPhone has worked incredibly well on many occasions to help people around the planet to retrieve lost or stolen devices, and while the success rate will never be 100%, it's certainly and undeniably higher than it has ever been in the past.

The latest alleged example of the stupidity of those god-awful idiots that feel it is their right to steal your hard-earned stuff comes from Adelaide, where a supposed 16-year old was tracked down thanks to an iPad's 'Find My iPad' feature being switched on.

We can only imagine the horror on the face and the dropped jaw of the alleged thief as they saw the law coming to bust down their door, metaphorically speaking, but it would certainly not have been anywhere near as horrific as it would have been for the poor person that had their iPad stolen in the first place.

Now, news reports do say that the iPad was stolen from a car, with a car being a really, really dumb place to store an iPad - even if only for a short time. 

Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be the last time we'll ever hear of GPS technology returning an iPad, iPhone, other iDevice or technology to its rightful owner because, by definition, thieves are a pretty stupid bunch.

I mean, they're dumb enough to think stealing is ok in the first place, and clearly, many are unaware of GPS technology, so please, dear readers - please keep your technology safe, out of sight and, especially when you're not in it, out of your car.

After all, while it's always great to get your gear back after it has been stolen, no-one wants to be in that position in the first place.

So'¦ thieves'¦ please, either steal something else, or get a clue, and stop stealing, while technology owners with iDevices or 'Find My iPhone' equivalents for their technologies should most definitely consider turning those features on.