[Jeff Higgins]

Gogar is right - they're selling stolen phones. They can usually get a few days out of them before they get turned off. Hardly seems worth the trouble, but it's more of a mindset than anything else.

Most modern cellphones have GPS tracking, don't they? From what I understand, it's so authorities can "find you in case of emergency". Regardless of what you think of the implications of that, I wonder how long before technology becomes available for an individual to locate his own cell phone with, say, a Garmin or something. Or for the same kinds of parents who think internet filters actually work to keep their kids off of "those" sites to be sold on the idea that they can track their kids' movements away from home.

If (o.k., more like "when") this technology ever becomes available, I can see folks like me going all Dirty Harry on some punk that stole my phone. My wife had her purse stolen (with her phone, wallet, car keys, etc. in it) right out from under her desk in a large medical practice office. Some guy dressed up like the Fed Ex man boldly walked through the office to the back receiving areas, cleaning out what he could on the way in and out. Anyway, the punks involved immediately attempted to start using her phone for long distance calls and her credit card for large purchases. Fortunately, none of the activity matched her "profile" (think about the implications of that one, too...) with either company, both shut their respective services down, and called her on her desk phone. She didn't even know her purse was gone until they called.

Anyway, I admit I had fantasies about calling her phone and saying something like "listen, punk - I'm looking at you right now - that's my wife's phone..." and leveling a .45 Colt at the back of their head. All this modern tracking technology could be a lot of fun...