Lenovo ThinkPads bring biometric HDD encryption, Merom, and draft-N
While fingerprint scanners on laptops are becoming all the rave lately, from what we can tell most of them don't encrypt and decrypt data with the swipe of a finger. Today, Lenovo announced that all new models in the ThinkPad 60 series will include Ultimaco's SafeGuard Easy 4.30, software which enables the option of biometric hard drive encryption that meets the FIPS 140-2 certification -- what the Feds require for government-purchased encryption products. On the Core 2 Duo side, models T60, T60p, R60, R60e, X60, Z61t, Z61p and Z61e are getting the bumped processor treatment, while the same laptops, plus the X60s, (but not including the Z61e) are also to be offered with 802.11n. Lenovo told us that all of these new features are due out later this month, but we don't yet know how much of a premium they'll fetch; we'll keep you posted as soon as the intel comes in. [Via The Associated Press]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ROFLROFFLES @ Oct 16th 2006 5:49PM
It's about time that the ThinkPads embrace new technology, something which IBM failed to do.
TIMMAH! @ Oct 16th 2006 6:55PM
Yes, but using the Chinese secret government backdoor built into every Thinkpad now, you can still get the data in an unencrypted format...
MitchS @ Oct 16th 2006 8:32PM
Finally, Core 2 Duo. Too bad Intel's marketing creation makes me think of http://static.flickr.com/27/47582255_ed719773ca_o.jpg
Where is the Linux support? What ever happend to the T60p with SUSE?
Danny @ Oct 16th 2006 9:11PM
I sat through a briefing session with Lenovo the other day and either the T60 or T61 (it was a long presentation OK) had Linux support listed as a feature.
Court Kizer @ Oct 17th 2006 3:54AM
This is perfect. Now it's easier than ever to steal data. Finger print scanners are the easiest things in the world to beat. Watch youtube, to see the mythbuster beating laptop fingerprint scanners with PHOTOCOPY paper from a fingerprint they got (half off) a coffee mug!!!! They even beat the worlds formost biometrics scanner (the kind that check for pulse) with some silly putty and there finger behind it....
Fingerprint scanners are horrible security, it gives people the illusion of security, when they have none. I'd rather a 40charater password with a 256bit encrypted disk.
engdgt.9.nikster @ Oct 17th 2006 9:16PM
if you think about it, using your fingerprints as password is a strange concept. it's like leaving copies of your password pretty much everywhere you go. yeah, that's secure!!!
and guess which part of the laptop has a perfect fingerprint on it? that's right, the fingerprint-scanner of course.
same goes for DNA scanners, actually...
looks like passwords will be the most secure for a while to come. because they leave no externally measurable traces...
engaget @ Nov 2nd 2006 7:42PM
Oh where, oh where, is the Core 2 Duo Tablet? Heck, even a old Core Duo? Almost every Lenovo laptop got the bump except the Tablet line. What gives?