The name is utterly meaningless (to us English speakers, perhaps), but the idea is a fairly advanced take on the phone home laptop security software we hear about from time to time. Built for OS X, Verey I asks the lappy user to authenticate their identity when they connect to a network. If they don't within a pre-defined period of time, the security system kicks into action.

Emails will be sent to your address, with info on IP addresses (for the computer and for nearby wireless networks, if any, to help pin point a location), serial number, MAC address... and a piece of video, with audio, of the person sitting in front of the computer.

It even helps the thief get it back to you, telling them about the info it has just passed on.

In itself, sending that email isn't going to get your computer back, but by locking down the system after a failure and displaying your contact details, and even a reward amount if you want to add some incentive to bring baby home. So it gives the thief the option of saving themselves and bringing it back home for you.

This is from the crew at Bak2U, who've been in the PDA and mobile phone security biz for a while now. It's selling for $59.99 (FYI, Phonebak is $19.99, and PhonebakPDA is $39.99).

Short of GPS tracking, things aren't ever going to have a high percentage rate of return, but this certainly lifts the odds compared to NOT having it. And for most Macbook owners, improving the odds of getting your machine back always sounds good.

If they get the scary sales pitch just right, I know I'll buy it. I mean, how can you NOT afford to protect your beautiful lappy from a cold, dank, den of thieves, where it will be subjected to torturous acts - maybe even forced into spam slavery? -Seamus Byrne