Save 50 percent on any LockItTight subscription
This LoJack-style service helps you track laptops and Android phones. This Cheapskate exclusive gives you upgraded service for as little as a buck per month.
Theft happens. Someone I know very well just had her phone plucked right out of her zippered purse on a crowded bus.
Bummer, right? When something like this happens, you feel pretty helpless. It's not like your stolen device can "phone home" to tell you where it ended up.
Actually, it can, if you've installed some kind of tracking app/service. Apple's excellent Find My Phone allows for remote tracking, data erasure, and more, and there are similar apps for Android. Ah, but laptops? You probably think your only tracking option is something like Absolute LoJack, which can get a little pricey.
That's why I typically rely on one of my all-time favorite freebies: LockItTight, which offers free basic remote tracking for up to five devices. However, if you want upgraded service, it'll cost you.
Today, it'll cost you quite a bit less: You can save 50 percent on any monthly or annual LockItTight subscription when you apply coupon code CHEAPSKATE at checkout.
At just $1.99 per month for a Standard-level subscription, LockItTight is already kind of a steal. (There are higher-level options, but I suspect they're overkill for most users.) While the free version will generate location reports only once every two hours, Standard gives you a report every 15 minutes. Plus, it lets you get an instant, on-demand report, which is key if you're hot on the heels of a missing device. (Needless to say, make sure to get local law enforcement involved.)
The especially big deal about an upgraded subscription is that it hides the System Tray icon, which any savvy thief would know to look for. The Free version's icon can't be hidden.
Either way, you get a wide array of features: location tracking; logs of all keyboard, browser, and clipboard activity; and remote file retrieval, deletion, and storage (50MB with Standard, 5MB with Free). Needless to say, all of this depends on the laptop having some kind of active Internet connection (3G/4G or Wi-Fi), but if it does, you've got lots of options.
LIT Standard lets you track unlimited devices -- not just Windows laptops, but also Android phones and tablets. The app features GPS and Wi-Fi geolocation, remotely accessible voice-call and SMS logs, and other handy options.
With the coupon code, you get all this for a measly 99 cents per month, or $12 per year. That's an awful lot of peace of mind for cheap, if you ask me. LockItTight doesn't guarantee recovery, but it does restore some semblance of control.
Quick note: I'll be back from vacation on Monday. See you then!
Bonus deal: Another Roku deal? Yeah, I'm a little sick of them myself. But when I find a winner, I just gotta share. Today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the refurbished Roku 3 streaming media player for $64.99, plus $5 for shipping. Regular price: $99.99. This is Roku's top-of-the-line box, with the seriously awesome Bluetooth remote that lets you plug in earphones (included!) for silent listening. Love, love, love mine -- wouldn't trade it for anything.
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