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Buy one LoJack laptop-recovery subscription, get one free

For as little as $39.99, you can buy a year of antitheft protection for yourself and someone you love (or at least really like).

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
Sad but true. At least with Absolute LoJack, you stand a chance of getting your machine back.
Sad but true. At least with Absolute LoJack, you stand a chance of getting your machine back. Absolute Software

This is an update of a deal I wrote about a couple years ago.

Laptop theft happens more often than you might think. According to a 2012 Kensington study, a laptop gets stolen every 53 seconds, with thieves most often targeting offices, conferences, and meeting rooms. And I have relatives who've lost laptops right out of their homes. Talk about a bad day.

If only your abducted machine could call the cops and report its location. That's exactly the idea behind Absolute LoJack (formerly LoJack for Laptops), which, like its automotive forebears, helps track and recover stolen systems.

For a limited time, there's a BOGO deal to be had: Buy a LoJack subscription, get a second one free. This applies to both Standard and Premium subscription options and both one- and three-year terms.

LoJack works like this: After the initial setup process, the software (available for Windows and Mac) runs quietly and invisibly in the background. When you report your laptop stolen, you have the options of locating it, locking it, and/or wiping the hard drive remotely.

Absolute Software also employs a theft-recovery team that works directly with local law enforcement -- an option not offered by other anti-theft services.

The Premium version includes both Wi-Fi-powered geolocation (helpful if your laptop is merely lost, not stolen) and a $1,000 Service Guarantee. Of course, LoJack and services like it depend on some kind of Internet connection, be it Wi-Fi or 3G/4G. Without one, recovery is all but impossible.

Still, this offers some great peace of mind, especially if you've invested in an Ultrabook or some other high-end (read: pricey) portable. And the BOGO deal lets you extend that peace of mind to a friend or, more likely, family member.

Bonus deal: Do you have a Blu-ray drive in your PC? Here's your chance to rip your Blu-ray movie library for backup purposes and/or mobile-viewing. Today only, Giveaway of the Day is offering Aiseesoft Blu-ray Ripper (Win) for free. The software can convert even copy-protected discs to just about any digital-video format. As with all Giveaway of the Day deals, this must be installed and activated today (follow the instructions in the readme file), and it comes without tech support or upgrades.

Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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