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I Fell from the Moon

Don't worry ma'am. I'm from cyberspace.

How Google Latitude helped me find my phone

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I drive a scooter. I have driven a scooter since I was 16, and drive as fast as I can, all the time. As a result I have lost keys, memory sticks and now, my cell phone. A bloody expensive, Samsung Omnia HD, which cost me approximately €739.82.

I was done at work late in the evening, and went home. So I twisted the throttle and jumped over bumps in the road and all. Over a path, and through a parking lot. When I got home, I discovered that I had lost my cell phone. I had no idea where my cell was located.

So I took the wheels hold and drove back to work. It was dark and I used the light on my scooter to look for my cell phone on the road. I locked myself in to the work building and searched for my phone, without any luck. So I called my mother by the phone at work and asked her to call my cell phone while I drove home. I couldn't find it.

But all hope was not lost. I knew my phone had GPS. But not only that. Google Maps was running on my phone with Latitude. A service where you can show your friends where you are. It is useful for friends, but I never imagined it would be useful for me. Because I can actually tell where my phone is located via Google Latitude on the Internet. I turned on my computer and found out that my phone was located near the path I drove on. So I asked my mother to call the phone and jumped on my bike.

I parked in the parking lot and walked up the trail while searching with a flashlight. As I stood in the middle of the trail, I stopped. I could hear my ringtone in the distance. I continued forward, and could hear my ringtone more clearly. When I came to the crosswalk on the main road I saw it. Lying by the roadside. I answered my mother's call and said I found it. Back home I saw that my phone had some scratches. Oh well. Better than losing the €739.82 I bought it for.

Google Maps runs on almost all phones, and Google Latitude works even if you do not have GPS on your phone. You can use it to see where your friends are on Google's Latitude, or check where your phone is in the world, like I did.

This is why you don't use Windows on your public terminalOpera Mobile 10 Beta on the Omnia HD

Comments

Fatimah 26. August 2009, 22:25

congrats that was a smart thing to do however, I would expect nothing less
from you :smile:

My daughter was telling me there is a follow me app for our Black Berry phone
as much as I drive I would make people dizzy trying to follow me lol

Thanks for always sharing great ideas

:heart:

The Dark Furie 26. August 2009, 22:57

Holy hell you're lucky. If the GPS had been turned off or Maps wasn't running or someone else heard the calls and picked it up... Poor phone. awww By the way, keep your eyes open over the next few weeks for a big firmware update.

DrLaunch 26. August 2009, 23:24

Luckily there aren't a lot of people outside after dark in the small rural village I live in. But if I hadn't found it now, someone without good intentions could have found it tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to it. I hope they fix some of the most annoying bugs.

Tamil 27. August 2009, 01:10

Originally posted by Furie:

you're lucky

Léazz 28. August 2009, 13:48

Google Latitude :up: thanks for recommendation.
:sst: hope your neck is ok now.

Suntana 29. August 2009, 02:40

I think that's the first case of someone finding their phone like that ... via help from the computer. I was going to ask a question, but I guess Furie sort of answered it. Oh, what the heck. So, you can turn off this Latitude function? Say ... for instance a person, NOT necessarily me ... :whistle: plans on being up to no good. :lol: Said person obviously doesn't want to advertise to all his friends where he is. So, he or she could turn off the Latitude function and be invisible to his friends?

The Dark Furie 29. August 2009, 09:22

Yep. Turn off Google Maps and it's gone for good. Turn off GPS and it's less accurate, using the network towers to create a 400 metre radius instead of an exact position. Turn the phone to offline profile then reboot and it's untracable no matter what 24 says.

DrLaunch 29. August 2009, 13:15

Actually, MobileMe for iPhone has an anti-theft service where you can find your stolen/lost phone using its GPS. Latitude can be used in a similar way, but its real intention is to help friends find each other.

Suntana 29. August 2009, 15:27

I take it these functions you can turn off, the Google Maps, GPS and Latitude will require a Password even if the phone is on? What I'm getting at is, say someone steals your phone or you lose it and either way, someone else has your working phone. THEY wouldn't be able to turn off all those functions so as to make the phone findable by the original owner? They would need a Password no ands, ifs or buts if they wanted to disable any anti-theft capability?

The Dark Furie 29. August 2009, 15:51

Careful Doc, he'll be asking your address next. :wink:

DrLaunch 29. August 2009, 16:00

A professional cell phone thief knows that he should take out the battery, then hard reset the phone. This trick will only catch really stupid thieves.

And Latitude requires a Google account. Latitude can easily be switched of once you've enabled it. Google Latitude isn't a anti-theft feature.

Suntana 29. August 2009, 16:12

Ohhhhh! RSTC capability. Really Stupid Thief Catcher. :lol:

This reminded me of an episode of the TV Show Seinfeld. Jerry had lost his phone. He decides to call his phone to see if anyone would actually answer. Someone does answer the phone. Jerry goes something like, "Hello. Is this the person who has my phone?" The person replies, "Yes." Jerry continues, "Well, can I have it back?" The person nonchalantly goes, "Ummm, No." Jerry continues, "Well, why not?" The person matter-of-factly replies with something like, "Because I'm not finished using it yet." :insane: :lol:

Leonp.v 14. September 2009, 17:47

Wow! You are sooo lucky! Be careful next time. . .

Take care. . .i mean your phone! Hehehe

Pineas2 23. September 2009, 12:13

Where do you store your goods that you lose all that stuff. I have my usb-sticks etc. on my back and the mobile in the pocket of my black biker jacket. Only thing I ever lost was my Sagem My X-7 dad died a wet death in a combination of an old, old jacket and much rain.

DrLaunch 23. September 2009, 14:37

I put stuff in my jeans. I forgot to button the back pockets and was unlucky. Hasn't happened before and not again. But why does it matter? People lose stuff all the time. But they rarely find them selves.

Pineas2 24. September 2009, 06:44

On the search for yourself it is good to know where everything else is :wink:

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