get a lock, and lock it to your arm?

just a thought,

Dave


"Lehar V. Osvald" <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote in message
news:d6d42534.0309270722.2d762380@posting.google.c om...

I will be travelling in East Europe and Asia soon by train, and want
to protect my laptop from train thieves. I am considering several
strategies to protect it. One of them is sleeping with the laptop
under my pillow, so that an attempt to take it would probably awaken
me.

Does anyone have an opinion about whether the laptop can withstand the
pressure of a head sleeping on it? I haven't weighed my head recently,
but suspect it's rather heavy. I'm particularly concerned about the
LCD screen. Is the hard outer shell that protects the back side of the
display hard enough to protect it from this kind of pressure?

I imagine I would leave the laptop in its case and put the whole case
under the pillow. Would appreciate thoughts on the viability of this
and any other suggestions for keeping it from getting stolen.

"Lehar V. Osvald" wrote:
Turn on your laptop and press on the outer case... If you see
the screen distort, I think you'll draw your own conclusion.

My opinion... Not a great idea.

Larry

In article <d6d42534.0309270722.2d762380@posting.google.com>,
lehar@eudoramail.com says...


--
Nuckfut

Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him.

Funny... :-)
"Lehar V. Osvald" <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote in message
news:d6d42534.0309270722.2d762380@posting.google.c om...

That sure sounds fun. :-/ Good thing it's you and not me.

"Lehar V. Osvald" <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote in message
news:d6d42534.0309270722.2d762380@posting.google.c om...

in the first place is going to be your best line of defence. If someone
wants to steal that badly, they'll do it anyway, whether you're sleeping on
it or not.

You could lock it to your arm, spy-movie style. But then you may get
threatened with serious injury unless you take it off - rather than having
someone just snatch it and maybe all you get is a shove to the ground. :-(

Or you could "insure" it with smith and wesson !

Or leave it at home, which would be my choice. Though I see that sometimes
you have to have a laptop - it depends on how much you need it and how much
risk there is, weigh it up, decide if it's worth it or not.


Rachael

Lehar V. Osvald wrote:
|| I will be travelling in East Europe and Asia soon by train, and want
|| to protect my laptop from train thieves. I am considering several
|| strategies to protect it. One of them is sleeping with the laptop
|| under my pillow, so that an attempt to take it would probably awaken
|| me.
||
|| Does anyone have an opinion about whether the laptop can withstand
|| the pressure of a head sleeping on it? I haven't weighed my head
|| recently, but suspect it's rather heavy. I'm particularly concerned
|| about the LCD screen. Is the hard outer shell that protects the back
|| side of the display hard enough to protect it from this kind of
|| pressure?
||
|| I imagine I would leave the laptop in its case and put the whole case
|| under the pillow. Would appreciate thoughts on the viability of this
|| and any other suggestions for keeping it from getting stolen.

Your question awoke curiosity and I investigated for some time on this.
Here are a few links that provide valuable information on security and
laptops.

Security of Laptops
http://rf-web.tamu.edu/security/SECG...ut/Laptops.htm

TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS
(This site admits to 130 pages of info. I'm bookmarking it to preuse
later.)
http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com...ETY%20TIPS.htm

PERSONAL SECURITY PRODUCTS
--This site has 4 security products that sound an alarm when something
is moved out of a certain radius. A very cool idea. If I were to buy
anything, this would be it. (Man, this site is full of popups. MyIE2
prevented about 12 of them here.) Anyway, here is the link:
http://www.globalgadgetuk.com/security%20products.htm

.... From all the research I did I found that laptops are far more likely
to be stolen in a train or bus station or an airport. Especially watch
when you put your laptop on the conveyor belt to enter in the X-ray
machine. A favorite ploy of theves is for an accomplice to step in line
ahead of you with some metallic objects on him/her. The delay allows the
thief to simply walk away with your laptop.

On 27 Sep 2003 08:22:59 -0700, lehar@eudoramail.com (Lehar V.
Osvald) wrote:

Only some few laptops can handle that. Some Panasonic Toughbooks
for example. A cushioned aluminum or ABS case would seem to be
the answer. A cheap 2nd hand laptop with easliy removable hard
drive or other backup would also seem prudent from your concern?
Places I have been to also. Have a good trip.

Thanks very much for all the advice, and Rachael, it's good to hear
from a fellow Wiccan. I shall check out those links, LittleMac. First
of all, I have to bring the machine, leaving it is not an option. I'm
thinking that maybe putting the laptop case into another bigger and
innocent looking case (maybe a backpack) would disguise it well, but
we are still left with the sleeping problem. Maybe the answer is not
to take sleepers but just a regular seat, and remain awake. I have a
feeling it will be difficult to sleep under the circumstances anyway,
so may as well save on the train fare. At least, that's my latest
thinking, until I check out all these links.

Lehar V. Osvald <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote:
I'd have no problem sleeping on my laptop. I do it often, with a pillow
between, because I tend to fall asleep while using it!

I also travel everywhere with it. I can guarantee that in E. Europe it
will be stolen as soon as you put yourself in a hotel. I wouldn't have
thought sleeping in trains was an option at all! I'd certainly sleep on
and around anything that I thought was valuable, and "not sleep".

I generally travel light, with a laptop and a small backpack. One can
fit into the other only if I am wearing sufficiently many of the
clothes within.

That seems to me to be the only possible option, and even then I'd pack
a large yellow distress flare.

I would certainly be sleeping in hotels and travelling by train during
the day. In E. Europe prices are severely whacky, as people have to
gouge to stay alive.

Peter

wiccan?? you sad f&#ks!! get a life!

"Lehar V. Osvald" <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote in message
news:d6d42534.0309300913.455d892f@posting.google.c om...

"D" <yep@yep.yep> wrote in message
news:3f7a7811$0$23611$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net. au...
gets better soon.





Heh. <plonk>


Rachael

"Lehar V. Osvald" <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote in message
news:d6d42534.0309300913.455d892f@posting.google.c om...

I shall check out those links, LittleMac. First
Or sleep in the seat with the backpack on (if you could), thus keeping it
firmly behind you ? The laptop would have to be *well* packed though, and
padded. I've got one of those zeroshock squishy case things - I don't know
how that would protect it from you lying on it but it does absorb some
impact from collisions with things. I have one of those to protect the
laptop from stuff inside a bag and a courier style bag to put it in - this
looks innocent. I also have a Techair backpack but that just screams "steal
me !" so I wouldn't go anywhere "unsavoury" whilst wearing it.

I have a
Hope you find a solution.


Rachael

Peter, I hope you're wrong about that. It will be stolen as soon as I
check into a hotel? Even if I never leave the laptop alone, and take
it with me everywhere?

By the way, Rachael, what are you doing Candlemass Eve?

Lehar V. Osvald <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote:
My memory of eastern block hotels is that they have this door locking
system that is unknown to westerners, which results in your leaving
your door unlocked when you think you've locked it. And people come in
off the street and wander through hotels with westerners in, looking
for stuff to steal. While you are asleep.

Not to mention the organised taxi crime.

Sounds just like the south of france, really, ...

Peter

"Lehar V. Osvald" <lehar@eudoramail.com> wrote in message
news:d6d42534.0310010613.11def3b4@posting.google.c om...
Nothing "official" as yet - the usual lighting of as many candles as I can
get my hands on, dinner for a few friends at my house perhaps, some lone
outdoors reflection in the morning (usualy a long walk with the dogs in the
fields). I've not decided yet. I don't usually do anything group orientated,
as I am a solitary practitioner for the most part. You ? Anything nice
planned ?


Rachael

"Peter T. Breuer" <ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es> a écrit dans le message de
news:a5oelb.nve.ln@news.it.uc3m.es...
Uh ? What's that kind of legend ? France in general is far safest than most
place in USA. "Bad-people" are far less violents also. Sure there are some
rare places to avoid, but as in any other country. I remember, when I whas
student, it always found very funny to see most american friends of mine
very scared in Paris where a woman can walk alone and cross the entire town
at 4 am without any risk ;-)))))))))))

Also, I travelled in Tcheck (not sure about the english name) republic
without any trouble. Seems as safe as, said, any other unknow place in west
Europe... I travelled with a laptop, sleeped in international hotels...
Nothing where stolen...
My best friend (a 30's girl) travelled alone with his Apple powerbook across
the entire Bulgaria without any trouble (people are not rich in these
countries, but, in general, very nice, friendly, and not as materialists as
in other west countries... some others are a little closed to west people,
perhaps a rest of the "communist" history)

In Russia and ex-USSR republics, things are very very very different, I know
it's very risky, but all the rest of east europe (poland, slovenia,
bulgaria, etc ) is rather safe...

--
michel

michel <maneki.neko2@caramail.com> wrote:

It's not a legend. You know how high the prices are in the south of
france on the coast. Local people really need two jobs in the tourist
industry in order to survive. There is plenty of orangised crime aimed
at robbing tourists. With the border to italy so close, robbing credit
cards is an instant profit (in italy a PIN or ID is not required in
order to use it).

And there are areas of even Nice I would not like to walk through at
night, though I have done it.

Then move over to Marseilles and try walking anywhere :-).

Of course. Nobody is likely to shoot you in europe! But if you sit don
on the promenade wall, and place your knapsack on the floor behind you,
one of the roaming tourist-robbing bands is likely to snaffle it in a
second - in the south of france.

Of course. I used to live in Paris (in montmartre) and often walked
home from work in the south in the 13th district. Of course, there
would always be some walking race up the hill with the local
transvestites.

I used to know the closing time of most of the cafes along my route.

The Czech republic is probably as civilized as it gets (well, Hungary
might also be safe). Try Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, etc.

Bulgaria has particular problems. I was robbed in Bulgaria.

Of course. But a university professor earns $100 a month there. This
means that nobody can survive on "official" incomes. Pensioners are
begging in the streets for anything, and the currency is worthless.
Yes, anything you have will be stolen if it is possible.

Not so. I think that it's _relatively_ safe, given the unfortunate
circumstances, and probably getting safer and safer all the time, as
everyone is trying real hard to join the rest of the world. In fact -
you are laughably safe from credit card theft there, as nobody in
some of those countries has a credit card and nobody accepts credit
cards, so credit cards are worthless to thieves. But electronic goods
are worth stealing.


Peter

In article <a5oelb.nve.ln@news.it.uc3m.es>, ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es says...

no reason to steal a laptop.


--
Nuckfut

Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him.