Thief steals Macbook -owner remotely turns on web-cam to track him down

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Thief steals Macbook -owner remotely turns on web-cam to track him down

http://thechive.com/2011/06/02/theif-steals-macbook-owner-remotely-turns-on-web-cam-to-track-him-down/

Some guy named Joshua Kaufman had his Macbook stolen out of his apartment a couple months ago and he used an app called Hidden to remotely turn on his webcam, take photos of the thief (or the guy who bought the computer from the thief) and also track down his location. Using a tumblr site he started called thisguyhasmymacbook.tumblr.com and Twitter, he released photos of this guy and with the slow aid of the Oakland police, they were finally able to track him down and make an arrest.



Guy using Macbook in car

[Lucinda]

1. Love it. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. A VERY smart move!

Recommended.

[KittyWampus]

3. I like a story with a happy ending.

[virgogal]

4. Being an old lady I often curse technology but this has changed my mind.

[formernaderite]

12. i'm with you :)

I need to send this to my son!

[DeadEyeDyck]

5. a friend of mine retrieved his daughter's iPhone using GPS

She was the victim of a bump and grab pick-pocket. When she got home, she discovered her phone was gone. She looked it up on the GPS and her dad drove to the house. Thay knocked on the door and no one answered. She sent a signal to the phone and could hear it shreiking in the house. They looked through the window and saw people laying on the floor.

The Dad began rapping on the door and yelling that the police were on the way (they called the county cops who said they has to come down and file a report). Finally they opened the door and gave a bullshit story about how they found the phone on the Wal Mart floor (where the daughter remembered being bumped by the guy so hard, he nearly knocked her over-while his girlfried reached in her purse)

They got the phone back but you can bet these jerks are out prowling for other phones since they law does nothing.

[TlalocW]

6. It's only a Mac... She could have replaced it with something more useful/powerful

Like an Easy-Bake Oven.

I KID THE MAC-LOVERS! :)

TlalocW

[Maru Kitteh]

7. I shall have to find that ap and download it! Wonderful! n/t

[leveymg]

8. If you can install the remote video ap on your Mac, so can someone else.

Maybe this isn't an entirely good thing . . .

[kick-ass-bob]

11. I think he already had it installed.

He just remotely turned it on.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

13. That was my impression...

...it's not spelled out in the article, but I didn't get the impression that he installed it remotely, but that he activated it remotely.

[leveymg]

14. It's possible 1) for someone else to install this ap remotely; or, 2 to turn it on, if u install it.

The second option appears to be frightfully easy. Not sure that's such a good thing.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

15. I hear ya...

...I'm pretty adept with handling my own tech support, but there are times when my expertise falls short. I have a friend who, among other things, offers "help desk"-type services. One time we spent about two hours, with him remotely installing a few apps to keep things clean and secure, and he did this remotely (he's in Texas, I'm in California).

This is a guy that, as I said, is a friend...someone who I trust...and I was uncomfortable for the entire two hours, just the fact that someone had control over my PC.

[leveymg]

16. Same goes for your cell phone, of course.

We're all walking around open-mike, so to speak, GPS dots on someone's screen, while some unimaginably complex social relationship program at Ft. Meade is recording and revising each of our Terrorist and Criminal Profile (TCP) in real-time. I just take it as a given that that's "The Program".

The only that's changed is that corporations, employers, credit-rating agencies, etc., have gotten into the Total Information Awareness game for fun and profit, and that wiretap and privacy laws are a thing of the past.

[Robb]

9. I'll ask the obvious question: what if the thief had been a minor?

[woo me with science]

10. Finally! A story where the owner is the one controlling the camera!

http://www.dailytech.com/PC+Rental+Company+Spied+on+Users+In+Their+Homes+With+Webcams/article21538.htm