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    Take Picture Of Thief With Webcam?

    Discussion in 'Security and Anti-Virus Software' started by iVisionX01, Jul 14, 2009.

  1. iVisionX01

    iVisionX01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi, I'm new here and also paranoid about my laptop being stolen. I installed Laptop lock on my laptop and it has the option to run another program when I report it as stolen.

    Does anybody know a program that I can set up to immediately take a picture when it starts up then send it to something like photobucket or my email?
     
    iVisionX01, Jul 14, 2009
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  2. gerryf19

    gerryf19 I am the walrus

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    gerryf19, Jul 15, 2009
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  3. lokster

    lokster Notebook Deity

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    questions, how often do you leave your laptop unguarded in public? and if you leave it at home, stow it in a sleeve in your closet or hard to reach and notice place. and if you leave it in your car? DONT!!! leave it in the trunk or bring it with you.

    prevention first
     
    lokster, Jul 16, 2009
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  4. iVisionX01

    iVisionX01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I've actually almost got the system to work. I used www.thelaptoplock.com and set up their program to launch Yawcam. When Yawcam launches it is automatically in motion sensing mode and when it detects movement it takes the picture and sends it to my alternate email.

    My only problem now is that when the laptop lock software launches it can't launch Yawcam. It says it can't load configuration.cfg. Anybody know what I could do?
     
    iVisionX01, Jul 16, 2009
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  5. Relativity17

    Relativity17 Notebook Evangelist

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    What user does the locking software run as? Yourself? An admin user? System?

    My guess is that you configured it running as your normal user, and so it wrote configuration.cfg into your user folder, but the locking software user can't access that directory.

    By the way, this might work against your average elementary school student, but isn't going to work against any competent laptop thief.
     
    Relativity17, Jul 16, 2009
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  6. iVisionX01

    iVisionX01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Still it's worth a shot.

    I don't it wrote into my user folder I went into [Username]/appdata/local/
    and didn't see anything.
     
    iVisionX01, Jul 16, 2009
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  7. DarkSilver

    DarkSilver MSI Afterburner

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    But if the place is NO internet connection.
    How does the camera picture got send?
     
    DarkSilver, Jul 16, 2009
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  8. iVisionX01

    iVisionX01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    It requires internet connection unfortunately but still I want to get this system setup.
     
    iVisionX01, Jul 16, 2009
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  9. DarkSilver

    DarkSilver MSI Afterburner

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    It is pointless I guess.
    If I am a laptop stealer/thief, I would have something like Windows Installation DVD or Bootable USB flash drives. Once I steal a laptop, I would turn it on and get in the BIOS and have it clean out all HDD. Your setup would be useless.
     
    DarkSilver, Jul 16, 2009
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  10. iVisionX01

    iVisionX01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Not all thieves are as smart as you.
     
    iVisionX01, Jul 16, 2009
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  11. qhn

    qhn Notebook User

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    Thieves might not be smart, but the ones who buy from them would be ;-)

    I agree with DarkSilver above that the tool would be useless without internet connection. The minute someone starts the notebook, a connection error message would come up, and you just give your secret away.

    cheers ...
     
    qhn, Jul 16, 2009
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  12. iVisionX01

    iVisionX01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    It doesn't display a connection error I've tested it before, the only problem I have is that it's having problems launching yawcam. If I can fix that then it will be setup. Not foolproof but could be useful.
     
    iVisionX01, Jul 16, 2009
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  13. qhn

    qhn Notebook User

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    Have you tried to look at the FAQ from YawCam home page?

    cheers ...
     
    qhn, Jul 16, 2009
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  14. iVisionX01

    iVisionX01 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yup I read the whole thing. Nothing seemed to help
     
    iVisionX01, Jul 16, 2009
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  15. qhn

    qhn Notebook User

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    Bummer. What issues were you experiencing when you tried to launch YawCam?

    cheers ...
     
    qhn, Jul 16, 2009
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  16. nu_D

    nu_D Notebook Deity

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    LOL

    I am sorry but this is freaking hilarious.

    Man, just keep your laptop with you and don't leave it all alone in the middle of a train station and you will be just fine. :p
     
    nu_D, Jul 16, 2009
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  17. Relativity17

    Relativity17 Notebook Evangelist

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    The Yawcam site says that configuration files are stored in Program Files, so it should be accessible by all users. If you're running Vista, you can try navigating to the installation directory and see if a Compatibility Files button appears in the toolbar.
     
    Relativity17, Jul 16, 2009
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  18. DarkSilver

    DarkSilver MSI Afterburner

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    Human now a day are really greedy.
    I just left some A3size papers(contain my assignment) in a very very cheap plastic paper holder(USD 0.70) on a BUS. So, I call my friend(about 5min) who still in the same BUS to take the a3size papers holder for me. But she said it is gone and the ticket seller said there was nothing there. Well, I can guess it was taken by some idiot which hope the papers would be expensive. My friend never took it because she is not evil and not study the same thing, so, it is pointless to stole someone valueless assignment.
    Conclusion,
    Some papers already been stole within minutes.
    Imagine you left a laptop =.=! It would be gone instantly.

    @qhn, yup those who buy the laptop from thieves need to have certain smartness. Black Market ^^!
     
    DarkSilver, Jul 16, 2009
    #18