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Tech to the Rescue: How to Get Stolen Gadgets Back
Catch any crook who dares steal devices from your home with recording and tracking technology that's easy to use
Houzz Contributor. I'm a Silicon Valley-based writer, columnist and blogger, covering technology and culture. http://elgan.com
Houzz Contributor. I'm a Silicon Valley-based writer, columnist and blogger,... More »
If you’re not careful, you could be the victim of a home burglary, and some clown could end up with your valuables.
That’s what happened to late Apple founder Steve Jobs’ family. After their Palo Alto, California, home was burglarized, one of Jobs’ own iPads ended up being used by a performer who goes by the name Kenny the Clown. He was using it to play music at children’s parties when police tracked him down. (At the time of the burglary, the home was being renovated and nobody was there.)
Kenny was innocent. Police say his friend robbed Jobs and gave the clown the iPad without divulging where he got it. Most of the stolen property was returned to the Jobs, thanks to Apple technology and good police work. (Stolen items included computers, iPads, iPhones, iPods, an Apple TV device, jewelry, kitchen appliances and Steve Jobs’ California driver’s license.)
A special police unit worked with Apple and AT&T U-verse to match the suspect’s use of the stolen computers with his Apple iTunes account, leading to his address. Police found one of the stolen computers on the suspect’s kitchen table. They also found a Google search on that computer inquiring about how to sell stolen jewelry.
Home security systems tend to focus on keeping burglars from entering the house undetected. Some security systems set off an alarm; others automatically call for help — both of which are great. But the Jobs burglary highlights two aspects of home security often neglected. Yes, you want to prevent burglary. But if it does happen, you also want to catch the crook and get your stuff back. Home technology can help.
That’s what happened to late Apple founder Steve Jobs’ family. After their Palo Alto, California, home was burglarized, one of Jobs’ own iPads ended up being used by a performer who goes by the name Kenny the Clown. He was using it to play music at children’s parties when police tracked him down. (At the time of the burglary, the home was being renovated and nobody was there.)
Kenny was innocent. Police say his friend robbed Jobs and gave the clown the iPad without divulging where he got it. Most of the stolen property was returned to the Jobs, thanks to Apple technology and good police work. (Stolen items included computers, iPads, iPhones, iPods, an Apple TV device, jewelry, kitchen appliances and Steve Jobs’ California driver’s license.)
A special police unit worked with Apple and AT&T U-verse to match the suspect’s use of the stolen computers with his Apple iTunes account, leading to his address. Police found one of the stolen computers on the suspect’s kitchen table. They also found a Google search on that computer inquiring about how to sell stolen jewelry.
Home security systems tend to focus on keeping burglars from entering the house undetected. Some security systems set off an alarm; others automatically call for help — both of which are great. But the Jobs burglary highlights two aspects of home security often neglected. Yes, you want to prevent burglary. But if it does happen, you also want to catch the crook and get your stuff back. Home technology can help.
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To Catch a Thief
Suspected burglars are often never caught and continue to burglarize homes. Police say that burglars are among the hardest crooks to catch because they leave little or no evidence behind.
But there’s no better proof of a burglary than a video or photographs of the actual crime. And these are easier and less expensive to obtain than you might think. All you need is a camera built into or connected to a personal computer, touch tablet or smart phone, plus special security software.
The cost of this arrangement can be very low — in fact, it can be free if you’ve already got the hardware. You can download free software to do the motion-capture and upload parts.
Other solutions are inexpensive; better software costs a few dollars. Some companies even offer the service of allowing you to browse the pictures and video online.
Gadgets Watch While You're Away
Another possibility is the use of old and otherwise discarded smart phones or tablets. These can be put to permanent use recording anything that moves in your home when you’re away.
No matter how you go about it, the goal is motion detection, which starts a camera, then uploads the evidence to "the cloud": a data-storage location on the Internet. This gives you access to the evidence, even if the crook steals the computer and erases the hard drive.
Most laptops come with a built-in camera. But for both desktop computers and laptops, I recommend a webcam called the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920. The advantages of this camera are twofold: It’s got a wider-angle lens than built-in laptop cameras, covering more of the room. And it’s super high-definition for capturing high-quality details that may help police identify the crook.
Note that some solutions take video while motion is detected, then upload it after it stops. However, there’s a chance that a crook can sever the Internet connection or remove power from the computer before the upload can take place.
Software for Mac and iOS
Mac and iOS users have a few good options, although the software for these platforms is generally more expensive than on Windows. One good product for Mac is called iPeekCam. You set it and forget it, then if a burglar comes into your house, the motion will cause the camera to start recording. It then uploads the video to the company’s website.
Another good solution for Mac is the $39 Witness application, which performs two very neat tricks. The first is that it activates and deactivates automatically as you come and go. It knows when you move by tracking the location of your iPhone. Second, Witness can recognize when a human face appears on camera, so you can set it to ignore “motion” when it’s just your dog walking in front of the camera.
Software for Windows
Windows computer users have multiple options for software that detects motion and uploads evidence, including a lot of free software. Two popular options are iSpy and YawCam. These can be downloaded free, and both will work with whatever camera you have attached to your computer. They’ll capture motion and upload photos to your email account.
ISpy has more features, but the more features you use, the more you’ll pay. YawCam is free.
Suspected burglars are often never caught and continue to burglarize homes. Police say that burglars are among the hardest crooks to catch because they leave little or no evidence behind.
But there’s no better proof of a burglary than a video or photographs of the actual crime. And these are easier and less expensive to obtain than you might think. All you need is a camera built into or connected to a personal computer, touch tablet or smart phone, plus special security software.
The cost of this arrangement can be very low — in fact, it can be free if you’ve already got the hardware. You can download free software to do the motion-capture and upload parts.
Other solutions are inexpensive; better software costs a few dollars. Some companies even offer the service of allowing you to browse the pictures and video online.
Gadgets Watch While You're Away
Another possibility is the use of old and otherwise discarded smart phones or tablets. These can be put to permanent use recording anything that moves in your home when you’re away.
No matter how you go about it, the goal is motion detection, which starts a camera, then uploads the evidence to "the cloud": a data-storage location on the Internet. This gives you access to the evidence, even if the crook steals the computer and erases the hard drive.
Most laptops come with a built-in camera. But for both desktop computers and laptops, I recommend a webcam called the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920. The advantages of this camera are twofold: It’s got a wider-angle lens than built-in laptop cameras, covering more of the room. And it’s super high-definition for capturing high-quality details that may help police identify the crook.
Note that some solutions take video while motion is detected, then upload it after it stops. However, there’s a chance that a crook can sever the Internet connection or remove power from the computer before the upload can take place.
Software for Mac and iOS
Mac and iOS users have a few good options, although the software for these platforms is generally more expensive than on Windows. One good product for Mac is called iPeekCam. You set it and forget it, then if a burglar comes into your house, the motion will cause the camera to start recording. It then uploads the video to the company’s website.
Another good solution for Mac is the $39 Witness application, which performs two very neat tricks. The first is that it activates and deactivates automatically as you come and go. It knows when you move by tracking the location of your iPhone. Second, Witness can recognize when a human face appears on camera, so you can set it to ignore “motion” when it’s just your dog walking in front of the camera.
Software for Windows
Windows computer users have multiple options for software that detects motion and uploads evidence, including a lot of free software. Two popular options are iSpy and YawCam. These can be downloaded free, and both will work with whatever camera you have attached to your computer. They’ll capture motion and upload photos to your email account.
ISpy has more features, but the more features you use, the more you’ll pay. YawCam is free.
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| Apple Gadgets Have Built-In Antitheft Technology A typical burglary involves crooks coming into a house, then looking around for valuables that are easily movable. They’ll often grab portable electronics, such as laptops or tablets, because they’re portable and expensive, and they can be easily sold. That’s the good news. Why? Because these devices are trackable. There are ways to have mobile gadgets report back to you about their locations, and even send you pictures of the crooks as they use your computer. If you catch the guy who stole your trackable gadget, you also may get everything back, as was the case with the Jobs family. It was Apple's iPad and iTunes Store technology that enabled detectives to find the burglar who stole from Steve Jobs. This capability comes automatically with all mobile Apple products. If you're an Apple user and would like to see it for yourself, simply go to iCloud.com, log in with your Apple ID and choose "Find My iPhone." Even though the service specifies iPhones, it will actually show you all your mobile devices, including laptops, on a map. By clicking on the "i" on the device, you can remotely lock or even wipe your device. If your devices aren't there, you can add them by following these simple instructions. To wipe means to permanently erase all the software and files on your system. (Another reason to keep a good backup.) This will keep your personal and business files from getting into the wrong hands. |
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Other products let Mac users do even more than Apple's own built-in solutions. For example, Tattletale for Mac will let you track your Mac laptop, and also will take a picture of whoever is sitting in front of it every time it’s booted up or brought back from sleep mode and send you the picture.
Solutions for Windows, Android, Linux and Blackberry
The Apple-device solutions above are great, unless you have a non-Apple gadget. If that’s the case, you may want to try the cross-platform solutions, which do all the same things.
But before you consider paying, you should know one little secret about Apple's "Find My iPhone" feature: It works with Windows PCs, too!
For serious power and flexibility on most non-Apple devices, however, you'll probably need to pay a little to protect your stuff. Two of the best cross-platform software programs are Prey and GadgetTrack. These work on Macs and iOS devices; Windows laptops, tablets and phones; Android tablets and phones; and Linux devices, too. GadgetTrack also works on BlackBerry devices.
Preventing burglary is a good idea. But it's also a good idea to be ready in case you are burglarized. Simple, inexpensive technology will improve the odds that police can catch the crook and return your property.
Solutions for Windows, Android, Linux and Blackberry
The Apple-device solutions above are great, unless you have a non-Apple gadget. If that’s the case, you may want to try the cross-platform solutions, which do all the same things.
But before you consider paying, you should know one little secret about Apple's "Find My iPhone" feature: It works with Windows PCs, too!
For serious power and flexibility on most non-Apple devices, however, you'll probably need to pay a little to protect your stuff. Two of the best cross-platform software programs are Prey and GadgetTrack. These work on Macs and iOS devices; Windows laptops, tablets and phones; Android tablets and phones; and Linux devices, too. GadgetTrack also works on BlackBerry devices.
Preventing burglary is a good idea. But it's also a good idea to be ready in case you are burglarized. Simple, inexpensive technology will improve the odds that police can catch the crook and return your property.
Ideabook published on Sept. 4, 2012.
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I would add to your list of must haves and must dos:
- Renter's insurance (or homeowner's insurance). Renter's insurance is very cheap, we paid $125/year for $25K replacement value coverage.
Get a rider for a home office (if you have one) and get jewelry appraised. Depending on the policy, only the first $500-$1000 of jewelry is covered unless appraised. With the price of gold so high, it pays to get a reputable jeweler to appraise your old trinkets!
- Offsite computer backup like Mozy or Carbonite. I was so lucky the thieves left my backup hard drive behind otherwise I would have lost all my client files and all my digital photos. Sadly, some recent (then) photos of my dad before he died were not backed up and are now lost forever.
- Hidden drawer. Have one drawer in your house that looks like something else. Molding or trim is a great place to trick out for hidden spaces.
- Don't keep jewelry in your bedroom. It's the first place thieves look.
- A deadbolt on your door!
- Clear view to your front door from the street so your nosy neighbors or passers by can see who is visiting you while you are away!
The pair who robbed my house - I assume it was a pair watching my house, one lookout who was smoking and sipping soda pop on my porch based on the evidence left behind - took 3 credit cards from my home office and went on a $6000 spending spree across 7 counties. Discover card and PayPal were by far the best credit cards when it comes to fraud detection. They closed the cards within hours. Discover card called while the sheriff was still collecting evidence, well before we called the credit bureaus. The third credit card not so much. It was active for 2 days before they hit the limit. It gave the police tons of evidence (should they ever choose to use it). But alas I am not Steve Jobs, so my stuff remains in the ether, including some of the last digital photos of my dad before he died. Most of the other items were replaceable, the information was not.
My husband and I spent days calling each of the fine establishments where the rogue credit card was used and got the same response: Have the officer assigned to your case call us. The officer assigned to our case said that someone in each of the 7 county's jurisdiction would have to call to request surveillance video from each of the establishments where the credit card was used. It would have been fairly easy to track the thieves, who by that point should have been waddling around based on their purchases at no less than 8 fast food restaurants in 2 days. Someone even paid their phone bill with my stolen credit card. We finally had one convenience store send their choppy video into the local gendarme, but sadly the time code on the video was off from their every 10 second capture of the back of the customer's head (seems they were more concerned about their own employees' sticky fingers). The other complicating factor was that video surveillance was saved anywhere from 24 hours, to 7 days to 30 days. Each store had a different policy, so acting fast was important lest all the easy leads disappear.
Finger prints were taken and DNA from a cigarette butt was collected. Nobody was in the system. It was a very frustrating process. I didn't have any tracking my Macbook Pro at that time, which would have at least given me the hope some of these items could be retrieved. Though at this point, I don't think I want my fingernail clippers back.
The police did catch him the next morning and I ID'd him in a photo line up. Because he wore gloves and didn't have the items, if I hadn't seen him, he'd go free.
My daughter's neighborhood does love me now ;-} It doesn't ever hurt to call the police about something strange going on.
We live in a city that has been hit by a gang the police call the pillow case burglars. They work during the day, check to see if anyone is home and get inside in the back. Don't care about alarms (they'll be gone long before security arrives) or dogs (tie them up, lock them in a room, even take them) and rent fancy cars to drive into upscale neighborhoods.
They must have stolen laptops and phones. And I can understand if my laptop gets stolen, it's probably a piddly thing in the scope of what police are dealing with every day. But as part of a crime spree, this gang must be a priority. Wonder why the police haven't done tracking like this on these cases which take place hundreds of miles up the highway corridor. I would imagine whoever solved this would look pretty good.