Another reason to register your iPhone

I’m astonished by the number of people who blow off registering their iPhones and iPods.

In case of malfunction, registration makes repairs and replacements quicker and easier (Apple, or your third-party seller, doesn’t have to go through a complicated process to figure out if the device is yours, or stolen goods). In case of burglary, it makes filing insurance reports less of a hassle.

While working on a project for a client that sells AEDs (automated external defibrillators) I came across yet another reason for registering your devices: A news story about a Buffalo man who suffered sudden cardiac arrest while out jogging. Fortunately, someone saw him collapse by the side of the road and called 911. And a police officer with an AED in his cruiser just happened to be driving by and saw a bystander administering CPR. The police officer attached the AED, which administered shock.

By the time the ambulance arrived, the victim had a pulse and had started breathing again. But rescuers had no idea who the man was because he had no form of ID on him…except his iPod. The police dispatcher called Apple, gave them the iPod’s serial number, and Apple released to authorities the registered owner’s name and email. Using that information, the police were able to find the man’s home address and notify his family to come to the emergency room. (Thanks to the quick CPR and AED response, the jogger survived.)

Couldn’t happen to you?

The first thing that occurred to me when I read the story was that I’d just come back from a long walk in my neighborhood. All I had taken with me were my keys…and my iPhone.

Yep, it’s registered.