Loosing your moko

[Didier Raboud]

Sebastian Billaudelle wrote:

> Hi there!
> 
> I thought about the risk of loosing the moko or of getting it stolen...
> 
> I got the following idea:
> If you can't find you moko, you only have to send an SMS with a special
> keyword/passphrase to your moko.
> It recognises the special text and sends the current coordinates to a
> server. So you can see it's position.
> 
> cheers
> Sebastian

Hi,

My view on the topic is the following :

1) Passive GPS tracker - saves the position each hour (e.g.)
2) sends these positions each day (e.g.) in combination with IMEI (or
anything constant to the phone (no matter the flash or the SIM)
3) to a server (OpenMoko of user's)
4) via SMS/GPRS (if possible : free) [maybe try each way...]
5) should be configurable, but have a working in-flash configuration with
default destination server (track.openmoko.com ?)
6) The default destination server would allow access to the original buyer
which will have received its connection settings on paper with his phone.

Details :

2) allows a phone-unique identification and low network overhead

4) The way (and the frequency) should be configurable by the user so as to
minimize its impact on communication costs. The default configuration
should silently try even without SIM on all possible network accesses.

5)+3) should allow a skilled user (or communities) to install their own
server if they don't trust OpenMoko enough [free software]

6) would need a default install by OpenMoko and a link from hardware to the
material being finally sent.

So... I don't know if this is coherent, but I think it would be the more
resistant way of being steal-proof.

* If I loose or let my Moko being stolen, I can find my connection
parameters (on the paper) and go to track.openmoko.com and there I can find
24 coordinates a day. This could help me find it back or help the police
find it back. Of course, if the Moko is turned off, it won't be possible to
track it. But as soon as it is turned on again (even if flashed with
default image), it will restart to send coordinates to the default server
with its SIM-change and flash-change prone ID.

* I as user can take the freedom to deactivate it to protect my positions
and/or save money (depending on the costs induced by the GPS tracker)

Regards, 

Didier Raboud