Mobiles that scream when stolen

[rpm]

http://www.mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=4424

 

[Syndyre]

Saw this on the BBC a while ago. But what stops you removing the battery after you steal it and then flashing the phone software?

 

[noxibox]

Saw this on the BBC a while ago. But what stops you removing the battery after you steal it and then flashing the phone software?

Will the brutality never stop

How about a cellphone that screams/begs and pleads when you try to turn it off (i.e. kill it)? Perhaps finally an excuse to leave your phone on - "I just couldn't bring myself to turn the poor thing off".

 

[rph72]

Brilliant, until you see the subscription amount.

 

[ic]

"Theft-proof phones spell disaster for the huge criminal industry that has profited from mobile theft for too long," he added.

A tad optimistic IMO - more like theft-resistant than "theft-proof" - it would not prevent cellery phones from being stolen in SA, bcos criminals are unlikely to stop and examine whether the phone is a screamer [compared to the millions upon millions of other phones] before stealing it and at the very least making a few crime calls before ditching a screamer - that is assuming that screamers cannot be reflashed and another IMEI number assigned [SA's criminals don't play by Queensberry rules]...

 

[lilDeath]

Hardly a solution this.
How else do syndicates operate if not with ever-changing cell ID's, which they get by stealing, and ditching them shortly after.
Thiefs are not as technologically challenged as people / public perceive them to be. Although they might count on it...

 

[Freaksta]

Could always sell the phone for spare parts...........

 

[cdi]

Could always sell the phone for spare parts...........

Or even sell it to to someone real cheap just make sure he does not switch it on and if he does tell him the service prover are having problems today.

If people beleive all thse chain letters they will beleive this as well. Don't know but I beleive flashing the phone's memory will fix it as that is probaly how they do this screeming in the first place. With other words this will only ensure that stolen phones now will have the latest version of software.

Hi boss you want this Nokia it has the latest patch loaded as well real cheap

 

[The_Unbeliever]

nice... now if you're sure that all of parliament's in session then you can bribe some techie to flag all their phones as stolen and watch parly erupts as everybody's phones start screaming...

 

[ebendl]

Does this work on any phone? Then it must mean that they install some sort of special firmware onto the phone to actually include this service. Might it not be possible that this firmware locks the flashing of the phone, thereby also stopping that problem.

If, however, it is only say a Symbian app running on a Nokia smartphone, then it is kind of silly to go with this service - there's apps doing the exact same thing. (Name has escaped me, though!). Basically you install it, and it monitors for a different SIM-card. As soon as the SIM changed, it locks the phone and sends an SMS to a pre-defined number (thereby also giving you the new number). Additionally, you can SMS your phone with a special command to lock it (for example, if the person actually continues using your SIM).