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Software to track MBP location if stolen?
- Thread starter Belle-vue
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How to protect my macbook pro ? can I track its location, I mean when someone try to steal it? how can I prevent it from stealing since my iphone was stolen today
You can sign up for a free iCloud account then use the included Find My Mac feature of iCloud to find you machine if it is stolen. You will need Lion or Mountain Loin for this.
To be most effective you should enable Filevault2 encryption on your machine so the thief cannot just turn off Find My Mac.
Once you enable this on your Mac, you can use the iPhone app Find my iPhone from your iPhone to track your stolen Mac.
Also, you could use Prey.
RE: Be aware...
Hi,
Be aware that even if Find My Mac or some third party software locates your Mac or iPhone, say at an apartment three doors down from you, this does not necessarily mean that you can recover your device. It really depends upon what your local police are willing to do. You can even "ping" your computer so that you can hear it through the closed door, but your local police may still not take action. A recent court ruling in one jurisdiction seemed to indicate that a "pinging" computer is the same as a parent calling out to a child with the child responding back, thus allowing the police to act, but as I said, it really depends upon your local police department and their policies as to whether you will get any satisfaction from "knowing" where your stolen computer is located.
Good luck, and sorry about your misfortune,
Switon
Hi,
Be aware that even if Find My Mac or some third party software locates your Mac or iPhone, say at an apartment three doors down from you, this does not necessarily mean that you can recover your device. It really depends upon what your local police are willing to do. You can even "ping" your computer so that you can hear it through the closed door, but your local police may still not take action. A recent court ruling in one jurisdiction seemed to indicate that a "pinging" computer is the same as a parent calling out to a child with the child responding back, thus allowing the police to act, but as I said, it really depends upon your local police department and their policies as to whether you will get any satisfaction from "knowing" where your stolen computer is located.
Good luck, and sorry about your misfortune,
Switon
I'm not following you? Sounded like his iPhone was swiped and he wants to make sure he can track his Macbook Pro if it too gets stolen someday.
If he has not replaced his iPhone, he can use icloud.com to access Find my Mac.
Did I woosh something?
I use Orbicule's Undercover which is similar to Prey. Compare them carefully because there are differences in their features. If your Mac is stolen while using Undercover and it is not recovered Orbicule will refund the cost of the app.
Orbicule also has an app called Witness. It turns an iSight camera and most external webcams into motion-sensor devices. As soon as motion is detected an alert is sent to your iPhone and Witness starts taking still images of the intruder. The app sends a push notification via Orbicule's server that does not rely on e-mail. You can also use Witness to view the Mac's location when there has not been an alert.
I have tested Witness and the notification is nearly instantaneous when motion is detected. My iPhone notifies me via sound and a banner on the home screen. Witness can be configured to automatically enable and disable itself when you leave and return to where your Mac is located.
If you purchase Undercover and Witness at the same time there is a discount. You must start the purchase process in order to see the bundle offer of 15% off. There are also discounted prices for students and volume purchases.
http://www.orbicule.com
Orbicule also has an app called Witness. It turns an iSight camera and most external webcams into motion-sensor devices. As soon as motion is detected an alert is sent to your iPhone and Witness starts taking still images of the intruder. The app sends a push notification via Orbicule's server that does not rely on e-mail. You can also use Witness to view the Mac's location when there has not been an alert.
I have tested Witness and the notification is nearly instantaneous when motion is detected. My iPhone notifies me via sound and a banner on the home screen. Witness can be configured to automatically enable and disable itself when you leave and return to where your Mac is located.
If you purchase Undercover and Witness at the same time there is a discount. You must start the purchase process in order to see the bundle offer of 15% off. There are also discounted prices for students and volume purchases.
http://www.orbicule.com
I'm not following you? Sounded like his iPhone was swiped and he wants to make sure he can track his Macbook Pro if it too gets stolen someday.
If he has not replaced his iPhone, he can use icloud.com to access Find my Mac.
Did I woosh something?
No, just a kind of poor joke since they mentioned their phone had been stolen the previous day, you're all good
No, just a kind of poor joke since they mentioned their phone had been stolen the previous day, you're all good
Yeah. I guess that was kind of rubbing it in. Lol
+1 to Undercover. I have it installed on all of my Macs.
Prey was featured by my local news the other day for helping locate a stolen Macbook.
They always have these feel-good stories on the news, but call me cynical, with all the cities cut backs and police unions under seize, they have time to deal with your lost electronics?
If this ever happens, at least have you cute sister go talk to the cop sitting outside the donut shop and have a ready made batch of cookies should help.