By Alice Hill
RealTechNews

The somewhat good news for San Francisco residents: Free WiFi is coming. The bad news: coffee shop laptop theft is at an all time high. If you think about it, laptops are pricey and easy to steal items. If people have been grabbing iPods on subway platforms, it certainly make sense to lunge for a device that costs 3X that amount. And guess where to turn when it comes time to sell: the Internet or on the street for $300.

A San Francisco finance manager stopped in at a Mission District cafe and was tapping on his laptop as he enjoyed his coffee just before noon on a Thursday. Suddenly, he was under siege. “I looked up, and I saw this guy leaning into me as if he was asking a question,” he said. “I leaned forward, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone fiddling with the computer cord. I tried to stand up, and as I stepped back, he stabbed me in the chest.”

The 40-year-old San Francisco victim of the March 16 attack suffered a partially collapsed lung and was hospitalized for six days. The two suspects fled with his Apple PowerBook, worth $2,500. Source: SF Gate

We Say: Get ready for more and more laptop security devices, but when it comes down to being stabbed over your hardware and a nice cup of coffee, there’s no place like home.