A happy reunion is mere days away for a San Francisco man and his laptop, after technology pinpointed the location of his stolen Mac Book Air.
Sameer Sitaram was in Calgary during the week of September 24 on a business trip. When leaving the city, Sitaram placed his laptop in his checked baggage with United Airlines prior to departing from Calgary International Airport.
Upon his arrival in northern California, Sitaram discovered his laptop had been removed from his bag.
Sitaram reported his missing Mac Book Air to the airline but he feared he would not see it again.
An application on his cell phone was able to track the laptop and displayed the computer’s location on a map.
“My iPhone went off and it said that my laptop was located at an area in Calgary,” says Sitaram.
The iPhone app provided Sameer with the exact location of his Mac Book Air. The laptop was being used at, or near, a home in southeast Calgary.
Sameer notified Calgary police but officers told him he would have to fill out an online report as officers could not retrieve the laptop without a warrant.
“While we had an idea of where it was the ability to get a judges order, a warrant to look, there’s not enough information,” said Kevin Brookwell of the CPS.
The Find My iPhone app is a good safety addition but the accuracy of the technology is not foolproof and can vary from three to 100 metres.
The laptop was recovered by police and turned over to United Airlines. The airline says it is working on getting it back to Sitaram.
The investigation into the stolen laptop is ongoing and police say charges are pending.
