Losing a cellphone is almost like losing a purse or walletit includes contacts, photos and, in some cases, credit-card numbers.
A pair of Denver-based mobile application developers have launched a pay service that helps track misplaced or stolen phones. Here’s how it works:
•After registering for an account on , the site will send a text to a user’s phone. Responding with “Y” will activate the service.
•If the phone is lost, a user can log in to his or her account on the site and find the device’s last known location, so long as it’s powered on. It must be powered on and within service range.
•The lost device needn’t be a smartphone or GPS-enabled. No applications have to be installed. The service works with AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile and must be activated before a user loses their phone. Compatibility with Verizon Wireless is expected by month’s end.
A test of the service by The Denver Post tracked a device to within several blocks of its location. As such, it appears more useful in helping to narrow the search area for a misplaced phone rather than to find a phone that was actually stolen.
