Thwart Laptop Thieves With a ... Sticker?
As laptops get smaller and smaller they're becoming increasingly easy to steal. And, with some coming with luxe trappings like the saddle-grade French leather on Lenovo's recent 15th anniversary ThinkPad Reserve Edition, they're not necessarily getting any cheaper. Combine those assets with the saved bank account passwords and other personally identifiable information contained within and it's easy to see why laptops are becoming an ever more desirable target for thieves. Enter the Stop-Lock, a barcode-bearing, uniquely identifiable sticker that leaves a (supposedly) permanent "tattoo" on your notebook if forcibly removed.
The sticker is applied to a laptop or desktop computer with an adhesive that creates a bond requiring 800 pounds of pressure to remove. The sticker contains the receiving end for a locking cable, letting you tether your device to something a thief won't be able to walk away with, like your desk or one of those Acme anvils from the cartoons. If the sticker is plied off, it leaves behind a permanent marking indicating "Stolen Property," along with a phone number others can call should they see such a laptop being used or for sale.
It sounds like a step in the right direction, extending some level of protection for laptops when they can't be tethered down. However, we see two problems with this. The first, which TG Daily points out, is that often the most valuable part of the laptop is the information contained within. Once that is accessed, the stolen laptop can be dumped. The second problem is that there's certainly no shortage of sticker-laden laptops out there. It sure seems like one of those would pretty quickly hide any trace of a tattoo on the lid of your laptop.
Now if only getting rid of questionable tattoos on your skin were that easy ...
From TG Daily
Related Links:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ronald.yoon @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:49AM
nice,my laptop will be safe,
i just know about cell phone sticker ,THX