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Uh Oh: I Lost My iPhone 5. Now What?

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Various cell phones displayed at a shop. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Every 3.5 seconds a phone is lost.”

"75 percent of phone losses occur at home."

If you are apt to mislay your car keys, lose your Smartphone, or forget your valuables; or if you're a generally prudent, insurance loving soul, the Proximo App-enabled proximity monitoring system from Kensington may be of interest.

Those who are part of the phone losing demographic are not alone: every 3.5 seconds a phone is lost. More items go missing on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Monday morning blues/work week fatigue, anyone? If you live in New York and have lost your phone, it’s no wonder – you're in the Smartphone-losing capital of the country.

The opening two stats are my favorite, but I have to give this other one: Uh, if you're a man, you're more likely to lose your phone than a woman. Sorry guys. Buy a handbag maybe.  These stats are from a fun infographic (aren't they all fun? Mostly) that Kensington sent me called "Lost Phone Epidemic."

It isn’t just that we all tend to lose smart phones; we also lose MP3 players, tablets, laptops, keys, USB flash drives, sunglasses, and more. Surprisingly, 74 percent of smartphone users are not insured, and 38 percent of laptop users are not insured.

However, it is rarely the intrinsic value of the device that causes us angst when we lose it – it is the priceless information it contains. Data, pictures, contacts, applications, chats, contracts, confidential information, presentations… losing these or even the possibility of losing them is what causes nightmares. Thankfully, there's the cloud.

Proximo is an asset tracking solution that promises to “Keep. Track. Get Back.” It consists of a fob, a tag, and an iOS application. It helps you keep tabs on your valuables (up to 5 items) by beeping each when you leave them behind. It works because the Bluetooth FOB alerts you when you move a certain distance from a tagged item. The range of the active proximity dashboard is customizable.

If you get out of the range of the GPS tracking system, it will help locate your item on a map with its unique last-seen map pin-drop feature.

There is also a locator system, so if you know your phone or other valuable is in the home but cannot locate it, the app will find it for you. This feature is for all of us who have had to use the base unit beeper to locate the cordless phone or who routinely cannot remember where they kept their car keys. The battery lasts up to 6 months, and it is possible to monitor the battery status of the fobs as well.

It is pretty effective for keeping track of items such as your wallet, bag, laptop case, and even perhaps your reading glasses. However, at $60 for the starter kit plus $25 for each additional tag, it could add up quick. There are cheaper device alternatives, but the Kensington name provides some degree of comfort, in my opinion.

The device is currently aimed at iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 users. An Android platform Smartphone solution is in the works. Read more about Proximo, the Proximity Monitoring System from Kensington.