Backblaze adds free Locate My Computer service to backups

Backblaze is adding a new feature to its US$5/month online backup service that adds another level of protection to your Mac or PC -- locating the computer in case of loss or theft.

This morning at 6 AM PDT, Backblaze launched Locate My Computer, a free addition to the company's backup service that determines the location of your computer, displays the location on a map, provides the name of the internet service provider and the IP address being used by the thief or finder, and shows you any changes that the "new owner" has made to your computer.

Gleb Budman, the co-founder and CEO of Backblaze, said that the company decided to add the Locate My Computer service after several customers used cloud-based backup information to view changes that thieves had made to their machines. One customer was able to see that the thief had taken a Photo Booth portrait of himself and also made a bad video of himself dancing to Tyga's "Make It Rain." The customer, Mark Bao, promptly posted the video of the thief's impromptu dance solo on YouTube and was later able to recover his MacBook Air.

If you're already a Backblaze user, switching on the Locate My Computer service is as simple as logging into your account and then clicking the "Turn On" button on a special Locate My Computer page. It takes up to a few hours for the location to appear, but the ISP and IP address info show up almost immediately, and you can begin your quest to recover your Mac.

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Source: http://www.backblaze.com/

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Backblaze is adding a new feature to its US$5/month online backup service that adds another level of protection to your Mac or PC --...

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fishbert

wait... I need to enter in my private key in order to see a map of where my computer is? that's going to be a serious pain in the ass, as I used a 29-character random string.

May 23 2011 at 3:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to fishbert's comment

Gleb Budman

Yes - we care tremendously about your security and privacy. If your data is critical enough we have a 29-character private key - we want to respect that with regard to your location as well.

Gleb Budman
CEO, Backblaze

May 24 2011 at 2:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

fishbert

I understand, but it seems a bit extreme in this case.

I want my data protected, so I used a 29-char private key of my choosing. But it's not something I have to enter in very often; only when I want to recover file(s).

If my computer is stolen, however, I would be checking its location information quite often... and it sounds like I'd also have to keep re-entering in that whole 29-char private key to do so. I'm already aggravated with my laptop being boosted; I don't need the extra aggravation of having to type in something like "6hQF68935f6H9o235f693fPTawEio" over and over to try and find it.

For the location information, is it not "good enough" to verify that I have access to the account (username/password)? My IP address, ISP, rough geographical location, etc. is somewhat less sensitive than my specific financial records, personal documents, family photos, etc. that I might really want encrypted.

Ok, I might not be able to speak for all your customers... but I doubt I'd be alone. Maybe give people the choice separate from how they treat their data?

May 24 2011 at 4:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

kms007

Very cool addition for us Backblaze customers. Will there be an option to add an additional Mac for this "Locate My Computer" service?

May 23 2011 at 12:15 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to kms007's comment

Gleb Budman

Glad you like the service! You can add as many Mac's as you wish to your Backblaze account. Each one is $5/month for unlimited backup...and includes the Locate My Computer feature for free.

Gleb Budman
CEO, Backblaze

May 24 2011 at 2:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply