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Which Lost/Stolen Laptop Trackers Do You Like?

saudadelinux writes "I was held up at gunpoint in July, and my laptop was stolen. There are companies out there which, for a fee, install tracker software on your laptop. If it's stolen or lost, they track its whereabouts whenever it gets on the 'Net and work with local law enforcement and ISPs to find the machine. I'm wondering: has anyone used one of these services? Does anyone have a recommendation for which company to go with? My new laptop is a a dual-boot Ubuntu/XP machine, and the couple of companies I've looked at do Windows-only. Are there Linux options?"

24 of 572 comments (clear)

  1. Active Countermeasures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I use a built in grenade on a timer you must reset every 24 hours.

    I did forget to reset it once with tragic consequences. I really miss that dog.

    Oh well, its the price you have to pay for security.

  2. Let me guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    O.J. just wanted those jpegs of him and hoover that were in your documents folder.

  3. Roll your own or wait... by Dareth · · Score: 5, Funny

    Either roll your own or wait. If you are lucky, someone will rob Linus Torvalds of his laptop, all production on the kernel will stop while Torvalds and friends crank out a "stolen laptop tracking system" that is greatly superiorthan any other.

    If you are really proactive, you could go steal his laptop yourself. That way you have another laptop to use, and you will jumpstart this scenario.

    --

    I only look human.
    My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
    1. Re:Roll your own or wait... by pugugly · · Score: 4, Funny

      BRB - off to mug Linus

      --
      An Invisible Entity of Vast Power whose existence must be taken on faith alone: Liberal Media
    2. Re:Roll your own or wait... by QuantumRiff · · Score: 2, Funny

      Heaven help us Linux users if some commercial company were to get access to the source code for the Kernel!

      --

      What are we going to do tonight Brain?
    3. Re:Roll your own or wait... by slimjim8094 · · Score: 2, Funny

      I hear he sleeps with nunchucks

      --
      I have developed a truly marvelous proof of this comment, which this signature is too narrow to contain.
  4. Re:Don't bother. by MitchInOmaha · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only if they're reasonably smart. We had a thief call Dell Support after he could not get logged in. Duh. -- Mitch

  5. Re:Linux Monitoring by everphilski · · Score: 4, Funny

    kinky.

  6. Don't worry about Ubuntu by gosand · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you have Linux on your laptop, they won't be able to figure out how to get on the net anyway, especially via wireless. :)

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

  7. Re:Hmmmm... Selfmade solution? by Penguinshit · · Score: 4, Funny
    A pack of semtex in your laptop....

    That would make airline travel more enjoyable...

  8. Re:Hmmmm... Selfmade solution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Laptop trackers are a betrayal of the Free Software philosophy. The Free Software philosophy employs its own method of laptop theft countermeasures. If you install only linux on the laptop, the thief will be so confused, he'll return you your computer. Now that's what I call sneaky.
  9. software != best idea by weirdcrashingnoises · · Score: 2, Funny

    software can be deleted, chances are the hard drive will be wiped, so all ur data's already gone

    really the best idea is to call chuck norris, and convince him roundhouse kick every laptop thief in the universe.

    --
    sigs... don't talk to me about sigs....
  10. Re:Held up at gunpoint? by everphilski · · Score: 3, Funny

    I did not steal a notebook, but had I stolen a notebook, here is how I would have done it ...

  11. Re:If you have a Macbook by dollar99 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I checked out the undercover website and noticed that in one of the perp snapshots the dude is in the bathroom, sitting on the can. I'm not sure if I'd want my Mac back after seeing that pic.

  12. Re:Hmmmm... Selfmade solution? by sdpuppy · · Score: 4, Funny
    engraving won't help and who checks laptop engravings

    Now you tell me, after I used my bowie knife to dig my name and contact information into the screen of my laptop... :-)

  13. Smuggling milkbones by benhocking · · Score: 4, Funny

    Remind me to try that (smuggling milkbones, that is) next time I fly somewhere. Boy, would that be a funny misunderstanding. Well, for some definitions of the word "funny".

    --
    Ben Hocking
    Need a professional organizer?
    1. Re:Smuggling milkbones by slashbob22 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, for some definitions of the word "funny". Funny: See +1 Funny
      +1 Funny: A moderator's intent to see the moderated shamed, humiliated or otherwise injured by their own sarcastic illustrations.
      --
      Proof by very large bribes. QED.
  14. Re:Hmmmm... Selfmade solution? by AndersOSU · · Score: 3, Funny
  15. Re:I have a question for the question... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    I was shot by a robber at a friend's house

    For the love of... I shoot you just once and you won't shut the hell up about it!

  16. Re:I just set a boot password by bcmm · · Score: 2, Funny

    You need to set it up so that if you don't run a certain script once a week, the Goatse wallpaper happens.

    --
    # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i llama
    Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.
  17. Re:Hmmmm... Selfmade solution? by SleptThroughClass · · Score: 2, Funny
    "STOLEN GOODS - CALL 555-555-5555"

    Look, that guy's carrying a stolen laptop as if he owned it! Call the cops!

  18. Re:Hmmmm... Selfmade solution? by Provocateur · · Score: 5, Funny

    The only solution? Anti-theft stickers!

    ANTI THEFT: Runs Slackware Only!

    GENTOO: Not For You

    DEBIAN: CUTTING EDGE (2 years ago)

    NO GUI: RUNS CLI ONLY

    and so on

    I kid, I kid!

    --
    WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  19. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  20. Re:Agreed by Mr+Z · · Score: 2, Funny

    Those places always seemed kinda fishy...