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Author Topic: Set a GPS to catch a thief  (Read 5098 times)

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Offline jnik

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Set a GPS to catch a thief
« on: November 06, 2011, 11:05:08 AM »
Not quite what I posted about installing a GPS/GSM tracker on my boat (http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=11655.0), but similar.

Got a call from my boss this morning because his house had been burgled. His new iPhone 4S was one of the items taken, and he was flying to the UK for work in a few hours and needed a replacement phone.

He'd configured "Find my iPhone" on the 4S and gave me the password he'd used. Initially the phone was off so I couldn't get a "lock" on it, but about 30 minutes later it came on the air.

Within a few minutes I was watching a blue circle "walk" around the streets of Elwood.

Fast forward about 30 minutes and I'm directing the police from my front veranda. They turn the last corner and then there's some excitement before the line goes dead. The blue circle moves down the street about a block, faster than ever, and then stops. Five minutes later I get a call ... "we've apprehended the alleged perpetrator and the iPhone is in our possession" [why do cops sound so much like TV cops at times like this?].

Time from the first call to the last ... 1hr 10mins.

Bloody lucky, but what's the chance they would have caught him using more traditional methods?

I'm going to have to buy another tracker and put it on my camper. By the way, I prefer the GPS tracker experience over the "Find my iPhone" one ... much smoother.

[and, no, I don't have shares in Apple, or any financial interest in the GPS trackers etc]
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Offline MDS69

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2011, 11:14:12 AM »
I was watching one of the 4WD Action CT DVD's yesterday and I think it was from around July/Agust last year. There was a advertorial from Polaris about their in dash navigational units. One of the features from one of them was you can set a perimeter around a nominated area and if the vehicle containing the GPS unit moves out of that area you get a SMS notifiaction, something along those lines.
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Offline jnik

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2011, 11:31:49 AM »
Quote from: MDS69 on November 06, 2011, 11:14:12 AM
I was watching one of the 4WD Action CT DVD's yesterday and I think it was from around July/Agust last year. There was a advertorial from Polaris about their in dash navigational units. One of the features from one of them was you can set a perimeter around a nominated area and if the vehicle containing the GPS unit moves out of that area you get a SMS notifiaction, something along those lines.


That's exactly what happens when my boat leaves the driveway.

Also check out the screen shots I've put in the other thread showing the iPhone and web interfaces when you're tracking the device ... http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=11655.msg173745#msg173745

Actually, the unit is always being tracked ... when it moves out of the "fence" it sends an SMS to my phone and increases the frequency of the updates on the web.
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Offline DeLuxHiLux

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2011, 01:44:04 PM »
Quote from: jnik on November 06, 2011, 11:31:49 AM
That's exactly what happens when my boat leaves the driveway.

So long as you remember your phone and it doesnt text the Mrs when you're sneaking out at 0God its early o'clock with the boat to wet a line ......... :D that could be a problem.....
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Offline Renno

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2011, 03:42:36 PM »
JNIK,
How have you found the amaysim network. I has looking at the cheapest Telstra sim but bit it is no where as cheap as this, Vodafone is useless up here?
Renno :cheers:

Just read that it uses the optus network so it might be ok.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2011, 03:44:23 PM by Renno »
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Offline areyonga

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2011, 04:40:54 PM »
I just bought a $2 Sim from Telstra and put $30.00 on it which lasts for 6 months, If you put $60.00 it will last for 12 months, cheap insurance in a GPS tracker and a broader network

Trevor
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Offline Jon

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2011, 04:59:20 PM »
Assuming the 4s is accessed, is it possible to see the app running?
IE can you run say task manager and see the program running and therefore stop it?

Or one would hope it is a background app.
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Offline Patr80l

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2011, 07:37:38 PM »
Quote from: Jon on November 06, 2011, 04:59:20 PM
Assuming the 4s is accessed, is it possible to see the app running?
IE can you run say task manager and see the program running and therefore stop it?

Or one would hope it is a background app.

No, you can turn it off in Settings.   It will only work with dumb crooks.   Fortunately that's most of them.

Crooks have also been known to take photo's of themselves and had these automatically posted on the owner's Facebook.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2011, 07:42:15 PM by Patr80l »
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Offline GU Rich

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2011, 09:13:42 PM »
Quote from: Patr80l on November 06, 2011, 07:37:38 PM
No, you can turn it off in Settings.   It will only work with dumb crooks.   Fortunately that's most of them.



You have just told the crooks how to turn it off!
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Offline Moto Mech

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2011, 09:24:33 PM »
Quote from: GU Rich on November 06, 2011, 09:13:42 PM
You have just told the crooks how to turn it off!
Come on Rich, there'd be no crooks on this site 8)
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Offline Patr80l

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2011, 09:27:04 PM »
Quote from: GU Rich on November 06, 2011, 09:13:42 PM
You have just told the crooks how to turn it off!
It's not exactly a secret.
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Offline GU Rich

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2011, 08:17:08 PM »
Quote from: Patr80l on November 06, 2011, 09:27:04 PM
It's not exactly a secret.

True but, oh doesn't matter....
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Offline rellbell

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2011, 08:40:08 PM »
This is a great idea.  cheers rellbell
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Offline Pebble

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Re: Set a GPS to catch a thief
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2011, 08:59:28 PM »
I just brought a Motorola Defy+ and it also has the tracking feature as I had to set up a Motoblur account, which appears to be specifically for that.
I can also remotely wipe the data off my phone and recover my contacts onto a new phone...apparently!
But yes it won't work if they don't have GPS enabled. However when I try to put a different sim into the phone it asks me for the motoblur login details, which I guess means it would be pretty useless pretty quick to a crook....hear that crooks, don't steal my phone in the first place!
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