Laptops

Laptop losses grow at airports

Judi Hasson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:12:58 -0400

Traveling by air these days is not always a pleasant experience. For many, it seems, losing a laptop can be added to the problems of long security lines, flight delays and higher ticket prices. A survey conducted in 2005 by Ponemon Institute LLC found that large and midsize U.S. airports reported that close to 637,000 laptops are lost each year. About 53 percent of those surveyed said that their laptops contained confidential company information, with 65 percent having taken no steps to protect the data.

For more on losing a laptop:
- check out this Computerworld.com article

ALSO NOTED: Vacation? What vacation?; Another fight over searching laptops at border;

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:59:58 -0400

> Vacation? What vacation? Article
> Another fight over searching laptops at border. Article
> Qualities of a top-performing IT shop. Article

And Finally... Don't add work to your job description. Article

RSI costs UK businesses big time

Paul Mah — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:00:41 -0400

Not surprisingly, the increased use of computers and laptops is resulting in a continual stream of RSI complaints. In fact, Microsoft reports that RSI costs UK businesses around $300 million in lost productivity, with other studies putting overall incidence rate at between five and ten percent. Article

HP accused of crippling its own BIOS password security

Paul Mah — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:22:56 -0400

HP has come under fire from UK-based security company SecureTest for effectively crippling the BIOS password security measure for its laptops by publishing reset data on its website. This comes against a backdrop of an increasing number of security breaches stemming from stolen laptops. Unlike desktop BIOS reset procedures that involve the shorting together of (guessable) jumpers on the motherboard, laptop BIOS resets typically involve calling up your vendor and enduring a challenge-response, or perhaps even a visit to a dealer. While relying on BIOS security is hardly absolute, the argument is that it does form one layer of an in-depth defense paradigm. Not everyone agrees though, with some putting BIOS passwords down as a "redundant" option. HP, so far, remains silent on the matter.

For more on HP's BIOS password security:
- check out this Channel Register article

When to pull the plug on an IT project

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:59:58 -0400

After enormous time, effort, money and personal capital expended, it is often hard to come to grips with the realization that an IT project is not working and needs to be abandoned. Pulling the plug is never easy, but letting a badly conceived or poorly implemented project drag on can be a heavy weight for any CIO.

"The problem when you bury, ignore or lie about the state of a project is that you either look dishonest or incompetent,'' said Bruce Webster, an IT management expert. Webster and other experts have offered a series of tips on how to get out of a bad IT project, recommending that CIOs should never delay the inevitable, and be sure to get senior management on board.

For more advice on shutting down bad projects:
- see this baselinemag.com article

For more tech stories from the FierceCIO network:
> Comcast site hacked. Article
> Barracuda wants to buy Sourcefire. Article
> Via open sources laptop design. Article

Samsung flaunts 256 GB SSD

Paul Mah — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:41:38 -0400

Samsung plans to launch a 256 GB solid state disk before the end of this year. A prototype sporting the same 2.5-inch form factor as the hard disk drives traditionally utilized in notebook computers was unveiled in Taipei at a Samsung event. This effectively allows the SSD to function as drop-in replacement for current generation of laptops. The prototype has a read speed of 200 MB/sec, with a sequential write speed of 160 MB/sec. Samples are expected to be available by September, with mass production to follow. A 1.8-inch version is also expected to be ready by the fourth quarter. No pricing information is available at the moment, though.

For more on Samsung's new 2.5-inch SSD:
- check out this IDG News article

Feds encrypt 800,000 government laptops, 1.2 million more to go

Paul Mah — Fri, 23 May 2008 05:50:06 -0400

Government agencies in the United States are scrambling to plug a glaring security hole in the form of sensitive information stored on laptops and portable media such as thumb drives. More than 800,000 licenses for encryption software were purchased by agencies last year alone. Still, the brisk upswing came only after repeated headliners of gross security breaches and against a backdrop of increased risk of identity theft.

Various software from up to 10 leading vendors are available under steep discounts under the DAR (Data at Rest) Encryption program--run jointly by the General Services Administration and the Department of Defense--though the most popular products are hybrid packages that offer both full disk and file folder encryption.

For more on the DAR Encryption program:
- check out this Network World article

'Hyperconnected' users growing

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

A new wave of information workers are using multiple devices and applications, meaning that CIOs must begin making plans to accommodate this next-generation workforce. A worldwide study done for Nortel by IDC, covering nearly 2,400 working adults in 17 countries, found that 16 percent were "hyperconnected" users--those using at least seven devices and nine applications. This included use of gadgets ranging from phones to laptops to PDAs and even car-based systems.

Vito Mabrucco, senior vice president at IDC Canada, said the increasing demand for connectivity and applications, as well as the blurring of personal and business use of technology, is expected to tax telecommunications networks, broadband networks, and high-speed networks.

For more on this new kind of workplace:
- see this infoworld.com article

For more tech articles from the FierceCIO network:
> Gates: Windows 7 will be more efficient. Article
> Office for Mac achieves record sales. Article
> The search for the best 3G network. Article

Dell to replace European Vostro keyboards

Mehan Jayasuriya — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:53:46 -0400

It's already been established that Dell's Vostro lineup for SMBs isn't for everyone, but apparently Europeans have more to dislike about the budget-priced laptops than their friends across the pond. Word is that the company shipped Vostro 1310 and 1510 units to Europe, the Middle East and Africa with non-standard keyboards that were difficult for touch-typists used to the standard QWERTY layout to use. Luckily, it looks like the company is committed to righting the wrong and has promised new keyboards for customers with affected units. If you're one of them, be sure to hit the link below for full info on Dell's replacement program.

For more on the keyboard issue:
- see this Direct 2 Dell blog post

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 gets reviewed

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:52:36 -0400

Much ink already has been spilled on the IdeaPad U110, Lenovo's relatively affordable entry into the world of ultraportable laptops. But what is the U110 like in the flesh? According to the folks at Gizmodo, not bad. They walked away impressed by the machine's light weight (half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air and only 0.4 lbs. heavier than the tiny Eee PC), its 11" LED-backlit WXGA display ("just right for comfortable multitasking") and its stylish good-looks. However, the machine was found to be a bit slow when running Vista and its VeriFace face recognition tech didn't quite work as advertised. Still, it was found to be a "fully-capable laptop that's extremely mobile," though it's still more expensive than the MacBook Air.

For more on the U110:
- see this Gizmodo review