Found iPod Touch- Need to Break Password?

[jason2811]

I was lucky enough to find an 8GB iPod Touch in the snow today! However, it is password protected from anyone using it. Is there any way that I can take off the password protection? Will connecting it to my computer do this? Thanks.

[Hello.there]

Originally Posted by jason2811

I was lucky enough to find an 8GB iPod Touch in the snow today! However, it is password protected from anyone using it. Is there any way that I can take off the password protection? Will connecting it to my computer do this? Thanks.

Eh?? Would you not think about attempting to return it to its owner?? eg check if they used Mail on it and try to get their address (or one of their contacts' addresses)? Just an idea

[EricNau]

Perhaps the local police station can figure it out after you do the right thing and turn it in.

...Maybe this will help you: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306821

[mojohanna]

Originally Posted by Hello.there

Eh?? Would you not think about attempting to return it to its owner?? eg check if they used Mail on it and try to get their address (or one of their contacts' addresses)? Just an idea

How is he supposed to do this without unlocking it first? Don't accuse him of being dishonest before you know the whole situation and understand what he is trying to do.

Now to the OP, don't let me down here. Do the right thing. Where did you find it? School, outside a store? Maybe you should ask around to see if someone is looking for it. If not, probably the best thing to do is turn it into the local police.

[gloss]

Yeah, really. Check with the po-leece and if nobody claims it after a week or two, go ahead and keep it. But don't just keep it outright. ;P

[mekopolis]

this is the reason why i password protect my touch, otherwise anyone who found or stole it would have access to all my passwords, contacts, phone numbers and email...

the only thing it will do is charge when you plug it into sync, unless you enter the password, it is pretty much bricked..unless you can reformat it someway..but luckily the information would be destroyed

[Hello.there]

Originally Posted by mojohanna

Don't accuse him of being dishonest before you know the whole situation and understand what he is trying to do.

Hmm, seems like you interpreted "I was lucky enough to find an 8GB iPod Touch in the snow today!" somewhat differently to me. Good for you.

Oh wait!

Originally Posted by mojohanna

Now to the OP, don't let me down here. Do the right thing.

Hmm, seems like you have some concerns after all.

[youradhere4222]

Password protection doesn't do **** when you can reset the iPod...

[PMB]

Originally Posted by youradhere4222

Password protection doesn't do **** when you can reset the iPod...

Itunes requires a password to work, unless its in restore mode, than all into is destroyed.

The only way to remove the pass is to force it into restore mode, and go from there.

Personally, i would hunt you down if that was my ipod. (im just a little attached) so do the right thing. wait 2 weeks, go to the po-po and see if anyone is looking for one, and if they do claim it, suck it up and buy one for yourself.

after 2-3 weeks, its yours, because all i can think of was that it belonged to a snobby rich kid who has 5 more.....

[jason2811]

I found it on the sidewalk in NYC. There is no name on the outside anywhere or any contact information. I can take it to the police but whoever dropped it wouldn't know which police station to go to because there are so many in NYC. I would like to keep it and unlock it but I don't know if that's the right thing to do based on the situation.

[antibact1]

If I lost an iPod in New York I wouldn't even bother going to a police station - I would just take it as a loss. The odds of having someone turn it in, as well as going to the right station are astronomical. If you can unlock it and track the person down, that's great. If you turn it into the police, guaranteed someone there is going to pilfer it out of the lost and found and the original owner will never get it even if they check. Sucks to be the person who lost it, but be glad you found it.

Edit - And certainly I'm not trying to advocate theft. If it was very likely the original owner would find it if you turned it into the police, I would certainly suggest doing it. I just think if you turn it in, it will go mysteriously missing at the police station. Sad to say I know, and perhaps a bit of cynicism on my part.

[digitalnicotine]

Originally Posted by jason2811

I found it on the sidewalk in NYC. There is no name on the outside anywhere or any contact information. I can take it to the police but whoever dropped it wouldn't know which police station to go to because there are so many in NYC. I would like to keep it and unlock it but I don't know if that's the right thing to do based on the situation.

Keeping it is not the right thing to do, and you know this. The excuse that the owner wouldn't know which police station to go to is just an excuse for you to keep it. The logical thing to do is to take it to the police station nearest where you found it. That would also be the logical place for the owner to begin their search. If they opt for another police station initially, it's likely they will be willing to call several in order to pin down their expensive possession. I know I would.

Do the right thing. By picking it up, you accepted the responsibility of attempting to get it to it's rightful owner. Follow through, file a report and drop it at the police station nearest where you found it. Your honor is worth more than any Apple product.

[Fimo]

Originally Posted by jason2811

I found it on the sidewalk in NYC. There is no name on the outside anywhere or any contact information. I can take it to the police but whoever dropped it wouldn't know which police station to go to because there are so many in NYC. I would like to keep it and unlock it but I don't know if that's the right thing to do based on the situation.

Can you not take it to an Apple Store and ask them to return it to the owner, by searching the serial number on the back?

If it is reported stolen and they track it to you it might not be worth the $200 an iPod touch is worth, to quote Russell Peters "Be a Man, Do the Right Thing!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZU-E-fOx5k

[antibact1]

Originally Posted by Fimo

Can you not take it to an Apple Store and ask them to return it to the owner, by searching the serial number on the back?

If it is reported stolen and they track it to you it might not be worth the $200 an iPod touch is worth, to quote Russell Peters "Be a Man, Do the Right Thing!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZU-E-fOx5k

They don't track this information in such a way that this can happen. It's a common question when people want to find out about stolen computers.

[840quadra]

Originally Posted by antibact1

They don't track this information in such a way that this can happen. It's a common question when people want to find out about stolen computers.

I tested this.

They can find out who registered the iPod by the Serial #.

If the owner of this iPod Touch registered with Apple, chances are they can contact the owner for you and get it back to them.. I registered all my Mac computers, and iPods when logged in with my Apple ID, so do thousands of other people.

You MAY even get a reward for your actions.

[JesterJJZ]

Originally Posted by digitalnicotine

Keeping it is not the right thing to do, and you know this. The excuse that the owner wouldn't know which police station to go to is just an excuse for you to keep it. The logical thing to do is to take it to the police station nearest where you found it. That would also be the logical place for the owner to begin their search. If they opt for another police station initially, it's likely they will be willing to call several in order to pin down their expensive possession. I know I would.

Do the right thing. By picking it up, you accepted the responsibility of attempting to get it to it's rightful owner. Follow through, file a report and drop it at the police station nearest where you found it. Your honor is worth more than any Apple product.

Police won't do anything about it. It will either sit there forever or someone working there will eventually take it. In this situation the right thing to do is attempted to find the owners information yourself. If you try can can't then it's all yours. Turning it in to the police station is probably the worst thing you could do. I would never even think to contact the police if I lost something. Losing something and theft are two different things.

[Hello.there]

Originally Posted by jason2811

I would like to keep it and unlock it but I don't know if that's the right thing to do based on the situation.

Well, it's not the right thing to do.

Be decent, restore the owner's faith in humanity and make an effort to track them down

Email Apple, give them whatever info you can extract from the iPod - can you get the serial number? As another poster said if the iPod was registered they should have the owner's details.

I don't know if you will be able to get in to the owner's email to find addresses that will help you contact them, but if you can...do it. Or check if they have contacts listed, whatever it takes try to find them.

I hate to say 'I told you so', but I knew from your opening post that you intended keeping the iPod, 'finders keepers', one man's loss another's gain, that kind of tripe.

Do the right thing

[Resist]

Originally Posted by jason2811

I would like to keep it and unlock it but I don't know if that's the right thing to do based on the situation.

Are you serious? It isn't yours so you shouldn't keep it. It is that simple, apparenty morales seem to be changing with every generation. Your statement makes me wonder if you stole it instead.

[kuebby]

Originally Posted by 840quadra

I tested this.

They can find out who registered the iPod by the Serial #.

If the owner of this iPod Touch registered with Apple, chances are they can contact the owner for you and get it back to them.

I don't know if you actually contacted Apple about this but I know in the past when people have done this when trying to return things they have been told by Apple employees that they won't look up owner information.

Originally Posted by JesterJJZ

I would never even think to contact the police if I lost something. Losing something and theft are two different things.

Same here. If I lost my iPod on the streets of NYC I would just chalk it up as a loss and move on.

[Syph]

Originally Posted by Resist

Are you serious? It isn't yours so you shouldn't keep it. It is that simple, apparenty morales seem to be changing with every generation.

Well they do but I wont pass judgment because I know I have kept things that I have found (nothing as easily traceable as the touch though so its hard to justify). I say give it to apple. Let them find the user and give them your email so you can get a little thank you and some Karma on your side.

[quicklook2]

make an attempt at finding the owner.

if can't be found, restore it and be happy.

[antibact1]

WRT to Apple facilitating contact to return the device:

When personal information is collected, the terms under which that information can be used are very specific. Despite the well intentioned idea of returning an iPod to it's original owner, I'm guessing the terms of use of personal information do not specify that this is appropriate. Given the state of the legal system in the United States and how people sue for absolutely everything, I would not be surprised if someone got an iPod back this way, then sued Apple for using their personal information in a way that violated the terms of original collection.

Separately, reuniting lost iPods with their owners is bad for business - it means they won't have to buy a new one.

[Syph]

Originally Posted by antibact1

WRT to Apple facilitating contact to return the device:

When personal information is collected, the terms under which that information can be used are very specific. Despite the well intentioned idea of returning an iPod to it's original owner, I'm guessing the terms of use of personal information do not specify that this is appropriate. Given the state of the legal system in the United States and how people sue for absolutely everything, I would not be surprised if someone got an iPod back this way, then sued Apple for using their personal information in a way that violated the terms of original collection.

Separately, reuniting lost iPods with their owners is bad for business - it means they won't have to buy a new one.

Justification Granted.... Keep it dude!

[pianoman04]

Whoever suggested taking it to the police is kidding themselves. I mean honestly, if you lose something, do you actually call the police? lol...Do whatever you think is right.

[Hello.there]

Originally Posted by kuebby

I know in the past when people have done this when trying to return things they have been told by Apple employees that they won't look up owner information.

Sorry, but this sounds like bull to me, just an excuse to keep someone else's property.

Originally Posted by kuebby

If I lost my iPod on the streets of NYC I would just chalk it up as a loss and move on.

Most of us would, but imagine how you would feel if someone actually made the effort to track you down and return your iPod?

I found someone's phone on a park bench I was passing a few months ago. I picked it up, rang the last couple of dialled numbers, spoke to a friend of the owner, got their number, rang them, arranged to meet them, and returned their phone. The saddest thing was he said "how much do you want?". I said "err, nothing". He was gobsmacked. He thanked me like I was Mother Teresa . Jeez, I just did what was right, it was no big effort, I wasn't expecting an audience with the Pope in return or a ticker-tape parade through Dublin. A tiny 'effort' on my part, it took all of 10 minutes out of my day, but it made the owner of the phone feel like the world wasn't as scummy as he imagined.

So, do the right thing