Hardly a day goes by that someone on campus doesn’t send an email or post a classified ad about losing or finding something. Cell phones, books, calculators…we seem to be a forgetful bunch.

One potential solution to this problem is YouGetItBack.com. This company offers a physical tagging service, in which you purchase an ID tag or sticker (current price: 2 for $9.99). You attach the tag to the device you want to protect, then go to the YouGetItBack.com web site to activate the tag. If you later lose the item, the person who finds it calls a toll-free phone number and the company arranges for the return of your item. The finder even gets a $20 YouGetItBack.com gift pack for their trouble.

This week, YouGetItBack.com announced an electronic-tagging service for cell phones and PDAs. This e-tagging service will run as an application on your cell phone. If you lose your phone, the finder won't be able to use the phone other than to call YouGetItBack. The service even backs up critical information from your phone (address book, etc.) and will transfer to your new phone if the phone isn’t returned.

For more details on the electronic tagging service, which is expected to launch in April, see this PC Magazine story.