The lost Apple iPhone: tracking technology not so good after all?

There were a few cynical groans in tech and PR circles this morning with the news that an Apple employee had lost a secret test copy of the new iPhone when out drinking.

It’s not the first time this has happened and hence the speculation about whether it was a deliberate or accidental loss. From some of the details, it certainly looks a genuine story, though what most caught my eye was the question of how good ‘Big Brother’ tracking technology really is:

CNet says that Apple contacted the San Francisco police as soon as the loss was discovered and told them that the phone was “priceless” and that the company wanted its safe return.

It was eventually tracked down via a location-tracking system built into the phone to a single-family home in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights area, says CNet. But when police and Apple’s investigators visited the house, the occupant denied any knowledge of the phone, and it wasn’t recovered despite a search – with the occupant’s permission – of the residence. [The Guardian]

Tracking technology is often described as being clever and smart; this story however seems to show that it can catch the innocent too – and that should be remembered when its appropriate use by the police is debated.