Now this is awesome! A stolen macbook was recovered and the thief arrested after the anti-theft software loaded on it started sending emails with the images of the thief. Joshua Kaufman’s new Oakland apartment was broken into and his mac was missing along with a bag, an electronic book reader and a bottle of gin.
He activated the theft-tracking software he had installed on his mac which began sending photos taken by the computer’s on board camera. Once the software was activated, it began sending pictures three days later to Kaufmans inbox. Kaufman collected the images and took them to the police who were slow to move.
In an attempt to speed things up, he published his pictures on Twitter and in a blog titled “This Guy Has My MacBook.” The blog and the tweet picked up and went viral on the net. On the same day police called him about a possible suspect. Police on Tuesday arrested a 27-year-old cab driver, Muthanna Aldebashi. On Wednesday, Kaufman picked up his laptop from the police.
Kaufman said he was surprised and amazed when he began receiving pictures from the man’s laptop. “I wasn’t sure if it would work because I never tested it before,” he said. Most of the images “were honestly really boring photos – people staring into the screen. But some were definitely more humorous”, he said.
The software also sent him snapshots of the man logging onto his Gmail account and also a few of his emails which helped him figure out that he was a cab driver. The software is a product of Flipcode LTD called Hidden, which claims to be the “The most advanced theft-tracking software for your Mac.” For $15, users can install the app. When tracking is activated, Hidden will locate your laptop anywhere on the planet, use the webcam to take photos of whoever has it in their possession, and can also take screen shots of the computer in use.
Check out the blog and more pictures here.
You can download the app for yourself here. It is worth the 15$ a year for your beloved Mac!