Cellphone thieves to get an earful with new anti-theft software

Think of it as a car alarm and kill switch for your phone. A London-based company has developed Remote XT, new security software that makes a stolen cell phone scream and lock itself. The program also wipes all the data from the phone.

The Remote XT software is installed on the phone and is then turned on by calling a central security center, after the phone is stolen - much in the same way LockJack-protected cars are activated.

After activation, a high pitched scream is sent through the speakers and the data is wiped. The screaming continues even if the thief tries to remove and replace the batteries or the SIM card. The phone also locks itself.

In a Reuters