Originally posted on December 14, 2008 @ 1:22 am
In a bid to further deter laptop theft, Ericsson announced that it is collaborating with Intel in developing a kill switch that can be activated remotely for notebooks. The technology is envisioned to be compatible with Intel chipsets.
The new technology will likely pair Ericsson’s Mobile Broadband Modules with Intel’s Anti-Theft PC Protection Technology that it uses for notebooks. The new equipped notebooks will likely be made available by the second half of 2009.
The technology, which is similar to the one being championed by Lenovo, will automatically lock down a lost or stolen PC the moment it receives a particular SMS from the owner. The BIOS will then stop the PC from booting up, effectively locking it. It can also be paired with GPS chips in order to find out where the notebook is or, in another scenario, determine if it has moved away from a predetermined “safe zone” and thus considered stolen.
This is cutting edge technology that I wouldn’t mind attached to my laptop even if it will cost a premium. Laptops are expensive so every precaution should be taken to prevent its theft.