Prey 1.13.4

Overview

Prey is a program that really intrigued me from the beginning. A friend of mine had their laptop stolen just a few months ago, which also caused me to think about protecting my own laptop. Prey is a program that will most definitely help you recover a lost or stolen laptop, and it actually works very well. Not only can it be used on laptops, but mobile devices like smart phones and tablets as well.

There is a variety of different actions you can remotely perform via Prey's web interface, including screenshots, active webcam snapshots and feed, geographical location, and more. Beyond that Prey has quite a few different settings you can adjust in order to give yourself more security with a little less convenience. All in all, the developers did a fantastic job making sure everything you could think of for a device recovery assistant was readily available.

I did experience some slight inconsistencies when trying to retrieve information from my laptop, but the success rate was much higher than the fail.

Installation

I didn't have any trouble getting Prey installed on my computer, it only took a few seconds. After the installation is complete you'll need to register an account, without registering an account you wouldn't be able to access any of your devices information if you lost it. Fortunately, the registration is built-in to the program and doesn't require you to open up a web browser.

Interface

The program itself has a very basic interface that helps you setup your account and edit a couple of other settings, but that's it. In order to access 95% of what Prey has to offer, you'll simply just go to their website at www.preyproject.com and log-in with your account information.

You can view device information, current activity, perform actions, and edit a variety of different security settings. Everything is pretty self-explanatory for the most part, but there are some advanced options that could do with a better explanation for not so advanced users.

Pros

• Allows you to rest assured if your laptop or mobile device is lost or stolen, you'll have a very good chance of tracking it down and recovering it.
• Has just about every option you would want in a program of this type.
• The program offers a lot of intelligent settings, like allowing guest accounts so you have a better chance of getting a webcam picture of the thief.
• It's free to use, so there's really no risk involved.

Cons

• Web interface could do with a bit more guidance
• Rare, but concerning miscues when trying to retrieve data or perform remote actions

Alternatives

If you're looking for something a bit more reliable and powerful, and are willing dish out some cash as well, take a look at Lojack for Laptops. The price is a bit steep though, especially compared to Prey which is free.

Conclusion

Prey is definitely a program I'd recommend to just about everyone with an expensive laptop. It works like it's supposed to close to all the time, with a couple of hiccups here and there. I can see Prey becoming a very well known product in the near future with the right improvements.