I added a “screen is locked” message (new to [OS X Lion](http://www.apple.com/macosx/) under System Preferences > Security & Privacy) to my laptop since I’m traveling. It says:
“Hard Drive is encrypted. If found, please contact 303-835-3512”
This helps me get a few points across: the drive is encrypted so you can’t steal this to check your email and screw around, I want you to contact me (without explicitly stating there is a reward, or incentive to steal it), I am savvy enough to add a message like this so you think this is a risky laptop to steal.
Do you think this communicates the right message? What would (do) you say on your lock screen?
I’m afraid it may also suggest “don’t bother trying to hack this, just dump the hard drive and sell it” which would slow down any tracking or recovery efforts.
Maybe your name, so in case someone you know pics it up they don’t have to call you.
I mean, really, who wants to call you?
Hmm, it already shows my name and pretty face. I figure phone is most accessible to people (as opposed to email, or fax ;)).
Mine simply says “Look behind you”
Ha! I like it, I may add that…
No, not the name. The phone number is enough to find out who he is. That alone makes me weary of putting the phone number. After all, if he has an MB Air, what other cool stuff does he have?
Interesting point. The logged-out screen already shows my name and face because I have that as my username / log-in name (added to post above).
Yeah, sounds good. I have my name, phone, and email listed on my lock screen.
From some of the rumors I’ve seen, iCloud will allow a Safari only mode from the lock screen. That should hopefully help with people formatting the hard drive to access their email / surf the web, while allowing the “Find My Mac” to function.
Restarting into Safari is a built-in feature (not specific to iCloud). I’ve disabled it as I don’t want to encourage people to take my laptop and then have it functional. Though, as you mention, it’s a bit of a ‘honeypot’ as I can continue to run “Find My Mac” if they’re sitting with it.
Hmmm…
Actually, the specific functionality I’m talking about isn’t coming until the launch of iCloud. I know you can boot into Safari with a restart and Command + R during boot, but this is an option on the lock screen right next to the existing buttons.
Anyway, the way I look at it is, if someone’s going to steal it, they will. People usually don’t have second thoughts about that stuff. My goal is to get my laptop back with the least amount of destruction.
Right, and it’s a setting in Lion that I specifically disabled months ago under Settings > Security > Disable restarting to Safari when screen is locked: http://d.pr/lm88
Interesting. I don’t have that option. Since you’ve had it for months, maybe it’s because you installed a developer preview of Lion.
Ah yeah, correction: I do have an iCloud beta on here. Good catch, Ronald.
I like the reference to an encrypted drive and just added that to mine. I also included a line intended to appeal to a person’s good nature by saying ‘A nerd without his gadget is a sad nerd.’
I thought about hinting at a reward if found, but decided against it. I wasn’t sure how likely it was that someone would find it, only be motivated to return it if offered a reward, and yet still not be shady enough to keep it. That seemed unlikely, and I didn’t want to commit to a reward right off the bat without knowing the circumstances.
This is actually not a new feature BTW. You could do it in Snow Leopard and maybe even before, you just had to use Onyx or the command line to set it.
I didn’t realize this was previously available. I’m glad they’ve surfaced it…
“Your photo has been taken with the built in camera. Please contact XXX on xxx to have your photo removed from my website”
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