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Mac Thief Caught Thanks To Applescript & Timbuktu

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the funny-late-night-story dept.

el.cerrito.slasher sent in an amusing bit found on MacSlash. This story is a tale of a stolen iMac that just happened to be running Timbuktu (a remote control program like VNC I believe). Well the stolen box kept getting used, and the owner was able to track it down through a variety of amusing Timbuktu Fu. Funny story.

6 of 367 comments (clear)

  1. Funny "story". by satanami69 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I'd like to think this is real, but it sounds more like Bridges was making it all up. Maybe it's because I can't stand Macs.

    --
    I really hate Dan Patrick.
  2. Who the hell... by I.T.R.A.R.K. · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    ...would steal an iMac?
    That alone deserves public flogging and ridicule.

    I hope this lunatic gets what's coming to him.

    --

    "Adequacy.org: Where congenital stupidity is not an option, but a requirement."

  3. If only I'd known it was this easy by mike_lynn · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    .. to get a story posted on Slashdot.

    And all it took was:

    - Write a utility for OS X and submit it to Versiontracker.com
    - Get bitched at for lack of user-friendliness and write a replacement program
    - Accidentally find my replacement program listed at Macscripter.net through Google
    - Submit an article about the story I noticed there to Macslash.com
    - Get my article re-submitted by a third party to Slashdot !

    Makes me wonder what I'll have to program next to get an article (re)submitted. I bet it'll be a Gnutella client or something.

    Future warning: "How dare you list my program, eat flaming Slashdot!"

  4. Re:applescript strikes back by nzhavok · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    Yeah AppleScript can be more basic than BASIC. Of course no self-respecting programmer would ever code in applscript, not even to see what it was like. Why anyone would like to code like this when they can use more cryptic languages like perl or haskall is beyond me.

    The scary thing is I'm not sure if I'm being sarcastic or not at this point.

    --

    He who defends everything, defends nothing. -- Fredrick The Great
  5. Illegal hacking? by Spankophile · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I wonder if the "theif" would be able to charge the real owner of the machine with anything.

    With what? Tresspassing or some other computer crime. The "owner" hacked into a remote machine to see if it was his, and get information about the alleged crook so that he could help out the police.

    Isn't that kind of like breaking into someones house when they're not home, because you think they stole your bike? Even worse, he then *maliciously* wipes the guys computer clean!!

    Imagine the same story, but at the end, you found out it wasn't really his computer in the first place.

  6. Stolen iMac? by one9nine · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Sounds like they did her a favor, especially if it was one of those teal ones.