Sheffield based IT company have just launched a product Backstopp which locates laptops, takes a picture of the thief and destroys the data on the laptop.

At £10 per month it is very expensive but seems to be an interesting product. It uses GSM, RFID and internet to help activate the software when reported stolen. Best of luck with the launch , the more awareness of the need to protect laptops etc the better. It is a difficult to see how good it is as there is no demo download on the site but looking forward to checking it out in the future.

Paul

Matthew Stibbe over at Bad Language has some good tips on keeping your laptop data safe and sound.

The top tips:

- Back it up

- Use strong passwords

- Encrypt your harddrive

- Be careful what you put on your laptop

- Use a bag that doesnt look like a laptop bag

- Use security chains

- Dont post your laptop - to all you lucky macbook air owners.

- Last bit not least tag it with a yougetitback tag ( shameless plug)

Driven by concern over data security Fujitsu have launched phones with a fingerprint sensor.

excerpt

“The main purpose of the sensor is to protect personal and corporate information on mobile devices if they are lost or stolen and to secure transactions related to mobile commerce and online banking, where users can log in to mobile banking sites without Personal Identification Numbers or passwords.”

The 5 most stolen gadgets as reported by switched.com are laptops, cellphones, GPS units, Car stereos and iPods.  No great suprise that laptops are top of the heap as they are small and have a good resale value on the black market. We would add to the tips below that every mobile items needs to be tagged. Lots of stolen items get recovered by police and lay gathering dust in police departments as they have no way of tracking the owner down.

1. Laptops - tips include locks, passwords, insurance and encryption. 
2. Cell Phones - use a password, call your cell company to deactivate it, call the police
3. GPS Devices - remove the device and its mount when you park, use a friction mount (so no ring is left visible), also use a password, close car windows, and install a car alarm
4. Car Stereos - remove faceplate, use a security code, use a car alarm, log serial number
5. iPods - use other headphones, conceal the player, be careful where you take it (subways, schools)

I read an interesting article on iPhone theft here. Iphone thefts are reported to be more prevalent than Ipod thefts and the biggest driver for theft is not the phone itself but your identity according to law enforcement.

Lots of concern on how to protect the iPhone - no solid product out there that I have come across. As more and more activity goes mobile e.g. mobile banking id theft will drive lots of theft of high end phone. I will be slow to move my banking on to my phone until this is sorted. My online banking seems pretty secure .. the banks and carriers need to give lots of peace of mind.
There is a nice site to register your iPhone pre loss / theft

These guys say 3 million lost /stolen cellphone this year in the US.