Orbicule is highly committed to OS X. In fact, OS X is the only platform we write software for (both flavours: Mac OS X and iPhone OS). Undercover is not just some port from a Windows app, it has been designed from the ground up for Mac OS X and iPhone OS. Instead of only offering features for the lowest common denominator of all platforms (and we all know what that is ;)), Undercover adds unique functionality such as the iSight capture, screen capture, simulated hardware failure and plan B.

To underscore this commitment, we are pleased to announce that Undercover will embrace Snow Leopard. Not only will we make sure that Undercover runs on Snow Leopard, we will go a step further and offer unique Snow Leopard features. The updated version of Undercover will be available soon after the Snow Leopard release, due in September.

In the meantime, iPhone OS, our other pet platform, has received a major upgrade as well. We plan to have a new version of Undercover iPhone ready this summer. This new version will take advantage of Push Notifications to send alerts to a lost or stolen phone.

In case of loss, push notifications will let you display messages to the finder, and play an alert sound (this comes in handy if you simply forgot the iPhone under your couch).
In case of theft, Undercover will send fake message to the thief. If the thief accepts those messages, the stolen phone's location will be transmitted.

Following a good old Orbicule tradition, these updates will be free to all registered users. Have a great summer!

We are proud to announce that Undercover has received 5 stars in an extensive MacFormat review. In addition, our software was selected as an editor's choice.
The Undercover review appears in MacFormat's june issue, and is also available online.

Thanks to a spectacular MacBook recovery, Undercover made the front page of one of Norway's most popular newspapers. The amazing recovery story has now been translated and is available on our recovery page.

Undercover has recovered the stolen MacBook of Petter Røisland (23), living in Norway. By locating the thief, Undercover provided the police with crucial evidence that enabled them to dismantle a criminal network.

The story was published on the front page of 'Dagbladet', a major Norwegian newspaper. The story is in 'Norsk', but even the images alone are worth a look.

An english version of the recovery story will soon be posted on our recovery page.

Over the past year, we have received thousands of emails asking when Undercover would make it to the iPhone. We can finally provide a definitive answer: today!

We have been working for over 9 months on the iPhone version. It's not just a port of our Mac version, but a brand new application and - even more important - a brand new backend. Undercove features a secure, web based system that you can use to view your iPhone's last locations or open them in Google Earth. You can also use the system to report your iPhone (or iPod touch) lost or stolen. More information about the product itself is available at the Undercover iPhone page, so I won't repeat this information here.

Instead, I would like to focus on the features that make Undercover truly innovative:

• Undercover is built to manage multiple devices per user: it provides a beautiful interface to easily manage several iPhones and/or iPods. This could be very convenient for a family, a school or a company.


• The web interface is really easy to use. You can view the last 10 locations at a glance, without having to navigate cumbersome screens or entering arcane hex strings.


• There is no way to prevent any iPhone app from being uninstalled (Apple apps are an exception here). However, Undercover significantly increases the recovery chance by pretending to be a game. That's right: when Undercover is launched on a device that is flagged as stolen, it will pretend to be loading game. This will win some time, so that Undercover can obtain the most accurate location.


• In order to increase the chance of recovery even more, we will be releasing additional iPhone apps. These apps know how to talk to the Undercover server. So even if Undercover is removed from your phone, its location can still be transmitted. More information on these helper apps will be available soon.


• Although we provide a web-based system, we still offer full theft recovery assistance. So just like with our Mac version, you still have access to our world-class recovery center.


• In addition to reporting an iPhone stolen, you can also report it lost. In that case, the finder will see a message that you can set when you reported the iPhone lost.

Make sure to have a look at the guided tour movie at the Undercover iPhone page. Winnie will guide you through the process of reporting an iPhone lost or stolen and she will show you what happens on your stolen device.

We hope you'll like Undercover iPhone. Keep in mind that this is just the first version. We have some great ideas in mind for the upcoming updates (which will be free, of course).