We all find ourselves losing things from time to time. But just like losing your wallet or purse, losing your BlackBerry is just as devastating. The thought of being without your mobile texts, emails, the messengers, and even mobile Twitter, is so distressing, leaving just a feeling of being lost and alone, total isolation from the world, we all know that feeling since our BlackBerry is our friend and our secretary. Hopefully you had your BlackBerry synced and backed up by way of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. I am also hoping you have it secured by a password. In the event that your BlackBerry is stolen and they try to open the phone, the BlackBerry will give them three tries to the password and if they don’t guess it, the BlackBerry is automatically wiped of any information. But in the event that you are tragically separated from your beloved BlackBerry, these are the steps you can take. The best medicine is prevention and preparation so I have two apps to share besides the obvious.
There are a few things you can do besides backing up your information and password protecting it. You can also install a few programs that will assist you in finding it. The first one I’m going to highlight is an application for $6.95 by the name of Berry Locator. If you have Verizon, this one is not an option because Verizon currently blocks third party GPS access on all BlackBerry devices with the exception of the Storm and will not pull up a map. With this application you send an email to your BlackBerry with a custom phrase in the subject line and your BlackBerry will sound off like crazy even if it is in silent mode. If you’re unable to find it, the app displays the email message on the screen so you can send a message and contact information to whoever finds the phone. If you would like to try this app: Berry Locator
Supported models for this app are: 7130c, 7130e, 7130g, 7130v, 8100 (Pearl), 8110 (Pearl), 8120 (Pearl), 8130 (Pearl), 8220 (Pearl Flip), 8300 (Curve), 8310 (Curve), 8320 (Curve), 8330 (Curve), 8350i (Curve), 8700c, 8700f, 8700g, 8700r, 8700v, 8703e, 8705g, 8707g, 8707h, 8707v, 8800, 8820, 8830, 8900 (Curve), 9000 (Bold), Curve, Pearl, Storm
And compatible with OS 4.2 and above.
First there was RoboCop and now now there’s ROblock, v2.0, at the price of $9.95. ROblock is a program by Vapssky. This program can point the location of your lost or stolen device on Google Maps using the WHERE command. If you do not have GPS integration or a GPS signal available, then it will use the cellular tower location information to show the approximate location of your device. You have three ways available to communicate with your phone: sms; email; and the web interface. There is sms/email notification in the event that your phone has a sims card and it is replaced. You have the power to recover the Address book contacts. You have the ability to remotely wipe the entire content of your phone and your micro sd card, which is irreversible so make sure you have it backed up. There is a remote lock and alarm as well, in which you can lock the phone, locking the keypad and making it inoperable. This is the most intriguing part to me which I love: a high pitch alarm you can activate which will sound until the phone is unlocked. You can unlock it as you locked it and the alarm is optional. You can make your lost or stolen phone dial any number you want, so that you can listen in on it’s location and where abouts. You can send custom text messages with return information by command that will come up on the display so the finder can return the device. Here’s another advantage, this program can wipe the entire device without BIS/BES service. It uses sms, email, or GPRS for communication so you can wipe or recover the device even where service is unavailable, or the SIMs card has been replaced. If you’re interested in this app, you can download it at ROblock.
This program is compatible with OS 4.2 and higher.
The other option was introduced at WES. The application is called SmrtGuard- Your Smartphone Guardian. This program will be available upon launch of May 25, 2009. You are able to remote track your smartphone with no GPS required. It allows you to remotely wipe your sensitive data, fully wipe your phone from where you are. You can also back up your sensitive data which includes PIMs, call logs, emails, and more, allowing you to back up and restore personal data. The data can be accessed through the SmrtGuard web portal. You can also audio ping to locate your phone as well, just in case you have it on mute. Guardian features included are: Personal Guardian that allows you to send a distress SMS/Email/Call with a single button push; and the SimCard Guardian that gives you the ability to inform users of unregistered Sim cards being used in the smartphone. You can use it to remotely listen in on the smartphone’s surroundings and the ability to remotely lock the phone. You can also use it to track a loved one. This application allows you by using the dashboard to decide if the phone is lost or stolen, auto ping to find, and detonate the phone to wipe out everything. The program will have three types of pricing available: Monthly for $3.99; Bi-Annual for $22.99; and yearly for $44.99. The program will be available from their online site when it lauches. The program will be available for purchase here: SmrtGuard
Supported models for this app are: BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Curve (83xx Series), BlackBerry Pearl (81xx Series), BlackBerry Flip Pearl, BlackBerry 88xx Series Supported OS are: BlackBerry OS 4.2.x , BlackBerry OS 4.3.0, BlackBerry OS 4.5.x, BlackBerry OS 4.6.x, BlackBerry OS 4.7.x
In the event the phone is pretty much lost and you don’t want to incur possible phone charges, you do have the option to call and suspend the line. If the line is suspended, they will not be able to use the phone to make phone calls, let alone out of country phone calls. Reporting it to the police is important if the phone has been stolen is important as well. In the US you do have the option to have insurance and make an insurance claim. For a deductible you can have your phone replaced.
Do you have a lost or stolen phone story you’d like to share? We’d like you to leave your comments and let us know.
