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Let Your Lost Laptop Shout for Help
Techtree News Staff, Mar 03, 2009 1444 hrs IST'Retriever' -- a software that alerts the finder to return a lost laptop
Now here's a software that offers one-way negotiation with the finder of your laptop, when lost. Imagine your laptop shouting, "Help, I've been stolen!" or even better, "Get your hands off me!"
U.S. firm Front Door Software has developed 'Retriever' -- a software that alerts the finder to return a lost laptop.
When your lost laptop boots, the Retriever displays your contact information and a message (that you've fed in) to its finder.
Also, you can log on to the software's website and check a box indicating the computer is missing. After this, when the finder boots the laptop, a big yellow and red banner appears on the screen, announcing that the laptop lost or stolen. This is a recurring message set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the finder closes the window.
Further, Retriever tries to connect via Wi-Fi to report its loss in the background.
So, you have an option for the software to display your contact details and let you make an offer for the finder, or log in to the software's website to display annoying messages till he makes an attempt to return your laptop.
However, such interesting software sure has a promising future. It could be incorporated into, say public toilets, where the toilet's door will not let the user get out of there till he's not flushed the pot!
Or perhaps such software could be worked upon for (along with trackers) to be installed in other devices that are more prone to getting stolen like cameras, mobile phones, and music players.
Anyway, the Retriever program costs around $30 (Rs. 1550) for 3 years. It currently only works with Microsoft Windows XP and Vista; a version for Mac OS is on its way.
U.S. firm Front Door Software has developed 'Retriever' -- a software that alerts the finder to return a lost laptop.
When your lost laptop boots, the Retriever displays your contact information and a message (that you've fed in) to its finder.
Also, you can log on to the software's website and check a box indicating the computer is missing. After this, when the finder boots the laptop, a big yellow and red banner appears on the screen, announcing that the laptop lost or stolen. This is a recurring message set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the finder closes the window.
Further, Retriever tries to connect via Wi-Fi to report its loss in the background.
So, you have an option for the software to display your contact details and let you make an offer for the finder, or log in to the software's website to display annoying messages till he makes an attempt to return your laptop.
However, such interesting software sure has a promising future. It could be incorporated into, say public toilets, where the toilet's door will not let the user get out of there till he's not flushed the pot!
Or perhaps such software could be worked upon for (along with trackers) to be installed in other devices that are more prone to getting stolen like cameras, mobile phones, and music players.
Anyway, the Retriever program costs around $30 (Rs. 1550) for 3 years. It currently only works with Microsoft Windows XP and Vista; a version for Mac OS is on its way.
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rajsekhar paide
,hyderabad, on Mar 05, 2009 11:54 AM
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