CabinR’s travel bags keep thieves away with an annoying alarm

Posted on 10/01/2018 by Engadget RSS Feed

Not everyone is good at keeping track of their personal belongings, like a backpack or a messenger bag. So CabinR, a startup based out of Hong Kong, wants to help you feel safer on a journey. The company has created two bags, a backpack and a messeng...

Google patents Project Glass motion-based theft detection, locks up if it feels ‘unnatural’ movement

Posted on 17/07/2012 by Daniel Cooper

We know that you're never gonna take your Google glasses off, but if some nefarious lout feels differently, the boys and girls in Mountain View's X lab have got you covered. The company has patented a system whereby the device can identify "unnatural" movements and lock the headset if it feels the violent motion of them being wrenched from your face. Even better, while your would-be assailant is making off with the $1,500 gear, it'll be contacting the authorities to ensure that they can't get far with their ill-gotten HMD. If nothing else, we'll won't worry as much when pre-order customers 782 and 788 go out of an evening.

Filed under: Wearables

Google patents Project Glass motion-based theft detection, locks up if it feels 'unnatural' movement originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple granted patent for accelerometer-aided theft-detection system

Posted on 10/07/2012 by Zach Honig

Despite the added risk brought on by Apple's Find My iPhone feature, the iOS handset remains a frequent target for smartphone thieves, thanks to the device's resale value and compatibility with networks around the world. There's not much you can do to deter sticky fingers short of keeping your iPhone or MacBook in view at all times, but the issue does appear to have crossed the desks of Apple's design team, which was just granted patent number 8,217,792 for a sophisticated anti-theft scheme. The acceleration-based system would detect a "known theft condition" based on acceleration characteristics, sounding an alarm and disabling the device. The smartphone or laptop would ignore vibrations from passing cars or those caused by items being dropped onto a nearby surface, instead focusing on undisclosed scenarios that likely involve direct movement. The device owner would use a GUI to configure and disable the system, at which point the handset or computer would return to its pre-disturbed mode. Overall, it sounds like a fairly straightforward hardware/software solution, with the added benefit of a technique to filter out regular motion in an attempt to reduce the number of false alarms. You'll find the full patent at the source link below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops

Apple granted patent for accelerometer-aided theft-detection system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel demos Bluetooth-based anti-theft alarm for Ultrabooks, we go hands-on (video)

Posted on 05/06/2012 by Dana Wollman

We interrupt our wall-to-wall laptop and Windows 8 coverage to bring you some news about... chips. Specifically, Intel's latest ultra low voltage chips, and new features they'll bring to Ultrabooks, in particular. Here at Chipzilla's Computex keynote, we just got a demo of a new security feature that causes an alarm to go off on your PC if a stranger attempts to move it. Using Bluetooth 4.0 and a custom Android app, you designate your PC as the one that needs protection, and then you set a threshold for when the alarm should go off (the range is customizable, but doesn't go beyond five feet). If someone tries to burgle your laptop, he or she will have to enter a password to silence the wailing.

It's all worth a look in our demo video below, but we can think of a couple caveats. For one, in order to receive an alert on your phone, letting you know someone picked up your PC, you'd have to be within Bluetooth range, which means if you're covering a tradeshow in Taipei and someone robs your apartment in New York, you'll be none the wiser. Second, the technology isn't yet integrated with Intel's other security features, such as identity protection or its "poison pill" that prevents the PC from even booting. On that front, then, best to keep it up with those unguessable passwords.

Gallery: Intel Bluetooth-based anti-theft alarm for Ultrabooks hands-on