Spanish National Police arrested a group of five Amazon warehouse employees in Madrid for a sneaky scheme to ship iPhones to accomplices who hadn’t paid for them. If the accusations hold up in court, the scofflaws stole nearly $600,000 worth of Apple handsets.

Criminals allegedly used identity theft to steal thousands of iPhones from across the United States over several years. Their scheme involved assuming stolen identities and going to stores run by wireless carriers to pose as customers looking for upgrades to new models.

Police in Brooklyn arrived to a bloody scene at the busy Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center train station on Friday morning after a 33-year-old man was stabbed while riding the N train.

The assailant apparently knifed the victim in the stomach after grabbing his iPhone while the Coney Island-bound train pulled into the subway station.

SACRAMENTO — The state where the iPhone was born came a step closer to a law that might help keep it in your hands.

State Sen. Mark Leno’s Smartphone Theft Prevention Act (Senate Bill 962) passed the state legislature this morning with a 51-18 vote. Now it will move on to the Senate for a vote on amendments.

California won’t be the first state to flip the kill switch – that distinction goes to Minnesota, which heeded the call from consumers in May. If the law passes in the most populous state in the U.S. and the birthplace of the iPhone, it may mark a sea change in similar legislation. California’s law will affect any smartphone manufactured on or after July 1, 2015.

It would be next to impossible to ever label an iPhone thief “thoughtful” — but a recent story coming out of China took a turn for the strange when the thief in question painstakingly wrote out eleven pages of contact details and sent them to the owner of the iPhone he had pickpocketed.

With the release of iOS 7, we’ve prepped a guide to what you need to know about Apple’s new operating system — along with some things you might not already know.

In this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine we catch up with uber-designer Khoi Vinh who has been using it since the beta, why experts think the new activation lock (aka “kill switch”) won’t stop iCrime and take a light-hearted look at the real-world objects that inspired the new icons.

Once again, we’ve tapped an Apple Store Genius to answer your questions on how to get an iPhone 5 replaced for free and what to do when your MacBook Pro gets all wet.

The latest issue is available for free in the App Store.

Got questions, comments, topics in the Applesphere you’d like us to cover in-depth?

Tweet, email or give us a shout out any way you feel appropriate. (Just FYI, though, smoke signals are hard to read here in foggy San Francisco.)

Thanks for all your kind words and input on the first issue.

And, just so we know, were you guys serious that we should call it a “Macazine?”

In her work as a marriage and family therapist, Sharon Gilchrest O’Neill often finds her patients bring in some common baggage: their smartphones.

The alleged victim of tactics used by Apple security employees seeking to recover an iPhone prototype is considering filing a lawsuit against the tech giant. Sergio Calderon, a 22-year-old San Francisco man claims Apple workers impersonated police officers during a search of his home.

Thieves looking to get their hands on iPhones have streamlined operations by snatching them while the owner is on the phone,  if recent police reports are anything to go by. (If it happens to you, try writing Steve Jobs — he may render justice when police can’t).

Simple but effective: it’s easier than snatching a bag and hoping there’s something good inside, right?

Chicago-based columnist Mark Bazer wrote an open letter to the person who snagged his wife’s month-old iPhone on a train:

Congratulations on your new iPhone! I just know you’re going to love it, as it’s a fantastic device with an easy-to-use interface and photos of my relatives. Heck, they’re now your relatives, too — we’re on the same family plan! That reminds me: It’s your turn this year to host Thanksgiving.

But back to your shiny new iPhone, because there are a number of things you should know to ensure it gives you so much enjoyment that you forget your shame.

For starters, it’s got plenty of room for music, but we weren’t sure what kind you liked. We were hoping Simon and Garfunkel , but if not, just sync that baby up to your PC and create your own mix. (If you don’t have a PC, they can be stolen from most homes.)

Also, we had the foresight to buy you the AppleCare protection plan, so your iPhone is covered for two years if anything goes wrong — with the exception of someone stealing it.

Funny, but it kinda makes me want to grab one, too.

Via Baltimore Sun