Have Laptop Will Travel

Intel to introduce anti-theft technology for lappies

Originally posted on April 2, 2008 @ 8:47 pm

Laptops may be portable and easy to carry. But they are also quite expensive and, because of their portability, easily stolen. Kensington locks can be a good deterrent but it looks silly when you chain down your laptop to a table when you’re in a mall or coffee shop.

It’s a good thing that other security measures are also being developed to help deter thieves from stealing laptops. Intel recently announced that it is developing a new anti-theft initiative. Already, Phoenix Technologies has said that it will be backing Intel’s program by using the technology in Phoenix’s BIOS programs.

The Anti-Theft Technology enables locking a laptop at the component level. By doing this, the whole system becomes unusable. What is envisioned is for its integration into the OS login or a password prompt that is enabled at the start-up. Thieves will be discouraged to steal the devices because a wrong password will make the hardware unusable and thus, without value.

This is a step in the right direction for ensuring the safety of our laptops.

AMD CTO resigns

Originally posted on April 14, 2008 @ 5:23 pm

AMD’s woes are just not letting up. It was announced recently that the company’s Chief Technology Officer Phil Hester has resigned.

According to various reports, Hester issued his resignation effective immediately. Friday was his last day at work. Hester is just the third person to resign from AMD over the last year, this included Henri Richard, who was the head of Sales as well as Dave Orton, who haded the ATI Graphics division.

Hester’s responsibility will be divided among the various department heads, and at this moment there are no plans to fill the position he left.

Just last week AMD announced that it was going to let go of ten per cent of its workforce and also said that it is looking towards lower revenues that previously speculated.

The Logitech KINETIX backpack is cool

Originally posted on March 26, 2008 @ 11:57 pm

Bringing my lappies with me can sometimes be a horrible experience. My trusty Acer’s laptop bag is quite bulky and heavy, which contributes to the total weight that I have to lug around with me. My ASUS EEE may be easier to carry in a bag but I hate that it just gets all jiggled up in my messenger bag or backpack because there are no internal restraints. There are also a lack of pockets for my other gadgets, like my Nokia E61i, my iPod, my Nintendo DS, as well as various documents and papers.

So it was with great excitement when I saw the Logitech KINETIX backpack. The ergonomic looking bag looks quite hip with its black and orange contrasting colors. It’s slightly curved back frame means that air will flow at the back, which effectively prevents the sweaty back stains that all backpack users experience. The great thing here is that the sturdy frame has many pockets and compartments that are easily accessible. The laptop compartment can fit up to a 15.4 inch notebook, which is quite awesome.

The Logitech KINETIX may be THE backpack to use for lappie users. I’ll definitely have this on my buy list this year.

Vista SP1 now available

Originally posted on March 21, 2008 @ 11:01 pm

A couple of weeks ago Microsoft finally released Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the first official update to the new OS that was introduced just over a year ago. As timelines go, SP1 for Vista has been released relatively fast. I think it’s so much more faster than when SP1 for Windows XP was released.

Service Pack 1 contains many updates that seeks to enhance compatibility, security and performance. Users should not expect anything as drastic as the XP SP1, which also contained a number of interface improvements as well as the inclusion of additional features that clearly spelled a difference and showcased the addition of a new service pack.

According to Microsoft, Vista SP1 will bring a speed boost along with a swifter large file copying as well as increased connectivity success with networked PCs. Better Bitlocker encryption is also promised as well as desktop search that a user can configure.

I’d love to hear how Vista SP1 is performing on your laptops.

New rugged laptop from Dell

Originally posted on March 4, 2008 @ 11:50 pm

Dell recently released a new rugged laptop that boasts of the utmost in durability. The XFR D630 is a good compliment to Dell’s other rugged laptop, the Latitude ATG D620. The difference between the two is regarding standards. The Latitude is a semi rugged laptop that passes half of the MIL-STD 810F specs — a standard that was formulated by the Department of Defense for products that are meant to be operated in harsh environmental factors. The XFR D630, on the other hand, passes all of the requirements.

Features-wise, the XFR D630 is similar to the Panasonic Toughbook CF-52 — it has a thick diecast magnesium alloy chassis, a sealed keyboard, as well as port covers. It also has a solid state drive that comes in 32 and 64 gigabyte capacities. the display is a 14-inch widescreen with a brightness rating of 500 nits. It also has touchscreen capabilities. What’s more, the XFR D630 is highly configurable with a big selection of processors, RAM and graphics.