tech-tag

Track stolen Gadgets with Gadget-Track

March 8th, 2007

With Gadget-Tracks system your stolen gadgets phone home.

The system is very simple, the gadget has a small program which calls Gadget-Tracks server when activated. When your gadget is stolen you log into Gadget-Tracks website and report it stolen. After that all you have to do is wait, and if the theif plug in your gadget, and without knowing it, activates the program, you will recieve an email containing things like internal and external IP address of the theif.

I tried it, and it worked like a charm. I added my ipod to my profile, dropped the files on to it, and reported it stolen. Within second after clicking its icon in explorer I had an email with my IP address, and other details. It did not even trigger my Zone Alarm firewall. Very impressive!

However you need a bit of luck for it to work. The theif needs to activate it on a windows pc with a internet connection. This also means, that if this is succesfull, the people who steal gadgets might be prepared. Anyhow I really like this system even if it is not fool proof - it improves the odds.

Now I just need something like this for my laptop to make it phone home, maybe I could just make it execute the program when initiating windows.

Entry Filed under: security