Notebook Gadgets Improve Security, Battery Life
TechXNY sees debut of add-on technologies intended to ease life for road warriors.Kalpana Narayanamurthi, PCWorld.com
NEW YORK--For notebook owners seeking improved security, longer battery life, and handy presentation tools, the TechXNY/PCExpo show here this week has offered plenty of good news. Here's a roundup of early favorites from the show floor.
Better Security
Notebook security is vital to most users, but technologies such as biometrics can get complicated if more than one person uses the same PC. Touchpad manufacturer Synaptics has come up with one answer: a biometric touchpad that incorporates a fingerprint sensor to let multiple users securely access the notebook.
Until now, many notebook manufacturers have included separate fingerprint readers on their laptops, but Synaptics takes the technology a step farther by incorporating it as part of the touchpad. The sensor, which sits just above the touchpad, authenticates and validates users in preboot BIOS mode. Windows won't activate until a preregistered user puts a finger over the sensor. The sensor allows multiple users to register on the same notebook, keeping each person's settings and files secure.
The sensor uses Synaptics' TruePrint technology, which makes it immune to interference from dirt and dust. Notebooks using the new touchpad technology are scheduled to ship early next year, the company says.
Longer Run Times
Most mobile users crave longer battery life from their notebooks, and new products from Electrovaya claim to dramatically increase run times on a single charge.
The company's $499 PowerPad 160 offers a 16-hour battery life, while the $399 Power Pad 120 promises 12 hours of continuous operation. The 11-inch by 8-inch mouse-pad-like batteries plug into a notebook's AC adapter port, and take approximately 4 hours to charge up to 80 percent of capacity.
Though the batteries have been available for the past year, company is now looking to sell them through retailers in the United States. Previously, the batteries were available for purchase only directly from the company. The batteries are compatible with Acer, Compaq, Gateway, Fujitsu, and Toshiba notebooks already, and the company says it is working to make them compatible with Dell, HP, and Sony laptops too.
Mobile Presentations
For mobile presenters, Atek Electronics is showing the $80 Tote-Remote, a small remote control that lets you control your notebook from afar. The remote, which measures less than 5 inches long and 1 inch wide, communicates via radio frequency with a small dongle that plugs into a system's USB port; it lets you control page up/page down functions as well as scroll a cursor. The remote also includes a built-in laser pointer.
Currently the remote works only with Microsoft's PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, and Word programs, but Atek Electronics executives say they're looking into making it compatible with other applications as well.