Top 3 apps to track your Mac
We've seen a number of stories over the past couple years depicting the theft of a laptop followed by the recovery of said laptop through the use of specific tracking applications - but, has this inspired you to protect your macbook? If not, we're going to make it very simple for you by highlighting the three best applications to keep your hardware safe.
Joshua Kaufman has been getting a lot of buzz lately as his Tumblr page 'This Guy Has My Macbook' led to the capture of the man who stole his laptop. And, although social media is being credited for the arrest - the pictures of the criminal that made up the tumblr page were taken by an application called Hidden.
1. Hidden
Cost - $15/year
Hidden is, first and foremost, affordable at a little over a dollar a month - but, on top of that it is a powerful piece of technology. In their own words, "Hidden will locate your stolen computer anywhere on the planet, collect photos of the thief and screen shots of the computer in use."
But, if you are a mac enthusiast to the point that third party applications just don't cut it - well, you're in luck, as Apple has their own application and it's free (sort of).
2. Back to My Mac
Cost - free with Mobile Me account
Through Bonjour, Apple allows you to keep tabs on your laptop from a second computer using a feature called "Back to My Mac". A free service so long as you have an active MobileMe account, this software is not designed specifically for tracking your laptop in the case of a robbery, but it has been used in making arrests.
And, last, if you're not interested in subscription based payments, Orbicule has created a tracking app for a one time fee.
3. Undercover
http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/
Cost - $49 (One time fee)
The self proclaimed "premier theft-recovery software for the Mac" Undercover will not only track your laptop, but also your iphone, ipad, etc. And they boast a hefty number of success stories on their website.
So, whatever your preference, it's always better to be safe than sorry and these three offer a way to rest easy at night - or during the day when you suddenly realize you left your macbook at the local coffee shop.