Chicks ‘n Clicks: Lost iPhone? No prob, with MobileMe

29. Jul, 2010 | by Jennifer Beese 1 Comment

For someone whose iPhone is practically glued to her hand, I sure do misplace it often. I’m not as bad as the guy who lost the iPhone 4 in a bar; I’ve never left a location without it. But I do wander around my apartment looking for my device. Luckily most of the time, it’s still in my purse, aka the black hole. But what would happen it went completely MIA, for real?

Too often, I’ve seen women pull everything out of their bags, looking for their wallets at the checkout, then miss one little thing when putting it all back in. (Raise your hand if this sounds familiar. Yup, my hand’s up, too.) Or, unable to stuff anything in those skinny jeans or skirts, some wind up hand-carrying a wallet and phone — which I personally find unnerving, to say the least. Then there’s the obvious: Those big slouchy purses that are so en vogue these days, slung over the back of a cafe chair or on the floor at a restaurant, just begging to be dipped into by strange hands.

Yikes! The mere thought makes me shudder.

Simply misplacing an iPhone is annoying enough. But having it ripped from you? I can’t imagine what I’d do. Well, okay — actually, I could: After cursing and complaining to Twitter (as if I could remember how to access it without my phone), I’d probably turn to MobileMe. If you don’t know what this is, then I have got quite a story for you. Earlier this year I read the account of an iPhone owner who lost his handset on a flight — then somehow managed to get it back from a thief! The tale went something like this:

An iPhone owner named Sam was on a plane landing in Los Angeles. The man next to him (who the narrator dubbed “Pinche”) asked to borrow a pen, to fill out a customs form. Soon after, Sam texted a friend and put the phone inside his pocket. This was the last time he had it. As the passengers deboarded, Pinche bumped into him, and then jetted off the plane. When Sam reached into his pocket a few moments later, he found nothing but air. Of course it wasn’t back at his seat, on the floor or anywhere on the plane. It was gone.

Airports are so unfun as it is...

Sam wound up conducting an epic online manhunt using a combination of web tools and searching, online background checking tools, and a vague recollection of some of Pinche’s info (noticed on the customs form filled out on the plane). The essential component of his sleuthing? MobileMe.

The Find My Phone feature located Sam’s phone in Sun Valley (half an hour from L.A.). He also used it to remotely lock the device and protect his personal data, before displaying a message on the screen with a phone number and a request for the iPhone’s return. Despite multiple messages, there was no response. Sam had wondered if the phone could’ve accidentally fallen into Pinche’s bag, but that faith was gone by the second day. (The iPhone was still tracking, and Pinche would’ve undoubtedly discovered it by then.) No, without a doubt, it was stolen. And that fact, friends, was what gave Sam license to do what he did next — launch a full-on investigation/internet stalking to retrieve his phone.

This is like something out of CSI...

You know those TV shows that highlight the world’s dumbest criminals? Yeah, this could be one of them. The thief placed a few calls using the iPhone. Bingo! And those numbers lead Sam to addresses, family members, even the type of car Pinche drove (thank you, Google Street View!).

The whole ordeal took about a week and ultimately, Sam got his iPhone back. (You can get the entire story here. It’s worth a read.) And it’s not like he hired a private eye or had a friend in the police department — he used tools (Google, AT&T, MobileMe, White Pages and USsearch.com) that are available to anyone and everyone for a small price. The level of detail Sam was able to learn about Pinche blew my mind. It definitely made me promise to never steal an iPhone. More importantly, it made me want a MobileMe account.

Skeptical about this service? So was I. I’m the first to admit that I expected my iPhone to have the precision and accuracy of Google Earth. While Apple is taking over the world, they’re no Google (yet). But they come pretty darn close. I spoke with a friend of mine, who is also a super nerd/Apple employee. He estimates that indoors, the iPhone’s GPS can locate within 55 meters (it relies on Skyhook technology). Not bad, though not entirely accurate. This is due to the fact that satellite signals have a harder time penetrating walls or glass. However, outdoors is pretty accurate. And the longer you let the phone search, the more precise it can triangulate.

In June, MobileMe released the Find My iPhone app, which I find kind of funny: They released something to find a lost object… that requires launching it on the lost object?

Well, yes and no. The app — which requires a MobileMe subscription — would come in extra handy if you have multiple iDevices and one is lost. If you only have the one and it’s missing, MM is also accessible online via web browser. However you tap into it, the service allows users to track their iPhones (stalk them), lock them to protect data, or completely remote wipe the phones clean.

MobileMe also lets you sound an alarm on your phone, even when it’s set to vibrate, which is especially helpful when you’re trying to find it in your home, under a car seat, between couch cushions or another dark scary place. The service/app is also available for the iPad and iPod Touch as well. (But bear in mind — devices without GPS can’t be geo-located with pinpoint precision. Just a reminder.)

Our phones hold more than just phone numbers. We store memories in addition to passwords and important account information. A thief can learn just as much about you as you can about them, so for me, spending $99 a year to protect my identity and memories seems like a bargain. There’s even a 60-day free trial going on, so fence-sitters can take it for a spin. Aside from the remote location and security features, the service also includes easy cloud-syncing services across all your Apple devices (Mail, Contacts, Calendars) — which is actually the main reason some people sign up for this — as well as online storage for files/photos and webmail.

Are you a MobileMe subscriber? How has your experience been? Or have you ever left your phone/had it taken from you, and wished you had the service? Leave your stories in the comments below.