Contact Owner App, in case you lose your Eris

[zenman]

This app allows people to see your contact info in case you lose your phone. Seems like kind of a necessity if you're using the security lock. Otherwise how will people know how to find you?

But...before you set it up it says the app may cause a crash if you're on an HTC android phone.

Question: Has anyone tried this one on the Eris? Do you have any other suggestions for a similar app?

Thanks,
ZM

 

[Caddyman]

what app is it?

if i find a phone i usually go to recent calls and start calling....easy to figure out.

 

[zenman]

Yea but if the phone is locked with a security code, you can't get inside to find any info.

 

[cmack]

Just wait for them to call. You can always answer a phone call when it is locked.

 

[OfTheDamned]

Why not just get Mobile Defense and locate the phone yourself instead of waiting for someone to call you?

 

[Pinnacle]

Why not just get Mobile Defense and locate the phone yourself instead of waiting for someone to call you?

+1

 

[tispectrum]

or Lookout

 

[OfTheDamned]

or Lookout

I don't know that one. Do you have a link?

 

[tispectrum]

http://mylookout.com

It's in the market

 

[OfTheDamned]

http://mylookout.com

It's in the market

Thanks. I was only looking under lookout and nothing came up.

 

[hattrick]

Why not just get Mobile Defense and locate the phone yourself instead of waiting for someone to call you?

+2 Mobile Defense is great.

 

[mpaquette]

Mobile Defense looks great. Downloading it now.

 

[thetingster]

"Wheres my Droid" is also a useful app to locate a missing Droid.

 

[mpaquette]

Installed Mobile Defense and all I can say is, cool. I'm a BES administrator at my job and being able to remotely wipe and lock phones is one of the big pluses of BES. Mobile Defense basically adds that functionality to the Android platform. Looks like it's a free beta right now, but I'd still pay for this if they started charging at some point.

 

[Caddyman]

wavesecure is another security app, sexy interface too

mobile defense is WEAK compared to wavesecure (i just installed and played with mobile defense, been using wavesecure), you all should check it out....

 

[zenman]

Good point Cmack about simply calling your own phone if it gets lost. They'll be able to answer even without the code. Hopefully they're not thieves.

I just installed both mobile defense and wavesecure. Mobile defense located me about 7 blocks from my current location, wavesecure located me about 1 block away, so wavesecure wins in the location department, though still not perfect. I like wavesecures interface more. I'll keep both installed for now. One unusual thing though, while I was testing each service, it appeared they would send a text message to the phone while locating it, but the texts would immediately disappear and I was never able to read them. Wavesecure warns that they send texts from Singapore when interacting with the device so I think that's what happened. I hope the international text fees aren't too expensive.

 

[Caddyman]

i noticed that too, i will check my bill

 

[zenman]

This is what it says on wavesecure's site:

"IMPORTANT: To improve reliability, we have switched back to our SMS gateway in Singapore. Depending on your carrier/operator, you may be charged for receiving international text messages when executing remote instructions."

The question is whether simply locating the device is a remote instruction. Hmm. I just checked my verizon totals and didn't see any new charges. It may not have shown up yet though. Oh well, it couldn't be too bad, just one text.

 

[Pinnacle]

I think I'll hold off on Wavesecure until you guys figure out if there is an extra charge on your bill or not.

I'm one of those people that likes to tinker a lot and I have already used MobileDefense several times just to watch it work. So I have had it send several of those messages to me. I would do the same thing with WaveSecure just because I can and it would suck if I got hit with a lot of charges for texts originating out of Singapore.

"To improve reliability" I call BS. What, Singapore is the only country that has reliable servers? No, Singapore has the cheapest is the more likely statement they should have made.

 

[zenman]

Haha Pinnacle, I call BS too. In any case, I just checked my bill and I received two international texts. I asked verizon what they cost and they said 20 cents a text, even if you have a text plan. I'll probably keep wavesecure installed but I'll use mobile defense first if the need arises and if it doesn't work for some reason, I'll try wavesecure.

ZM

 

[Pinnacle]

Haha Pinnacle, I call BS too. In any case, I just checked my bill and I received two international texts. I asked verizon what they cost and they said 20 cents a text, even if you have a text plan. I'll probably keep wavesecure installed but I'll use mobile defense first if the need arises and if it doesn't work for some reason, I'll try wavesecure.

ZM

Thanks for the update zenman

Well I have two options then. Move to Singapore or use MobileDefense. Guess MobileDefense it is then.

I think more people should be aware of this. I can see how it could be easily overlooked by someone who installs.

Another thought. Did the people that already had it installed before they moved the servers overseas get contacted about the move and the possible text charges that could apply?

 

[doogald]

I use Mobile Defense; it seems fine, and I like it in the tests that i have done. However, if my phone were truly lost and I either wanted to sound an alarm (to find it if I think it is close) or remotely wipe it (if I thought or knew it was stolen or lost) the last thing I'd be concerned about was the cost of a single international text message. The important thing is, does the software work?

 

[Pinnacle]

I use Mobile Defense; it seems fine, and I like it in the tests that i have done. However, if my phone were truly lost and I either wanted to sound an alarm (to find it if I think it is close) or remotely wipe it (if I thought or knew it was stolen or lost) the last thing I'd be concerned about was the cost of a single international text message. The important thing is, does the software work?

I agree, but my problem is my OCD. It's like locking a door and going back to check it 50 times before I go to bed. I would have 50 extra text charges on my bill a day. Hehehe.

 

[Caddyman]

wavesecure is a lot more polished and i think has more options. i can deal with a .20 cent text charge if i need to locate, alarm, or wipe my stolen phone.

 

[cheewee]

"To improve reliability" I call BS. What, Singapore is the only country that has reliable servers? No, Singapore has the cheapest is the more likely statement they should have made.

Hi Pinnacle,
It's true the move is to improve reliability. Actually, it costs us the same amount to send text messages via a SMS gateway in US or from Singapore. We have tested a few providers with the help of many great Android users from various operators/carriers before our last deployment.

Unfortunately, after that we had many users giving feedback that remote commands from the web site were unreliable. Hence, we had to switch back to the Singapore server.

We are currently exploring the feasibility of setting up our own SMS gateway in the US.

Do follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

Thanks,
cheewee
Team WaveSecure
www.wavesecure.com