A tiny digital camera located within the screen takes an image every time a number which is not in the "phonebook" is dialled. This image is sent via technology similar to that which allows conventional digital cameras to email pictures, back to the owner's home PC where these are stored. Should the phone be stolen, when someone uses it to dial a number (which presumably won't be someone you know), the phone takes a picture which you can then forward on to the police or any local bounty hunters.

If the crook doesn't know the phone they have nicked has this feature, it is only a matter of time before they dial a number whilst looking at the screen.
-- brewmaster, Mar 12 2002

This would have the added benefit of giving you a face to look out for should you ever feel like buying some crack.
-- stupop, Mar 12 2002


10 point deduction for 'added bonus' redundancy infraction to stupop.
-- waugsqueke, Mar 12 2002


Why not just configure it with streaming video or the like. That way you could see the phone's surroundings and better locate the perp. Better yet GPS capability would give you targeting coordinates for a quick strike from your handy dandy UCAV.
-- dag, Mar 12 2002


I have a hard time imagining that a phone vendor would go through the trouble of including a camera and video compression chip in a phone and then not use it for teleconferencing, but instead hide the feature for a theft detection gimmick.
-- jutta, Mar 12 2002


minor point: the phone book would have to be password protected, otherwise they could add numbers and then call.
-- rbl, Mar 12 2002


Haven't you heard? Soon all mobile phone calls will be able to be pin-pointed by the phone company. No camera needed.
-- lumpy, Mar 12 2002



random, halfbakery