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Which Lost/Stolen Laptop Trackers Do You Like?

Posted by Zonk on from the come-back-vorpal dept.

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?"

7 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. 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
  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. 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.
  6. 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!

  7. 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.