MobileMe is Awesome! Recovered stolen iPad

[iKan]

Allays wanted an iPad, so here is the short version of an encredibal recovery.
My mother-in-law was shopping Apple Store for iTuches for grandchildren (always having her iPhone & iPad with) when latter shopping in 'a different store' in the mall, her iPad was stolen. She quickly went back to Apple Store to replace her beloved iPad so, they assisted in utilizing the MobileMe app. to "lock" the device. She comes home, tells me the story, and I tell her I can track its' movement. She tells me that if I can find or if it gets returned, I can have it. At the dinner table I pull out my iPhone and using MobileMe Find my 'device', I discover that it was in a house only 4 BLOCKS AWAY! People claimed to have found it and returned it to me. I LOVE my iPad AND MobileMe

 

[xune]

That is awesome! I have a similar story to share: about 9 months ago, my wife and I discovered that my iPhone was not in my pants pocket, where it usually is. We tried calling it, but could not hear it ring. We used our computer to locate it, and it showed it on a map where we had dinner the night before. I used the find my feature to type a message that if anyone finds this phone to please call us. About ten minutes later, we got a phone call from someone from the restaurant that someone had turned in my phone. I thanked them (a lot!) and drove to the restaurant, and after showing my ID and typing in my 4 digit pass lock in front of them, I was so happy to get my phone back. I asked if the person who turned in my phone was there so that I could thank them, but they said that she wasn't there. I told them to please tell her thank you and that I would definitely be recommending their restaurant for their honesty, not to mention, their good food! I also used it once when I left it at a friends house.

 

[chisaki]

Allays wanted an iPad, so here is the short version of an encredibal recovery.
My mother-in-law was shopping Apple Store for iTuches for grandchildren (always having her iPhone & iPad with) when latter shopping in 'a different store' in the mall, her iPad was stolen. She quickly went back to Apple Store to replace her beloved iPad so, they assisted in utilizing the MobileMe app. to "lock" the device. She comes home, tells me the story, and I tell her I can track its' movement. She tells me that if I can find or if it gets returned, I can have it. At the dinner table I pull out my iPhone and using MobileMe Find my 'device', I discover that it was in a house only 4 BLOCKS AWAY! People claimed to have found it and returned it to me. I LOVE my iPad AND MobileMe

I wonder who configured MobileMe on her iPad. If she had configured it, she should have known about it and how to lock it and find it.

Mine did NOT come configured.

 

[iKan]

She has Apple One-on-one and they set her up when she purchases from Apple Store.

 

[King Hal]

Another brilliant feature is the ability to remotely wipe it if you are unlikely to get it back.

 

[chisaki]

Another brilliant feature is the ability to remotely wipe it if you are unlikely to get it back.

These features (lock and wipe) would not work if the thief was familiar with the device. He would simply disable mobileme in settings.

To make find my iPhone useful, Apple should require the password be entered to disable mobileme.

 

[iKan]

Another brilliant feature is the ability to remotely wipe it if you are unlikely to get it back.

These features (lock and wipe) would not work if the thief was familiar with the device. He would simply disable mobileme in settings.

To make find my iPhone useful, Apple should require the password be entered to disable mobileme.

You are correct. And I agree. I can imagine Apple addressing that very issue in some, hopefully, near future update

 

[MachThree]

Another brilliant feature is the ability to remotely wipe it if you are unlikely to get it back.

These features (lock and wipe) would not work if the thief was familiar with the device. He would simply disable mobileme in settings.

To make find my iPhone useful, Apple should require the password be entered to disable mobileme.

Yes, but the thief would need the password to unlock the iPad to make such a change.

What would be more worrisome to me is that the thief can simply wipe the iPad him/herself using iTunes before you have a chance to find it with MobileMe.

 

[The Alternative]

Another brilliant feature is the ability to remotely wipe it if you are unlikely to get it back.

These features (lock and wipe) would not work if the thief was familiar with the device. He would simply disable mobileme in settings.

To make find my iPhone useful, Apple should require the password be entered to disable mobileme.

Yes, but the thief would need the password to unlock the iPad to make such a change.

What would be more worrisome to me is that the thief can simply wipe the iPad him/herself using iTunes before you have a chance to find it with MobileMe.

If you lock your iPad with a password someone would not be able to get into the settings to disable MobileMe. They would be locked out entirely.

 

[iKan]

True That!
The most secure one can be is to enable 'Passcode Lock'. However, this will impact the convenience of power/wakeup requiring entry every time.

A caveat of using 'Find my iPhone' (should be named '...device' since it works on an array of devices) is that:
1) 'Location Services' must be [on]
2) IF wifi device; THEN action will apply on connection. (There are several actions available)
3) IF 3G device; THEN action will apply when device is powered on (if not already on when using 'Find my...')

What Apple needs to do now that they have some of the hottest devices on the market, and at no nominal cost, is to incorporate security measures that:
1) Require some method (Apple ID perhaps) to access the 'Settings' app. (Thus securing 'Location Services' and a LOT more)
2) Require some method (Apple ID perhaps) to "associate the device to owner" somehow disallowing someone else to sync and wipe on some other iTunes account. (Seems to be easily done since the serial number is, at least, viewed when tethered to iTunes)

 

[Wakawaka]

I set my passlock to an hour. This way if I use it a bit, I only need to unlock once.

If over an hour, I enter a code. Not too bad..

I never figured ot though, if say someone stole the iPad, if they kept using it within an hour limit, got it home and hooked it up to itunes to restore it to factory condition, would they be able to?

Or would they just have to use it at least once every 59 minutes for the rest of their lives in order to use it?

 

[iKan]

iKan

I set my passlock to an hour. This way if I use it a bit, I only need to unlock once.

If over an hour, I enter a code. Not too bad..

I never figured ot though, if say someone stole the iPad, if they kept using it within an hour limit, got it home and hooked it up to itunes to restore it to factory condition, would they be able to?

Or would they just have to use it at least once every 59 minutes for the rest of their lives in order to use it?

Well, I won't pretend to know everything on the subject at this time however, seems to me that if one can connect to an iTunes, then can be reset to factory and therefore become theirs. Take for instance, you get a new one and give the old one to a friend. They now can sync and reset to be their own.
This is why I proposed a method of better security in Apple ID and ownership thus requiring one to 'reset to factory' before giving device away

 

[xune]

Only the mobile me account holder has the ability to find, lock, display message, or wipe data with their password.

Also, it is my understanding(not confirmed) that if in order for iTunes to connect with an iOS device that has been passcode protected, that passcode must be entered first. I think I'll find out tomorrow by testing this out and post if this is the case or not.

I any case, i enable all of my iOS devices with a passcode. Hardly an impact on convenience from wakeup imo. I'd rather take a couple seconds to enter my passcode than to have unauthorized access to my devices.

There's more of course to MobileMe than just finding and recovering your iOS device. It also streams your own stored media content to your Apple TV, without any other device or computer on or in the home. And it syncs mail, calendar appts, photos, videos, notes, docs, presentations, spreadsheets, ect from Mac or PC to and from your iOS device, making our iPads that much more useful as tablet computers.

 

[tap50]

Does this really work with a WiFi only device? The stolen device would need to be connected to wifi in order to be found, right? And how does it know exactly where it is? Wifi only doesn't have GPS. My wifi only iPad knows the city I'm in, but not the exact location.

Todd

 

[xune]

Yes it works just as well with wifi. It's precise down to a few meters from the wifi router.