Stolen MacBook Contains Valuable Cancer Research
Stolen MacBook Contains Valuable Cancer Research
Posted 01/14/2011 at 7:35am
| by Paul Lilly
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An Oklahoma couple is offering a 'No questions asked $1,000 reward' for the safe return of their 13-inch MacBook, a small price to pay for what's contained on the hard drive. According to the couple, there's a possible cure for cancer with years worth of data on the laptop, Oklahoma City's News 9 reports.
"I cannot eat or sleep since last Sunday," said Sook Shin, one of the laptop's owners. "I'm devastated and I feel so guilty.
The couple serve as leading researchers at an OU research lab and have put in long hours trying to find a cure for prostate cancer. Much of that research was saved on their MacBook, which was stolen when someone smashed their car window while eating lunch.
Making matters worse, the couple said the data isn't backed up, nor is there any tracking software on the notebook, like LoJack or Adeona. If it isn't returned, some of that data would be gone forever, other parts of the research could take as long as two years to get back.
Image Credit: News9.com
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sniggler
January 17, 2011 at 4:08pm
A brilliant cancer researcher with year's worth of data and a potential cure doesn't even back it up?
Everything about this screams HOAX
Wolfgang
January 17, 2011 at 8:38am
Do this, do that...I respect everyone's opinion but isn't simpler to just take the thing out of the car? I mean, I know so many stories of people getting their stuff; specifically their laptops, stolen from their vehicle that they should've learn by now!!! I take mine with me all the time, even if it's uncomfortable...Its more uncomfortable to find a smashed window and stolen property...I guess the old moniker of "you take it with you everywhere" very clearly comes into effect...Just never leave your laptop in your car, ever!!!
aferrara50
January 16, 2011 at 3:24pm
this is why intelligent people leave important info on their desktops in a mirrored raid array of some sort in their home where it is very unlikely to be stolen or have data lost/ corrupted.
agbarrett
January 14, 2011 at 8:55pm
The thief probably smashed the car window with his dangling modifier: "stolen when someone smashed their car window while eating lunch". Mac people are always suckered in by a juicy dangling modifier....
Slurpy
January 14, 2011 at 3:23pm
Sook Shin is non-PhDed "research faculty" (read that as "lab tech"). Not a single paper where she's a primary author.
Additionally, any data she has collected would either be in her laboratory notebook, or on the PC (generic sense) that runs the instrumentation she uses.
No, she's lost a presentation or a paper she was writing for her boss, Ralf Janknecht, and she's in deep pudu because of that.
Khoiboi
January 14, 2011 at 4:32pm
so you're saying she's lying? that's a bold claim, let me grab my camera and do an interview with you because of course an entity on the internet would never try to troll...
on a serious note, if she DID lose something that she wanted to turn into her boss, other than something important for their research, i think telling the world that her MAC book was stolen is a bit counter productive to the idea of "wanting to hide the fact from her boss".
bbarker3
January 15, 2011 at 7:55pm
If there was cancer research on there, why wouldn't that be backed up on another hard drive or something (Mac user, lack there of knowledge, that would be why). And chances are, instead of important documents, probably some personal photos that no one should see besides their loved one lol.
Baer
January 14, 2011 at 1:53pm
They may be brillant in their feild but what else would you expect from a MAc user. After all MAcs never crash, they never loose data and I guess they never get stolen either so why bother to back up that priceless data?
I Jedi
January 14, 2011 at 1:30pm
Sounds like genius level doesn't necessarily mean full-proof moron.
ShyLinuxGuy
January 14, 2011 at 12:23pm
I would hate to give $1000 to the thief. If I had my laptop returned by the very same person who stole it, I wouldn't give them a cash award. I would tactfully keep them waiting until the police arrived.
Being that there is probably stuff related to HIPAA on it, the owner of this laptop could be held responsible should there be anything that breaches privacy and it gets in the wrong hands. There are utilities and hacks that can remove the password, so password protection isn't enough. You need encryption, MORE PASSWORDS, and most importantly, physical security (don't leave it in the car).
Khoiboi
January 14, 2011 at 4:35pm
the idea of an award for the laptop is really to tempt the thief into giving it back because the data is more important to them then the laptop is. to turn the thief into the authorities upon return is pretty much pointless, you have no proof anyways. maybe the theif dropped it and the person found it on the sidewalk? who knows. besides, the thief is probably thinking "man, **** that, i won't turn it in considering they'll probably turn me to the cops in return!"
they only want the mac book back, they couldn't care less about the thief.
TheDorkSide
January 14, 2011 at 10:30am
Let's put aside the fact that there may or may not be important research data on this device. Who the hell doesn't back up their work? Hell, everyone I know at least backs up their Hella Pr0nz folder! Dumbass.
big_montana
January 14, 2011 at 11:48am
They're dumbasses for leaving the laptop in their car in plain view in the first place. I'm sorry, but they deserved to have it stolen if they are that stupid!
blindhorizon
January 14, 2011 at 10:22am
I have to agree these people were dumb as bricks to leave it in their car and not backed up, but if i were the guy that stole it i would find a friend or two and have them sale it back to this idiot, just think about it if the thief sales it on ebay/craigslist or even to a pawn shop you will at most get 100-500 for it because its passworded and probably no other accessories with it. so Selling (returning) it would be the most profitable option.
MrHorspwer
January 14, 2011 at 9:50am
This wasn't someone leaving a laptop in a cab or on a subway. This was a POS who smashed out a car window and stole something that wasn't theirs. Not in a bad neighborhood or in the middle of the night either; in a Panara Bread parking lot on a Sunday afternoon.
Regardless of the laptop's content or it's owners backup habits, anybody who says they were asking for it or somehow deserved it... is an a-hole.
D00dlavy
January 14, 2011 at 12:13pm
Never take too lightly humanity's ability to disappoint and disgust. There are people out there who would KILL YOU for the shoes you’re wearing.
So, lock your doors.
Back up your data.
Make your wife wear a chastity belt... because, statistically, she has a higher chance of being raped than learning to read.*
- D00dlavy
*Only if you live in Africa. This is an actual statistic from somewhere I once saw. This stat is only lightly diminished if you live in Los Angeles, Detroit or New Orleans.
BadCommand
January 14, 2011 at 10:14am
I don't think anybody suggested they deserved it...
lighten up & try decaffeinating...
big_montana
January 14, 2011 at 11:51am
I'm sayin gthey deserved it. In these economic times, you do not leave anything of any value in plain sight in your car. Smash and grabs are most common anywhere, in any neighborhood right now. They deserved it. Again THEY DESERVED IT, for being total idiots and d-bags!!!!
jaygregz
January 14, 2011 at 3:57pm
I don't you can say that they deserved to have their laptop stolen. I'll tell you what. I dream of the day that someone decides to steal anything of mine that isn't theirs. I dream I will catch them in this act. That day that someone decides to steal from me will be the day that I decide their life isn't worth the car window that they had to smash in to take that computer or that radio. That day that person will lose their life over something that could have been tragically avoided. It's a sad world because of this necessity to safeguard our valuables but it will contain one less thief if I ever come across one in the act.
BadCommand
January 14, 2011 at 8:43am
A whole $1,000 for the cure for cancer- suuuuuure! That wouldn't even get the thief a replacement macbook!
In other news, I have a promisory note from the King of Nigeria that will allow you to get $5 million dollars if you send me a cashiers check for $20,000 first.
Somebody just wants their macbook back and will go to no lengths (read as bogus reasons) to get it back.
Khoiboi
January 14, 2011 at 4:39pm
$1,000 for the MAC book, not cure for cancer. Read it from the thief's perspective... to anyone and everyone, it's just another laptop; they don't know if it's stolen or defective or whatever. When they turn it on, HOPEFULLY it's password protected considering these people are dense enough to leave their laptop in their car in plain sight. Either way, $1,000 for a laptop off the streets is rather good money. What's a thief going to do with cancer notes? sell it? sure... that'll go well.
bathtbgin
January 14, 2011 at 8:33am
Let me get this straight, they stored their valuable life saving research exclusively on a 13 inch macbook? If they're working at Oklahoma University why wouldn't they have stored all this important research data on the universities servers? you know the ones that probably get backed up every 24 hours? Something doesn't seem right about this, its almost like my brain will not allow me to believe that people would be this stupid. No, no, I think I'm gonna have to call shenanigans on this one.
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