Equipping your laptop with an anti-theft alarm

Our cars have blaring alarms that alert us when someone's trying to steal them, so why not extended that idea to laptops, too?

That's the basic concept behind Front Door Software's Retriever software, an app which loads onto any laptop. Much like LoJack for Laptops, the software is only activated once the laptop is reported stolen. But while LoJack works silently to report its location to LoJack's central servers and law enforcement, Retriever lets a thief know that you know exactly what he's done.

When Retriever goes into action, it displays a giant "lost or stolen" banner across the screen and can also be set to speak aloud that the computer has been boosted. Users can send whatever message they'd like to the machine (written or spoken) and have it reappear as often as every 30 seconds, making it the most annoying pop-up in the world for a suspected thief.

Some users get awfully creative with the messages. As the Times reports via Front Door's CEO, "One customer sent a message saying, 'You are being tracked. I am right at your door.'"

Users can also change the password for the system remotely if they're worried about data security.

Sounds like a great idea, but it's tough to know whether Retriever or LoJack would offer a better chance at recovering your computer: LoJack is compelling if the user is holed up in his apartment somewhere and not on the move, but Retriever (which costs just $30) could offer an even quicker recovery if, say, the thief is using your computer at Starbucks... where he'd be likely to abandon it quickly once it began shouting "stop, thief!" aloud. But the same alert popping up at a thief's home might simply result in that laptop finding itself shut down... and tossed in the trash. Tough call... Decisions, decisions.

More info here.