MB, CALL HOME
(Updated: see below)
No, it wasn't my MacBook Air laptop that was stolen.
But one belonging to an attendee at TED 2008 was stolen today. There was an almost audible gasp from the audience around me, when Chris Anderson, TED curator, announced this at the end of the afternoon sessions.
As the owner of a shiny new MacBook Air, i could empathize what a loss like that would feel like.
But it got me thinking...how difficult would it be to develop a Mac software application that a user could install on any MacBook of recent vintage, that would do the following:
1. The application would be activated the first time the stolen laptop would be connected to the internet, and report the IP address, and other related network information to the user, and the software security service provider.
So far so good. I understand there are applications that one can buy for both Windows and Macs that can do this already.
2. But this being a Mac, the application would perform an additional task. Given that every Mac laptop comes with a built-in camera, and microphone, the application would automatically do the following when turned on by the thief and connected to the internet (wireless or wired):
a) Take several pictures and email them to pre-defined people, including the owner, and the software security provider.
b) Record the ambient sound in the room for a pre-determined time and send the audio file on as well.
c) Then of course shut down the machine and lock down the user data using the File Vault capabilities of the Mac's operating system.
Come to think of it, this idea can be applied to an iPhone, or any camera-equipped cell phone. Not to mention any Windows laptop with a built-in camera.
But it'd be really cool if something like this was available on the Mac first.
And it would be ESPECIALLY COOL if Apple took the initiative to add this as an operating system feature in the next version of OS X Leopard.
It'd take the burden of taking security precautions of the user...just like Apple's Time Machine product innovation.
What do you think?
Update: Within minutes of twittering about this, I got this tweet back from Gia Milinovitch:
"Do you mean something like this for stolen laptops? http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/
The application seems to do most of the things wished for above. Will download it and try it out, and look for reviews on the web. Now, all Apple has to do is buy the company and make it part of the OS.
Thanks, Gia!
Undercover is great, i got the 5 pack license for me and my roomates.
they offer lifetime recovery services, without a per month or year fee. :)
It's worth it just for the peace of mind
Posted by: Ayush Saran | Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Eek! is a simple, free LaunchAgent and sh script that I wrote which does the basic part of this - whenever your Mac connects to the 'net, it looks for a certain file on the Web, and if it's there, it runs the script - which could do anything you want, it could mail your current IP to you, or run "screencapture -x /tmp/foo.png" and mail you that. It could do most of what Undercover does, for free. Here it is: http://angel.net/~nic/eek.html
Posted by: Nic Wolff | Friday, February 29, 2008 at 10:27 AM
There is GadgetTrak Verey:
http://www.gadgettrak.com/products/verey/
It uses the iSight camera to capture video and audio, along with all of the wireless networks in the area.
Posted by: Ken | Monday, March 10, 2008 at 07:09 PM
MBA is another MacMini to me… the forms great but they shrink all the power to be the lightest.
Posted by: indroo | Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 02:34 PM