Macworld reports that Orbicule has updated its Undercover [App Store, $4.99] theft recovery application for the iPhone and iPod touch to include a tool that utilizes push notifications to entice thieves into opening the application to allow it to transmit the device's location to Orbicule's recovery center.

Now you have the ability to send push notifications with any message of your choosing directly to the iPhone - yes, just like MobileMe. But the comparisons end there. You can make the messages as enticing as you want - say, by having them pretend to be a notification from your bank account.

If the crook chooses to view the push notification, Undercover will launch, disguised either as a game that's taking its sweet time to load or loading any Website of your choosing, such as the aforementioned bank's. While the thief is distracted, Undercover will be happy to save the device's GPS coordinates and IP address to Orbicule's Website. Each time that Undercover launches, it will save a new set of coordinates that you can view in Google Maps. They'll also be sent directly to any police officer you've contacted to work on the case and registered in Orbicule's Undercover Center.

Orbicule has also posted a video preview of Undercover demonstrating the new push notification feature.

Related Forum: iPhone

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