"HELP! I'm being STOLEN!" says laptop

Computers that are being stolen have just been given the upper hand: scientists have created a program to allow them to cry out for help.

The Retriever program allows users to personalize a message for the thief of their favorite product.

Messages can be set to reappear at 30-second intervals, no matter how many times the thief closes the laptop.

Retriever is made by the Front Door Software Corporation in Colorado, the company behind the software, said the software had already seen personal messages such as: 'Get your hands off me you S.O.B'.

When a thief attempts to access the internet with the stolen laptop, the Retriever package collects information on nearby wi-fi access points, which alerts the police to the missing machine's location. It costs about $40.