Undercover 2.5 lowers network usage, memory footprint

Orbicule has released Undercover 2.5, an update to its theft-recovery program for Mac OS X platforms. The new release now only connects to the internet when a network change occurs, claimed to reduce network traffic while making the recovery system more effective. The memory footprint and CPU usage have also been reduced by up to 75 percent. The program offers various tools to help recover a stolen Mac notebook or desktop computer.

Undercover transmits network information from the stolen computer, including internal and external IP addresses and router addresses, providing a way to track the location of the device with the help of the ISP and police. Screenshots will be taken of computer activity, and iSight photographs, both at regular intervals to potentially reveal the thief's identity.

If recovery fails, the software will simulate a hardware failure by gradually darkening the screen over 30 minutes until it becomes completely dark and inoperable. This may inspire the perpetrator to either sell the computer or bring it to an Apple reseller, providing a few more ways to catch the thief.

Orbicule continuously monitors the activity, and if it becomes apparent that the device has been sold or taken to a reseller, a full-screen message will appear that alerts the user that it has been stolen and that it has been rendered inoperable and must be returned to the user. The company contact information is provided and a promise for a finder's fee, and the Mac will also shout the message.

Undercover 2.5 is available from Orbicule for $50 with a single user license, $60 for a household, $250 for a site, $40 for a student, or $10/Mac for a volume education license.

Filed under: computers, security, software
Other story tags: Mac OS X, Mac