“Apple’s iPod music player is not only popular with shoppers – it is also becoming increasingly popular with criminals. A series of muggings of people for their iPods has been reported, and experts warn the distinctive white headphones could be the secret of its appeal to criminals,’ Mark Prigg reports for The Evening Standard.
“Gary Parkinson, deputy editor of gadget magazine Stuff, claimed the key for owners was to change the headphones. ‘Having white headphones might be stylish but they act as an indicator to thieves. You really are an obvious target if you use them. The other problem is that the iPod is so shiny and lovely that you always want to get it out and show people. However, this attracts criminals like magpies. We’d recommend people use the remote control and keep the iPod itself in a pocket,'” Prigg reports.
Full article here.
Its easily taken & extremely saleable from a thieves perspective. Same as basketball & running shoes from the 80’s & 90’s.
Also, the included iPod headphones are useless. They really are junk despite what Apple might want others to think.
The article said one guy that got mugged had bought it with a credit card so it was insured and he could get a replacement. What is up with that??? Is this something special that you can sign up for? I have never heard of it.
Jack,
American Express offers replacement service, among many other things. The membership fee has always been a cause of contention, but in my view it is well worth it, and Amex has proven themselves many times over for me. Their service and client support are second to none. Sorry about the off-topic Amex plug.
Chomper,
I disagree completely with you. The ear-buds fit my (admittedly large) ear canals perfectly and they are capable of being as loud as hell without distortion. I much prefer them to other headphones I have tried.
Mine got stolen without noticing. I was just walking down a crowded street, with the iPod in my belt-clip. It wasn’t turned on and I had the headphones inside my jacket. 10 minutes later it was gone.. didn’t even feel anything. Quite scary. It was a 10GB 2G iPod.
But I was quite lucky, my insurance gave me a full refund which at that time payed for a 20GB 3G iPod. So for me it wasn’t really that bad..
I had my 30gb 3G iPod engraved with my name, phone number and web site address. I think it would be hard for someone to sell it (including me).
I have a couple iPods for sale over here, if anyone is interested, send me an email.
It is going to be a slow Mac news day.
“It is going to be a slow Mac news day.”
Yep. I couldn’t help thinking this morning that us Mac lovers are really like drug addicts. The euphoria slowly wears off until Apple gives us another fix.
And, of course, always know your serial number. Police can’t do much if you don’t have that (or some other identifying engraving a la slp). I’ve had some of my tools stolen from job sites with absolutely no chance of ever seeing them again. A simple spreadsheet that is backed up will help me with the police the next time it happens.
Re: The AmEx Card
Just like with the Mac: You get what you pay for.
<<Yep. I couldn’t help thinking this morning that us Mac lovers are really like drug addicts. The euphoria slowly wears off until Apple gives us another fix.>>
More like most of us are playing with our awesome new iPod minis and aren’t concerned with the news right now…
If anyone remembers, I predicted thieves will increasingly target iPods.
After all, where can you a $500 easy to hide, easy to grab, easy to resell device with a bonus of a few thousand dollars worth of music?
I also predicted college campuses would be the where it will start.
The smart, the poor and desperate.
Cure Disease
Griffin sells an iShoot. It’s a 9mm add-on for the 3G iPod. There’s also a .22 version for the mini that’s in the works. Ammo is hollow-point and comes in designer colors. Perfect for self-defense while strolling city streets or suburban rape trails.
Amex Blue has no annual fee and you get the purchase protection mentioned above. Amex will replace the item as long as you file a police report and it has been lost/damaged/stolen within 90 days of purchase. Its a great card for us under-earners.
The article is from a London Newspaper. There was a shortage of iPods in London over the holidays, and that is indicative of a high demand. It’s probably easier to sell a stolen iPod in London (for a good price) than in a place where they are already extremely popular and have been readily available.
Though I never put my predictions to print, I also knew it was only a matter of time before iPods started being targetted for theft. I mean, what else costs $300+ that you routinely carry with you, *announce to the world* (via white headphones) that you carry it, has a high resale value because it’s so highly sought after, and is small enough for a thief to hide away afterwards?
I live in a reasonably safe city, but I’m definitely starting to re-think how I listen to my iPod in public…
Viridian, I cannot agree with you more. I need to at least read about some new hardware so that I can consider buying something new.
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“Amex Blue has no annual fee and you get the purchase protection mentioned above.”
Newbie,
Thanks, I’d forgotten about the Amex Blue. My brother (who doesn’t live in the US) applied for one online 5 minutes after the iTMS went live last year, and was approved immediately (he used our Mom’s Miami address as the billing address). He was purchasing music within 10 minutes of visiting iTMS for the very first time and racked up a $700 bill in the first week. I forgot to ask him if Amex will refund him for tunes he doesn’t like.
“<<Yep. I couldn’t help thinking this morning that us Mac lovers are really like drug addicts. The euphoria slowly wears off until Apple gives us another fix.>>
More like most of us are playing with our awesome new iPod minis and aren’t concerned with the news right now…”
See Jon? You just got another fix from our druglords at Apple
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“Re: The AmEx Card
Just like with the Mac: You get what you pay for.”
NoPCZone,
Very well said, and an excellent analogy actually. I pay a bit more for Macs, and I gladly pay the Amex membership fee, but the trade-off for me is a completely headache-free user experience in both cases, and in the several experiences I’ve had with shoddy products or disputed purchases from unscrupulous retailers, Amex has stepped in each time and given me 100% satisfaction with ZERO friction. In one case, my wife was billed for and shipped goods she had not ordered, and Amex not only refunded us, they refused to renew their merchant agreement with the company and filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau on our behalf. They also contact me by phone to verify purchases I have made, and I am extremely happy with their support and service. I’d gladly recommend the Amex, or Amex Blue cards to anyone. They really are the Macintosh of credit services.
“They really are junk despite what Apple might want others to think.”
They’re not that bad. I prefer my Apple in-ear buds for music, but sonically, they are decent considering they are a pack in. I still use mine for listening to audible books and my walkman radio. Generally just one ear phone… like the old transistor radio days. ;o)
Viridian are you kidding? $700 for itunes in a week? For god sakes don’t tell him about 900 numbers!
We have seen a lot of trade in ipods in our pawn shop. Some timed out, and some more middle of next week. Maybe you can get a load of tunes at the same time. 838 9th Ave.