LoJack Helps Recover Lost Laptops
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A stolen laptop is serious business. After all, it isn't just lawyers or corporate types who have confidential information stored on their computers.
LoJack for Laptops, from Absolute Software, works the same way as the more famous automotive version. Except instead of sending a signal to the police, the software "calls home" — Absolute’s Web service — when the laptop is reported stolen. Logging onto the Absolute Software site shows four tabs: locate, delete, lock and recover. Locate uses a combination of Wi-Fi, GPS and the IP address (a unique, traceable number assigned to devices when they go online) to pinpoint a location and help police recover the machine. Delete allows you to remove sensitive data remotely. Lock prevents the computer from being used. Recover links to the company's "Recovery Team," which works with the police to get your computer back (as opposed to just locating it, this feature can be used once you have filed a police report).
The system consists of a software download and a one-year, renewable subscription that ranges from $25 to $75, depending on how many features you want with it. That's a discount — about $10 to $15 off the regular price. One feature at the higher end is a guarantee that your computer will come back — essentially, peace-of- mind insurance.
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