Wishlist/Anti-Theft Mode

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Wishes warning! This article or section documents one or more OpenMoko Wish List items, the features described here may or may not be implemented in the future.

Suppose you are in a busy environment and your device is lying around somewhere. You sometimes use it but cannot look after it all the time. A sort of high risk environment for phone theft where you could put it in anti theft mode which is enabled when

  • someone moves it
  • touches the touch screen
  • removes the USB/charging-plug
  • removal of Bluetooth/WiFi devices in vicinity
  • some special code is received by SMS

This mode can be switched off by

  • entering a password/pin (unprompted?)
  • doing a certain gesture (measured by accelerometers)
  • voice verification ;-)
  • remote-reactivating (USB, WiFi, Bluetooth)
  • mixture of the above

From the moment it has been moved or touched

  • it will display a warning on a red background flashing in black: You are committing a crime. Put this phone back, now! (or similar)
  • do nothing. It may simulate a fake network error or similar when a number is dialed.

If it is not unlocked may

  • set off a loud alarm
  • start sending messages to a predefined email address with pictures (???), GPS coordinates and network pings (???)
  • activate microphone recording and send compressed audio files to a pre-defined number/e-mail-adress
  • activate self-destruct mechanism ;-)

If the above anti-theft measures fail

  • a special text message could be sent to the phone which erases all contacts then activates the pin lock for the phone and SIM card.
  • activation of some sort remote control

In addition. If you've put it down and forgotten about it, somebody picks it up, it would first ask for the PIN, with a message on-screen that says something like "If you don't know PIN, give 1234".

If user types 1234 then it presents 2 buttons: "Contact owner of phone" and "Use phone" (==I'm stealing this).

If user selects "Use phone", then it would present factory looking interface with empty address book, etc.. and quietly contact owner anyway and tell current coordinates ;-)

The idea is keep the thief using the phone until the police arrive and recover it. If phone notices new SIM, it would go directly to "I'm stolen" mode. Maybe run under Linux-VServer http://www.linux-vserver.org/ in stolen mode.

With suitable arrangement remote ssh connection to phone should be possible which would give nice control over stolen phone.

There could also be a bluetooth headset and/or bluetooth watch. If it loses contact to phone, phone would complain loudly and if bluetooth gadget is enough smart it could complain too. This gadget could warn about low battery too.

Personal tools
Wishes warning! This article or section documents one or more OpenMoko Wish List items, the features described here may or may not be implemented in the future.

Suppose you are in a busy environment and your device is lying around somewhere. You sometimes use it but cannot look after it all the time. A sort of high risk environment for phone theft where you could put it in anti theft mode which is enabled when

  • someone moves it
  • touches the touch screen
  • removes the USB/charging-plug
  • removal of Bluetooth/WiFi devices in vicinity
  • some special code is received by SMS

This mode can be switched off by

  • entering a password/pin (unprompted?)
  • doing a certain gesture (measured by accelerometers)
  • voice verification ;-)
  • remote-reactivating (USB, WiFi, Bluetooth)
  • mixture of the above

From the moment it has been moved or touched

  • it will display a warning on a red background flashing in black: You are committing a crime. Put this phone back, now! (or similar)
  • do nothing. It may simulate a fake network error or similar when a number is dialed.

If it is not unlocked may

  • set off a loud alarm
  • start sending messages to a predefined email address with pictures (???), GPS coordinates and network pings (???)
  • activate microphone recording and send compressed audio files to a pre-defined number/e-mail-adress
  • activate self-destruct mechanism ;-)

If the above anti-theft measures fail

  • a special text message could be sent to the phone which erases all contacts then activates the pin lock for the phone and SIM card.
  • activation of some sort remote control

In addition. If you've put it down and forgotten about it, somebody picks it up, it would first ask for the PIN, with a message on-screen that says something like "If you don't know PIN, give 1234".

If user types 1234 then it presents 2 buttons: "Contact owner of phone" and "Use phone" (==I'm stealing this).

If user selects "Use phone", then it would present factory looking interface with empty address book, etc.. and quietly contact owner anyway and tell current coordinates ;-)

The idea is keep the thief using the phone until the police arrive and recover it. If phone notices new SIM, it would go directly to "I'm stolen" mode. Maybe run under Linux-VServer http://www.linux-vserver.org/ in stolen mode.

With suitable arrangement remote ssh connection to phone should be possible which would give nice control over stolen phone.

There could also be a bluetooth headset and/or bluetooth watch. If it loses contact to phone, phone would complain loudly and if bluetooth gadget is enough smart it could complain too. This gadget could warn about low battery too.