Amid a rise in smartphone thefts, the CTIA wireless trade association announced last week a plan to help combat the problem. Smartphones manufactured after July 2015 will include a “kill switch” to allow authorized users to remotely wipe and render inoperable their lost or stolen phones. If the smartphone is found or returned to the owner, the inoperability can be reversed. Companies participating in the so-called Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment include Apple, Google, HTC, Motorola, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung and the four national wireless carriers.
