Track down stolen iPhones and loved ones with Twitter

Erica Sadun over at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) has come up with a useful mobile application/hack for the iPhone. It's called FindMe, and just like the name suggests, it's a location-based service that helps you find your stolen or misplaced handset, and potentially whomever is in possession of it.

It works by auto transmitting your phone's location in the same way the iPhone currently does for the Maps application--by using the location of local cell phone tower or Wi-Fi signal. In this case, the catch is that the service employs Twitter to send the status updates, meaning you and a few other folks can monitor the signal privately, and check the location right on Google Maps.

When it comes time to actually find your stolen phone, things might get a little difficult. While the system gives you a general location that's accurate up to a quarter mile, you're not going to get the exact positioning you'd get with something like GPS. An application called BlackBerry Tracker has been offering such a service for the past year, and even lets you set up geofences that trigger tracking automatically when a phone breaches the invisible borders. With FindMe you might just have to call your phone and hope you're close enough to hear the ringtone (Note: we don't recommend you going vigilante against thieves of any sort).

Another thing to note is that the installation is not for the faint of heart. You'll need a jailbroken iPhone, minor knowledge of shell scripting, and some comfort with editing a few lines of code. You can find full instructions over at TUAW.

[JoyceNgo-218335993631273378369]

I remember when I had my first cellphone stolen. It was pathetic and I can't believe people do it. I was devastated and surprised it happened to me right in the neighborhood I live in (which doesn't have many crimes at all) and surprised that a bunch of people would go so low to steal phones. Ever since then, my parents did not allow me to buy any expensive phones anymore (I had a Sidekick 3 that time) and this was a year ago, and I am still feeling the pain. And there was no way of tracking it down, the police wouldn't want to trace anything. I still want my phone back and I paid almost $400 for it.

Thank goodness for iPhones (one of the priciest phones I've ever seen) has a way of tracking and protecting itself. If this really works, I will be so glad when victims get theirs back from being stolen. Stealing phones is the more ridiculous things I've ever seen happen. People would kill for anything these days.

[Jack_Butt]

Yaeah, really useful... down to 1/4 mile - that should do it.

Why even bother wrtiting this drivel?