That is interesting Frank... it does look like a 'LoJack' type system. I went and played the little cartoon they created to explain the system. My friend here at work suggested writing a program that you just load onto your computer that would protect your sensitive data on your computer with another layer of passwords, or even a 'self destruct' program that would prevent thieves form getting your data on the computer without the proper ID. Lots of good ideas there... Thanks for the link to that company. Bill Brooks - KG6VVP PCB Design Engineer , C.I.D.+, C.I.I. Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510 http://www.dtwc.com http://pcbwizards.com -----Original Message----- From: Frank A Bergmeister [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 10:01 AM To: (Designers Council Forum); Brooks,Bill Subject: Re: [DC] Warning... when attending events Several already exist. https://www.laptopretriever.com/default.asp? Frank Bergmeister CID+ Senior PCB Designer Raytheon C3I 1300 East Joppa Road Baltimore, Md. 21286-5999 Phone (410)583-4104 Fax (410)583-4436 |---------+----------------------------> | | "Brooks,Bill" | | | <[log in to unmask] | | > | | | Sent by: | | | DesignerCouncil | | | <DesignerCouncil@| | | ipc.org> | | | | | | | | | 10/19/2004 12:46 | | | PM | | | Please respond to| | | "(Designers | | | Council Forum)"; | | | Please respond to| | | "Brooks,Bill" | |---------+----------------------------> >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------| | | | To: [log in to unmask] | | cc: | | Subject: Re: [DC] Warning... when attending events | >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------| Thanks George, The theft of Laptop computers seems to be more common than I suspected... This could be an opportunity for a EE, a programmer and a PCB designer to come up with an add on product that would protect or at least help recover your laptop in the event someone tired to steal it. I like the idea of some sort of 'LoJack' tracker built into a Laptop... I was discussing the subject with a friend of mine... One idea was some sort of a virus-like program that occasionally pops up and asks for an ID and if it's not forthcoming, the first time it's connected to the Internet it sends e-mails out to the authorities with your Laptop's GPS location... Another idea was some sort of radio beacon that can be tracked with the right equipment, but that might be rather expensive, how about say something built into your cell phone for example... With text based cell phones it could give you direction finding information... right over your phone... that might make the chase more possible... and immediate. (you can't run or hide... we will find you). I don't know if there is anything like this out there, but it sounds like a great product enhancement... Laptops cost as much as Cars used to... in the 1970's anyway, and they are expensive enough that they qualify as 'Felony Grand theft' larceny. Maybe if there is someone out there that wants to work on a project like this we could get together and create a product and sell it to the Laptop manufacturers. GPS receivers are very small now and easy to add into the Laptop geometry... It could work. Thanks for the kind words, George... I could find great satisfaction in the 'thermite charge' idea.. but I want my Laptop back... :( Best regards, Bill Brooks - KG6VVP PCB Design Engineer , C.I.D.+, C.I.I. Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510 http://www.dtwc.com http://pcbwizards.com -----Original Message----- From: George Patrick [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 11:09 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [DC] Warning... when attending events What a drag... It is an absolute hassle to lug everything around with you when you leave the room, but with the way things are now it's the only way to keep things like this from happening. Too bad they don't put thermite charges in notebooks that are set off by cell phone (or LoJack trackers, but that's less fun to think about) ;D -- George Patrick Tektronix, Inc. Central Engineering, PCB Design Group P.O. Box 500, M/S 39-512 Beaverton, OR 97077-0001 Phone: 503-627-5272 Fax: 503-627-5587 http://www.tektronix.com http://www.pcb-designer.com It's my opinion, not Tektronix' -----Original Message----- From: DesignerCouncil [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brooks,Bill Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 10:52 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [DC] Warning... when attending events Designers, I know some of you use laptop computers in your work as I do, and I just want to share this experience with you so you do not have to experience what happened to me and Mary Sugden last weekend... Mary was leading the CID+ Workshop and exam in San Marcos California, and I was attending it along with some other fine designers. We broke for lunch and were gone from the room for a very short time... only to return to the room to find that someone of low scruples decided that our laptop computers would make a great addition to their personal collections... Mary had to continue the workshop and test from her hand written notes... it was a very difficult experience. Mary was a real trouper and still did an excellent job of covering the material and we went on to take the exam on Saturday. The most painful realization occurs when you recall that you left your checkbook(s), and your personal information in your carrying case, and they now know where you live, what your home phone number and work number is, what your bank account numbers are, e-mail, stocks, you name it... etc... etc.. Not to mention the data that you have on your hard drive, that you have not backed up... Laptops are terribly portable... it takes only 30 seconds for someone to pass by and grab them and stash them for later retrieval. We looked high and low and searched the entire area for the thief(s)... and they had vanished. Mailing lists, passwords, lost reference information, jobs you may have been working on, etc... this can be a very sickening experience... The laptops can be expensive, mine was over 2,700 dollars (a Dell Inspiron 8200 with 64MB DDR ram, 40G hd, leather case, high end video, extra batteries... ugh...)and they are targets of thieves, who seem to watch and wait for you to make a mistake or get careless for an instant, even when you think your stuff is safe in the confines of a classroom environment... don't let your equipment out of your sight... And think about what you have on your computer... and what it would mean if someone managed to walk away with it. Please don't let this happen to you... Best regards, Bill Brooks - KG6VVP PCB Design Engineer , C.I.D.+, C.I.I. Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510 http://www.dtwc.com http://pcbwizards.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- DesignerCouncil Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF DesignerCouncil. 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