LoJack works! At least in my hometown

Arrest made in connection with Northeast Tacoma home burglaries
(I live in NE Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topstories/story/423875.html

...On Tuesday, a laptop computer taken in one of the burglaries sent off a silent signal that was picked up by a LoJack tracking device. The next day, investigators served a search warrant on a Puyallup-area home, Fulghum said...

 

I got that LoJack crap on my M1530. How does that even work? Is it over the internet? If so, what if the theft doesn't ever connect to the internet? Or is it like a GPS thing?

 

We've got a review up of LoJack if you want to read more.

 

You ever hear of "Google It"

http://www.lojack.com/why/pages/what-is-lojack.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoJack

 

Interesting, I thought there was a physical hardware chip for LoJack not just software. That's kinda crappy, considering someone could easily steal my laptop, format the HDD, and then I'm screwed. I wouldn't have got it, but it came with my XPS M1530 for two years as part of a special Dell deal when I got it.

I was thinking it was just IP trace. That's not that great, as the IP they are connecting to is not necessarily their own. My point is, that if they steal laptops, they probably steal their internet access from a neighbor, starbucks, etc.

 

Actually, most laptops now support LoJack in the BIOS in a once-flashable part. So no, you are not screwed.

I tried for the review.

 

but
a) connect to internet.... lojack online must see the IP address
b) lojack must contact ISP for assistance
c) lojack forward to police dept
d) police might knock on door
e) and find your laptop disassembled and sold on eBay

i wonder what happens if someone steals ur laptop and sells it on eBay.... and the police goes afterthat buyer.....

 

If you read ALL of the links given you, you wouldn't be asking that question.

BTW, you don't have to use LoJack... nobody is making you. It didn't cost you a penny either. So what do you have to lose?

 

Very cool, glad to see this kind of thing does help out.

 

When it comes down to it I bet you would rather it be on your laptop if you ever got it stolen... Nothing is perfect, but this will at least give you a lot better chance of you seeing your laptop again...

 

Instead of buying all that accidental coverage and lojack crap, I just had my parent's add it to their insurance and it's dirt cheap. But hey if you got it free then why not?

 

That's what I was wondering too. I guess the buyer would have to give it back to you and the seller would get banned from eBay lol.

 

Wouldn't the buyer be seen as a finch, in which case they could be arrested?

 

how can u check/make sure you can install lojack on right on your bios?

 

Here is the current listing of notebooks with Lojack-enabled BIOS'.

http://www.absolute.com/products-bios-enabled-computers.asp

I'm not sure how up to date this is. I don't see any of the new Studio series Dells on there, so I'm guessing the list isn't completely current.

As suggested earlier in the thread, a Lojack-enabled BIOS means that formatting or swapping the hard drive won't remove the Lojack protection.

 

Embedding support for the Computrace agent into the BIOS provides customers the highest level of persistence and allows the Computrace agent to survive operating system re-installations, hard drive reformats and even hard drive replacements. The ability to withstand these changes is critical in order to survive unauthorized removal attempts as well as to work seamlessly with customers' break/fix and IMAC processes. The Computrace BIOS support placement provides our customers the best performing computer theft recovery, secure asset tracking and data protection services available on the market today.