Retriever Security Software for Laptops/Notebooks [Visible & Aural Alerts if Stolen]

In an age where around one in ten laptops reportedly end up lost or stolen, with only around 3% ever being recovered to their rightful owners, a US company known as Front Door Software Corporation who are based in Evergreen, Colorado, have released a program known as Retriever that, they say, ‘can instantly increase your chances of recovery to over 97% in seconds’ thanks to offering visual and aural warnings on the event of a laptop/notebook that has been reported to the company as stolen being switched on.

The Retriever system works by implementing what the company refers to as a virtual security ownership label which runs prior to logging on which, should the computer be reported via the company’s website as stolen, will display a prominent red and yellow banner indicating that the machine has been reported lost or stolen whilst also offing up to eight fields of recovery information (such as an address, telephone number, etc) which will allow the device to be recovered to its rightful owner. And, interestingly, apart fro showing a banner warning that the laptop/notebook in question is listed as missing by its owner, the Retriever software will even allow you to customise the message displayed and even add an audio clip that will be triggered and in such an event.

As the company’s chief executive, Ms Hafeman, confirms, users have already embraced the freedom of expression granted courtesy of user definable message feature with the one user message reading ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’, whilst others have opted to employ equal freedom of expression when it comes to the audio alert with one recording the message ‘Get your hands off me, you S.O.B’.

Personally I think I’d opt for letting the recipient of any stolen laptop know that I suffer from an incurable skin disease that ultimately leads to certain appendages simply dropping off and that, unless they want to speak several octaves higher for the rest of their life they had better seek assistance from me post haste. That might do it.

Capable of additionally displaying the location of your stolen or misplaced laptop/notebook using what appeals to be Google Maps should the device be able to connect to an unsecured broadband network/public Wi-Fi Hotspot, the Retriever software has just become available for around $30 for a single owner licence in the US whilst those looking to try before purchasing will be glad to know that a 90 day free evaluation is on offer.