Is the iPod responsible for national crime wave?
Website MassLive.com is suggesting that there's a positive correlation between the increase in crime that occurred in the US during 2005 and 2006 and the popularity of the iPod (this isn't the first time we've seen such a suggestion).Washington's Urban Institute noted that the 1990's saw a reduction in the incidents of violent crime, while 2005 and 2006 saw a spike. At the same time, iPod sales were soaring. In 2005 Apple sold 42 million iPod, and almost 90 million in 2006.
Now, we all know that iPods are stolen frequently. They're easy to grab, users are frequently "in their own world" while absorbed in their music and they sell well. It's not difficult (unless the thieves are idiots) but that doesn't mean that a single factor - iPod popularity - is responsible for the national violent crime rate.
Use common sense when walking around with your iPod. Pay attention to your surroundings, keep it inside your clothing if possible (a jacket pocket) or even in your hand and, most importantly, ditch the tell-tale white ear buds. Or just encase it in machined aluminum.
Thanks, Edsel!
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Website MassLive.com is suggesting that there's a positive correlation between the increase in crime that occurred in the US during 2005...
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Correlation does not imply causation. This is basic first-year statistics.
-Addison James
My name is Ken Westin and I am the founder of GadgetTrak ( www.gadgettrak.com ), based in Portland, Oregon. I noticed your article on the Urban Institute's recent panel and thought you might be interested in what we are doing. We provide software that enables devices to send information back regarding their location when they are stolen. Over the past few months we have recovered several iPods for our customers, we have also launched new products for cell phones and laptop computers.
Mobile device theft is becoming an increasing problem and it is not limited to iPods, we are seeing a rise in laptop, cell phone and GPS thefts. Feel free to contact me for more information regarding our products, company or gadget theft in general.
Kind Regards,
--
Ken Westin
GadgetTrak - Founder
http://www.gadgettrak.com
Number One.
iPod theft, according to the very concept of "iPods are easy to steal", is NONviolent. So how can it contribute to violent crime? People don't get beat up over their iPod, they just get swiped.
Number Two.
The reason for violent crime increase isn't iPod, it's the counter-effective "war on drugs".
Number Three.
Flash drives sell better now than they did in the 90s...OMG! That must mean they are a contributing factor too! O t3h n0es!!!11oneone
They must mean the administration when they say crime wave.
March 05 2008 at 7:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNo. PEOPLE are responsible for the national crime wave.
March 05 2008 at 3:52 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDo what all the cool kids do:
Put your iPod Earbud wire under your garment. Hides a lot of the wire.
Secondly, keep the iPod in a pocket or something. It's harder to steal that way - especially if you're wearing tight jeans.
Next, don't flash it around. Get a controller of some sort that doesn't require you to take your iPod out out to change tracks (something like the Gear4Blueye).
Finally, grow your hair really long so people can't see the iPod wire sticking out from under your shirt ;)
I, personally, find that the Shuffle is the best Anti-Crime iPod.
It has a clip (so you can clip it to a belt strap thingy on your pants) so thieves won't get any luck inside your pockets and it can't be pulled away from you without you noticing, before it's too late. It's small and also navigable from under clothing so need to ever get it out in public (Although with the lack of any manly, non-silver colours, you're probably not going to unless you're a woman :P What I keep wondering is why the RED Shuffle looks more burgundy/deep pink)... but more importantly, it's cheap so if it IS stolen then you're not $200 out of pocket.
Yeah. And this "money" stuff is really popular, and it started a crime wave, too!!! People are always trying to steal money!
If we just stopped producing money, then nobody would try to steal it and nobody would be tempted to become a thief!
::rollseyes::
Could we please move on from the "correlation does not imply causality" ? I think it's pretty clear and obvious that no one here believes that (unless you are reading this too, mr. Ballmer)
March 05 2008 at 11:11 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI was mugged for my iphone last saturday.. luckily I got away and they only got the headphones.
March 05 2008 at 9:53 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOur local Police Chief in Lincoln, Nebraska is a bit of a blog-star. His page is the best writing by a governmental official I have ever read. He posted about this fake-news trend today.
"Testing the iCrime theory"
http://lpd304.blogspot.com/2008/03/testing-icrime-theory.html
Good stuff, just like always.
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