Lost a gadget? Use tech to track and recover it
If
you are worried about losing your expensive devices like phones or laptops
go through the following services and apps that can help trace them and
retrieve the data
Laptops
Other than Mac
LocatemyLaptop
LocatemyLaptop (for Windows 2000 and later versions) helps you download
a software, which is then installed in stealth mode, so you can’t even see
it. To secure your registered laptop, you can sign in to your account on locatemylaptop.comfrom any
computer. The free version of this service lets you locate a single laptop
on Google Maps. There is a paid Platinum version, which costs upwards of $3
( 165) a month, and lets you connect and track multiple computers from a
single account. It also offers more services and you can avail of these
even after your laptop is stolen. You benefit because it allows you to
shred/ wipe the data remotely and get assistance from the company to
recover your laptop. You can cancel the plan later.
Mac
Find My Mac
An exclusive, free service offered by Apple for OS X Lion computers,
you can opt for ‘Find My Mac’ when you set up iCloud on your Mac. You will
have to enable location services to track where your computer is being
used. If you lose your Mac, head to icloud.comand log
in with your Apple ID. Your computer’s location will be displayed on a map
if it is connected to the Internet. When you click on it, you get the
option to play a sound, send a notification message or remotely lock or
wipe out the data from the drive. If you choose to wipe it out, the data
will not be recovered and you will no longer be able to use iCloud to track
your computer. You can also use the ‘Find My iPhone’ app on iOS devices to
locate and lock or wipe out your Mac data remotely.
iOS
Find My iPhone
Find My iPhone, a free app, works with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. You
will need to set up iCloud on your devices and enable location services.
When you log in to icloud.comwith your Apple ID, you will be able to see a
list of devices associated with your ID and their location on a map. You
can remotely lock these, wipe data, play a sound on the device and display
notifications on it (if the devices are connected to the Net). If you
cannot access a browser, you can still perform the actions if the same app
is installed on any other iOS device.
Android
Avast Mobile Security
Avast offers possibly the most complete security solution for Android
devices. The free service includes an anti-virus scanner, which scans local
files and warns of malicious URLs, a built-in app advisory (scans for apps
with malicious intent), SMS & call filtering, SIM change notifications,
as well as an anti-theft and tracking service. A handy feature is the
remote SMS command that lets you trigger a siren, remotely lock or wipe out
data, display a notification, or locate your device on a map just by
sending an SMS to the phone.
Windows Phone
Find My Phone
On your Windows Phone, go to ‘Settings’, tap on ‘Find My Phone’ and
check the options that say ‘Connect to these features faster’ and ‘Save my
location every few hours’. Though this consumes more battery power, it
allows for precise tracking of your phone’s location. When you lose your
phone, log in to windowsphone.com using
your Windows Live ID. Go to ‘My Phone’ and select ‘Find My Phone’. This
will let you map the phone’s location, make it ring, lock it with a
password, display a notification on it, or erase the content remotely.
BlackBerry
BlackBerry Protect
This app can be downloaded free from BlackBerry App World. It keeps
track of your phone’s location and offers a back-up for your settings and
data to the cloud. If you misplace the phone, log in to http://in.blackberry.com/protect,
and use the service to make the phone ring at full volume, locate it on a
map, lock the phone or delete the data. As a bonus, the app makes it easy
to switch from one BB phone to another. When you sign in to BlackBerry
Protect on a new phone, it automatically syncs data associated with your
ID.
Cameras
As most cameras don’t have a ‘smart’ OS, you can’t load a tracking
software. However, you can try to locate a lost camera by using services
like stolencamerafinder.com(free) or cameratrace.com ($10
or 550 per camera). Both sites work on a common principle—they sift through
photo-sharing websites looking for your camera’s unique serial number that
is embedded in each photograph (EXIF data). When you sign up for any of the
tracking services, you can upload a photograph taken previously with your
camera. The portal will automatically determine the serial number of the
camera and scan the photo-sharing sites, such as Picasa, Flickr and 500px,
looking for photos with the same number. When it finds such a photo, it
will mail you the links. You can then contact the person who has uploaded
the photos to claim your camera. This method is fairly new and may not give
you the results immediately.
Phones and tablets
Prey project
The project started as a Windows-only open-source experiment, and today
works across most platforms. It supports computers running on Mac OS X and
Linux, as well as mobile devices running on Android or iOS. You can trigger
specific actions either by sending an SMS or a command over the Internet.
On a computer, you can remotely grab a screenshot, use the webcam to take a
photo of the thief or hide your data. On a smartphone, you can activate it
by sending an SMS. Then you can track, lock, sound an alarm or display
notification messages. It is free for three devices (10 locations), after which
you’ll have to pay $5 a month.
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