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I was going to post this in the reguest for good android apps but I thought it might make a worthy post on its own
It started with Google latitude
You always here people say; "xxxx saved my life"
It literally did. I lost my phone and went to google lattitude on the web to see where it was. Strangely it was in an area of Columbus I have never been to. I drove there and sat out front and called the Columbus police. But no one answered.
Figuring I was screwed, I went to the Verizon store to get a new phone. Waiting in line I again checked latitude. My phone was on the move!
On a whim I texted my phone saying I'd give $100 for the phone.
To my surprise they accepted.
I called the police. They met me 1/2 mile from the arranged drop point.
They had an officer over 6 foot about 250# dress like me and go to the arranged place while they had 4 unmarked cars within visual. We tracked the phone as it came toward the post office at Parsons and Whittier.
It took them 15 minutes to believe the big guy was me. When they did, they asked him to step behind the post office to make the trade. As soon as the cop was behind the post office they started beating him. He went down and a call went out that an office was down.
Within seconds police cars flooded the area and copter was overhead. One guy was caught and the other fled into the house. The street in front of the house filled with cop cars, two guys went in the backyard, four cops went to the still open door, paused and a 4 guys with a modified shotguns and vests went in.
And ambulance showed up and the officer that was beaten was taken to the hospital with a broken nose and required two sets of stitches.
So in recommending apps, I'd say Google Latitude to track you phone and Google+; which I had set to automatically upload phone pictures to my Google+ account.
Because, of course, they were stupid enough to take pictures and movies of themselves. So my little Google+ avatar was changing to pictures of the thief.
One word of warning and another reason to post this.
When people loose stuff they sometimes post a reward on Craig's List. Some criminals in Columbus will meet to return the item (even if they don't have it) in a remote place, then beat the cryap out of you and rob you.
Thanks to the Columbus Police there are a few less.
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