When Apple debuted MacBooks with built-in iSight cameras, software hackers and developers alike saw a device that opened up all sorts of possibilities. Among the latter group was Orbicule software, which developed Undercover, a program that aims to help a user recover their laptop in the event that it is stolen. Here’s how it works: if your Mac is stolen, you inform Orbicule and they add your machine to their database of stolen Macs. The next time your machine goes online, Undercover will be covertly activated and will start to send data to you via email–including network information, screenshots of what the Mac is doing and photos of the crook and his surroundings, using the built-in iSight. This data will certainly aid law enforcement in the search for your laptop, but if these methods fail, Undercover will go to “Plan B”–it will force the machine to play dead, in the hopes that it will be either sold or taken to an Apple authorized reseller for repair. The machine will sense when it has been plugged in at a service center and will display an image on the screen informing the repair tech/buyer that the machine is stolen and that a reward (covered by Orbicule) is available if it is returned.

Sounds cool, eh? But does it work? Orbicule recently posted a story on their website about how a MacBookPro was recovered in just three days, thanks to the network information, iSight photos and screenshots (which captured the thief’s email address) provided by Undercover. If you or your users carry around expensive Mac portables, Undercover might be just the insurance policy you need.

For more on Undercover:
– check out Orbicule’s website
– and the recovery story