Laptop Lojack?

daninja asks: "Yet another laptop with classified information seems to be missing. It looks to me like there must be a good sized market for highly secure laptops with a built in Lojack tracking device (or simply a laptop with an integral handcuff, kind of like that briefcase full o' blues secured to the wrist of Elwood Blues). Such a device (the Lojack version, not the handcuff one) could be designed so that the tracking transmitter couldn't be separated or disabled without rendering the disk unreadable (by a small explosive charge, mildly corrosive gas, or whatever). It seems so obvious, why isn't there such a product? (Hey, maybe I could patent this idea!)"

I have to admit, I too have had ideas along these lines. This shouldn't be too hard to build, however the laptop would have to be always-on (which would be hell on the batteries) and a GPS unit would need to be added in some way shape or form. This isn't all that unlikely, there are handheld GPS units on the market. How difficult would it be to meld one into a laptop?

Update: 04/28 02:15 by C : The link to the picture of the Blues Brothers has vanished. It was there when I posted this article days ago, but it's gone now. Sorry about that.

Comments

Re:What about my privacy?

[TheCarp]

FYI - At least in MY home state (MA) things are
just a "tiny bit" different. See...the police in
MA REFUSED to use lojack, unless certain changes
were made to the system.

What did they want? The police wanted the ability
to activate any lojack at any time, for any
reason. Guess what? they got it. If you have
lojack in MA, the police could turn it on at any
time, without you knowing a thing about it.

(I am assuming by this that there are protections
in place in other states, like its not the policebut the lojack people who transmit the code
and need some password or mothers maiden name
or some such to do it)

This laptop will self-destruct.....

[shadowstrider]

The Navy Seals already have (waterproof, magnesium) laptops that have an integral incendiary device to slag all the innards. I think it can be triggered at will, but I'm not sure about it other than that. Like for instance in this case it would maybe be of use to go off after a number of bad passwords.

As an added bonus, it would probably start someone's car or suitcase or something on fire when it triggered, which would certainly draw some attention. On that idea, booby trap them to mark anyone who tampers with them somehow maybe? Kind of like the red dye used in banks, but less obvious.