A good bunch of Apple Store robberies has been caught on camera. Recently in California, Apple devices were robbed in front of customers. The folks at Apple have finally decided to tighten the leash with a new wireless security system.

The US Patent & Trademark Office has published an application from Apple. The application relates to a security system which includes multi-stage wireless device security. The security system will swing into action immediately after the Apple Device is taken out of the store without paying. Once the thief will try to use the stolen iPhone, he will be greeted with a warning message.

How does it work?

The security system will automatically send a notification to the administrator once the device is moved outside the store perimeter. In this case, the administrator might be one or more, Apple Store employee. Furthermore, the security system will also initiate a countdown. Once the device is outside the store for long enough, it will be disabled, forever. In other words, Apple’s security system will remotely kill the stolen device rendering it useless.

Furthermore, the individual inventory electronic devices may also monitor their own locations and determine when they are being moved towards a boundary of the security area, or when moving to another area. When an inventory electronic device determines that it is being moved towards a boundary of the security area, the inventory electronic device may provide an alert output to notify specifically the person carrying the inventory electronic device that they are approaching a boundary of the security area. If the inventory electronic device determines that it has been taken outside of the security area without authorization, the electronic device may provide a disturbance output to attempt to notify any person in the proximate area that the inventory electronic device has been taken outside of the security area without authorization

As an additional measure, the security system will also block the touch input and the physical button. That’s not all, the device will also swing into action and send distress message using the open WiFi in the vicinity. Since all of this happens in the background, there is no way for the thief to stop or override the actions.

Our Take

Apple Store robberies are on the rise and shockingly a California Apple Store was robbed twice in less than 24 hours. Apart from the monetary loss, these episodes also pose a threat to customers and Apple employees life. The company has been trying to setup trendy stores with an open space plan wherein visitors could play with the devices. However, this seems to be attracting the wrong kind of attention.

If implemented, the new wireless security system might actually kill the incentive for stealing iPhones from the Apple Store and offer extra security to everyone.

(via Patently Apple)