Writing on the Mall » Windows http://www.writingonthemall.net The Official Blog For Marietta College Students, By Marietta College Students Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:13:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Consider GadgetTrak To Keep Your Laptop Safe http://www.writingonthemall.net/consider-gadgettrak-to-keep-your-laptop-safe/ http://www.writingonthemall.net/consider-gadgettrak-to-keep-your-laptop-safe/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:58:59 +0000 Patrick_H http://www.writingonthemall.net/?p=1318 GadgetTrak is a service that you install on your computer (desktop or laptop…works better for laptops though) that will allow you to track its location and take pictures from the webcam if your laptop goes missing or is stolen.  And just recently, they published some of the fruits of the service’s labor.

This post on their blog discusses several laptop recoveries that were highlighted by local news stations across the country.

If your laptop or phone goes missing, you can access a page on their website, which activates the program’s tracking mechanism.  As long as the laptop is connected to a wi-fi network, it will log location information and take pictures with the webcam.  The information can then be given to police to recover the laptop.

I have used the software before and have found it is very easy to install and set up.  Accessing the tracking switch is easy, and viewing logged information is clear and straight-forward.  If there was more crime on campus, I would suggest this a bit more, but if you travel a lot, I think this is a must-buy.

The service costs $25 a year and is available on non-linux laptops, Windows OS phones, and Blackberry.  There is an iPhone/iPod Touch app, but it is free and does not function in the same way as the other versions.

GadgetTrak also offers lost and found tags, which provide a code and a website to help give lost gadgets back to their rightful owners.  5 tags are $10.

EDITOR’S NOTE/FULL DISCLOSURE:  Writing on the Mall received a free copy of MacTrak for review purposes back when author Patrick Hahe wrote for Examiner.com.

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