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Posts with tag laptop

New TSA Laptop Security Checkpoint Policy Begins Saturday

by Tim Stevens, posted Aug 15th 2008 at 1:38PM

New TSA Rules for Laptops Go Into Effect Tomorrow

If dragging your laptop out of your bag at the airport and throwing it on the conveyor makes you a bit nervous, or waiting for the guy in front of you to fumble around and do the same makes you a bit impatient, then you now have reason to rejoice. You see, all that stress ends tomorrow when the TSA's new laptop scanning policies go into effect.

The new rules are fairly simple: Whatever bag your laptop is in must give the X-Ray scanners an unobstructed view of the device. So, if your bag has an AC adapter, 50 pens of various colors, two in-flight magazines, and a flattened danish all thrown together, you're still going to have to take it out for separate scanning. But, if you have a sleeve-style case, or something that puts all the accessories off to one side, you can just run the bag right through.

There are a wide range of TSA-approved bags. Some simply won't carry your accessories (like a sleeve), and others are designed to hold the laptop in some sort of removable or folding compartment that sits flat on the scanner. We don't expect that many travelers will have these bags at first, but they should become standard fare before the year is out, hopefully cutting down on those atrocious LAX security lines! [Source: USA Today]

Student Arrested for Adding Webcam Spy Software to Womens' Laptops

by Tim Stevens, posted Aug 7th 2008 at 10:46AM

Peeping Tom Takes Spyware to New Heights

Ever sat there and looked at the webcam in your laptop wondering if maybe someone, somewhere was, you know, watching you? Chances are that's just you being paranoid, but for a few unfortunate female students in Florida who relied on a supposed friend to fix their laptop computers, such fears were well-founded. Their no-fee technician, 23-year-old Craig Matthew Feigin, not only fixed the problems they reported to him, but also installed software on their laptops to automatically take pictures from their webcams and upload them to a remote server.

One such student, Marisel Garcia, noticed her laptop was running unusually slowly after having Feigin work on it. She also noticed that a light on it popped on whenever she walked by. That light was the indicator of the integrated webcam turning on, taking pictures of her in various states of undress.

She went to the police and Feigin readily confessed, indicating "eight or nine more potential victims" according to the police in Gainesville, Florida. Unlike the 'Porky's' movies, where these sorts of hijinx would have been laughed at, Feigin is now facing felony charges and could spend some time in jail, where he'll be the one watched at all hours of the day and night. [Source: ars technica ]

India Wants to Develop $100 Laptop

by Peter Mychalcewycz, posted Aug 3rd 2008 at 11:01AM

A $100 laptop aimed at educating the masses was announced earlier this week at e-India, a technology conference in India.

India's Minister of State for Higher Education, D. Purandeswai, spoke at the conference, and, according to the Press Trust of India, she said "The government aims to provide 100-dollar laptops, and the research is on," adding "in the coming years [the] thrust will be on using IT to strengthen various modes of learning both in [the early grades of] school and at higher education levels."

The $100 laptop is being analyzed by the Indian Institute of Sciences in Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, most likely to determine whether or not a project of this magnitude is feasible.

We hope it is. We're sure the children of India feel the same. [Source: BetaNews]

V12 Designs' Dual-Screen Laptop Coming in Two Years?

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 12th 2008 at 2:20PM

No, not that dual-screen, silly. Or that one. Or that one! The dual-screen lappie we're talking about actually has two LCD panels, one of which takes the place of a traditional keyboard / trackpad. Reportedly, V12 Designs -- which takes credit for dreaming up the design some four years ago -- is working with an undisclosed US firm in order to bring said concept to market.

We're told that the keyboard display will likely support haptic feedback so users can feel when a keystroke is registered, and of course, voice recognition will also play a large role. It's not that we don't think these are coming, but V12's Valerio Cometti is suggesting that they'll be ready for consumption in a mere 16 months. Don't hate us for being skeptical, but... we're skeptical. [Source: Laptop Mag]

How to Protect Your Personal Data While You Travel

by Will Safer, posted Jun 2nd 2008 at 6:21PM

Add one more concern to travel safety: information security.

Your personal and work information is at risk every time you travel, according to experts, who say what you carry on your laptop can easily fall into the hands of nosey authorities at airports, especially in foreign lands. Also, Internet connections in hotels are sometimes not secure, so confidential work or personal messages can be compromised, even if you follow the typical security practices you'd use at home.

What's the answer to this leaky problem? Encrypt everything, or don't travel with your information at all. For business travelers, especially, this can be a tough rule to follow, since catching up on e-mail during a flight is sometimes the only time an executive has to clear out an overloaded inbox.

Even top government officials aren't immune. Chinese officials allegedly secretly copied the contents of a government laptop during Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez's visit there. Here's the advice: if you're traveling with a Windows Vista machine, use Bitlocker to encrypt your whole hard drive. But remember, if you don't lock the computer every time you stop working, all your data will be accessible.

Sending and receiving data is also vulnerable, so make sure to encrypt any data streams you use. For file transfers, use a secure virtual private network, or VPN, connection, and for e-mail, use a secure sockets layer, or SSL, to protect yourself.

Some companies have their executives travel with laptops that have been completely wiped of all valuable data. They work exclusively "online" while overseas, getting what they need via e-mail and wiping it clean before traveling again. This can take a big bite out of productivity, though, if a secure connection isn't available.

The most secure way to travel? Don't bring a laptop at all. [Source: Newsvine]

OLPC Unveils First Prototype of XO 2.0

by Paul Miller, posted May 20th 2008 at 6:27PM

Just when it looked like OLPC was finally getting at least one foot firmly grounded in reality with the upcoming Windows XP version of its low-priced XO, Nick Neg takes things back into the stratosphere with the unveiling of the XO 2.0. Due in 2010, the new laptop will employ dual sunlight-readable touchscreen displays in a smaller, folding e-book form factor. Sure, it looks totally amazing, but we'll believe it when we see it. As if that weren't ambitious enough, Nick calls a $20 pricepoint per display not out of the question, thanks to the ubiquity of LCD screens for DVD players, with a final laptop price of $75. Sure Nick, but 2010? Let's work on getting the XO down to $100 first, shall we? Oh, and speaking of the XO, the Give 1 Get 1 program will be started back up in August or September of this year. There's just never a dull moment with these folks. [Source: Laptop]

Acer's 18.4-inch Aspire 8920G Laptop Gets Reviewed

by Darren Murph, posted May 3rd 2008 at 5:03PM

First things first: just in case that headline didn't really sink in, this is an 18.4-inch laptop. In other words, those of you with even the slightest of back problems should probably just pass this one right on by. If you're still with us, however, you'll likely be totally engrossed by Laptop Mag's review of the Acer Aspire 8920G. The larger of the two second-gen Gemstones was said to feature a "gorgeous" Full HD display, impressive audio output, a respectable webcam and plenty of power under the hood. They also found the unique CineDash Media Console to be quite effective, save for accidentally activating the multimedia hub on occasion. Overall, critics deemed the lappie a "stellar" machine, but we'd certainly recommend browsing through the review just to make sure you're really interested in picking up a slab this gigantic. [Source: Laptop Magazine]

Low-Cost Laptop Overload Arranged in Digestible List

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 25th 2008 at 1:45PM

In case you've been camped out under a nearby boulder for the past six months or so, you'd realize that low-cost laptops have swarmed the market. Granted, only a handful are actually available for purchase today, but just in case you're trying to arrange your options in order to make the best purchasing decision in the future, Liliputing has assembled a stunningly comprehensive list of everything that's out there. From now shipping to darn-near-vaporware, all the details you need to know are lined up perfectly in the read link. Wipe that sweat from your brow, vaquero -- the hard work's been done for ya. [Source: Liliputing]

Buying a Laptop? Read This.

by Tom Samiljan, posted Apr 10th 2008 at 2:09AM

Looking for a new laptop? We've got you covered. From essential tips on what to look for in a new computer and round-ups of the handiest laptop accessories to hands-on-reviews of the latest high-end MacBook Pros and even sub-$500 Asus eeePCs, the 2008 Switched Laptop Guide will help you make the right purchases.

Check back here every day for the latest laptop news and reviews, as well as a boatload of how-tos to make sure you make the most of your brand-spanking new notebook. Happy hunting!

Browse the 2008 Switched Laptop Guide

Major Design Changes Planned for Apple's Laptops

by Thomas Houston, posted Apr 8th 2008 at 12:32PM

According to AppleInsider, Apple's current MacBook and MacBook Pro designs will significantly change when Apple next refreshes its pro- and consumer-level laptop lines. The Mac news and rumor site reports that the MacBooks will see the biggest changes with eco-friendly aluminum and stainless steel exteriors replacing the current plastic cases.

Apple's Pro laptop line is looking particularly dated. Despite faster Intel chips and hardware improvements over the years, the design of the MacBook Pro has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 2006. The MacBook Pro was largely modeled after the Aluminum Powerbook G4, Apple's older "pro" laptop that debuted all the way back in 2003. Apple updated the MacBook Pro line earlier this year with improved multi-touch mousepad support and improved hardware features, but again, there were few aesthetic changes.

The MacBook Pro design will be influenced by Apple's current iMac and MacBook Air designs, and AppleInsider says that "the end result... will be a more uniform Mac product matrix in terms of design and material usage, and a MacBook offering that will far outclass its rivals."

Don't miss AppleInsider's handy chart (halfway down the page) visualizing the evolution of Apple's laptop models since the late '90s. While we're definitely excited for a design refresh of Apple's laptop lines, we've all but given up hope that the Mac Pro's five-year-old looks will ever be updated.

from AppleInsider

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$399 Windows Eee PC Now Available at Best Buy

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 8th 2008 at 10:12AM

Wal-Mart seems to think that consumers don't want to buy cheap computers (earlier this eyar, the retailer pulled the $199 Everex gPC from store shelves and forcing consumers to go dig through its Web site to order one). Fellow big-box retailer Best Buy, however, has a different opinion. The home electronics powerhouse has just made picked up the recently released Windows XP version of the $399 Eee PC, which is now available both via its website and for in-store pickup.

We've reported on the low-cost Eee PC many times before, including word just last week that this XP flavored version was coming. That was good news for many who were looking for a cheap ultra-portable but wanted the familiarity of Windows. When we reviewed the laptop in February we found it to be capable and compact, if not quite a powerhouse. (What do you expect for $400?) The addition of Windows XP to the device should make it an even more appealing -- though slower -- option for many, though the faster version with a larger screen coming later this summer may be an even better choice ...

From Engadget

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10 DIY Laptop Stands

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Apr 2nd 2008 at 2:02PM

Laptops are great for their portability, but no so wonderful ergonomically. The flat key board is hell on the wrists and the hot underside is not so nice on your lap. That's why someone, now undoubtedly rich, invented the laptop stand. These $50+ angled bases for your laptop often are little more than glorified wedges of plastic.

As is often the case when there is an easier cheaper way to do something yourself, the folks at Lifehacker got on this one like white on rice and compiled a list of ten DIY (Do It Yourself) alternatives to commercial laptop stands. All are cheaper than the retail options and some of the more complex ones will give you a real sense of accomplishment when you're done.

Solutions range from simply sticking a pair of wine corks under your laptop, to simple but ingenious solutions involving a three ring binder to route cables and store an external hard drive, to complex projects that require at least a little bit of carpentry know how. Check out the entire list at the link, and do yourself a favor and choose one of these DIY option if you're in the market for a laptop stand.

From Lifehacker

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Dell's New Under-$1,000 Blu-ray Laptop

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Mar 31st 2008 at 5:09PM

Dell Debuts Sub $1,000 Blu-ray Playing Laptop

We assumed that following the collapse of HD-DVD the rapid price drops on Blu-ray equipment would at least slow down. At least Dell is out to prove us wrong, offering the first sub $1,000-laptop with a Blu-ray drive.

For $879, you get a Inspiron 1525 with a 15.4-inch HD wide screen, 1-gigabyte (GB) of RAM, a 120-gigabyte hard drive, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a Blu-ray player / DVD burner (sorry, no burning of your own Blu-rays here).

Best of all is the included HDMI port for plugging your (relatively) cheap-o Blu-ray playing media PC into your HDTV.

All of this is available now from Dell's Web site or here.

From Crave

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Eee PC to Run Windows XP

by Thomas Houston, posted Mar 18th 2008 at 7:42AM

At this year's CeBIT conference in Germany, Asus debuted a new version of its popular multi-colored sub-notebook, the Eee PC, with a larger screen (8.9 inches), more memory, and a larger hard drive for storage. Significantly, Asus' updates to the line now enable the laptops to run Windows XP -- the Eee PC formerly ran only Xandrox, a Linux-based operating system -- and Asus predicts that over two thirds of the new line will ship as Windows systems.

Analysts said that the demand for Windows is extremely strong, so despite impressive sales and high demand and enthusiasm for the older, Linux-based Eee PC -- over 300,000 sold in one quarter last year -- Asus decided to offer consumers the choice of either Windows or Linux on these new models.

One thing's for sure, the Windows-based EeePC's are likely to run a lot slower than the Linux-based ones -- Windows is much more resource-hungry.

From Beta News

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MSI's Crystal-Encrusted Luxury Laptop

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 5th 2008 at 2:28PM

Luxury is up to the eye of the beholder these days, and for many gadgets, it seems as though luxury can be defined with crystals. Such is the case with MSI's new "PR200 Crystal Collection" line of laptops. The latest entry into this luxury line comes in a "pearl-like" white color (we'd say Mac-like, actually), a series of "fashionable" accessories, and a logo on the front that's encrusted with 120 crystals.

The white color complements a series of earlier, darker colors, but it's the accoutremonts here that add a feeling of definite luxury. The lappy comes with matching white mouse and one-gigabyte (1GB) thumb drive, along with two leather carrying cases: one for toting the PR200 and those matching "fashionable" accessories, and a second, slimmer case for just the laptop itself.

Reading through the engrish-riddled spec sheet reveals that, to match the sparklies on the back and color-coded add-ons, there's some solid firepower here under the 12-inch lid. The laptop features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor that should speed through most tasks, a DVD burner, 160-gigabytes of storage space, 802.11 N wireless capability (currently the fastest standard), and a fingerprint reader to keep the thing safe.

So, a decent machine with a clean, sophisticated look. No word on price yet, or even on U.S. availability -- and we're still wondering what exactly "Crystal is in possession of elegant essence," which we read on PR200 press release, is supposed to mean.

From Crave

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New TSA Laptop Security Checkpoint Policy Begins Saturday

Student Arrested for Adding Webcam Spy Software to Womens' Laptops

India Wants to Develop $100 Laptop

V12 Designs' Dual-Screen Laptop Coming in Two Years?

How to Protect Your Personal Data While You Travel

OLPC Unveils First Prototype of XO 2.0

Acer's 18.4-inch Aspire 8920G Laptop Gets Reviewed

Low-Cost Laptop Overload Arranged in Digestible List

Buying a Laptop? Read This.

Major Design Changes Planned for Apple's Laptops

$399 Windows Eee PC Now Available at Best Buy

10 DIY Laptop Stands

Dell's New Under-$1,000 Blu-ray Laptop

Eee PC to Run Windows XP

MSI's Crystal-Encrusted Luxury Laptop

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