I'd sooner steal a nice little Chanel bag.

This has been going on for a couple of years and they stole my iphone twice on the subway. The police told me it was a common occurrence since the iphone and sidekick came out. Iphones are more expensive without the plan.

Precisely. That's the same thing I asked before. It appears that every iphone has its own identification and without the proper registration it wont work. Unless of course someone has found a way around it, but I haven't heard of that yet.

So without the registration the phone is basically useless. I know that because when I bought my second generation iphone I tried to jump to another number that I had and it didn't register. Hopefully this is the case, and bravo for AT&T and Apple to come up with that solution.

i lost my 1st gen iphone once in the subway because i stupidly sat next to the door.

i called up apple and at&t, having read about the identification thing, and thinking if they could somehow track or block the thief from using the phone by giving them my iphone's IME number and all.

Nope. They can't do it, that's what they said.

which i conclude, if the thief is smart enough, he can use the iphone regardless of the registration, because iphone is unlockable (including 2nd gen now as the tool has just been released a while ago).

I recommend iphone users out there to install this lojack program called iLocalis where you can track your phone online, which was not available then when my first iphone was stolen.

Thanks Kunt I will seek out that program.

no, i don't think they are targeting Sidekicks more so than any other phone. they'll take any bbry, iphone, ipod, zune, sidekick, palm, etc from your hand that they can sell or use themselves.

they target the people immersed in their technology, sobeware of a people on the train, and put your stuff away when you are not using it.

a friend recently witnessed a girl getting her ipod ripped out of her hand as a few men/teens exited the downtown a,c,e at W. 4th. not cool.

When I'm watching video on my ipod touch I always sit in the middle of the row, further from the doors, to make myself a slightly less attractive target. But makes me feel better, but I'm not sure how much it changes the probability of getting sucker punched and robbed as the doors close.

@snoopydog: I think 1st generation iphones can be unlocked pretty easily. My 2nd gen touch, not so much.

I think they're targeting Sidekicks. at least, that's the phone I see all the teens with. not iphones, iphones are another demographic.

Problem is no one has common sense or street smarts anymore.

I believe iphones have their own individual chips that need to recognized by the service supplier. If you steal one how do you get it to work if the owner notifies the supplier?

I'm glad. I'm sick and tired of the ignorami yapping and yapping all the time. Some people can just never shut the fuck up!!!