I lost my HTC HD2 yesterday. I know where and when I lost it (at city hall) but so far nobody has come forward having found it. Not that I expect people being honest enough to report it found.

I dont suppose you had GPS tracking turned on so your carrier can find it ?

quote Originally posted by MidEngineManiac: I dont suppose you had GPS tracking turned on so your carrier can find it ?

Google Maps (Latitude) is always on but it hasn't reported itself since about an hour after I lost it. That either means whoever found it turned it off, or the phone hasn't moved since then. I suspect the latter because when I called the phone last night, it rang. Anybody smart enough to turn off Google Maps Latitude must be smart enough to remove the SIM card as well.

Edit: The thing that p's me off is that for the past few weeks I wanted to install a program so that if you send a special text message to the phone, it would report it's position. But I never got around to installing it.

*here's hoping an honest person found it*

Doesn't sound too likely if it happened yesterday, though...

Did you have it set that someone could pick up an incoming call even if it was locked?

quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: I wanted to install a program so that if you send a special text message to the phone, it would report it's position. But I never got around to installing it.

Isn't that how it always works.......

That's what amazes me about the human beings.
We can blast machinery off into space and explore moons and planets with computer-controled stuff 100 time smarter then man.
But we feel the need that we MUST do it with an actual human being who is 100 times dumber, overlording those machines.

Meanwhile, our VCR is still blinking 12:00 from the day in 1984 when we bought it.

I've got the free version of Droid Locator on my DROID. It cranks up the volume and makes it ring when you text it. I've been thinking about upgrading to the pay version to get the GPS reporting feature like you mentioned. That would be nice.

Can you report it as 'gone' to your carrier and have them brick it? At least then it cant be used by anyone.

The Lookout app on Droids cranks up the volume and all that jazz, but the best thing is that you can go to Lookout's website, type in some of your info and a map with your phone's location will pop up. Haven't had to try it yet but it's nice to know it's there.

I agree,report it stolen but first,send a text or voice message to your phone stateing you would like your phone back, and that you will report it stollen if you dont get it back rendering it useless.Allso,if you go through your next phone bill,you can call the phone numbers, that the person who has your phone dialed, and see if they know anyone who has a HTC HD2 for sale (a dirty little trick).

Kinda wierd, and not so related, but on the way to work, walking from my car I found a digital voice recorder on the side of the road. I first thought it was a phone. It was not working so not thinking anything, just tossed it into my knapsack. When I got home I put some batteries in it and it worked. Appears to be a reporter of some kind, has a interview with the governor of WV and some local band. I believe the person tossed it out the window, since it was well off the road. The unit itself is very old, not even worth a dollar. Just sharing.

quote Originally posted by RotrexFiero: Kinda wierd, and not so related, but on the way to work, walking from my car I found a digital voice recorder on the side of the road. I first thought it was a phone. It was not working so not thinking anything, just tossed it into my knapsack. When I got home I put some batteries in it and it worked. Appears to be a reporter of some kind, has a interview with the governor of WV and some local band. I believe the person tossed it out the window, since it was well off the road. The unit itself is very old, not even worth a dollar. Just sharing.

You should put the messages up on Youtube, and see where it goes from there. SERIOUSLY!

I guess this pertains to this topic, in a round about way. Whenever I off load my camera, or my cell phone, onto my computer I pull up a full screen pdf. that I made.
In the first frame of either device I take a picture of my home made pdf. that says: "If found please Call: xxx-xxx-xxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx"
I have had my camera, and my phone, returned to me every time I have lost them...
Cliff, I sincerely hope you get your phone returned soon.

quote Originally posted by 85GT3.4Track4spdCar: I guess this pertains to this topic, in a round about way. Whenever I off load my camera, or my cell phone, onto my computer I pull up a full screen pdf. that I made. In the first frame of either device I take a picture of my home made pdf. that says: "If found please Call: xxx-xxx-xxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx" I have had my camera, and my phone, returned to me every time I have lost them... Cliff, I sincerely hope you get your phone returned soon.

Good point,I do the same thing with my computer,in the event it gets stolen.

Did you go back or call to see if it was turned in to security ?

A co-worker (who is truly a gadget geek) accidently left his $400 + Iphone on a self at the grocery store. He was looking at some canned produce and after placing the items in the basket-he walked off forgetting he had left the phone. Once he realized the phone was missing he called it, but no body answered. However, he had some type of insurance that covered the phone if lost or stolen. Since I've had a cell phone-I only lost it once. I accidently left it on the car's windshield and drove off. It was late at night and I found the cell phone a mile down the road when I made a right turn and it slide off. The phone continued to work for several months-then it died. My cell phone insurance covered the phone and I was given another one.

Hmmm, I am curious as to why US service providers havent adapted the following service
that was offered for cell phone users in Britain a while back.

Basically, if you're phone is stolen you simply report it and anytime the phone is turned on
it screeches at high volume and that's all it will do.

Kit

i just got an Atrix and should probably get Lookout back on it (have a lookout account from my old phone, a Droid). ssorry to hear about your loss..lol

quote Originally posted by faaaaq: i just got an Atrix and should probably get Lookout back on it (have a lookout account from my old phone, a Droid). ssorry to hear about your loss..lol

No, you don't need to do that. But you should let me know when you are going to leave it unattended for a few m inutes.

quote Originally posted by Kitskaboodle: Hmmm, I am curious as to why US service providers havent adapted the following service that was offered for cell phone users in Britain a while back. Basically, if you're phone is stolen you simply report it and anytime the phone is turned on it screeches at high volume and that's all it will do. Kit

There's a lot of things we can do WRT stolen property that we don't over here. I remember seeing a 60 Minutes episode on stolen Ipods. Apple keeps track by serial number when Ipods are connected to itunes for buying music, so could easily disable the ability for a stolen ipod to buy from itunes and even disable the player entirely. The gist of the story was that Apple refused to do this because it would reduce sales of songs via itunes. I suspect that there's some profit angle to us not adopting the Brit stolen phone screech thing here.

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: There's a lot of things we can do WRT stolen property that we don't over here. I remember seeing a 60 Minutes episode on stolen Ipods. Apple keeps track by serial number when Ipods are connected to itunes for buying music, so could easily disable the ability for a stolen ipod to buy from itunes and even disable the player entirely. The gist of the story was that Apple refused to do this because it would reduce sales of songs via itunes. I suspect that there's some profit angle to us not adopting the Brit stolen phone screech thing here.

There would also some liability issues if you turn off devices like that, you have to be 100% sure.. I can see turning off phones not being a problem since there are contracts attached to prove ownership but other devices that are bought and sold like candy could be a problem.

If I had an Ipod, could prove ownership with receipts, warranty registration, etc, and it was stolen Apple could not only disable it at my authorized in person request with ID at an Apple store but could also track the thief using credit card records from purchase subsequent to the theft. Could, but won't. Much of the pros and cons were pretty thoroughly discussed on the news show segment and Apple's reasoning was fairly well debunked IIRC.

In any case, it's moot for me as I don't own any Apple products and my phone, being a well-used 1st gen RazR, has no value in the fence market.

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: If I had an Ipod, could prove ownership with receipts, warranty registration, etc, and it was stolen Apple could not only disable it at my authorized in person request with ID at an Apple store but could also track the thief using credit card records from purchase subsequent to the theft. Could, but won't. Much of the pros and cons were pretty thoroughly discussed on the news show segment and Apple's reasoning was fairly well debunked IIRC. In any case, it's moot for me as I don't own any Apple products and my phone, being a well-used 1st gen RazR, has no value in the fence market.

Just because you bought it doesn't mean you didn't sell it to someone then get pissed at them and have it shut off, putting Apple at risk legally.. that idea what i was getting at. wasn't talking about the honest people causing problem

All phones carry a unique ID# which is broadcasted to the cellphone tower the phone is connected to. Providers can accurately pinpoint the position of a stolen cellphone the moment it is switched by using triangulation but they don't because they apparently can't be bothered and probably because it would open up a whole can of worms legally.

quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: All phones carry a unique ID# which is broadcasted to the cellphone tower the phone is connected to. Providers can accurately pinpoint the position of a stolen cellphone the moment it is switched by using triangulation but they don't because they apparently can't be bothered and probably because it would open up a whole can of worms legally.

i had us cellular long time ago when i got mugged. they said we would have had to have had their insurance policy or whatever for them to even bother getting the police involved in tracking the phone down