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IBM Introduces 'Air Bags' For Laptop Hard Drives

Posted by simoniker on from the wam-bang-boom dept.

Ruger writes "Reported in PCWorld this morning, IBM has introduced a technology for their new laptop hard discs which has a similar concept to airbags in cars. Active Protection System (APS) is a microchip put on the system board that senses acceleration. It parks the head of a hard drive inside a tenth of a second, significantly reducing the risk of damage to data. IBM also has a a press release on the new ThinkPad R50 and T41 models that include this technology, for those interested in the company line."

21 of 269 comments (clear)

  1. What about by Sir+Haxalot · · Score: 5, Funny

    seatbelts? Bet they hadn't though of that.
    *goes off to patent it*

    --
    I have over 70 freaks, do you?
  2. Air Head by dotslashdot · · Score: 1, Funny

    This is only good for "Air Heads" who move their laptop while it's on.

  3. And in other news... by stephenisu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fatality rate among children riding in front seat with laptops doubles.

    --
    Sigs? We don't need no stinking sigs!
  4. I'll be impressed by Transient0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    when it can also detect incoming hammer blows and deflect them aside kung-fu style.

    Also, adding further encouragement for me to throw my notebook across the room is the LAST think they need to do.

    --
    lysergically yours
    1. Re:I'll be impressed by daeley · · Score: 3, Funny

      Bah! Gimme Peril-Sensitive Sunglasses and then we'll talk about Technocide-Sensitive Laptops. ;)

      --
      I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
    2. Re:I'll be impressed by bhtooefr · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but Windows is stupid and wouldn't have hdd_head_crash_prevented.wav cached in RAM. It would look at the (locked) hard drive.

  5. But I want.. by adeyadey · · Score: 4, Funny

    ..pix of the crash test dummies when they smash the laptops into walls at 40 mph..

    --
    "You lied to me! There is a Swansea!"
  6. Re:What if it misfires? by c_oflynn · · Score: 2, Funny

    You have been playing the latest and greatest video game

    It would be brutal to lose all your hard work at a game, the economic loss would be unrecoverable.

  7. Antilock Caps has been Activated by use_compress · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will soon appear under an LED on the new Thinkpad's keyboard.

  8. Priorities... by CycleMan · · Score: 2, Funny

    So you mean that if I cause a traffic accident while coding, this will keep me from losing my data even when my brains splatter across the windshield? Cool...

  9. Sure, but what about terminal velocity? by Target+Practice · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can see how this would help if you dropped it from a table, or your briefcase, but what do they have to help the laptop that reaches its terminal velocity? It's not accelerating, so it'll unlock the drive, and then SLAM! your data's gone! Skydiving with a satellite connection may not be popular at IBM, but hey, think of the rest of us, you insensitive clod!

    --
    There's a 68.71% chance you're right.
  10. Finally.... by TimeForGuinness · · Score: 2, Funny

    When my computer crashes, at least I'll have something soft to protect my head from banging it in frustration.

  11. Re:What if it misfires? by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 4, Funny
    You have been playing the latest and greatest video game for a few hours when you make a mistake and pound the keyboard. The hardrives senses it and locks you down without saving. Whoops.

    These systems have a custom BIOS routine that handles just that case. It blanks the screen and displays:

    TILT
    Game Over

    in 3-inch tall letters.

  12. Re:What if it misfires? by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 4, Funny
    You have been playing the latest and greatest video game for a few hours when you make a mistake and pound the keyboard. The hardrives senses it and locks you down without saving. Whoops.

    Dear IgD,

    Yikes! We hadn't even considered a scenario where the laptop might be bumped during a read/write operation! Looks like it's back to the drawing board for us!

    Kisses,
    The IBM engineers who designed APS

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  13. Re:Yay! I think... by mnemonic_ · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure IBM's engineers have IQ's that are at least 25.

  14. Re:Dammit! That's my idea! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Why are you wasting time posting? SUE!!!!!!!!!!!

  15. More to worry about by trainsnpep · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you're dropping a laptop, odds are you've more to worry about than just the hard drive. No? ;)

    --
    --<Mike>--
  16. Exploding Drives! by yintercept · · Score: 4, Funny

    Air bags have explosives in them!

    The honorable Senator Orrin Hatch should be interested in the project as it might help realize his dreams of exploding computers. You could use the explosives to save the disk when it is accelerated, or to blow up the computer when a copyright holder presses the self destruct.

    BTW, if they really are like airbags, the devices can only be used once. However, what realy matters with analogies in business press releases is to make investors think of other market successes, and not really about the product.

  17. What I need even more by mrphrtq · · Score: 2, Funny

    What I really need is a microchip in my mouth which detects my foot approaching and can park my tongue in 1/10th of a second.

    --

    "Life has improved immeasurably since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously." - Hunter S. Thompson
  18. Re:Just use old hard drives! by bpd1069 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The HD failed eventually... but after many a trips to the floor! Only hit concrete a few times, mostly hit carpet. When it failed it was just sitting there, but I guess it couldn't take the abuse :p

    Two Words...

    DUCT TAPE

    --
    --
  19. Re:semantics by XJEEP.org · · Score: 2, Funny

    yeah, when it hits the floor would be a poor time to START parking the heads.