Hidden App Tracks Stolen Mac

Justice may not have come swiftly, and it may also have come a little sticky, but after two months of watching and tracking the alleged thief of his laptop via a security application called Hidden, San Francisco-based interaction designer Joshua Kaufman has finally been reunited with his beloved MacBook.

The app, which costs as little as $15 a year, not only tracked Josh's computer's location within a few meters, but it also used the computer's built-in camera to take photos - photos which painted a clear and sometimes partially naked picture of the alleged perp, 27-year-old Oakland cab driver Muthanna Alde-Bashi.

Though Joshua didn't waste any time tracking down his stolen laptop, Oakland police weren't nearly as quick about going out and getting it back. When Kaufman initially informed the Oakland PD of his situation, they allegedly told him that "a lack of resources" would leave them unable to help.

When questioned about the response later, police departments public information officer Holly Joshi conceded that with more than 2,000 theft cases per month and only three theft investigators to handle the case load, "We definitely have to prioritize our cases."

Undeterred, Kaufman took to the Internet where his photo blog filled with pics of the alleged perp, aptly titled This Guy Has My MacBook, became a small viral hit and attracted the attention of ABC's 'Good Morning America' who contacted the Oakland Police on Tuesday to confirm that the story wasn't a hoax.

With the media involved, the Oakland Police Department sprung into action, apprehending the suspect on suspicion of possessing stolen property by the end of the day. A day later the laptop was back in it's owner's hands.

"I'm here to pick up my MacBook!" Kaufman tweeted to his nearly 6,000 followers. "I got my MacBook back."

What do you think: Is this story real? Or is it just another Internet hoax?

[ABC News]