PNY ThinkSafe Portable Laptop Locking System

• Pros

  Easy set-up. Useful as a deterrent.

• Cons Can be broken with standard tools. Kensington Slot Lock didn't fit into test system.
• Bottom Line

  The PNY ThinkSafe Portable Locking System provides laptop owners with a straightforward and, for the most part, effective protection mechanism that, at about $40, is a small price to pay for something that can make the difference between a secure laptop and a crime statistic.

By Ahmer Kazi

A little over a year ago, the New York Times reported that most of the 300-plus Starbucks scattered throughout New York City had unwittingly become hotspots for thieves, who'd pilfer laptops and handbags whenever patrons waited on line or went to the bathroom. Of course, laptop theft didn't magically appear with the advent of Starbucks, as demonstrated by the growing number of alarming posters warning of laptop theft in most libraries. The PNY ThinkSafe Portable Laptop Locking System ($39.99 direct) isn't the most potent solution to this problem, but it does succeed in providing laptop owners with a straightforward and, for the most part, effective protection mechanism. At $40, it's a small price to pay for something that has the potential to save your laptop from theft. As is the case with all locks, you'd be better off with it than without it. And, regardless of effectiveness, the ThinkSafe also serves as a deterrent, as any thief would probably think twice before pulling out tools to break it apart in public.

Design
Naturally, the main component of the ThinkSafe kit is the combination lock. Its steel body has a cylindrical shape that measures 2.75 by 1.5 inches (HW), and the lock is released by pushing down on a button with your thumb in a manner reminiscent of a syringe. A six-foot carbon steel cable with protective rubber coating is attached to the combination lock, and its other end has a loop that can be hooked around a fixed object to anchor your system. In order to unlock the unit, one needs to scroll through the four rotating dials on the face of the combination lock to enter a factory-supplied four-digit code.

Once unlocked, the syringe-like button can be pushed to reveal a retractable hook, which in turn connects to one of the included stainless steel hinge-link. The ThinkSafe kit comes with three different hinge-links that vary in size, so they can fit into thick laptops as well as skinner ultrabooks. Alternatively, you can ditch the hinges altogether, as the ThinkSafe also comes with a cast-steel slot lock that can be inserted directly into a Kensington Security Slot. Whichever method you opt for to secure your system, an included mesh pouch can be used to take it on the go.

Performance
Testing the ThinkSafe with a Toshiba Satellite laptop first required selecting the Hinge Link that most closely matched my system's thickness, which turned out to be the medium-sized link. The link is then inserted into the gap in the system's hinge, where it slides beneath the underside and protrudes out of the rear; a tiny perforation at the tip of the link accordingly matches to where the combination lock goes. Meanwhile, I used the looped end of the cable to secure my Satellite to a stationary point, a table in this case. Overall, setting up the ThinkSafe took very little time and wasn't cumbersome in the least bit. The same cannot be said of the included Slot-Link lock, though, as it didn't fit into my Satellite's Kensington lock slot.

I set a baseline of ten minutes to determine whether the ThinkSafe lock proved effective, as I'd imagine that's a reasonable amount of time that one can leave a laptop unattended before it becomes fair game for thieves. Having secured my Satellite in the manner outlined above, I turned to our very own Will Greenwald to play the role of laptop thief. Armed with needle-nose pliers, wire strippers, a utility knife, and a monkey wrench, Will started on the hinge link, which he repeatedly bent back and forth with his pliers. The stainless steel link proved impervious to his bending technique, so he moved on to the cable. Stripping the rubber coating revealed a tightly braided steel cable, which Will attempted to fray apart before cutting through individual strands with his pliers. This also proved difficult. All in all, it took Will 8 minutes 58 seconds of strenuous effort to breach the ThinkSafe lock, which, despite falling a minute shy of my ten-minute baseline, was still impressive since it occurred in the relative calm of the Labs; in a more public setting, like a library, the necessary furtiveness of a thief's actions would almost certainly result in a longer amount of time to break through the lock. On the other hand, though, Will was able to break through the cable despite his complete lack of experience in laptop thievery; one can easily imagine a seasoned thief doing it in half the time, especially with the right tools on hand. That said, though, a lock's deterrent effect is arguably just as important as its effectiveness as a lock, and in that regard, the ThinkSafe is useful simply for being what it is.

The PNY ThinkSafe Portable Laptop Locking System isn't a sure-fire way to protect your laptop, but it most succeeds as a straightforward and effective method of protection, as well as a useful deterrent against any potential thieves. As we saw, it's not completely impervious to being dismantled, but it holds its own under quite a bit of duress. For $40, it's a small price to pay for a device that protects something as important as your laptop. In the end, you'd be better off with it than without it, and that's perhaps the most one can hope for in a lock.

By Ahmer Kazi

Ahmer Kazi is a junior analyst for the PCMag Hardware team. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Television and Film from St. John's University, where he also minored in English. He additionally holds a Juris...

');}} '); } }

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/cvwrlWqMWTM/0,2817,2411255,00.asp

brown recluse front door alyssa bustamante protandim weightless ellen degeneres jcpenney yeardley love