14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers at the Washington and California (San Diego) universities have come up with this free solution for you to track down your Apple laptop, should someone steal it. Naturally, the free software can only help if the thief connects your laptop to the Internet (they always do), but it addresses a critical privacy goal, which current commercial offerings don't: it is privacy-preserving.
That's right, you and you alone are the one who has total control over what happens after your Apple laptop gets stolen.
Adeona is the first Open Source system for tracking the location of your lost or stolen laptop that does not rely on a proprietary, central service. After installing Adeona, you needn't rely on a third party to tell you of your laptop's whereabouts. Plus, no one besides you (or someone you choose as trust worthy) can use Adeona to track your portable Mac.
So, here's how it works, according to its makers:
"The client continually monitors the current location of the laptop, gathering information (such as IP addresses and local network topology) that can be used to identify its current location. The client then uses strong cryptographic mechanisms to not only encrypt the location data, but also ensure that the ciphertexts stored within OpenDHT are anonymous and unlinkable. At the same time, it is easy for an owner to retrieve location information."
Windows and Linux users can also benefit from these features, but not this one: the Mac OS X version also offers the ability to capture pictures of the laptop thief using (what else?) its built-in iSight camera.
NOTE: to use this feature too, users must also download and install another free piece of software called isightcapture. Like your location information, the pictures taken are privacy-protected.
Here are the three reasons why Adeona is a must have application:
It's Private: Adeona uses state-of-the-art cryptographic mechanisms to ensure that the owner is the only party that can use the system to reveal the locations visited by a device.
It's Reliable: Adeona uses a community-based remote storage facility, ensuring retrievability of recent location updates.
And, best of all...
It's Open source and free: Adeona's software is licensed under GPLv2. While your locations are secret, the tracking system's design is not.
Adeone is available HERE. If you want to be able to take a picture of your thief, or perhaps just see who has been using your laptop when you were gone, you'll also need isightcapture. Both applications are free to install and use.