HP LOCK

In my previous post, I wrote about SAFElink^TM, the new anti-theft service being offered by PlumChoice. This service takes care of your data in case of theft or loss, doing so via a software-based and cloud-based system.

Now let’s go back to more immediate security issues. When I say immediate, I don’t mean to discount what services like SAFElink^TM can do for laptop users. I am only thinking about how I go to a coffee shop practically every day to work for a couple of hours. For many people, using their laptops in public places is also a common occurrence. This is really the trend these days, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

For those of you who spend considerably long periods at coffee shops, you know very well that at some point, you have to go to the ladies’ or men’s room. Either you pack up all your stuff and take it with you – risking the loss of the table to some other customer – or you leave your laptop at the table secured by a laptop cable lock.

These locks have gained popularity simply because they offer an effective solution. I have to admit, though, that I have never used one of these locks. Maybe I am just too paranoid. And maybe I am right!

Just recently, the security – or lack of it – of cable locks have been examined. In a post by Marc Weber Tobias¹, it was shown that one of the most popular laptop cable locks takes only seconds to crack. Hewlett Packard’s laptop locks – models BV411AA and BV411UT – apparently do not pose much of a challenge to the dedicated (or maybe even half-hearted) thief. Tobias shares that all he needed was a screwdriver to get a lock open. Watch and see.

There is the possibility that thieves may immediately be turned off once they see that a laptop has the lock connected. They probably would not even bother to sit there and fiddle with the lock with a screwdriver, true. But the issue is that people are buying these locks with the idea that they provide absolute security. If you are one of those, you might want to reevaluate and avoid leaving your laptops even with the locks on.

As for me, I really am too paranoid to leave a relatively costly machine alone in a public place – laptop lock or not. Do you use laptop cable locks? How confident are you in using them?

1. Source

That’s why laptop stands/coolers have become rather popular, and manufacture Logitech is definitely at the top of their game when it comes to accessories. They recently announced the newest item in their laptop stand/cooler line – the Logitech Cooling Pad N200. Dubbed the “coolest laptop companion around” – no doubt pun intended – I think the N200 has two things going for it.

• One, it has a virtually silent fan. Who wants the steady buzzing noise of a fan when you’re working on a silent laptop? Even on the higher speed (the N200 has two speed settings), the fan doesn’t make much noise. Or at least it’s not supposed to.
• Two, it is energy efficient. As with most other laptop stands/coolers, the N200 is powered via USB. The last thing you want is to have a stand that will suck up all the juice when you’re not connected to the socket. The N200 is supposed to use minimal power, and with the 2-speed setting, you can further control just how much power it consumes.

On the other hand, I am not too convinced about the looks of the N200.

While it does look handy enough, I am not really attracted to the N200. I am not saying it’s ugly – far from that – but it just doesn’t do it for me. Another thing is that the N200 can only accommodate laptops which are up to 16 inches. While my laptop is only 13 inches, I can’t help but think that Logitech could easily have gone to 17 inches. What does a 1-inch difference make?

In any case, the N200 looks like a viable option if you are in the market for a laptop cooling stand. It’s available on a pre-order basis on the Logitech web site for only $29.99.

While it is true that more and more, Wi-Fi hotspots are available – especially in developed countries – it is still better not to be dependent on locations that offer Wi-Fi. I guess that is why USB sticks that function as modems are becoming one of the most popular accessories today.

T-Mobile, one of the biggest telecommunications provider in the United States, sees this market and is not hesitating to grab the opportunity. They now have the T-Mobile Rocket 3.0 4G Laptop Stick, which is currently the only way to make use of the company’s newly launched HSPA+ 42 network. The number 42 might mean something else to you¹, but in this case, 42 stands for 42Mbps. This is an astounding figure for mobile broadband connections, but the sad fact is that it seems T-Mobile is yet unable to deliver fully.

Still, the laptop stick does hold some promise. It is a medium-sized stick measuring in at 1.1 x 3.4 x .5 inches. It weighs a mere 1.1 ounce. For those who are particular about looks, the stick has interchangeable faceplates, and you can choose from black, blue, and purple.

You can get the T-Mobile Rocket 3.0 4G Laptop Stick for $99 with a two-year contract. Here are the specs:

• Cellular technology: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, Other, HSDPA 1.8, HSDPA 3.6, HSPA+ 21, HSPA+ 42
• Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100, 1700
• Mac Compatible

More info on performance at PCMag.

1. 42

With their development, the Lithium Ion battery as we know it might just live longer than we are used to. According to the company, they are launching a tweaked version of the Lithium Ion battery, and it will NOT start degrading for three years – at least. That means that users will have access to the full power capacity of the battery for that minimum period.

Think about what this means. When before you would have about one year or so of full charge (if you have a good battery and if you’re lucky, even) before you had to start relying on your power cord to use your laptop continuously, the new battery will allow you to be as mobile as you want to be for three times longer.

Leyden Energy’s patented technology gives a high energy density (225Wh/kg, >400Wh/I) and has more than 1,000 cycles at 60 degrees Celsius. More than having the most out of the battery at high temperatures, this also means that the product is safer for use.

How much is this extended-life battery going to cost us? Leyden Energy has not revealed pricing details yet, but they said that they will be selling the battery via Canadian battery retailer Dr. Battery. One thing seems to be sure – we are expected to pay more than the standard batteries we have access to today. As to when it will reach the other parts of the world, we just have to wait and see.

The agreement, which was signed by Nokia, Sony Ericsson and other manufacturers, paves the way for the development of mobile phones that will accept the same standard charging device as early as next year.

This is really a welcome development. Any mobile phone user knows how much of a hassle it is that whenever we upgrade to a new phone, it generally means we’ll have to use a different charger, basically junking the previous charger. These unused chargers eventually find its way to the garbage dump, which helps create more waste. It’s really not an environment friendly strategy and quite wasteful of resources as well.

Under the agreement, an European Union norm or standard will be implemented and new mobile phones will now use a standard micro-USB socket as a way of ensuring utmost compatibility.

Aside from Nokia and SE, other companies that supported the move included Motorola, Apple, LG, NEC, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, Samsung and Texas Instruments.

And then, there were the paper jams, and of course printer spooling – all of which happens when I’m in a hurry. What can I say? I consider myself a competent techie, but those printers can confound me really good.

Now I haven’t found the perfect printer for me to use with my laptop, but I’m rolling off a bunch of features that I want to see in future printers. Call it a wish list or a pipe dream.

• Portability – of course, with me running around everywhere and finding solace in whatever coffee shop I first walk into, it’s going to suck when I have to run home to get something printed when my destination is a couple of blocks away. It happened, and it sucks. I want something easy to carry around.
• Speed – I want a printer that spits out printed paper like there’s no tomorrow. I know, I know, printers today are way faster than the ones from the dot-matrix era, but it’s still not fast enough.
• Efficiency – I’ve complained about paper jams and printer spooling over in the first paragraph, and there really isn’t anything more I can add to this.

A few friends have recommended the latest Brother a3 printer, though. You can bet I am going to try that one out.

The Basics – You will, of course, need a wireless router. That’s a given, considering you’re going to connect wirelessly. Don’t have one? Stop leeching off your neighbor’s wifi and get your own! You also need a print server. A print server is what you need to connect your printer to your router – it provides a connection between the printer and your home/work network.

Connect the print server to the router. Follow the instructions in your print server’s router so you won’t have a problem. Now you need to connect your printer to the print server as well. At this point, your router will assign an IP address to your print server. Take note of it, because this will come in handy later.

You will need to use your printer’s CD, because you will need to install the drivers on every computer on your network. This is going to be a bit tedious, but if it means you’ll get a whole lot of convenience in return, why not, right? You will need to enter the print server’s IP address on the computers when prompted. Choose your laser printer as the default computer. Now print a test page on your duplex colour laser printer just to make sure that your printer setup is working properly.

If you’ve followed the instructions and you’ve managed to successfully print on every computer on your network, congratulations!

Do you have a shirt that you purchased one drunken night? You know, one of those things that you tend to forget you ever owned, and then one day you’re clean your closet, and then you see an oversized shirt with Milli Vanilli’s faces printed on them? Like you, I’ve made lots of questionable t-shirt purchases in the past and I’d like to put these ugly shirts to good use. (DISCLAIMER: I may or may not have a Milli Vanilli t-shirt somewhere in my closet)

Well then, Hello Rewind may be for you. They’ll recycle your unloved shirts into a laptop sleeve. Here’s a little something about Hello Rewind, from their site:

Once upon a time, it was your statement to the world — a show of school pride, a taste for graphic design, a photo of your favorite singer’s mug shot. These days, it probably sits unworn in storage. Here’s your chance to transform your old, favorite t-shirt into wearable duds for your laptop.

Hello Rewind is passionate about fighting sex trafficking. Through our social enterprise, we work with women formerly sex trafficked in New York City so they can learn new skills and support themselves. By purchasing a Hello Rewind laptop sleeve, you help sustain our mission.

So even if you’re not really into supporting their cause, don’t you think it’s neat to have your old, embarrassing shirts transform into something actually useful? All you need to do is purchase a 13 or 15-inch laptop sleeve from Hello Rewind and they will send you a pre-paid envelope for your shirt. Within 4-8 weeks, your laptop will have something new to wear.

Ever wish you can bring your laptop around, and not worry about battery life at all even when you don’t have your charger with you? I’m talking about working at that laptop of yours for more than six hours without the need to charge it. Yeah, the laptop brick can be pretty unwieldy to bring around at times. I feel you.

Now it’s probably going to take a couple of years more before we see this technology becoming really useful, but RCA has developed a charger that charges your gadgets via wifi signals. You read it right folks, wifi.

According to physorg.com:

[An] RCA spokesman said they had been able to charge a BlackBerry from 30% charge to fully charged in around 90 minutes using only ambient WiFi signals as the power source, although it was unclear on whether the Airenergy battery was recharged in that time. The Airenergy recharging time depends on the proximity to the WiFi signal and the number of WiFi sources in the vicinity.

The RCA Airenergy unit converts the WiFi antenna signal to DC power to recharge its own internal lithium battery, so it automatically recharges itself whenever the device is anywhere near a WiFi hotspot. If you have a wireless network at home the Airenergy would recharge overnight virtually anywhere in your home. When you need to recharge your phone or other device you plug the Airenergy battery into the phone via USB to transfer the charge.

Who else thinks this is amazing? I’d love to see this technology go mainstream really soon. The RCA Airenergy will be available for $40.

Netbooks are meant to be taken everywhere. That much we know. We all know that the diminutive sizes of netbooks make them ideal for lugging around everywhere. But then if you do decide to carry your mini laptop everywhere, there’s the simple matter of safety. We don’t want to drop our precious netbooks when we’re working in rugged places, right? (Although there’s the matter of bringing your netbook – which isn’t made of top notch materials to begin with – to a rugged place, but whatever floats your boat.)

But if you do insist on bringing your netbook to a potentially dangerous environment, to protect it you might need a MiniMount. It’s basically a rack that allows you to mount a netbook in the home or car for easier use. You need MiniMount’s hard shell case – it’s the one that easily lets you set your netbook on their mounting kit.

From the MiniMount website:

Mounts are available in preconfigured kits containing what you need to attach your MINIMOUNT case in most any imaginable setting. From passenger car to forklift, from big-rig to RV, from office cart to exercise bike, from work bench to laboratory, from bed post to tripod, from quad to tractor, it goes where you go.

Both RAM-Mount and Manfrotto integrate for clamp mount, direct surface attachment, or in-vehicle bolt-on applications. Our Quick Plate™ system allows the MINIMOUNT to be easily detached from mounting arms without tools and without protruding hardware.

Prices start at $79.