Leave Your Smartphone In A Bar? There's An App For That!
As prosecutors in California evaluate the evidence to see if any criminal case can be built around the infamous lost iPhone prototype, what they likely will focus on is if anyone had knowledge “or means of inquiry as to the true owner,” starting with the bar patron that discovered it.
Once the anguished Apple employee who had left the unit realized what happened, it's likely he called the bar, hoping someone had turned it over to the establishment’s management. When that didn't happen, his only hope was that his personal data on the device would lead the good Samaritan who discovered the phone back to him. And indeed it did.
Even though the Apple MobileMe service enabled the hapless owner to “brick” the device, meaning he rendered it as dead as a stone, it was the owner’s Facebook page that kept him from remaining incognito, and that may prove to be a key piece of evidence in determining if there are criminal charges to be filed.
So, should you still prevent people from identifying you by accessing your personal data on your phone? Absolutely. Today’s smartphones are mini personal computers, capable of enabling access to your bank accounts, secure codes, and past calls and locations. Many consumers disable their devices' touch screens by put their phones to sleep in order to prevent inadvertent “pocket calling,” but that may not prevent access to the contents of the phone if it's left behind.
It’s always good to remember that the person next to you at the bar may not be in a condition to exercise good, moral judgment if he or she discovers your phone. And in case an extra beer makes you forget where you left it, here are some apps to consider downloading immediately which can help you secure your mobile device and its contents.
Mobile Defense - Android users can’t avail themselves of Apple’s MobileMe to “brick” their phones, so Google’s fans can remotely lock, backup, and wipe your phone from this company’s secure website. You can also be notified of suspicious activity and fraud detection. Monitor SIM card changes, proximity alerts, and other unauthorized actions from this secure website. You can also be notified of suspicious activity and fraud detection. Monitor SIM card changes, proximity alerts, and other unauthorized actions.
Wave Secure – A cross platform application for Android, Windows Mobile and Blackberry users, this security guard helps you protect your personal data by triggering a remote wipe from the WaveSecure site to delete all private data on your Android phone. Contacts, messages, photos, videos including those on your removable media card can be deleted, too. Continued on the next pagePage 1 2
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