iPad bandits stake out NYC Apple store
Distracting device nicked in distraction robberies
iPads have become the latest must-nick item amongst New York's ever inventive criminal fraternity.
However, while the device's portability and all round loveliness is part of the attraction, we suspect NYC's crims are not reading Wired during their downtime.
Rather the big iPhones' light weight and high value makes them eminently pilferable, and just as easy to sell on. (We'll leave it to Apple to announce whether or not it is able to track "virgin" nicked iPads)
The New York Post reports two instances of iPad banditry last week alone.
In one, the perp took advantage of a slightly distracted delivery driver who was stacking the latest delivery of the fondleslabs outside the Broadway and 67th store. He took to his heels with a crate packing five of the iPads.
A mere two days later, the paper reports, a pair of thieves swiped another five from another delivery driver. One distracted the driver by asking for directions, while his accomplice lifted the goods.
It is not recorded whether the driver was himself using an iPad to find the directions for the purportedly geographically-challenged patsy.
Apparently a store worker told the paper that even the staff are not told delivery times, such is the fear of further nabbings - or perhaps Apple simply likes to keep the thieves in the same state of agitated anticipation as its paying customers. ®
COMMENTS
And that's why we don't want you in NYC
What an idiot suggesting people should have a wild west shoot out to prevent iPad theft.
Really? Is killing a sneak thief the appropriate response to theft?
8 million plus people in this small space requires a little more civilization than whatever you can muster up in your wild-west fantasy land of suburban boredom. The reason people don't steal iPads from UPS men in your area is that they drive up to loading docks in the local mall. Here in a real city, the driver is double parked on a real street and loading stuff onto a hand cart.
That makes it a little more difficult for deliveries, but the upside is that we can walk places rather than drive from mall to mall in four ton SUVs. And that's why people want to live here and why tourists want to visit. No need for internet tough guy Dirty Harry wannabees to stride around the streets with their penis substitutes.
"all round loveliness"?
That's how you describe a favourite pet or cherished loved one, not a chunk of metal and plastic!
They are the must have gadget and thieving scum will nick anything that they know they can flog off for some pocket money, when demand is high.
Now if only we could get a run on the price of dog-shit, we'd have cleaner streets in days! That or a run on dog-knappings!
Geo-tracking
Well it wouldn't be able to track via GPS as it's passive, and if it's the non-3G/GPS version there's absolutely no chance.
However (if the 3G model was nicked) as a mobile device, it surely has an IMEI and can be added to the mobile blacklists.
A vaild use for geo-tracking?
Surely the serial / ID numbers of these devices will be known and can be used to locate and recover them?
Or is that tech only used to spy on^H^H^H^H^H^H benefit customers?
A great way to get an iPad
Without helping greedy Jobsy get any richer. I can save my £500 or perhaps donate it to a worthy cause. Sorry, must rush, somebody's just left the store and... yes, it's an overweight fanboy clutching his newly aquired Jobsian Fondlepad. Where is my baseball bat?
