In response to an increase in iPhone thefts nationwide, and particularly in large U.S. cities, a number of lawmakers have proposed that smartphone manufacturers include a "kill switch" on mobile phones so that stolen devices can be de-activated from afar.
On Monday, Apple unveiled a new iOS 7 feature dubbed "Activation Lock" which may help in that regard. As Apple explained during its keynote yesterday, devices with Activation Lock enabled will preclude a thief from turning off the "Find my iPhone" feature without fist entering in the device owner's Apple ID and password. Adding an extra layer of deterrence, even if a thief wipes a device clean, he/she will not be able to reactivate the device without the original owner
