I have tusseled with the idea for a long time.
I have used Lookout for a couple of years with the paid version.
but, I have quit using it, or any other similar type program simply because it is more promise than truth.
1st: The gps in the phone has to be ON, it must be able to Receive DATA, and it must be able to get a "current fix" as of the time a poll hits it for location. Too many times, I got back bogus locations in my testing and making notes over the years.
- The phone had been moved from "out in the clear" to inside a building at the time of poll. I worked in a huge warehouse a 1/4 of a mile long. Now just where is it? There are about 30 offices, and 14 warehouse storage areas, and 100s of boxes piled 30 feet high. Where was it when it fell out of my pocket?
- The GPS receiver was not locked onto enough satellites to provide an accurate location. Errors of 300 feet to a mile occurred.
- The GPS was OFF at the time of poll, Lookout turned it on, but since the gps had been "off", it did not have a current and accurate ephemeris; so it just replied with what it did have and it was off by many miles. Not feet, Miles....
- The phone is "out of range", thus no answer to the poll
- The battery is dead; thus no answer to the poll
- The phone was laying in a puddle of water about 1 inch deep, it acknowledged the poll and died..... right there and then (real story) without getting a GPS fix (it was under water, remember?) I got an ACK back, but it was blank and nothing more happened. (the phone was found by accident later)
I'm sure, if I had my old notebook, I could relate more, but it is, IMO False Insurance sold to us just to "Make Us Feel Good".
Here is my current feelings:
- I do NOT buy phone insurance
- I do NOT buy security programs to find a lost phone
- I DO buy neckstraps
- I DO buy military grade cases for the phone
- I DO carry it in my shirt pocket, with the neckstrap around my neck. NOT in a lunchbox, or on the car's dashboard, or laying on a desk somewhere. Never! If the phone is NOT in use, it goes back in my shirt pocket.
- I DO have a wireless charger by my bed, that is the major single exception to the above. That negates wearing out the USB charging port.
- I have dropped my phone(s) many times, the case saved them, or the neckstrap saved them (toilet and another water puddle, and deep grass once while mowing the yard)
So, there is why I don't think those things like Lookout and other apps are worth anything except to empty your wallet.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. YMMV, that is just life...
Been there, done that.
