Options for tracking down and recovering lost or stolen iphones

Unfortunately AT&T doesn't seem to care about tracking down your lost iPhone. Fortunately if you've got a lost iPhone and need to track it down, their are a few options you can use.

The program at iRedHanded.com, which has a beta program already... From the description:

• Track a lost or stolen iPhone or iPod touch's location
• Lost under the couch? Alarm noises will help you recover it, even if switched to 'silent'
• Backup all your important data and settings, automatically, seamlessly over the air any time
• Wipe all your sensitive data on loss or theft
• Annoy the thief and send pop-up messages and recovery instructions
• Track usage, numbers called, view the camera, view text messages
  What will you do when you next lose your iPhone or iPod touch? With iRedHanded installed, you always have a backup plan.
• Hopefully coming soon to the app store, until then you will need to "Jailbrake" your phone

TUAW Twitter Solution

This is an iPhone LoJack solution. The solution is called findme. It's a command-line program that returns the location of the cell phone tower nearest to your iPhone. When run, it tells you the tower id, plus its latitude and longitude courtesy of Google Maps.

Still, how to get the location report to a place you can get it... but nobody else can... and without receiving a zillion SMSes? For this part of the puzzle, enter Twitter.

Todo this, create a new Twitter account just for your iPhone (it will need its own unique email address, separate from your main account, so have one handy). Open the Settings panel, and look for the "Protect My Updates" checkbox. It's towards the bottom of the page, just above the Save button. Check this and click Save. With protected updates, only the Twitter users you approve will see the updates for this iPhone-only account (just you? you + spouse? spouse, kids, and "special friends?" Up to you).

Update: updated version of findme (findme-better) is available at the TUAW folder.  To use, just copy to your iPhone (you may have to use Firefox if you get errors after downloading with Safari), rename to "findme" and replace the original findme.

After creating your phone's Twitter account, you're ready to set up your iPhone to tweet in on a regular basis. For more instructions visit TUAW's original post on this fantastic application. I have not tried this yet, because I'm not sure how to unlock my phone, but let me know what you think!

iLocalis

With iLocalis you can control your iPhone from your computer connected to the internet. If your iPhone has been stolen you can find it with the track feature or even make a remote call or SMS to see the new number if the SIM has been changed.

Features - Location tracking Yes! - Share your location with others Yes! - Notify friends nearby Yes! (if they've got iLocalis) - Remote iPhone control Yes! - Send messages to your friends for free Yes! (if they've got iLocalis) - Remote SMS commands Yes!

Watch for more features in the future! Stay in touch!

Due to the limitations at the iTunes AppStore this application will only be available from Cydia, so you will need a Jailbroken iPhone. If you don't know what that means please search on Google. I will publish a tutorial in the future with instructions about how to Jailbreak your iPhone.

Also you can download another utility I coded from my personal page.

I-Tunes App Store Options (for phones that are not "unlocked")

Unfortunately the only options I found for this are really simple and lame. 

• $.99 Lost Phone App Their are dozens of apps like this (this one is paid, but their are similar free options). The app is just a wall paper background with information to help someone who has found or stolen your phone to be able to contact you, so you can offer them a reward.
• $.99 Call owner App - this application looks like a big red stop sign. When pushed it automatically calls or emails who ever you have programmed it to. Unfotunately --if it was stolen I doubt that person is going to call you.
• $.99 Top Secret - This application just says top secret on the front. It is to entise the person to try to find your personal, valuable information and instead text or emails you (or calls) -- where the phone is. Then gives that person a network error message.. so that they will try to use the application again later.
• Free If Found App. Looks like a dollar sign. When clicked just gives the person your contact info.
• $.99 Tracker - This application is suppose to send your location consistantly to a website via ftp. It would also be password protected so if the phone is stolen the application can not be changed. The problem with this is-- I didn't downlaod  it because all of the comments said it doesn't work.

Would love to hear if you know of any better applications for tracking down your favorite phone quickly and easily. Also if you are a developer, I would love to see an application similar to the ilocal, but where you can text from a friends phone to find yours and can text your phone a code to lock it up so no one can edit it or use it.

All iphones have GPS built in, and the police can locate it, but only in emergency (theft apparently doesn't count). So is it just.. Mostly thanks to At&T not wanting to co-operate? Or because of the few people that think it's a privacy violation, but to track your own phone.. with a password? I would say thats not a violoation. Just At&T wanting to make money off you needing to buy a new phone! What do you think?

Tips for being Improving your life, gaining positive energy, and increasing productivity

Are you over worked? Over tired? Don't have enough energy for family, friend, physical activities, emotional activities? Tomorrow has not yet began so be positive. The person that puts a little extra energy in my step? Jon Gordon and his positive influence. He is very successful, funny, and a wonderful speaker who puts out a great free e-newsletter and has wrote many books.

Here is a great start for you... The No Complaining Rule.

"Great leaders, have TONs and TONS of positive energy." --Jon Gordon

"Enthusiasm attracts more positive followers." -- Jon Gordon

"Positive companies out perform negative companies." --Jon Gordon


Love this speaker? Hate his writing? Share with me in the comments so I can continue to improve my posts for you.

New Fine Art Website Desaraev.com

Desaraev.com went live two days ago. It's a simple website with a matching art blog, galleries, a store to buy art related accessories, purchase prints, or commission your own custom artwork. The basic premise is if you have a particular interior design, bedroom decor, pillow, or other set of colors and patterns and you would like a piece of fine art to match your beautiful home then you can commission your own original one of a kind art piece.

Tour the site and as always I look forward to your feedback comments.

You can also find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/desaraev

Fwd: Fw: One Week Left to Vote

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Laura Bertrand <coolriver.ranch@yahoo.com>
Date: 2008/12/8
Subject: Fw: One Week Left to Vote
To: desaraev@gmail.com

Please do your magic kiddo!  Thanks, Laura

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Camelot Sanctuary <camelot@gemsi.com>
To: camelot@gemsi.com
Sent: Sunday, December 7, 2008 9:06:23 PM
Subject: One Week Left to Vote

 

Well, it's time again for our weekly reminder asking you to vote. As of today (Sunday) we remain at #3 in the State (out of 270 shelters in Washington), and #86 in the Country (out of THIRTEEN THOUSAND shelters in the country!!). We are so grateful to all of you that continue to vote for us, and for those that pass the emails along to their friends and co-workers asking them to vote. THERE ARE ONLY 7 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE!!!!

 

If we are able to win in Washington we would receive $1,000. This would enable us to make VERY NEEDED winter upgrades for the critters. Meanwhile, keep up the good work clicking for our animals, and please try to take time also to click for food for shelter animals. You see, your clicks actually help many animals, not just ours!

 

During the past week we have received emails from around the country asking where to send donations. We ALWAYS ask that all money donations go directly to our Veterinarian:

 

Pioneer Veterinary Clinic

827 Sharon Avenue

Moses Lake, WA 98837

(509) 765-6451

 

Just tell them the donation is for Daze of Camelot. They will notify us, and we will send you a tax deductible receipt.

 

Meanwhile, enjoy the holiday season that we are now in.  Help spread the Word of our Lord, show a little more patience and understanding; spend a little more time with the kids, be aware of the beauty of this Earth that we call our temporary home; and remember that the reason for the holiday season is not to give physical presents, but to acknowledge God's presence.

 

 

Please click the link below to vote today, and EVERY day!!!!

 

 

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3

 

 

 

 

Under His Wings

Sandi

www.dazeofcamelot.petfinder.com

             Hear my cry, O God;

            listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to you,

      I call as my heart grows faint;

lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

        For You have been my refuge.

         I will live in Your tent forever

     And take refuge under the shelter

               of Your wings.

                     Psalm 61: 1 - 4

              

 

                

 

--
Sincerely,

Desarae A. Veit
http://www.dveit.com
http://interactivemedias.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/desaraev

Web. Design. Search. Marketing
This note is off the record (blogs too) unless we agree otherwise.

Top 100 Most beautiful Web site designs, Gorgeous Feminine Modern Simple Websites, and Inspirations html websites

Looking for inspiration, or just want some beautiful sites to look at? I roamed the web, asked readers, and surveyed my twitter friends to come up with a wonderful list of beautifully designed websites. My inspiration for this post? I've wanted to see more feminine web site designs that are chique and stylish. The more you look for modern feminine graphic designs, the more I found hello-kitty worthy web sites. So without further ado, here are pictures of gorgeous web designs, backgrounds, and web pages that are both feminine and elegant without looking too childish. This list has playful designs, artist web sites, and web 2.0 web site templates. To see more then what is in this list download a .pdf of the Top 100 beautiful web site designs.

Web 2.0 Affordable Site Design

Do you need a new website? Do you want an elegant new Web site designed by a professional? What is your web design style? You can determine your design style by finding other sites that you like and showing your web designer and programmer the theme you had in mind. Maybe you already have a website but you would like to improve your website, renovate your site, redesign the site, and in the long run optimize the website for search engines and build a community of brand evangelists.

I haven’t been advertising myself using this latest buzz term, Web 2.0, but since it’s become so popular I thought I would answer the question, Does Desarae Veit design and get web 2.0? Of course I can design Web 2.0 sites. I both understand and appreciate the simplicitiy of web 2.0 design, development, and marketing. I can design, and can apply Web 2.0 to your next project.

Reflected surfaces, overlit areas, rounded letters, and brightly colored areas can be vastly over-used design aethetics of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 can refer to so much more than just looks. It’s also social media, new Internet startups, affordable powerful software, web standards, better coding, the open source movement, communities, online shopping, moving to web-based software, creating and joining online communities, and building elegant user friendly websites, usability, innovation, and accessibility.

Do you want the Blogger Template that I'm using for FREE? Merry Christmas

Just copy and paste the following html into your blogspot.com html settings and adjust the widgets accordingly.

Click here to download the .zip file

Why you only need to optimize your site for 5 Main Search Indexs

According to Nielsen/NetRating study in 2005 here are the top search engines for U.S. users:

1. Google.com 46.2%
2. Yahoo.com 22.5%
3. MSN.com 12.6%
4. AOL.com 5.4% - receives data from Google
   
5. My Way 2.2% - receives data from Ask
   
6. Ask (AskJeeves) 1.6%
7. Netscape.com 1.6% - receives data from Google
   
8. iWon .9% - receives data from Ask
9. EarthLink .8% - receives data from Google and Open directory project
   
10. DogPile .9% - receives data from Google, Yahoo, Msn, and Ask's Meta and directory info.
    
11. Others 5.3%

(This list is search sites popularity not usage of systems or directories) Example AOL and Netscape receive their information from Google's search system.

Since half of the top search engine sites are fed by 5 index systems, you need only worry about:

• Google
• Yahoo
• MSN
• ASK
• DMOZ.com (Open Directory Project)

You may also want to check out (but not necessary):

• Blingo
• MsnSearchAndWin.com
• HotBot
• WebCrawler
• Lycos
• Alexa (powered by Google)
• Amazon a9.com (enhanced by Google)

In short, over half of the search engines out their are powered by another search engine (more often then not Google). Optimize for the primary search engines and you will be set.

My Visitor Ratings have SKY ROCKETED.

WOW! Thanks everyone (and Google). I went on Google Analytics today to find this little gem. Saying my visitor rates were up 2,000%. The power of SEO.

What are the most popular Search Indexes?

There are literally THOUSANDS of different search engines and directories. Each offers the ability to search the web in a unique way. Different examples could be Mahalo, Google, Yahoo, Mamma, dir.yahoo.com, and ddir. The difference between these six search indexes and directories is the way they index, their popularity, and they way the search is carried out.

Mahalo, unlike normal search engines that use bots, uses viewer advice and write ups (much like digg) to index all of it's site information. These different sites also vary in the number of visitors to their site. Google's audience reach and total number of visitors is obviously far greater than Mahalo's or Mamma.com. I don't know the exact numbers but another variable would be the number of searches carried out, and the data that these sites in tern receive from that data, followed by the number of hours visitors spend on their sites and in tern your site.

Each of these measurements generally give slightly different results, but with the same websites categorized.