Apple replaces broken iPhones – even if they’re stolen

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

There’s nothing worse than having your phone stolen: your contacts, photos, data, all in someone else’s hands. It’s especially bad if it’s a high-end smartphone, and even worse if it’s an iPhone — and not only because the handsets are so expensive.

Last week, PC Pro reader Simon wrote to us, explaining that his daughter Charlie’s phone had been stolen three months ago. Since then, she’s been locked in a battle with her insurance company to get a replacement. That firm, Protect My Bubble, has refused to pay out because Apple has already replaced the phone, with the identifying number (IMEI)  for the stolen device showing on the system as being “replaced”.

(more…)

How to physically secure your business hardware

Friday, January 21st, 2011

There seems to be something of a misconception, at the smaller end of the business scale at least, that data security is somehow a terribly complex thing that is also expensive to achieve properly. This myth is no doubt massaged just a little bit by small business consultants with one eye on the invoice.

The truth of the matter is somewhat different, of course, and basic data security is neither difficult nor expensive to achieve. All it takes is a little bit of technical know-how and an awful lot of common sense.

(more…)

iPhone still flying off shelves

Friday, November 7th, 2008

Apparently the O2 store just around the corner from PC Pro towers on Oxford Street is having to beef up security after an Applephilic tea-leaf stole eight display models right from their docks. Brave? Undoubtedly. Stupid? Yup.

Quite what anyone would do with a stolen handset is beyond me; they won’t have a contract, for starters, and the IMEI numbers will surely be known, so as soon as you turn one on it will be deactivated.

Time will tell what the new security measures are, but I suspect they will involve no longer leaving expensive handsets sitting on a table near the door.

Just for the record, I picked up an iPhone in the last few days from the 02 store, but I paid cash-money. Honest.