In this month's print edition of NZ PC World I explore some of the ways you could lose your laptop -- legally! Many people don't realise, for example, that US Federal agents "may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies..." [more]

But what about those more common threats to laptops; theft or simple carelessness?

Laptop tracking services have been around for a while. The basic idea is that a hidden piece of software regularly reports to a central server, detailing the IP address at which your laptop's currently connected. Since each IP address is unique, law enforcement agents can swiftly home in on your missing machine's new location.

Such services cost typically around $US3 per month. But now there's a free, open source alternative: Adeona.

Taking its name from the Greek goddess responsible for guiding lost children back to their parents, Adeona works on Linux, Mac or Windows machines, and once installed sends anonymous encrypted notes back to a central server. If your laptop ever goes missing, you download another program, enter your username and password, and see what's become of your missing machine. (The Mac version will even take snapshots of whoever's currently using the computer!)

The best part though is not only is it free and open source, but it's also privacy-preserving. No one but the owner can track your laptop -- unless you let them have your password.

My rating: Brilliant!  Download it here.