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MB Air - No Security Slot??

iVoid said:
As far as I know, there's no crack/backdoor for Filevault/encrypted disk images, so the data should be safe (as long as you use a good password that can't be easily cracked and is not on a sticky note on the bottom of the MPA :) ).
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Actually there are several ways someone could "crack" a FileVault. The very least thing you should do is activate encrypted virtual memory (because your login password can end up in the virtual memory and is very easy to find there) and deactivate safe sleep (because it writes all the memory contents to the disk). But as far as I know, even if you disable safe sleep it will be used automatically when your battery runs empty (maybe someone can clarify that point?).
 
Toe said:
Anyone at MWSF reading this? Can you go to the exhibit hall and look at the MBA and tell us if there is a Kensington Security Slot?

I do not see any mention of it on the MacBook Air tech specs page:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html

For comparison, look at the regular MacBook:
http://www.apple.com/macbook/specs.html
"Security — Kensington cable lock slot"

It is a little difficult for me to imagine an expensive, ultra-portable, sexy, easy-to-steal computer that has no security slot.

I know Apple was trying to economize on space, but what if you're at a coffee shop and want to go to the bathroom? You gotta take your MBA with you everywhere??
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Doesn't need a security slot. Who'd want it?

I don't think you'd have as many people trying to grab it.

Besides, now that it's got a tapered case, you can just stand it on end on the toilet paper dispenser and have it lean against the stall's wall.

If that doesn't work, just take the thin edge, and wedge it in the crack in the stalls door. That will take care of two problems since it will also help to secure the door closed if the latch isn't working on the stall :p
 
No sorry, I would never ever leave a laptop unattended in a public place. It's coming to the bathroom with me. My stuff and my coffee can hold my table.

Remember, if a thief wants your $2000 laptop, that $20 stupid little cable you attach to it won't mean squat. Sure, it's a deterent, but then again, wasn't "The Club" one too?
 
I have the kensington lock too. Haven't used it as much I thought I would, but it comes in useful sometimes.

When I've gone to coffeeshops with either a macbook or ibook or powerbook, I don't usually take the lock. I just never ever leave my laptop unattended. It comes with me to the toilet (in my bag), or the counter or whereever.

When at the library, if in a heavy study session, I do sometimes lock it as if I'm concentrating on several books, I feel someone could lift it and walk off without me noticing.

In hotel rooms, I prefer to take my laptop out with me, or if not possible, hide it on top of wardrobes / under a pile of clothes in the wardrobe or all the way under the bed. (locked if possible, but its more important to hide it well.)

At work, we sometimes run a stall at various shows, and we ALWAYS use the lock, as even with staff running the stall, if staff are talking to a client, someone could use the distraction to walk off with the laptop.

In my opinion, a 3 quid wire cutter that fits in your pocket could cut through the lock cable in a couple of seconds, but the value of the lock is that most people don't carry one. For the people that do carry one, it gives us a valuable couple of seconds extra to notice that someone's trying to steal it.

The kensington lock won't stop it being stolen while unattended, but it works well in stopping someone lifting it and running off from under your nose.
 
andyone said:
But as far as I know, even if you disable safe sleep it will be used automatically when your battery runs empty (maybe someone can clarify that point?).
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No, when safe sleep is disabled it won't run at all. Safe sleep never wakes up the computer when the battery is about to run out, it just makes an image to disk every time you go to standby (that's why it takes longer to start flashing). If the battery is still good when you open it up again, it will resume from RAM. If the battery went dead (or was removed), it will resume from the disk image.

So turning safe sleep off should stop it completely.
 
ryanw said:
Yikes ... this is a real problem!

Leaving your laptop unattended in a coffee shop isn't the problem. The problem is in corporate america (the rich man or woman who this "thin" laptop is appealing to) are required to lock their laptops up at their desks these days. I have PERSONALLY seen a laptop walk from my desk in a large fortune 500 company. Be it people from the mail room, or cleaning crew, who knows, but people do steal things from offices regularly. I would think your machine is potentially safer being unattended at a coffee shop than a large company where turn over for "lesser paid jobs" is higher... not really, but you get my point.
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I have NEVER seen anyone lock a laptop and the last place I worked had over 13,000 employees. My current location has about 100 and there are dozens of laptops and NO ONE ever locks theirs up. I wonder tho - why don't you take it home with you? Most of the people I know who need laptops for their job need laptops for a reason - they need to have it with them. Do you just have a laptop because your boss doesn't realize that you'd be perfectly well off with an iMac?
 
i hate to be a buzz kill or anything, but if someone really wants your laptop, lock or no lock, they're going to take it.. i had my ipod stolen out of a locker that someone broke into with a screw driver.
 
Corporate Policy

My company (60k employees world wide) have a policy mandating security cables on all laptops and in some parts of the world on desktops, monitors etc. I believe they still lose a dozen a year - mostly from car rentals, while traveling.

They do not stop a determined thief but will stop the casual opportunistic one.

Apple could have had a issue finding a hard point inside the case to anchor to. Plastic won't do.

Of course Kensington usually includes a large metal mating plate that can be epoxied on the exterior. I'm sure Steve would love that :).
 
Braz0s said:
My company (60k employees world wide) have a policy mandating security cables on all laptops and in some parts of the world on desktops, monitors etc. I believe they still lose a dozen a year - mostly from car rentals, while traveling.

They do not stop a determined thief but will stop the casual opportunistic one.

Apple could have had a issue finding a hard point inside the case to anchor to. Plastic won't do.

Of course Kensington usually includes a large metal mating plate that can be epoxied on the exterior. I'm sure Steve would love that :).
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A hard point? Did you miss the part where it's anodized aluminum? Finding a hard point is no issue at all. As for the company you work for I guess it's just a company to company decision because my current employer has about 215k worldwide employees and my previous employer was around 130k and there were no such policy regarding laptops.
 
bigmc6000 said:
A hard point? Did you miss the part where it's anodized aluminum? Finding a hard point is no issue at all. As for the company you work for I guess it's just a company to company decision because my current employer has about 215k worldwide employees and my previous employer was around 130k and there were no such policy regarding laptops.
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Wow, I guess neither company has never been through an outside security or even worse a SOX audit! Lucky you!
 
musicpenguy said:
I am curious how Apple will display these in the store - if the Apple Employees will now have to look after these vary carefully or something
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I think they'll just put one of those sticky cord things on it attached to the bottom, attached to the tables. either that, or deal with a usb lock and have alarms going off every 5 minutes as some stupid 15 year old kid unplugs it and bolts. I made that mistake once at a circuit city. it had a lock and a usb thing-- so i unplugged it to show my girlfriend all the ports on this one laptop. WOOOWOOOWOOO and i have a half dozen security guards on me and the whole store staring at me. good times....
 
azentropy said:
Wow, I guess neither company has never been through an outside security or even worse a SOX audit! Lucky you!
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Both are huge government contractors so I'm sure there has been plenty of security audits. Of course to get in to the building you need clearance so maybe that's the issue. We screen all our employees and even the janitors need to have security clearance to work there.
 
bigmc6000 said:
Both are huge government contractors so I'm sure there has been plenty of security audits. Of course to get in to the building you need clearance so maybe that's the issue. We screen all our employees and even the janitors need to have security clearance to work there.
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Same with my previous emplorer. Huge govt contractor, hell I'll say the name "Lockheed Martin" and we had no "Kensington Security Policy" and well over half the emps at the site I worked at had laptops. NONE of which were tethered nor required tethering.

This lock deters the "opportunist" thief as someone described above. And if your laptop is stolen by an opportunist you probably (PROBABLY) did something irrisponsible or have ADD and can't handle having an expensive piece of hardware.

The REAL thiefs will cut through that tether quicker than you think. Even a novice thief can. Simple trip to home depot or lowes and he can rake in the bucks with stolen laptops.

I'm not arguing that this needs it as well as any other laptop but the thing hasn't shipped and probably will go through a minor design change since basically what we saw and what others have seen or have gotten for demo's was/is a limited production.

If you pay 1700-3000 bucks for something, you just don't walk away from it. If you do, would you mind leaving your keys in your car and your car unlocked for me? If I were a thief, if I couldn't steal your laptop cuz you left it laying around tempting me to steal it, I'd just smash the screen as a "Take that then" All the more reason to lock it up (when indoors) or take it with you to the *****ter when in public.

If a company has issues of machines being stolen so often then they've got other/bigger security issues than the machines. Sounds like a company that just doesn't care who comes or goes or "hmm did that guy come in with 20 laptops? oh well"
 
ive never fully understood the concept. so you connect the cable to the laptop, and then loop the other end around the desk or chair or what not? If they want the laptop, break the table leg, and un-hoop the cable-lock. Hell, steal the entire table.

If your company issues you with a laptop, it generally means you need to take it with you, otherwise you sign on to a desktop terminal (the company I work for chain the computers that are in public places to the floor, not the ones in secure areas though). So why lock it to an office desk overnight. Take it home and tuck it in the bed next to you. And how many large corporations use macs.... really? I think some departments in the BBC do (i've seen macs and ACDs when they do behind the scenes shoots), but thats the only company that i can think of. I've never seen a lock being used. Though i dont see the harm in including one. Has anyone got a photo of the inside of a macbook/pro, near where the slot is?

Edit: found this pic on ifixit
69.jpg

i think the slot is right at the bottom of the pic, next to the red circle. It doesnt look that big.
 
I have had several laptops but never used the cable for securing. A laptop should remain with you if you are worried about it being stolen. Whats the hassel in taking with you to the bathroom or around the coffee shop. Id rather do that then leave a beautiful MBA open to everyone.
 
what about iAlertU? simple security application that you lock you laptop with your apple remote, if you buy one as an optional extra. once activated it gets set off by, keyboard, removing power-cord, teackpad closing the lid or even motion (if MBA has motion sensors.) it then takes a picture using isight and emails it to you.
http://slappingturtle.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=14&Itemid=58

also try Orbicule Undercover. this ones a subscription once installed and activated you can contact the company in event of it being stolen and they arm the software remotely once the thief connects to any wireless network. they then start a series of procedures to try and locate your mac using with the aid of your local authorities. they already have a recovery record. check it out
http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/
 
Wow, some people are really getting worked up about this.:D

I work in a large office with both Macs and PCs, and I use a Kensington lock everyday with my laptop.

Sure, I could take it with me everywhere I went during the office, but if you carried your laptop with you every time you went to the toilet, got a coffee, or went for lunch you'd look pretty ridiculous, or quickly become known as "the laptop guy".

My desk is in an fairly open area, but there's a fair bit of activity, and someone quickly stopping by the desk of another wouldn't merit much attention. Someone fumbling with a lock probably would.
 
I think we're focusing far too much on corporate: almost every college student I know uses a Kensington lock for their MBP/MB. This could (potentially) shut out a very large potential group.
 
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