This Guy Has My Macbook: to catch a laptop thief, in photos (update: CAUGHT!)

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Joshua Kaufman says his laptop was stolen, and that it looks like this guy in the photo above has it. Now, the tumblr equivalent of a slow-speed freeway police chase: thisguyhasmymacbook.tumblr.com. The software helping to surveil and document the apparent thief is called Hidden.

On March 21, 2011, my MacBook was stolen from my apartment in Oakland, CA. I reported the crime to the police and even told them where it was, but they can't help me due to lack of resources. I'm currently in the process of contacting the mayor's office. Meanwhile, I'm using the awesome app, Hidden, to capture these photos of this guy who has my MacBook.

UPDATE: They caught him, and the stolen Macbook is going back home! May 31, 8:37 PM PST.

ARRESTED! An Oakland police officer just called me to let me know that they arrested the guy in my photos! BOOYA! The police used my evidence (email which pointed to a cab service) that he was a driver and tricked him into picking them up. Nice work OPD!

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Below, a final photo snapped of the apparent thief, sleeping next to the MacBook before he goes to the pokey.

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Not at all unlike what happened in the case of Sean Power (Twitter), who used the software Prey to find, photograph, and ultimately catch his laptop's thief—and get his laptop back.

(thanks, tara!)