Mary,
Such a device already exists, and many people already own it and use it with their
laptops anyway.
It is called an Optical Mouse.
These Mice are very sensitive, and they really are a good motion detector, and a
simple little program or "Screen Saver" could detect any movement of the Optical
Mouse, which either has to be moved or unplugged by the thief when he goes for the
Laptop.
Additionally, by using a little "Anti Theft Screen Saver" that would, you can
override the "lid closure switch" in software (as I mentioned in an earlier post),
and if you know enough about the functions that control the power "modes" on your
Laptop, and do a little "coding" that would detect and "intercept" and ignore any
"lid closure" or pressing on the power on / off button (which most of today's
Laptops use as opposed to a "slide switch"), so that your Laptop can then let out a
"primal scream" or two, and start hurling obscenities at the thief, and then scream
continually "stop this thief, I am being stolen", and other noises like a car alarm,
when the Optical Mouse is moved or unplugged, or when some tries to press the power
button or close the lid on the Laptop.
In addition to doing this on your own, someone could make and sell a little program
to do this, but it would most effectively be done by the Laptop Manufacturer (which
might just get them a few more sales).
All of the above can be done in software, but if any of the Manufacturers really
wanted to, they could very easily embed something in the hardware or the BIOS that
would disable the "motherboard" in such a way that only they could "fix it" (only
for the registered owner of course). the problem here is that the Manufacturers
really don't want to do this since they would really rather sell you another Laptop,
or two, or three, or four . . . .
JaMi
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mary Sugden" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: [DC] Warning... when attending events
> Thanks Bill
>
> Perhaps I'll make a screensaver that says
>
> Hands Off ...This unit is booby trapped!
>
> I was thinking of a simpler device. One that would fit under your computer,
> book, whatever. If you lifted the computer, it would go off.
>
> Remember the old paper clip & rubber band in the envelope trick. You would
> wind up the rubber band and when you took the paper out of the envelope, it
> would make a very loud noise. Scared me a few times. Turn a practical joke into
> cash!
>
> Best regards, Mary
>
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