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Mac Security Alarm System

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the get-kicked-out-of-the-office dept.

RogueAce writes "A program named iAlertU sounds a screeching siren when someone attempts to steal your Macbook. Thanks to the sudden motion drop sensors that Macs use to park the hard drive, iAlertU can detect when your Macbook is being picked up, moved or closed. Also, by using the handy remote that comes with the Macbook, you can turn the alarm on and off like you would a car, which the Macbook responds to by making the all too familiar chirping sound and a flash and flicker of the screen. The code behind it is from a guy named Christian Kleins."

4 of 243 comments (clear)

  1. Good to know... by irving47 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'll remember to plug my headphones in the next time I need a new MacBook.

    --
    I had a sucky sig.
  2. Re:One Tiny Loophole: by netsharc · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There are 2 different sleep modes: Suspend To RAM, where the computer is off except for the RAM, which is constantly recharged so it doesn't lose its contents, and Suspend to Disk (the so-called Hibernation in Windows), where the data from RAM is saved to disk, and the computer is really powered off. Both resume where you left off (all applications open, etc), but Suspend to RAM is quicker because it doesn't need to read the data from disk, but STR also eats up the juice because, as I said, the RAM chips need to be constantly supplied with electricity.

    --
    What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
  3. Not the best security, but would had saved our.. by Paska · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This setup may not offer the best line of security, but it would had saved the Macbook we have in our retail store. (Apple Australia)

    We had a group of normal gentleman come in, two of them starting a conversation with our sales staff. The other gentleman who came in walked around to browse, and without being seen by our sales staff who were busying talking to the other man used bolt cutters to cut the metal wire security device and placed the Macbook in a bag and walked out.

    This was all caught on video, but there's not much we can do now since we can't identify any of them.

    Our store manager considered options to prevent this in the future but everything was just to expansive.

    Until I implement our own in-house security system (Network based, if a local server is unable to ping a particular desktop/laptop it'll sound an audible alarm) I'll be installing this software on our Macbooks.

  4. GPS helped us find a stolen laptop. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In the last two years I worked for a company that had a handful of laptops with custom GPS hardware inside the cases. No software controls, just hardware added to the inside of the case set to transmit under certain circumstances. They also had software to report back to a central server whenever they were connected to the internet.
    Laptop was stolen, theft was noticed, word went out. Laptop booted up, transmitter in laptop transmited. Laptop booted from CD without going into the case and turning the transmitter off, laptop began transmitting continously. Windows format and install takes a while, so the signal was transmitted for more than an hour. Some wandering around with recievers until company security was sure they had the right apartment. Police called and informed of the situation and that company security is going to get the laptop back, now, would the police like to meet them there?
    End result was laptop recovered in less than 12 hours, and thief in jail for felony theft. The laptop was gone longer as evidence than it was gone with the thief.
    It is expensive, it is not perfect, and I have no idea how you would get it into a case with as little freespace as a
    Mac laptop, but it can work very well.
    I would be more specific but I signed one of those NDA's that some companies love so much.
    The main starting problems would be the usual, cost, how to fit it in the case and maybe power consumption. Also, a big hurdle might be getting the police to declare a GPS signal probable cause to go into where ever the laptop is. Especially if the signal is not currrently transmitting. My previous employers solved that last one by sending there own people and then reporting the whole mess to the police, but most of us individuals don't have those resources. (Maybe that is a good thing, should /. readers be trusted with our own armed security? I know I shouldn't be. :) )