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We imagine Steve Jobs knows about this: The NYPD is offering to etch an ID number on your iPod so it'll be easier for you to get it back if (God forbid!) it gets lost or stolen. The Daily New reports that NYPD has registered 2100 units so far, with NYPD Transit Bureau crime prevention commanding officer Sergeant William Buckley explaining:
Overall crime is down in the subways, but for iPods and cell phones, unfortunately it's up.Yeah - and it's so much harder to hold onto a laptop than an iPod! Apparently the "ghostly etching" (special ink that can be seen with infrared) can be removed, so police are also logging serial numbers. Which reminds us that we should be keeping track of serial numbers anyway.These are simple crimes of opportunity. You might be sitting by a door listening to your iPod, not looking around you, and a thief waits for the three seconds before the subway doors close to grab it.
We're working on a list of locations where you can get IDs for your electronic devices, but we think one location is Grand Central. And do you have any tips for keeping your gadget badge items?
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Get a remote for your electronic device. Use it. Keep your device in your pocket, where the "less fortunate" can't get to it.
If you have a PSP, use the wrist strap, so that your electronics-deprived thief takes your arm with it.
As for the age-old "use different color earphones" trick, there are a surprising number of people that use Apple iPod earphones on their CD players, so it doesn't matter.
The whole serial number thing is kinda useless, unless the police start catching iPod thieves. But note it down anyway.
"Get a remote for your electronic device. Use it. Keep your device in your pocket, where the "less fortunate" can't get to it."
but then how would everyone know how cool these iPeople are if they don't have it in their hands to show off? ;)
exactly, what good is my ipod if i can't hold it browsing my entire cd library?
and, videos.
remote, schmeemote, i want my ipod, itunes, ilife.
My iAudio X5L has a 30gig drive, and the remote has a display on that lets you browse the entire contents through it. Apple should have thuoght of that...
I agree with papercutninja. I got black earphones for my iPod, and it was still swiped out of my pocket when I was going through a turnstile (my hands were full of luggage).
Also, this whole iPod registering thing would only work if the NYPD actually catches the iPod thieves -- which they never do.
I have an iAudio X5L also... I don't have the remote for it, but I still love it!
Seriously kids, just set your shit to shuffle and keep that thing in your pockets. If you still feel the need to keep your player in plain view, at the very least stay away from the doors when you're doing it.
breaking news,
IT's A TRAP!
I knew it,
it's not IR, it's UV.
so it's not "etched" but written on your device, some inside the battery compartment.
so some bleach would just wipe it off.
they're using those dri-mark, counterfeit money markers to mark your item.
that and any deadhead has a blacklight at home where it will glow.
cherry garcia.
I highly doubt "deadheads" are stealing iPods. Most hippies choose a life of poverty, whereas the "people" stealing iPods can't avoid poverty but still blame it on the society-at-large.
This is so dumb, what a waste of NYPD time and tax payer money. This only makes any sense if the NYPD catches someone who has stollen an iPod, so what are they going to do frisk people for iPods and flash them with their super decoder light. What a bunch of crap. If people would stop showing off thier iPods then theft would be less of an issue. But then you wouldn't look as cool as you think you do, and you would actually have to listen to the music instead of just browse your millions.