Have Laptop Will Travel

Apple Laptop Batteries Vulnerable to Attack

Originally posted on August 5, 2011 @ 9:07 am

Mac Battery

Mac Battery

Attention fellow Mac users, research has shown that our beloved laptops are prone to being hacked in one place you might have never imagined – its batteries.

Accuvant security researcher Charlie Miller has been looking into the vulnerability of Apple laptop batteries, and what he has uncovered is not something that would make any Mac user happy. According to Miller Macbooks, Macbook Pros, and Macbook Airs alike share the same vulnerability of having built-in battery chips with default passwords. This shouldn’t be a problem if nothing can be done with the chip, but a hacker that finds out the passwords can actually control the firmware and make it do really disruptive, even downright disastrous tricks such as overcharging your battery, or rendering it useless. While this wouldn’t be much of a problem with other laptops, since you can easily just buy another battery, with an Apple laptop you will need to bring your gadget to an Apple Store just to have the built-in batteries changed. Of course, there’s the additional headache of the replacement battery’s cost.

Even worse than being able to destroy your batteries, Miller says that anyone with the know-how can install malware on battery chip that will help them steal data off your laptop or do the other usual nasty tricks associated with malware. The problem with this is that even if you keep on resetting your laptop or even go as far as change your hard drive, the malware will still be able to attack your laptop again, unless you realize that the problem lies in the batteries and have them changed.

Though Miller may bring grim news to us, he also has the fix that would help us rest more easily. He’ll be releasing his fix, called the “Caulkgun”, during the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas later this month. “Caulkgun” should replace the default passwords with a new randomly generated password, so that hackers that figure out the default password still won’t be able to access your laptop’s batteries. The downside to this fix though is that Apple wouldn’t be able to access the chip either in case they need to in the event of an update.

As for Apple’s take on the matter, they have not given any comment yet. We’ll have to see if they’ll come up with their own fix for the problem or we will indeed have to rely on Miller’s Caulkgun to keep our Apple laptops safe.

Optimizing Your Work Capabilities with the Upcoming iPhone 5

Originally posted on September 26, 2011 @ 12:15 am

No matter how used you might be to the whole concept of working on the go, there are always cases where things don’t go according to your original plans. Your laptop may be a trusty tool, but if you only rely on it to get your work done, you may be prevented from accomplishing your tasks every now and then. Which is why you should consider the upcoming iPhone 5 from Apple if you want to truly optimize your ability to get work done on the move.

The device has come a long way since its first version – and many people are predicting that this will be the “golden” iPhone, the sweet spot when Apple finally get everything people want right. For example multitasking was a common complaint before – and certainly a nuisance for those of us who liked using their iPhones for work. There are strong indications that the new device will have some serious multitasking capabilities though, including dedicated finger gestures for switching apps and managing them quickly, which should improve your workflow a lot.

It’s also known that the iPhone 5 will come with extra physical durability – so you won’t have to invest in an extra case to prevent it from scratches and dents if you’re using it outside all the time. That way you’ll be able to get some work done without worrying about protecting your device every time you pull it out. With all this in mind, it can be a good idea to have a look at the Vodafone iPhone plans and pick one that’s going to suit your working needs, so that you can be prepared for the big launch – which shouldn’t be too far off now.

Lenovo Ultra-thin X1 Leaked

Originally posted on April 25, 2011 @ 1:15 pm

X1-FrontViewSideLeft
It’s the battle of the thinnest, slimmest, and lightest. Wherever you go these days, you see countless people tapping away on their keyboards, and it is but to be expected that more and more consumers will want a laptop that they can carry with them wherever they go. Hence the battle of the thinnest, slimmest, and lightest.

Computer manufacturer Lenovo is not going to allow itself to be left behind in this race. If the rumor mill can be believed, the latest Lenovo laptop is coming out soon, and it just might give the other thin laptops in the market a run for their money. Dubbed the Lenovo X1, the laptop is already being labeled as serious competition for the MacBook Air.

Of course, it still runs on Windows, but the specs are not to be downplayed:

  • Intel Core i5-2520M processor (dual-core, 2.50GHz, – 3.20GHz,)
  • Max 8GB RAM
  • 160GB SSD
  • 13.3″ LED 1366 x 768 Corning Gorilla Glass 350 NITS Outdoor Panel Intel Integrated HD Graphics
  • High Definition Dolby Home Theater v4 audio
  • 3G Mobile Broadband
  • TrackPoint, UltraNav Touch Pad + Fingerprint Reader + HD-Camera
  • Integrated Rapid Charge battery, will charge 2.5x faster than previous ThinkPad batteries, charging 80-percent in 30 minutes.
  • 16.5mm-21.5mm thick

Now compare that to the lower model of the 13-inch MacBook Air.

  • 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
  • 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM – upgradeable to 4GB
  • 128GB Flash Storage
  • 17mm thick

As you can see, the X1 has a few things that may one-up the MacBook Air. And if it is indeed 16.5mm thick, it is even thinner than Apple’s baby! Here are a couple more shots to show you just how thin the X1 is.

X1-RearView
X1-FlatViewFromSide

Now we come to the million dollar question. How much is this MacBook Air competitor going to cost? Again, we are only going by the rumor mill – supposedly the Lenovo X1 will be approximately $2900 and will come out on May 20.

Images and specs via this forum and CNET.

RoverBook Steel: Russian Alternative to Mac?

Originally posted on May 2, 2011 @ 9:54 am

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Maybe that’s why electronics manufacturers from the four corners of the globe are imitating – or at least trying to imitate – what Apple does with its products. One can’t really deny that Apple products look good, so it is easy to understand why others would try to follow suit. And Russian manufacturers are no exception.

If anything, one might just be amazed at the striking resemblance. Look for yourself. ((Source: Laptop Computer Planet))
RoverBook-Steel-and-Apple-Macbook-Pro-2010

So what did I just say? Don’t those two (somehow) look alike?

The Russian notebook is dubbed the RoverBook Steel and has an aluminum casing. It runs on Google’s Android 2.1 Eclair OS and has a RockChip RK2818 640MHz processor. Add to that 256MB of RAM and a 4GB flash storage, and it’s not a very attractive package specs-wise. (It does have Wi-Fi, though.)

The makers of the RoverBook Steel do not exaggerate about the capabilities of their notebook, though. In fact, they seem to be rather upfront about the limits of the product. The description reads:

“Quick and easy surfing on the Internet, work office applications, email, listening to your favorite music, view the latest masterpiece of world cinema – this is not an exhaustive list that will let you do your new e-friend…

If you do not want to keep up with modern trends and you want a convenient, fast and reliable notebook then RoverBook Steel – it’s your choice!”

So yeah, if you just want something that remotely looks like the Macbook Pro and you don’t want to keep up with the changing times, consider this alternative. Then again, that could just be Google Translate messing things up! If you know anyone in Russia and you want the Steel, prepare a little under $300 (plus whatever taxes you might have to pay).

My Wife, The Mac Convert (From the Archives)

Originally posted on January 31, 2011 @ 10:03 pm

My wife’s Macbook is officially two weeks old and all indications point to a new member of the Church of Jobs.

She has taken to the Mac like a duck to water. I’ve noticed that she’s not afraid to tinker with the Mac’s many features. She only needed me to show her some basic stuff from the first three days and after that it was her, unguided, all the way. She even pushed me away when she said she wanted to play a CD. She said she can figure it out.

I think that the Apple OS is really the every-OS. The configuration is just easy and there is a wide room for error. Compare that with Windows where an untracked error could spell disaster at some point. It’s like walking through a minefield–and only those with a preternatural ability to memorize Windows quirks can navigate it with a degree of confidence. My father-in-law is the perfect example here. He believes that he is one of these people but, unfortunately, he is not. This only means that his PCs conk out after a mere two months.

I’m quite happy my wife is having fun with her Mac and just to join in on the fun, I just might get one myself next year.