Ummm... I purchased anti-theft measures essentially exactly like this many times of the years for trade show booths. I don't think they should be awarded this patent. None of this is original.
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Apple Stores Could Stop Thieves With New Security Measures
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The "cut their hands off" crew is not in agreement with my post that basically said the same thing... but my point was that bars and shutters are great when the store isn't open. They tend to be less effective during business hours when you need customers to be able to get in and buy stuff...
And this may very well be a significant reason Apple has tried to lock displays, FaceID, and other components to a particular device — to prevent people from chopping down the stolen iPhone for parts (even more so to lockdown a similar challenge regarding parts in China). Apple may not be doing this to prevent user repair or small, unauthorized shops from repairing. It may favor Apple in this respect in the end, but it may not be why Apple has chosen to do this in cases — only to reverse that approach after outcry from MacRumors forums and other, similar sources.
I remember when iPhones were getting stolen left and right, and the NYPD, the FBI, and other police forces were urging Apple to do something to deactivate/cripple stolen phones and to cooperate with them to find stolen phones. Apple responded. The ability to chop phones down to parts still makes stolen phones valuable (whether stolen from Apple Stores or users).
Take a page from bank security: rig those security devices so if the cable is cut the perp gets a big dose of dye that can't be washed off for a minimum of thirty days. Also, use dyes known to cause allergic reactions so they will hopefully end up in the ER and be arrested there.
There must be something wrong with me because I would never think of stealing a display tech item anywhere. They have serial numbers, and they have a solid way to track them. I mean, that's like robbing a bank, stripping naked, and doing a slow spiral in front of the camera. Sure, you could sell the item, but there are breadcrumbs to track back to you/me. Yeah, I think people that aren't thinking right would steal display tech at an Apple Store. Even unsold stock. If they aren't scanning the serial and other code on everything that comes in the door, they are crazy. A gun store scans multiple bar codes for every weapon that comes in the door (and so many of them still manage to 'lose' some)...
Well-vetted (i.e. screened so as highly unlikely to be corrupt) security guards with shotguns and tasers should do the trick. 
Heck, Apple is richer than many small nations... Apple could literally hire private mercenary armies for security purposes.
Heck, Apple is richer than many small nations... Apple could literally hire private mercenary armies for security purposes.
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I wonder why Apple doesn't just have locking doors on all of the shops so that once one of these smash & grab operations starts they could just lock EVERYONE in the store until the police arrive.
If criminals knew that 100% of the time they'd be caught they wouldn't even try stealing.
If criminals knew that 100% of the time they'd be caught they wouldn't even try stealing.
Not to be one of those guys but... a couple large and heavily armed guards in every store would probably be a little more cost efficient... as well as just plain old regularly efficient.
True to this.
A bit extreme but for perspective, I come from South America, lived half of my life on one of the most dangerous cities over there… the gadgets stealing is real: thugs will assault, shop your hand and/or kill you for a nice looking ring, watch or phone. They kill even for shoes.
Close by where I lived a woman got ran over on the sidewalk she was on by a car… turns out she was using a Blackberry (all the rage at the time) and the thugs decided to get a new phone. She didn’t survive.
One thing to mention is that an iPhone there is a full year’s worth of minimum salary.
Sure, in North America is nowhere near as close… but let me tell you something, some time ago on dangerous cities it wasn’t near close that situation either. It all starts somewhere and I kinda see the trend where it’s pointing at.
Fooling yourself. Mall jewelry store robberies happen all the time, and they are usually interior as well.
In our local mall, the security guard shot a suspect a few years ago. Usually, they aren't armed, but jewelry stores do hire armed guards.
What you’re referring to are called ‘tag bombs’. Only large scale banks actually use this, where it’s embedded-planted in the cash, once the tag bomb is manipulated, it excretes a red flour powder like substance that will stain the money and the individuals clothing/skin.
Where you’re inaccurate, It’s not intended to cause an allergic reaction by default. However, what it does, is basically will help identify whoever was behind the theft and can easily be identified, especially with the help of local media once they explain what to look for.
There is specific ways to remove the staining, but that’s not something I would divulge here.
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How 'bout copying South Park and boobytrapping them? Trapper Keeper to the rescue.
They will use their own proprietary solution rather than “find my” cause “find my” is not good enough. Also, Apple will disable those devices remotely for sure. But it’s going to be interesting to see how they handle “non-genuine” apple parts.
Mercs, well paid to do the bidding of greedy corporations ALWAYS ends well.Well-vetted (i.e. screened so as highly unlikely to be corrupt) security guards with shotguns and tasers should do the trick.
Heck, Apple is richer than many small nations... Apple could literally hire private mercenary armies for security purposes.
Always.....
Whether Apple is greedy or not, the people that shop in their stores deserve safety.
I'm OK with well-vetted armed guards.
With those in place, I MIGHT be willing to set foot in one of their stores.
i'm not sure that is the solution. so far the thefts have been smash and grabs with no violence, the only loss is the items and apple makes billions anyway. if apple starts putting armed guards in the stores and even one uses bad judgement and starts a shootout in a store for no reason other than to save apple the cost of an iphone then the public will stop going to the stores because THEN they will feel unsafe. i think apple making the products unattractive to thieves by bolting them down or making them worthless even if taken is a far better strategy than unpredictable human behavior that can turn a line item loss into a human tragedy, for what, to save an ipad?
Security guards does not equal an "army of mercenaries".
As I stated up thread, the Apple store local to me used to have state police in it as an armed security detail. Usually two at a time. I have no issue with this. More often than not I am armed myself in the course of my employment and travels.
Armed security with the authority of arrest is a very powerful deterrent. Thieves seek easy targets. This is one of the basic tenets of preventing crime. Make what you have harder and/or more aggravating to steal than it's worth, and that USUALLY works. On top of that, insure for loss. Better for the would be criminal too. Keeps them out of the system as the crime is never committed. If it's a PITA to steal from an Apple store, thieves will go elsewhere. It's a pretty well known fact that probably the most valuable part of a home security system is the lawn sign.
I don't think security guards with "shotguns and tasers" is the answer. It's an Apple store, not a prison work detail.
So when it comes to the idea of armed guards, we are on the same page.
Who said "army of mercenaries"?
And what difference does the type of hardware matter?
A "smash & grab" mob can be a tough thing to stop.
The key is deterrence, and that takes sufficient manpower and equipment.
Another part of the equation is prosecution and penalties, which as we've seen lately, doesn't seem to be much of a priority.
ED209 had so many issues and glitches though, its like the Android version of the Magnavolt
Well-vetted (i.e. screened so as highly unlikely to be corrupt) security guards with shotguns and tasers should do the trick.
Heck, Apple is richer than many small nations... Apple could literally hire private mercenary armies for security purposes.
This user did. I quoted them in my original response, so I quote them again.