老婆的project 登报乐
The New Paper, Jan 10 2006
Can steal, but can’t use
HOW IT WORKS
Install phone with special program
Phone will ask for password if different SIM card is used. If password is wrong, phone is disabled
Info about new SIM card is sent to central server by SMS. Owner can use info to lodge complaint
By Tan Hsien Chong
January 10, 2006
IF five Singapore Polytechnic students have their way, handphone thieves may soon go out of business.
They have created a program that makes stolen phones useless. Not only that, the software can ‘’squeal’ on thieves by sending SMSes of their phone numbers to the authorities.
Ms Feriyanti, 22, one of the students who came up with the idea, said: ‘Nowadays, there’s an increase in the number of handphones being stolen. We wanted to think of a way to stop this.’
She and her team-mates Ali Razreen, 19, Elisabeth Juniati, 24, Tan Kee Thuan, 24, and Cheong Kok Siang, 20, are doing their diploma in Information Communication Technology.
They designed the phone and server software as well as a webpage for the system, for their final-year project.
Team leader Ali explained that though the system makes it easier to nab handphone thieves, their real aim is ‘prevention rather than cure’.
He said: ‘If this system is in place, people will think, what’s the point of stealing a phone?’
First, the phone must be installed with a special program.
Once done, anyone who puts in a different SIM card in the phone will be asked to key in a password.
If the user cannot key in the correct password, the phone will be disabled. More importantly, the program will also send information about the new SIM card to a central server.
And since the law requires everyone to register when getting a SIM card (including those prepaid ones), such information would enable the owner to lodge a police report.
Once installed, the software remains dormant and does not affect normal phone operation. It activates only with every change of SIM card.
As the phone and the central server use SMSes to communicate, there is no need to create a new network to receive information on any stolen phone.
While this software is technically viable now, there is still some way before every phone can have this safeguard.
At the moment, the software works only on handphones and PDA phones using the Windows Mobile operating system, like the O2 Xphone or the Motorola MPx.
CAN WORK IN NEWER PHONES
The software can be adapted for most newer phones, but only if they manage to obtain the required codes from the phone manufacturers.
In November last year, the students did a demonstration of the software for officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division and are waiting for feedback. They have not approached any companies with their idea, but hope to do so in the future.
The team’s project supervisor, Dr Zhu Bochun, who is in her 30s, said: ‘The students did a very good job. The idea came from them and they did everything from scratch.
‘It would be great if the telcos adopt this idea. It would be a big help in preventing handphone theft.’
