April 10th, 2006
Laptop Thieves Descend Upon Wireless Cafes
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.
The Zero Point says:
Hang On To Your Laptop
Laptop thieves descend upon wireless cafes… 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….
April 11th, 2006 at 6:30 am
The Zero Point says:
Hang On To Your Laptop
Laptop thieves descend upon wireless cafes… 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…
April 11th, 2006 at 6:32 am
degustbus says:
sounds like a candidate for eVestBodyArmor (nopt to be confused with Scott eVest [http://www.scottevest.com/])
electronic (or internet) body armor in a vest that’s internet powered, provides the zseccurity of armor with wireless reporting and RFID tracking of muggings.
Now a news form of warchalking emerges–warmugging, identies those places where people have been mugged for their notebooks, etc.
April 11th, 2006 at 8:13 am