I've adopted JWZ's mindset on cellphones [1] for more than a decade now. Once it became impossible to not have one, I finally relented a bit and purchased a 7" chinese tablet that can do encrypted VoIP over wifi. I have no E911 GPS override (mandatory since '97), and I won't ever have a kill switch either.
I had my tablet stolen a few weeks back, and got it back a week later by allowing the thief access to my email and promising a reward (sent messages to myself, so they'd pop up on the main screen). the email server logged all the IP addresses that the thief used to reply to me, and with the help of the local ISP here, tracked the IP to a house, knocked on the door, and asked for my tablet back. they gave it back once caught, and I promised not to press charges. I find this resolution superior to a mandatory kill switch that gives a phone company (that I don't like/trust/respect) control over my property. I seem to be in the minority, though.
because they could have made a decent case that they were merely concerned for their own safety, which led to the subterfuge. And they might have been able to claim that I left it on the bus (the video of the bus ride was not conclusive). If he had not given me the tablet, I had people staked at the location, and we would have placed him under citizen's arrest. Fearing his freedom, he phoned his girlfriend who had the tablet, and I let them both go, but kept the video of the conversation with him. We use it for contract class now. :)
I had my tablet stolen a few weeks back, and got it back a week later by allowing the thief access to my email and promising a reward (sent messages to myself, so they'd pop up on the main screen). the email server logged all the IP addresses that the thief used to reply to me, and with the help of the local ISP here, tracked the IP to a house, knocked on the door, and asked for my tablet back. they gave it back once caught, and I promised not to press charges. I find this resolution superior to a mandatory kill switch that gives a phone company (that I don't like/trust/respect) control over my property. I seem to be in the minority, though.
1. http://www.jwz.org/gruntle/cell.html