http://oaklandlocal.com/2013/10/reducing-robberies-in-oakland-with-apples-new-ios-7-community-voices...

http://www.maclife.com/article/news/nypd_distributing_flyers_encouraging_ios_7_downloads_stop_iphone...

Depressing to see law enforcement and media recommending proprietary software/hardware. But clearly they mean well.

http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-da-gascón-launch-nationwide-“secure-...

Anyone followed this closely? Any conception of software freedom anywhere?

I think this "feature" and concern and nearby are going to be part and parcel of computing from now on. Free software must have a compelling, better response. Proprietary-software-locked-down-devices-are-like-backpacks-that-handcuff-you!!! is not such a response.

The obvious first thing is to encrypt all storage, which Android makes easy to do. Second thing is to run something like Prey ... which is GPLv3, but sadly apparently requires Google Play, so isn't available from f-droid https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/prey/ and I don't see other "anti-theft" apps there either. And it can't brick an unlocked device. Can't we have remotely-brickable-by-owner (how about explode-able? just kidding) devices that do not have a iPlayCloud intermediary?