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Tom’s Tech Tips

Tom’s Tuesday Tech Tip: Now That the Fireworks Are Over – Where’s Your Lost Phone?

The Fourth of July has passed along with the fireworks, the beer, the barbeque and quite possibly your cell phone, depending upon how hard you partied last night while celebrating the birth of our nation. There’s no faster way to lose a cell phone than to be in some unfamiliar place (or physical state) and put your phone down for just a second. You lay it on the picnic table, tilt the box to get that last tasty bit of white zin and next thing you know you’ve walked away, leaving Steve Jobs’ finest accomplishment behind.

I’m one of those people who can be a tad bit forgetful. I make a habit of always placing my wallet and car keys in the same spot in the house every day, day after day. That way I can reliably navigate to that spot in the house and find my stuff. The only time the keys go missing is when Vickie “purses” them thinking they’re hers. Doesn’t happen that often, but when my keys have vanished through the wormhole – her purse is the first place I look.

Now my office is a different story. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve walked out to fire up the old global warmer for the drive home only to realize my car keys have gone walkabout. Usually with the help of the electric leaf-blower I keep in my office for just that purpose, I can uncover them pretty quickly.

My phone is a whole other “true Hollywood story.”  Some days if it wasn’t for the ringer, I’d never find my phone. I’ve never totally lost it, but I’ve taken steps to ensure that I don’t. The steps I’m about to share won’t guarantee you’ll never forget or lose your phone or that you’ll get it back if you do. But you’ll have a better chance of seeing your phone again if you follow these four steps:

Precaution #1: Remember Even Nuns Have Habits. Make one of your habits always, and I mean always, to keep your phone in the same place. If you wear a nerdy belt clip, when you stand up to leave that meeting with your attorney-client, pat yourself down before leaving the room. If you keep it in your purse (or “murse”), keep it in the same side pocket and always check for it before you leave the house or meeting.

In the global warmer I’ve got a silicon sticky pad on top of the dash. As soon as I get into the driver’s seat I’ll put my phone on the pad. Before I dismount I make sure I grab it. The key is visibility, plus I pat myself down before locking it up. If you have a Bluetooth headset, follow the same rule – always keep it in the same place in your car, home or office.

Precaution #2: Keep Your Pocket Litter. If I’m out and about, I run about a day behind filing my cash and credit card receipts. In other words, if I realize something’s missing (usually my phone because I can’t drive home without my keys), I can use my receipts to quickly backtrack my stops and find my lost belongings. So far I’ve recovered my Yankees cap four times this way and my Amex card twice.

Precaution #3: Pick Your Case Wisely. I’m a guy, so a hot pink iPhone® case just won’t do. For Vickie though, hers is a bright turquoise, anodized, stealth-aircraft grade, titanium case. It’s bright enough that you can see it in just about any light level, a darkened restaurant, movie theatre or at the beach. I tend to drop my iPhone so my case is a big, ugly, cartel-grade, armored Otterbox. It’s also clunky enough that I can feel whether I have it or not. Don’t be afraid of what your case looks like – it’s there for you, not the paparazzi. If it’s colorful enough to catch your eye when you leave it on the table, it works. I don’t care if you bedazzle it – just don’t leave home, the gym or Wal-Mart without it.

Precaution #4: Make Sure Everybody Knows Your Name. First, create a label with any label-maker or even a sticky note and put it on the back of your phone, inside the case. If your phone has a replaceable battery that’s another place to put a label. The label should have your name, WORK phone number (not your cell or home) and offer of a reward. Next, use your computer to print out a page with your name, contact information and work address/phone number and offer of reward. Do it in large, clear text. Then take a photo of that page with your phone’s camera and leave it in the photo file on your phone.

Chances are whoever finds your phone will, out of nothing but prurient interest, look at your photos and they’ll stumble across the one you want them to find, as well as the ones you don’t. This tip works well with digital cameras too. One of my computer magazines did a study where they left phones, cameras, etc., on the subway, in a taxi, at bars and they found that simple labeling resulted in almost a 75% return-to-owner rate. It’s worth a try.

If you do lose your phone, try calling it. If it’s not on silent and it’s still nearby, you may find it. Mine flew off my dashboard while I was off-roading through a CostCo parking lot and I had to take Vickie’s phone and a flashlight to find it (it was well-wedged where the sun doesn’t shine) but I tracked it down!

If your phone’s gone for good, notify your cellular carrier or your IT department immediately. They may be able to disable the phone, wipe the data and cut off service, freeing you from expensive calls and embarrassing uses.

We’re all responsible for taking care of our toys so it’s always better to take preventative steps rather than curative ones.

Keep on techin’,

Tom

One thought on “Tom’s Tuesday Tech Tip: Now That the Fireworks Are Over – Where’s Your Lost Phone?

  1. My worst (and only) experience in losing my phone, took place only recently. I trimmed the bushes and hedges that surround our home. As usual, my iPhone was in its clip and securely attached to my jeans. After the job was completed, I was filled with the panicked realization that the phone was gone. I called the phone and ran through the house listening for its distinctive ring – no luck. Step 2 – I retraced my steps and activities since the phone was last known to have been attached to my person. It was found outside the house, well hidden within the bush and hedge trimmings that were still on the ground. I was thankful that I had already established Tom’s habit of periodically “patting myself down” to verify the presence of my phone. Otherwise, my phone, with a significant part of my business would have been destroyed by the first downpour of rain.

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*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.

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