[Dmax7]

It is so common to hear stories of laptops being stolen from cars. How they did it?

Copy and paste the email just received:-



Apparently there is a booming business in Asia that starts with the purchase of a small device that can detect the presence of a laptop.

Thieves use these devices to determine laptops left in cars or any other unsupervised areas and quickly grab the laptops. Obviously, the monetary value of the device is of concern, but much more important is the proprietary data on the laptops.

This is a good reminder for all of us anywhere in the world, but especially important to those travelling to the Asia region. Make sure your laptop is with you at all times. I know this is difficult when we go to lunch or dinner immediately after work, but never leave the laptops in a car; even locked cars are being broken into if the presence of a laptop is detected.


FYI, in Malaysia , lots of laptops are being stolen from time to time. Too bad....be carefull...

Laptop detector does really exist.
For those who have never heard of it,
here are the pictures of the detector:

http://images.google...rl=...l=en&sa=N


Even the wifi, bluetooth or the entire notebook is completely off,
it can still be detected via radio frequency,
so never leave your laptop, pda, handphone ...
in the car coz PEOPLE KNOW.

These devices are not expensive,
it costs less than RM50 for the thieves to start the "business

[ntc2000]

yes sir...

i know this long time ago... they detect through laptop bios battery....

thank for ur info..

[ASIMO]

can detect handphone too ?

but i heard someone was telling me it doesn't exist !

[ntc2000]

can detect handphone too ?

but i heard someone was telling me it doesn't exist !

u try put ur laptop at boot area and park ur car at damansara up town and see whether exists or not...

hihi... I saw that device in real before.... lmao

[azbro]

Ppl. say it is the laptop detector is urban myth..but I think it exist...

[thebugbud]

fundamentally, the laptop is still running and emitting radio wave when it's suspended or hibernate.

the radio wave come from the internal timer/clock.

even so, the radio wave is weak as compare to suspended mode. In suspension mode, the notebook is still running but very slowly by keeping the state in memory. To keep the memory, especially, ram. The memory need to refresh at a certain rate. That will generate higher radio wave footprint.

By all means, if you intend to keep the notebook in the car. You may reduce the risk by proper shutdown the notebook, take out the battery and keep the notebook in the trunk. Technically speaking, the trunk is metal and that helps to reduce the radio wave signature further.


Still, this is not full proof and to take your notebook with you will still be the best option. :-)

[kiddo]

yes sir...

i know this long time ago... they detect through laptop bios battery....

thank for ur info..

you mean if my laptop have no bios then it'll not be detectable ? i think all this is just a myth. i sometimes leave my laptop in the boot of my car.

[SplitFire]

you mean if my laptop have no bios then it'll not be detectable ? i think all this is just a myth. i sometimes leave my laptop in the boot of my car.

Nope. Its real. Talk to any security officer in shopping complex and they'll tell you.

JB Sutera Mall security department caught one of this thief few months back. I went to backup their CCTV footage.

Local thieve are not using RF scanner. They uses a RF listen in device like a MP3 player that can be pre-tune to the right frequency of what laptop bios is omitting. And it can correctly detect which brand of laptop it is. The device will give a weezing sound omit via ear phone.

Let say today target is Sony Vaio. They get an actual Sony Vaio and uses that detecting device to tune in front of the laptop till it detect the frequency and omit weezing sound. Then off they go for fishing in the car park. Each manufacturer has different range of bios frequency. Or I should say dfferent bios manufacturer, like Amibios, Pheonix..... .

So whenever you see someone wearing sort of MP3 player or Bluetooth Earpiece loitering around carpark, you might want to give this fella extra attention.

[nozzy]

The one I heard fr my fren that has it was a device that can detect the bios using LEDs, the stonger the LEDs light up(few LEDs arranged in red till yellow) the stronger the possibility presence of a laptop.

[kiddo]

Nope. Its real. Talk to any security officer in shopping complex and they'll tell you.

JB Sutera Mall security department caught one of this thief few months back. I went to backup their CCTV footage.

Local thieve are not using RF scanner. They uses a RF listen in device like a MP3 player that can be pre-tune to the right frequency of what laptop bios is omitting. And it can correctly detect which brand of laptop it is. The device will give a weezing sound omit via ear phone.

if there's no bios in my laptop, then it's safe ? I don't believe mine have.