東西 | dongxi

Losing  a phone –  it’s happened to many, if not most. For those on iOS (iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches), the solution is simple. Subscribe to MobileMe. It’s a free service from Apple, that’ll allow you to track the location of your devices, based on GPS, cell signals, or Wi-Fi. Of course, it only works if you set it up before you lose your device, but there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t install it as soon as you first open the box. (Hint: If you haven’t yet, do it now!)

For Android, it’s just as simple, and perhaps even better. After leaving my phone in a taxi cab one night, I was able to go online and do a remote installation of a location app, called Plan B. That’s definitely one great perk of Android phones – the ability to install apps remotely from a different computer. So long as my phone was still on and had a 3G signal, I’d be able to get this app up and running. Did I forget to mention that it’s free? Once installed, the phone starts using cell signals and GPS to determine its location, sending periodic email updates. Within minutes, I was able to confirm that my phone was in Queens, and to my luck, at the cab company, where I was able to pick it up right away.

PlanB Emailed Map

While getting a lost phone back is still somewhat based on luck (having the right person find it, having enough battery power left, etc.), it’s still good to know that gone are the days where you’re completely out of options. So if you have an Android phone, or perhaps more accurately, without your Android phone, definitely check out Plan B on the Android Market.