Kensington revamps laptop lock
ClickSafe easier to use, more secure, claims firm
Kensington has introduced a new laptop locking mechanism it hopes will ensure fewer of us lose our computers to the light-fingered.
Dubbed ClickSafe, the system uses the famous "Kensington Slot" - found on almost all portable computers these days - into which you fit a new "anchor unit". The ClickSafe lock simply clips directly onto the anchor, locking as it goes.
That simplicity, the company claimed, will make it darn sight more likely that users will actually lock their machines.
With the lock in place, you need a special key to remove it. Kensington is providing an online key registration and replacement service, and it's possible to get a master key made that will unlock a small group of keys - handy if you manage a group of laptops and you want to give a set of locks to your users.
The "tamper proof" lock is connected to a loop cable constructed from seven seven-strand steel lines designed to thwart attempts at cutting the cord.
The ClickSafe lockhead pivots 180° and rotates a full 360° around the cable to it shouldn't hinder how you lay your laptop down.
The basic lock and cable combo costs £60, Kensington said, and it's also offering a £75 alternative that has has two locks fitted - both opened with the same key - to secure extra items of kit.
The locks are available now direct from Kensington or from a variety of computer and accessory sellers. ®
COMMENTS
Considering
that the previous lock could be opened with a bit of toilet roll cardboard wrapped around a bic pen, it's not surprising they went to a different form factor this time. Maybe give the old hair pin another shot?
Kensington is good but no better than the hole in the laptop!
Some laptops with well known names have poor quality sockets for security locks - a 'scissor' style Belkin sure doesn't work with several Acer laptops. Just waggle the Belkin and it will fall out.
When I travel by air, I secure the laptop with the Kensington then thread the security wire through the handles of other baggage and the finally thread by trousers belt through the security wire loop.
This means if you fall asleep no one will be making off with your goodies!
Yup
The enormocorp I worked encouraged 'stealing' fellow employees' unlocked laptops, so that their managers could give them a stern talking-to, among other things. So we locked our laptops up with a cable that I'm sure was roughly equivalent to this '7 strand / to avoid cutting' advertised here.
But our business involved frequently cutting half inch steel cables.
So the means to defeat the laptop security was never more than a few paces away, and never secured.
Not to mention those lock slots are almost entirely useless - I've tested out a few on dead laptops (including those metal ones from Cupertino) by attaching the lock and giving it a good whack on the edge of a table. 100% of the time the lock comes off with minimal cosmetic damage to the laptop on the first attempt. Even easier than the hydraulic cable cutters.
how much?
60 quid for a small bit of metal and some wire? oh come on. surely some better proposition can be had here?
