Tech Spottr » Notebooks

Homeland Security Can Detain Travelers’ Laptop

J. Angelo — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:15:25 +0000

According to an article on the Washington Post, the US Department of Homeland Security now has the right to detain laptops and any other gadget that can hold information, look into the contents, and possibly save notes or records.

Federal agents may take a traveler’s laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.

Also, officials may share copies of the laptop’s contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

This would prove to be a hassle if you’re traveling on business and DHS agents impound your equipment. How about storing sensitive information in your brain instead? I guess they can’t just take that from you.

Asus Launches Design Contest for Eee PC

J. Angelo — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:53:22 +0000

Asus is launching a design contest for its popular Eee PC line. From My Asus Eee:

Electronics giant ASUS is currently seeking interested and talented individuals to take part in their Eee PC contest – create the best and most original Eee PC notebook skin for the Eee PC’s LCD cover and palm rest. Not only will you get the chance to win an Eee PC of your own, but your winning design will also be featured in the Eee PC line in the Philippine market!

Prizes at stake are an Asus Eee, an Asus 17″ LCD monitor and an Asus WiFi router.

Ultraportable MacBooks Coming Soon?

J. Angelo — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:00:57 +0000

Is an ultraportable MacBook up in the works? I’m a big fan of the 12″ Apple PowerBook (a.,k.a., AlBook for its aluminum body). It’s small and durable. Sure, it’s not that power-packed, but well-traveled people really do appreciate being able to carry around small computers. With the prevalence of smaller storage devices and more efficient power architectures, I think Apple should seriously consider introducing an ultraportable, or at least bringing back the small notebook.

Apple Insider cites analyst Gene Munster:

“… we also expect Apple to expand the MacBook lineup with one new model.”

That one new model is expected to be the company’s “smallest portable ever,” according to the analyst. While he was initially expecting an ultra-portable device with an 8- to 11-inch screen, he said his latest round of checks now leads him to believe the device will sport a display of approximately 11- to 13-inches.

“That said, we continue to expect the ‘ultra-portable’ MacBook to be Apple’s thinnest and lightest ever. While it may not be as small as we originally expected, we believe this could be the most consumer-friendly way to expand its current lineup of MacBook portables,” Munster told clients. “It will likely be priced between the $1,099 consumer level MacBook and the $1,999 MacBook Pro.”