iPhone thieves collared by Jobsian GPS

The telltale status symbol

By Rik Myslewski in San Francisco • Get more from this author

Posted in Mobile, 31st August 2009 20:19 GMT

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A trio of blundering brigands have been busted after an iPhone they had stolen betrayed their whereabouts.

This tale of technology overcoming uninformed criminality comes to us from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which reported Monday that an unnamed victim was robbed of his iPhone and wallet early Sunday morning.

Apparently, the three thuggee wannabes were unaware of the Find My iPhone feature of Apple's MobileMe online service, which uses the iPhone's GPS to pinpoint a lost or stolen Jesus Phone.

According to the PPG, the iPhone's owner used MobileMe to track the highwaymen to a local Wal-Mart and then to an Eat'n Park restaurant. The chronicle, however, is silent as to whether they were dining on an Original Breakfast Smile, Super Griddle Smile, or Eat'n Smart Smile.

Johnny Law finally collared the crooks at a gas station, and when searching their 2004 Dodge van found the victim's I.D., credit cards, and cash - and presumably also the tattletale iPhone.

Bryant Rather, Brent Ray Potter, and Myron Knox Jr. are now getting free lodging and three squares a day at the local hoosegow, undoubtedly berating themselves for not paying closer attention to the The Reg's coverage of the anti-theft prowess of iPhone Software 3.0 and MobileMe. ®

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