http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20888464

'Where's the shiny shiny?!'

So anyone been offered or offering cheap Apple kit?

Can't Apple block the stolen devices? Like wipe the firmware remotely or block it in itunes so they can't be registered?

I've often asked that.

They probably can get any GSM phones blocked that were stolen assuming they were smart enough to record the IMEI numbers when they went into stock. I don't know if CDMA phones have the same kind of unique ID though to do that with though. You're right that they can block them from registering through iTunes but you don't actually have to do that any more so it's not a certain solution. if they start the phone up and then say they don't want an iCloud account, I doubt there's much Apple can do directly. If they took any Laptops or Macs.... well I suppose they could ask local ISPs to keep an eye out for MAC addresses but that would require a level of packet inspection that ISPs don't usually want to do without some sort of court order.

Any of the rest of the stuff they might have in stock... well, it's the same as everything else. Give the police the serial numbers of kit and they do routine checks on known places to get rid of the stuff - pawn shops, local trading sites etc. If they just stick the stuff on eBay unless it's pretty unlikely they'll get spotted though.

While we're on the theme...

Thieves break into Microsoft, steal iPads, leave surface tablets

The "leave surface tablets" part, you have made it up, haven't you...

Well the story said 'no microsoft products were reported stolen'. Either that means the thieves left them behind, or there were no Microsoft products in Microsoft's own offices. I went with the one I thought more likely.

Jon

Well there may have been no Microsoft products in those offices. It might have been a department that looks at others technology so there would be no Surfaces to steal.

Apple should have a list of serial numbers of all devices in the store, when they are activated, they can block them.

So they're the department that studies competitor's tech but they don't have any of their own stuff around to compare it to? Hmm. I'm afraid I'm going to with Occam's razor here. The most likely explanation is there were Microsoft devices there but the thieves didn't take them. Even if that's the case, we don't know why though. It's possible (for example) that any surfaces they had were development devices rather than retail models and were thus stored more securely.

So when exactly do you activate a monitor?

Apple monitors are all thunderbolt now. So connect to a Mac, and no doubt all the serial number data will be available.

If every Mac uploaded the details of every product connected to it automatically to Apple, there would be hell to pay as soon as the more obsessive internet privacy nerds found out. They just don't. So there's no way Apple are going to know where that monitor is unless someone tells them.

Yes, you can open 'system profiler' (or whatever it's called these days) and save a report of the information about the Mac and things connected to it. That will have a lot of serial numbers in it. But you'd then have to intentionally email that report to Apple and tell them to let you know if any of the stuff listed in it has been stolen. Do you think someone who just bought a brand new £600 Apple monitor for £200 is going to do that? Somehow, and call me cynical if you like, I doubt it.

Phones, yes. As I say they can be blocked and they're not much use after they have. Macs and iPods, possibly, although there's no requirement to register any Mac with Apple if you don't want to. Peripherals? No. Simply No. The most likely way any of that stuff is going to be found is the same way any stolen good is found - by the Police checking the places stolen goods generally show up, having been informed of what's been stolen. And that's assuming they know what they're looking at when they see it.

Technology cannot solve all problems. Sometimes, you just have to do things the old fashioned way.