Thieving Christmas Scrooge Gets Caught By Stealing Neighbor’s iPad

By Oliver Haslam on Dec 29, 2011

This isn’t the first time that Apple’s Find my iPhone service has helped to recover a lost device, but with Christmas involved in this particular story (as well as a resoundingly happy ending) we thought we would share it.

At around 3:30am on Christmas morning, a Westlake Village man was awoken by the noise of a burglar stealing Christmas gifts from his house. Amongst them was an iPad, which had, thankfully, already been activated and set up with an Apple ID. After a short foot chase the thief got away, but not for long.

The next morning, the owner of the iPad set about tracking the device and discovered that it was only a few doors away… Read More

 

Alec Baldwin Gets Kicked Off a Plane For Using His iPhone to Play Words with Friends

By Alex Heath on Dec 7, 2011

Following our recent post about why you have to turn your iPhone off during take-off, famous actor Alec Baldwin didn’t apparently get the memo that you’re supposed to have your electronic devices off while the plane is idling at its gate.

Baldwin furiously tweeted about getting kicked off an American Airlines plane for using his iPhone to play Words with Friends in the cabin. He ended up choosing the game over the flight. Read More

 

iPhone Sets Itself On Fire Aboard an Australian Flight

By Oliver Haslam on Nov 28, 2011

If there is one thing you really don’t want to happen, it’s your iPhone setting itself on fire. If there’s something you really, really don’t want to happen, it’s the aforementioned combustion happening on an airplane!

During a flight between Lismore and Sydney, Australia, a passenger’s iPhone began to emit “a significant amount of dense smoke, accompanied by a red glow,” which apparently isn’t a good thing to happen mid-air.

The fire was extinguished and the flight landed safely, but the poor iPhone has certainly not survived… Read More

 

Some Oregon Voters to Use iPads For Today’s Election

By Cody Lee on Nov 8, 2011

Not even Apple could have foreseen the impact its tablet would have across multiple industries. Health, education, enterprise, music — they’ve all been affected in one way or another by the popular slate. In fact, iPads are slowly replacing computers in public schools.

Now it appears that the iPad is set to take on another field. Politics. According to Yahoo News, Apple’s tablet is going to be taking a key part in a special primary election in Oregon today to replace former US Representative David Wu… Read More

 

Man Builds a Smartphone Dock Into His Prosthetic Arm

By Alex Heath on Oct 25, 2011

Trevor Prideaux from the U.K. was born without his left arm. At age 50, he has embedded a dock for his smartphone into his fibreglass and laminate prosthetic limb.

The Telegraph reports that medical experts chiseled a fibrecast cradle for Prideaux’s fake arm so that he could text and check his phone easily. The only problem? Prideaux uses a Nokia C7… Read More

 

How to Steal $60,000 in iPads in 60 Seconds

By Alex Heath on Sep 14, 2011

Florida Police are looking for three men that stole $60,000 in iPads from a local Best Buy in 60 seconds. The trio of culprits broke into a Best Buy early in the morning Monday and made away with 60-90 iPads.

That’s one way to avoid Apple’s online shipping dates. The cast of Oceans 11 would be proud. Read More

 

iPod Touch Serves as Memory for Amnesia Patients

By Cody Lee on Aug 12, 2011

As much as we’ve made fun of the terminology, Apple’s iDevices seem to have lived up to the “magical” expectations we’ve heard tossed around in Apple’s own commercials. Remember Holly Bligh? Her sight problems required her to lug around clunky assistive equipment — until she got an iPad.

And that’s not the only success story we’ve heard. Apple’s easy-to-use devices have been deployed in several programs for autistic children, and their tablet is replacing textbooks in some school districts. Now comes a story out of Ontario, Canada, about how the iPod touch is helping amnesiacs… Read More

 

It’s Easier to Steal an iPad From Walmart Than You Think

By Oliver Haslam on Aug 11, 2011

When you have a highly desirable product that’s worth hundreds of dollars, it’s an unfortunate inevitability that it will become the target for thieves. According to Crime Stoppers, this is just what’s happening to Apple’s iPad across the United States, with one Walmart store being the latest to feel the force of the unscrupulous public.

An article on DailyWorld tells of a theft at the Eunice Walmart, where two iPads were taken using the simplest of methods, and the Police are appealing for help in catching the perpetrators… Read More

 

Stolen iPhone’s Journey Seen Through the Eyes of a Getaway Car

By Alex Heath on Jul 24, 2011

We’ve told you plenty of interesting stories that involve thievery and the iPhone. This one is no exception.

Sue Huang’s iPhone was taken, and she finally got it back five days later after the thief ransomed it back to her. Thanks to the iPhone’s GPS, Sue and her friend Brian were able to recreate where her iPhone had been during the five days that the thief drove around with the device in his car.

They stitched together a video of the stolen iPhone’s Google Street View location as it moved throughout the city of LA during a period of five days… Read More

 

iPhone 4 Falls 13,500 Feet and Lives to Tell the Tale

By Oliver Haslam on Jul 20, 2011

Apple’s iPhone 4 isn’t really known for being a sturdy device. Handsets have been known to almost explode upon impact with the ground, even when dropped from a modest height. With that in mind, we’re surprised to hear that one particular iPhone 4 managed to survive a fall of 13,500ft from the pocket of its skydiving owner.

Now granted, it’s not going to win any awards for aesthetics since its plunge, but amazingly, the handset can still make and receive telephone calls… Read More

 

China is the Land of Fake iPhones and Fake… Apple Stores?

By Alex Heath on Jul 20, 2011

We all know that China is the land of fake iPhones and bootleg tech. One-third of the iPhones in China are jailbroken, and we’ve seen countless ripoffs and iPhone look-a-likes come from the Asia Pacific region.

But what about physical, brick and mortar ripoffs of the Apple store? Apparently, carbon copy clones of the Apple Store abound in China, and Apple has yet to do anything about them… Read More

 

Woman Offering an iPad in Exchange for Her Soulmate

By Alex Heath on Jul 19, 2011

Would you like a free iPad? Yes? Then we have an opportunity for you. Téa Smith is looking for Mr. Right. And she’s willing to give the person that finds her a husband their very own iPad.

In her quest for romance, originally reported by The West, Téa decided to take to Twitter and announce that she would exchange an iPad for her future husband. She posted an open job opportunity for the whole internet to see, and she wants results… Read More

 

TSA Agent Caught with iPad in His Pants

By Alex Heath on Jul 13, 2011

Yes, you read that headline correctly. While Americans have plenty of complaints with our nation’s Transportation Security Administration, we can’t deny that one agent in particular has… gonads (pardon the pun).

That’s right, the now-convicted TSA agent, Nelson Santiago, was caught attempting to steal an iPad by means of stuffing it in his pants… Read More

 

iPhone Tracks Down and Helps Arrest Burglars

By Alex Heath on Jul 7, 2011

We love these types of stories on iDB. When the iPhone is used to thwart criminals, it’s always fun to read about.

The story of Lilli Gordon and her missing iPhone details how the smartphone’s GPS was used by authorities to track down the thieves and Lilli’s stolen valuables. Hopefully stories like this will teach would-be-prowlers that smartphones aren’t the best items to steal… Read More

 

A Humorous iPhone 4 Anecdote

By Nick Prokesch on Jun 22, 2011

I have a friend who works at Radio Shack. He sells a lot of AT&T iPhones to customers and recently had a humorous story to share with me.

A woman entered the store and angrily asked for a sales associate. My friend responded to her, and asked her what the issue was. She held up her brand new iPhone 4 that she had purchased the week before, and proceeded to complain that she had been ripped off.

She explained that she had paid for an iPhone 4, but that’s not what she was given. She demanded that since she paid for the newest iPhone, the store should exchange the one she had for a true iPhone 4… Read More

 

Apple Offering Free iOS Repairs Following Japan Tragedy

By Cody Lee on May 14, 2011

A heart warming story is traveling around the tech blogs today surrounding the often criticized Cupertino company’s recent actions in Japan. No, this isn’t more bad news concerning Apple part suppliers mistreating employees.

A TUAW reader sent the the blog a tip that Apple is offering free repair services for Mac users who were affected by the tsunami and earthquake earlier this year. According to the company’s Japanese website, they are offering free repair on any Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that was damaged in the disaster… Read More

 

Leaks Indicate White iPhone 4 Might be Coming

By Guest Author on Sep 28, 2010

It doesn’t seem all that long ago when the iPhone community was up in arms about the delayed release of the white iPhone 4. Time has passed and overall I don’t hear much complaining across the front lines.

iPhone FAQ has a story that highlights an inventory leak from Canadian iPhone carrier, Rogers. The report shows a screenshot that lists the white iPhone 4 underneath the black version. It’s noted that once a product is listed in Rogers Sales Central it emerges shortly thereafter… Read More

 

What Would Things Be Like if Microsoft Had Invented the iPhone?

By Guest Author on Sep 9, 2010

When I was in junior high school the only thing I knew about Apple was that they made computers with enormous floppy disk drives. The Discman was the hottest portable music player and it would cost you about $100 for the latest and greatest. Bill Gates was a nerdy guy who was also the richest man in the world.

Imagine if you will that Steve Jobs never came back to Apple and the quirky computer company died off, leaving Microsoft as the uncontested developer to produce us our technological fixes. Assume that the story plays out identical to the way it is today with Gates and company unveiling the now iPhone under the Seattle based company… Read More

 

Former Stripper Wants Police to Hand Over Her iPhone and Naked Pictures

By Guest Author on Sep 5, 2010

I love this story. A woman in Illinois is apparently furious at her local police department for confiscating her iPhone that houses multiple naked pictures of the former stripper. Her iPhone was seized as evidence relating to a criminal damage to property case that involved a car being keyed.

The now club owner, Bridget Polaski, is reported as saying the following to the Chicago Sun Times: Read More