Sunday, April 20, 2008

How a woman got back her stolen laptop.


A friend show me a link about a woman named Joey who had her MacBook and iPhone stolen from her truck. Joey got it back by tracking it using one of her Mac laptop's feature Back to my Mac which allows administrators to take full control of machines over the Net. The thief was stupid enough that he didn't format the MacBook. So she was able to track her Mac every time the thief was connected to the internet.

Back to My Mac
The owner had multiple accounts on the MacBook, and at least one of the administrator accounts was tied to Apple’s .Mac service. That enabled the pair to locate the stolen MacBook using Leopard’s new Back to My Mac, a feature that advertises the location of a registered machine to its owner whenever it is connected to the Internet, enabling easy remote access.

The stolen laptop has popped up several times as the thief has connected to various WiFi signals. Even without an ideal network connection, the owners have been able to start screen sharing sessions, access their files, remove sensitive data, change passwords, and even take pictures of the thief using Photo Booth.

It seems the stolen laptop user has a lot of time on his hands, as he sits in front of the laptop for hours on end, and keeps himself busy ripping DVDs and browsing Limewire for downloads, ranging from Apple’s Final Cut Pro to Adobe Photoshop. Despite his changing the primary account and password on the laptop, the owners were able to continue tracking it using a secondary account linked to .Mac.

Thief Identity
Within a couple days, the owners were able to assemble a full profile of information on the stolen laptop user as he signed into a hookup sites, read his Gmail messages, and shopped on eBay for… a police scanner. They discovered his birth date, mother’s maiden name, email address, Comcast IP address, and were able to use Photo Booth to take a snapshot that was clear enough to read the lettering of his tattoos.

Santa Cruz police have initiated a warrant and subpoena process, and hope to bag the burglar and return the stolen equipment shortly. A detailed accounting of the their progress is being documented by Joey, the laptop tracker, in a LiveJournal blog.

Source :: Roughly Drafted Magazine

Very cool though but what happen if the application was compromised? Would it be really safe to have this feature?
Another similar application which I know that is built for mobile phone called WaveSecure.
It is a stealth application that you can't see it from the add/remove programs. This will help you to monitor your phone and also backup the thief's contact and information if he/she put uses their sim card and slot it into the phone. I didn't sign up for this application for my pda as I'm not sure yet if its safe to backup my stuff to reside on their server and also didn't have the time to explore. Anyway there is no password stored on my pda, no harm trying one of these days.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

7 Ways to win back your gaming spouse.

Are games ruining your relationship?

Fight back with these seven tips.

If your significant other's gaming habits are harming your relationship, here are seven ways to beat the game and reclaim your love life.

1. Learn from the game
Games like World of Warcraft use classic behavioral control techniques: they tie small rewards very closely to repetitive chores. If your spouse is neglecting household tasks -- a common complaint among sufferers -- try employing a little positive reinforcement. The next time he empties the trash, play a loud 'Ding!' sound and tell him his Refuse-Disposal skill just increased.

2. Suggest a date at a video game movie
Just make sure it's a good one, because most of them are terrible. Resident Evil is a good choice, and assuming your spouse is male, the prospect of staring at Milla Jovovich for an hour and a half should certainly pique his interest. Don't let him sneak off to play his game once the movie is done, either: segue into a more intimate scenario before it ends, or you'll lose his attention.

3. Fake a power outage; cuddle up with candles and a board game

No matter how bad your addiction is, you can't play Warcraft with no electricity. Slip out to the junction box and flip the switch (after, of course, making sure any sensitive equipment is safely powered down). Your spouse will be devastated, but they'll be looking for something to keep their mind off the game. What better chance to propose lighting a few candles and playing a round of Scrabble?

4. Put some game into your nighttime activities
If your spouse's gaming addiction is cutting into your bedroom time, think about how you might switch up your usual routine. If they're into military games like Call of Duty or Splinter Cell, uniforms aren't hard to find (nor are night-vision cameras, if you're game). But if they call you a "n00b," it might be time to think about kicking them to the curb.

5. Try a different kind of role-playing game
If you're having trouble distracting your husband from the game, surprise him with a treat. World of Warcraft is packed with sexy female characters (and, let's face it, most other video games). With a little effort in the wardrobe department, you can recapture his attentions by dressing up as a character from the game. We'd suggest a Night Elf as a good starting outfit. For bonus points, learn the character's corresponding dance moves.

6. Get away from it all

Surprise your spouse with a weekend getaway to distract them from their addiction. Something that incorporates outdoor activities is best, because then he or she won't have the time or energy to miss their game. Try skiing, mountain biking, watersports, or fishing, or head for an action-packed hotspot like Vegas or New Orleans. Stay away from relaxing beach vacations, and for goodness sake, leave the laptop at home.

7. If you can't beat 'em...
If all else fails, it's time to consider extreme measures. Have you ever played the offending game yourself? Lots of couples play Warcraft (or similar online games) as a team, leveling up complementary characters and turning isolated and nonconstructive activities into good, old-fashioned quality time together. Most massively multiplayer games are deceptively easy to learn, and you'll have the benefit of an in-house expert to answer your questions in exhaustive detail. Just be careful not to start shirking familial duties yourself.

Source :: Yahoo! Games

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

'Untooned' Simpson

Someone has this funny idea of using real textures to create faces of famous cartoon characters from people's pictures.

A picture of a real 'Homer'.. Looks creepy to me. ~_~"
More over at his blog.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Instant Action!

Whats cool about this site is that you can play multiplayer 3D games for FREE on a browser! Just sign in and there you will be connected with your friends and you can play games together just like xbox live. Currently there are 5 playable games (at the time of this post) and more will be coming soon...