iPhone News Updated

Vigilante detectives track down stolen iPhone

Technical wizardry has helped Kevin Miller track down his iPhone when it was snatched from under his eyes this month - all without him needing to place a single call to the police.

Geek justice - the name for this form of fightback from smartphone and laptop users - has become increasingly common as technology and those who use it get more sophisticated.

For Mr Miller, it was the Find My iPhone feature that comes as part of the $119-a-year MobileMe service from Apple.

Users log in to the service from a computer, which then shows them on a map exactly where their phone is located. It can also be used to display messages on the screen remotely or even wipe the device of its contents should it become lost forever.

Miller, who was attending the Brickworld convention for Lego enthusiasts in Chicago with colleagues Ryan and Mark, noticed his iPhone was missing just after leaving a dive bar. He ran back just minutes after, but the phone had vanished.

“In less than five minutes, with very few people in the small place, my beloved JesusPhone had managed to vanish into a black hole,” Miller wrote on his blog.

Miller immediately discounted calling police, thinking they would do little to pursue a minor theft. He sent several messages to the phone telling the thief to turn it in, but received no response.
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IPhone game turns ordinary into fantastic

When what you can see with your own eyes isn’t interesting enough, there’s always augmented reality. Sure, Boston Common has an excellent playground, paddle boats, an ice rink for cheap dates, and sprawling meadows for rallies. But where are the dragons, fairies, and genies?

The Hidden Park (www.thehiddenpark.com) brings these fantastic creatures to your iPhone camera’s view of the Common. For me, a guy who failed to plan anything for my 6-year-old, Maeve, this summer, the game will help keep her engaged on those days we find ourselves strolling through town.

The $7 iPhone game mixes augmented reality with turn-by-turn directions, geocaching, and animation.

The phone’s camera and GPS transponder set the stage for Hidden Park. Armed with a Dora the Explorer-like map, you follow a troll named Trutton past the Common’s benches, over its bridges, and around its ponds. Hidden Park uses a location-based service to recognize your iPhone’s proximity to particular landmarks and then provides directions to the next spot in the game.

You will be challenged with riddles and puzzles along the way. And you’ll find the answers in real-life sights and signs. In this way, Hidden Park works like one of the augmented reality tours from Boston-based Untravel (www.untravelmedia.com).

Hidden Park works in a handful of other public parks and gardens. Visitors to Central Park and Kensington Gardens, for example, can also play the game on their iPhones.

As you photograph various landmarks around the Common, you’ll find Hidden Park cartoon characters appearing in your shots. When you’re done, you will have an album full of things you never really saw. I think of it as meeting Walt Disney characters, without worrying about who might be lurking inside the suit.
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