Filed under: Software, How-tos, Security, Macbook Pro, MacBook
Lifehacker on Macbook theft protection with iAlertU, FTP and Applescript
Adam Pash has a detailed How-To up today for using Slapping Turtle's iAlertU (still in beta since we last mentioned it) along with some Applescript, an FTP server and the built-in iSight camera on your MacBook or MacBook Pro to find the punk who clipped your gear - if you're ever unfortunate enough to have your gear clipped, that is. iAlertU normally sounds an alarm when your 'book's motion sensor is triggered, which in itself is a deterrent, and snaps a picture of the thief - but the picture is just stored in your home directory making it useless if the thief takes off with you 'book. By scripting that snapshot to be uploaded to an FTP site (or even emailed to you), you have a mug shot to bring to the cops or post on the cafeteria bulletin board and may stand a better chance of catching the creep. Check out the full article for all the details. While Adam himself points out that there are probably slicker ways to accomplish this, his method is fairly simple and he does a good job explaining it all.
On a related note, the developer of iAlertU is currently seeking donations, by way of a random drawing contest to win $100, in order to buy a new Macbook since some of the features of iAlertU work fine on his MacBook Pro, but seem to break on a MacBook, which he explains is the reason for the slowdown in the development cycle. You can enter the drawing for a buck and if you want to see the app progress, it might be a worthwhile investment.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ryan said 11:44PM on 10-17-2006
In you post you say the snapshot can be " uploaded to an FTP site (or even emailed to you)" however I did not see any instructions on that page about having the shot emailed to you, even though that option makes more sense since not all of us have Transmit.
And yeah, I realize tranist is great, but i wouldn't really have much other use for it besides this anti-theft article, so I'm not gonna shell out the dough just for that.
If anyone knows a way to have the photo email to you instead, please post!
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Robin Sandborg said 5:06AM on 10-18-2006
Why not just go Undercover, http://orbicule.com/undercover/ ?
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Bill said 9:02AM on 10-18-2006
This is possibly the coolest thing ever! I just had my 17" Powerbook stolen a few months ago, and having dished out the cash for a new MacBook Pro...let's just say I sleep with it under my pillow!
Isn't there a way for your Mac to "phone home" if it's stolen and connects to the internet? I thought I just saw that here too. I feel a search coming on...
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Joel Shields said 4:45PM on 10-18-2006
You can do this for free by creating an Automator Workflow that will e-mail you the photo taken by iAlertU. Just save it as a folder action for your home folder and whenever the alarm goes off, the image is e-mailed in the background to your account.
Alot cheaper than the $40 for Transmit. Or, if you like the FTP idea, you can get an "upload to FTP" Automator Action for free and do the same thing.
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Joel Shields said 4:55PM on 10-18-2006
Ryan: Sorry, I saw your post after I submitted my comment. Here's how I did it:
First, I set off the alarm so I would have an example image to test. The image is saved to your home folder.
Then.....
I create an Automator workflow that consists of 3 actions: (I'm at work on a PC so I don't have the exact action names in front of me so they may be a bit off)
1. Get specific file: Select the specific image that is in your home folder
2. Create an E-Mail: Enter your e-mail address and give it a title. I named mine "The person who stole my computer!"
3. Send All Mail: This will go ahead and send your mail.
Now, save it as a plug-in and select "Folder Action". I named it "iAlertU E-Mail." Go to your home folder and delete the current iAlertU photo. Next, right-click and select the folder actions menu. You will see the "iAlertU E-Mail" action in the list and select "OK". From now on, whenever an image with the name created by iAlertU is added to your Home folder, it automatically is e-mailed to you while the Alert screen is still flashing.
Voila!
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