From our SETI.Germany Blog:
Computer theft solved thanks to BOINC

The thief could not have anticipated this when stealing the iMac 27 of our member CR62! The stolen computer was running the BOINC software which does not only support scientific projects but, as it turns out, is also a useful anti theft protection installation.

The iMac which was stolen from the office around 3am on August 25th was already contacting the BOINC project WUProp the next day to transfer data. The thus copied IP address was given to the police who consequently applied for a search warrant and managed to secure the iMac by September 2th.

In response to the latest success of the BOINC project Einstein@Home where volunteers donate their unused computer time to search for pulsars and gravitational waves it should be said that:
Not only was a Pulsar found but now also an iMac!!

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Computer...hanks_to_BOINC