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coffee house casual theft protection

Z

zendog

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 8, 2008
17
0
The lack of a security slot to cable down the airbook is drving me nuts. I like to putter around in my local coffee house and leave my mb pro cabled to the table when I go to the head or wander off in a fog. I'm thinking of inventing my own security system -- or maybe having a machine shop drill a hole. or calling Steve and asking him why he created this problem in the first place.
Any way it's kept me from buying the mba till now. But I'm about to spring for it knowing full well that a week later they'll announce the next iteration.
Any thoughts?
 
The apple stores use a USB-based audio alarm for the MBA's. Might be able to find something similar for personal use. Won't keep anyone from grabbing it, but it would draw some unwanted attention if they tried.
 
just close it and take it with you .. that's what it's made for.

It's not like it's heavy... ;)

My concern is hotel rooms. I travel a lot and usually leave it in my hotel room as i've never had a laptop stolen. But just today (coincidentally) I got a strange felling that this might not be a good idea; sort of a premonition.

So from now on it goes with my during the day (at night it doesn't matter as much)

I had some cash stolen at a Hotel (maid took it) and when I complained they were less than helpful. So fool me once..........
 
mac jones said:
just close it and take it with you .. that's what it's made for.

It's not like it's heavy... ;)

My concern is hotel rooms. I travel a lot and usually leave it in my hotel room as i've never had a laptop stolen. But just today (coincidentally) I got a strange felling that this might not be a good idea; sort of a premonition.

So from now on it goes with my during the day (at night it doesn't matter as much)

I had some cash stolen at a Hotel (maid took it) and when I complained they were less than helpful. So fool me once..........
Click to expand...


I'm always paranoid about that too, but feel comfortable enough using the safe that most rooms provide now (after checking it about four times before putting anything in it; I AM paranoid about locking something in the safe and not being able to get it out).
 
The MBA fits perfectly in the safe and (knock, knock - on wood) I have never had a problem getting anything out of the safe in a hotel room before.

I vaguely remember an application which used the motion sensor to act like an alarm if the MB is moved at all.....
 
munckee said:
I'm always paranoid about that too, but feel comfortable enough using the safe that most rooms provide now (after checking it about four times before putting anything in it; I AM paranoid about locking something in the safe and not being able to get it out).
Click to expand...


There is a master code for the safes that allow them to be opened without knowing the 4 digit code picked by the room owner.
 
bit density said:
There is a master code for the safes that allow them to be opened without knowing the 4 digit code picked by the room owner.
Click to expand...

I figured they had some way to open them. Of course, that's both comforting knowing that I can't lock my stuff in, but useless knowing that hotel employees can still walk in and take whatever they want. Can't win I guess.
 
I LOVE my pacsafe laptop bag. I can hook it to the chair and run into the bathroom without worrying about it disappearing. They have several different styles and while they're a little pricey, I think they're totally worth it.

I also have a smaller pacsafe bag that I use when traveling to store extra cash, my ipod, my passport, etc. from them that I love. I connect it to the bed frame and it's not going anywhere unless someone takes apart the frame.
 
bit density said:
There is a master code for the safes that allow them to be opened without knowing the 4 digit code picked by the room owner.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I've had to have hotel security come and open up a safe upon checking into a room where some dick left it locked. Each time, they had a small handheld that had a cable that attached to the safe. It actually took a few minutes in several situations to get it opened.

Definitely not a 4 digit master code in these cases.
 
casual theft prevention

KristenM said:
I LOVE my pacsafe laptop bag. I can hook it to the chair and run into the bathroom without worrying about it disappearing. They have several different styles and while they're a little pricey, I think they're totally worth it.

I also have a smaller pacsafe bag that I use when traveling to store extra cash, my ipod, my passport, etc. from them that I love. I connect it to the bed frame and it's not going anywhere unless someone takes apart the frame.
Click to expand...

Liked the duct tape idea. personally I cable my mbp to the bed frame in hotels. My coffee house is the Roastery in fairfax CA. i'm there every morning. this pacsafe bag is interesting. how many of you budding humorists would buy a special cable meant to protect an air book. i'm still thinking ofinventing one.
 
On the topic of coffee houses, starbucks etc, IMO, if you leave your laptop (ANY LAPTOP) on the table to go take a piss, you deserve to have it stolen. It's more open than any office etc and a wandering person can take 2 steps in there with a pair of wire cutters he bought at lowes for 10 bucks and walk out a rich man or woman.

If I'm sitting in the eatery at target or walmart and lock my computer to the table and walk away, I'm not practicing responsibility, I'm inviting disasster. Responsible would be to either take it with you, lock it in your car then do your business, put it in your bag and take it with you etc.
 
Consultant said:
There is an alarm app that uses HD motion sensor (not sure if the Air has it though).
Click to expand...

yeah, its called iAlertU, look it up its like a car alarm and is activated with the apple remote....but im not sure if it would work because the MBA has a different hard drive, so look it up, it might work with the air, might not

oh, ha, stealthninja, while i was typing this note out you got it before me.....
 
I have to agree with kkat69 that taking it with you is the sole responsible option---locking it to a table in a public area is not really a viable second-best in my mind. Unless you live in a very different sort of place than I do, an unattended laptop (not to mention one that already generates attention in public like the Air) is the single ingredient necessary for a disaster sandwich.
 
Take it with you.

Do you leave your wallet on the table too? Women learn at a very young age to take our purses with us when we leave the table. I'm sure you can manage your laptop too.

Even if you chain it to the table, that won't stop someone from looking through it or spilling something on it.

I don't like to leave my laptop in hotels rooms. Not only can it be stolen, I don't want anyone else reading my stuff.
 
I had 2 framed photos stolen from a show from a coffee place that starts with S, so thiefs are definitely around. You cannot rely on what looks like security cameras.

At airports, unless I am in the business class lounge (in that case I put something else on top of MBP to hide it), I take my MBP with me. So better safe than sorry.

You might want to get Undercover, set up this way, for last line of defense:

- Admin account (require password to login and for screensavers)
- User account with no password (so undercover would work)
- Firmware password


dacreativeguy said:
This looks like an option. I'm guessing you won't make a lot of friends at the coffee house after accidentally setting it off a few times. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F5L013-Laptop-Security-Alarm/dp/B000RPVHDC
Click to expand...

Cool, there is a review that tells you how to hook it up to even the iPod. But the alarm won't go with the thief... Without iAlertU set up, the thief would just unplug, take the thing, and walk away. Some of these thieves are pretty brazen. Someone once stolen a sandwich from a friend under the person's nose (thief asked for directions or something like that) without this person noticing for a few minutes, so alarm sound alone won't really deter them if you are not around to confront them.
 
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Consultant said:
There is an alarm app that uses HD motion sensor (not sure if the Air has it though).
Click to expand...

I got that, its TheftSenser, its great fun but I wouldnt recommend it for serious security, it randomly goes off or dosent go off and stuff, not that reliable, but like I said, nice to play with :)
 
kkat69 said:
On the topic of coffee houses, starbucks etc, IMO, if you leave your laptop (ANY LAPTOP) on the table to go take a piss, you deserve to have it stolen. It's more open than any office etc and a wandering person can take 2 steps in there with a pair of wire cutters he bought at lowes for 10 bucks and walk out a rich man or woman.

If I'm sitting in the eatery at target or walmart and lock my computer to the table and walk away, I'm not practicing responsibility, I'm inviting disasster. Responsible would be to either take it with you, lock it in your car then do your business, put it in your bag and take it with you etc.
Click to expand...

it's sad that we are not only used to live in a dishonest society, we also start defending it. when i grew up we wouldn't lock doors and leave our cars open and our tools out in the open. when i started rock climbing we would leave gear and ropes in the value of thousands and nobody would steal.:(


anyway, i've been looking around and it seems that there are epoxy glues for aluminium. you could try to glue a tiny latch or even a kensington lock thing to the MBA. if it's done nicely it should look not too ugly.
 
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