• On CBS MoneyWatch: How to Haggle on Your Rent
November 19, 2008 12:00 AM PST

Featured Freeware: Laptop Alarm

by Seth Rosenblatt
  • Font size
  • Print
  • 3 comments

This simple program will sound an alarm through your laptop's speakers when certain activities occur, helping to thwart laptop theft. Laptop Alarm's four-check-box interface takes seconds to set. An option pop-up is as easily set to control mouse sensitivity and set a program password.

Operating Laptop Alarm is a snap. Users merely run the executable and set the alarm to sound if the laptop loses power the system is shut down or logged off, if the USB mouse is unplugged, or if the mouse moved. Testers found the program accurate with no false alarms. There's no method to alter the alarm sound, and users aren't given the opportunity to enter the program password before the alarm goes off.

Laptop Alarm performs well and as expected, but it doesn't run in the background and must be reset each time you want to use it. Leaving your computer is not an action we'd recommend, but this freeware may at least hurt the ears of a potential laptop thief.

Seth peers into the deep, dark corners of software so that you don't have to. He has yet to suffer a single nightmare about OS/2. You can follow him on Twitter.
Recent posts from The Download Blog
Windows Starter Kit refreshed for 2010
Big changes in Security Starter Kit 2010
Why to embrace Firefox 3.6's new-tab ethos
Sale: CoPilot Live GPS for iPhone, $19.99
Three apps we're thankful for
Mozilla issues near-final Thunderbird 3
eBay opens auction app for BlackBerry
iPhone app rounds up free Redbox rental codes
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (3 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by BrianZachary November 19, 2008 12:28 AM PST
The description says:

"users aren't given the opportunity to enter the program password before the alarm goes off"

That doesn't sound very convenient or useful to me. Other than that, it sounds like a good thing to have for those who use their laptops in public places.
Reply to this comment
by November 19, 2008 7:45 AM PST
man of my time, it went on during school and people thought it was a fire alarm, needs a lot of improvement. It wouldn't work until i rebooted my computer and restarted the installer.
Reply to this comment
by amycooper96 March 26, 2009 11:13 PM PDT
This program is really helpful to everybody who had a lot many work to do at a time on their notebook or laptop. It facilitates to keep a check over the complete system in case of any thing unplugged. The alarm keeps the user remind of the errors made so that correct action can be taken.

Amy Cooper
<a href=" http://laptop-computers.co.za"> Laptop Computers South-Africa </a>
Reply to this comment
(3 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next

Search Download Blog posts

About The Download Blog

Download.com editors cover the world of downloadable software and beyond.

Add this feed to your online news reader

The Download Blog topics