Comments on: Perps beware: 'Jacking Macs' could prove hazardous

Software developer outfits MacBook Pros with car alarms to avert coffee shop thefts.
Video: A solution for laptop theft?

[User Information Private]

LoJack

Have to wonder if this guy knows LoJack is available for laptops.

http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/

No Mac version yet, and why two posts?

There isn't a Mac Version yet (lojack says summer 2006 there will be) and why in God's name did you post this on CNET twice? With different titles, and altered sentences?

[User Information Private]

LoJack is available

Wonder if this guy knows LoJack is available for laptops.

http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/

[Seaspray0]

did you say LoMac?

nc

[rallynochaos]

Will people care?

Think about car alarms going off today. When you hear an alarm going off, do you automaticly think someone is trying to steal the car? No. You automaticly assume that someone has accidently set off their own alarm which happens quite frequently. If a program like this became mainstrem then eventually, like the car alarm, it would become almost pointless to use and more of a nuisance then anything else. People would turn away annoyed rather then looking to see who's messing with the laptop.

And the picture idea is also quite useless. Are you going to get a camera hooled up on your laptop that has a 360 degree view of the area? If the camera was facing forwards and someone was really afraid of having their picture taken, they could grab it from the back.

I think that while the ideas behind the program are good, the reality is that it would not really deter would be laptop thieves.

[sanenazok]

the ultimate deterrent

Don't leave your laptop unattended. It's as simple as that. The article says something like that this would be used by people who leave their laptops while they go to the restroom. If you do that, then don't expect the alarm to help you very much.

People already don't care that your laptop is making noises. Especially a siren - they'll presume it's some sort of attention-needy game-playing teenager. Even if someone cares and hears the siren, what are they going to do? Stop the thief? At best, they'll just get a general description. Take that to the cops and you'll get a report for an insurance claim.

[computer janitor--2008]

flaw

Who steals a laptop without first closing the lid, which would put the computer into sleep and render iAlertU useless.

[sandonet]

Designer working on fix for that

Hi Scott.

Randy Green, the creator of the alert system, is working on the closed-laptop problem and is confident that he's found a solution. Thanks.

Greg Sandoval

[tqt1586]

Flawed Jack

Holding the power button a few seconds and the computer will turn off....no noise. Better yet, your index finger over the speaker hole will mute it.

Good concept, poor execution.

Best prevention is simply pay attention to your belonging and your surroundings.

[ces32]

Eyesight on is a tip off, disable the external speaker shut off w/ headphon

This software is great if they can get the email photo function
complete, I would pay for this... Also, the alarm is played on the
headphones only when some are plugged in... since the eyesight
camera is on when this program is running it is a bit of a tip off,
one could simply insert headphones to disable the alarm sound...