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DJI’s next smartphone gimbal might have a magnetic quick mount system
Leaked images show DJI's Osmo Mobile 4 smartphone gimbal with a new magnetic mount system.
Locking iPad case makes your tablet far less portable, attractive, and enticing to thieves
Sick and tired of hauling your iPad into a dodgy work environment, scared to even leave it in your desk drawer for half a minute while you scurry across the office for a cup of scorched coffee? Never mind finding a new career -- just fill out the paperwork necessary to pack a concealed weapon and head over to Mac Locks. You see, the aforesaid site is now carrying what it calls the world's first locking iPad case -- a plastic shell that can be closed via lock and tethered to pretty much anything via a coated steel cable. Once it's secured, the only way to remove the tablet is the right way, or the fast way, with the breaking-and-entering method rendering the device worthless. The case itself can be had for $39.95, whereas the case / cable bundle is going for $64.95. But hey, it's hard to put a price on peace of mind, ya know?
Kensington's ClickSafe security lock: 'so easy, your employees actually use it'
Nice going, Kensington -- you just admitted to the world something we already knew. No one actually uses the lock slot / cable that's issued to them on their first day on the job. It's painful to envision the cash this company has made from mindless corporations who somehow think that employees are going to tie their laptops up each and every day, but now it has an alternative that it swears "your employees will actually use." The new ClickSafe system essentially works as such: you insert a small locking nub into the lock slot that ships on (almost) every new laptop today, and then you clip the new locking cable on by hand. Once you've completed the first step, the cable connection is a simple motion each morning -- in theory, at least. Peek the installation vid after the break if you're still having your doubts, and feel free to blow $49.99 / $69.99 (depending on model) if you just know that this time it'll be different. %Gallery-104749%
Kensington's Laptop Locking Station is a thief's worst nightmare... maybe
Make no mistake, this one's no docking station -- rather, it's a locking station. Kensington, which has somehow managed to get a self-labeled lock slot embedded into nearly every modern Windows-based laptop, has just introduced a new duo meant to keep your lappie locked down and unavailable for thieves. The Kensington Laptop Locking Station ($79.99) boasts an all-steel backbone (one that resists cutting, drilling or prying), and ideally you'd mount it onto the desk or table where you typically leave your machine for extended periods of time. If you're in need of a little extra reach, there's an optional Tether Kit ($29.99) that keeps things secure regardless of where you're at. Specific details on both -- along with a video demonstration -- are embedded after the break, with the whole shebang capable of handling laptops from 13.3- to 17-inches.
Proposed class action settlement would let you unlock almost any AT&T handset -- except the iPhone
So the good news is that a class action lawsuit out in Cali is on the cusp of coming to a resolution, and the resolution will require AT&T to provide an unlock code for just about any phone it has sold since March 12, 1999 -- in other words, you'll be able to take the phone and use it on any GSM carrier of your choice. We say "just about" because there's one big exception -- any phone for which AT&T secured an exclusivity period of at least ten months -- which naturally includes the iPhone (in fact, it's called out by name in the settlement). There are some stipulations, too; if you're postpaid, you have to have been a customer for at least 90 days, and even devices with exclusivity periods of less than ten months can't be unlocked until the period is over (which admittedly makes good sense). Taking a Backflip somewhere else might not seem like a particularly appealing option, but who knows -- maybe you're a T-Mobile customer with a thing for backward hinges and a disdain for 3G.
Lindy lets loose another locking HDMI cable
Locking HDMI cables -- ever heard of 'em? Yeah, they're all the rage in the home theater market right now, and given that Lindy has yet to come out with one of its own, well, it definitely had to remedy that. To be fair, the outfit's new Premium Gold HDMI 1.3b Cat 2 Cables don't actually posses the innate ability to clip in, but Lindy's quite clear that you can attach an optional Connector Lock for yank-proof peace of mind. The cables are available with 24K gold connectors and can be purchased in lengths ranging from 0.5 to 20 meters; check 'em right now across the pond for £49.99 ($70) and up.
Ottovonmo's locking HDMI cables solve a problem you likely don't have
For the vast majority of home theater aficionados who don't wake up grumbling about how their collection of HDMI connectors have somehow wiggled free from their sockets overnight, we'd probably stick to the cables you're currently using. For folks living in Earthquake-prone territories or with children who just love to snatch, however, Ottovonmo's locking HDMI cables could be just the thing you've been dreaming of. As the title implies, each cable has a locking mechanism that requires an intentional movement on your part in order to disengage it. Based on ProVideo Coalition's impressions, it actually worked well in testing -- but then again, we wouldn't expect anything less for $59.95 (three-foot version) and way, way up.[Via ProVideo Coalition]
RIM patent locks down cameras the old fashioned way: with a key
Many businesses bristle at the thought of intellectual property being whisked away from their premises via camera -- a fear that becomes ever more realistic as cameraphones jump from 1 to 2, 3, or 5 megapixels -- and perhaps no phone manufacturer is more in tune to the needs of those suits than RIM. Sure enough, the BlackBerry people have come to the table with a rather unusual patent application to address the problem. Rather than remove cameras entirely a la 8800 series, they're proposing the use of a removable key to prevent the camera from being used. Insert the key, the cam works like a champ; pull it, it goes dead. Because, you know, that obviously can't be circumvented in any way.[Via CellPassion]
Court clears way for suit hating on T-Mobile's locking, ETF policies
Looks like someone doesn't want their free-on-contract handset too badly! The California Supreme Court has thrown down its seal of approval to proceed with a lawsuit challenging a couple basic principles of carrier subsidies -- locked handsets and early termination fees -- with T-Mobile begin named as the lucky defendant this time around. The carrier had previously tried to get the case thrown out (as all good corporate lawyers should) by pointing out that its contracts require customer disputes to be arbitrated rather than taken to court, but the plaintiff's legal team successfully argued that the claims they were bringing against T-Mobile weren't arbitrable. So help us out here: what does a "win" for the public good constitute in this case, court-compelled unlocks and penalty-free contract terminations or the continued availability of heavily-subsidized handsets? Is the prorated ETF a good compromise?
Sprint hit with lawsuit over handset locking
Looks like Sprint sure has its share of headaches these days. After giving its customers a surprise (and a way out of their contracts) with its SMS rate hikes, the company's now being hit with a class action lawsuit over handset locking. The suit, filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, alleges that Sprint violated California law by locking its handsets to make it difficult for customers to switch carriers without buying a new phone, as well as by failing to disclose that the handsets were locked in the first place. If you have a California billing address for either a Sprint personal or business account and purchased a handset between August 28, 1999 and September 21, 2006, then you're covered by the lawsuit and don't have to do anything. However, if you want to be excluded from the lawsuit, and retain the right to sue Sprint for yourself (how dare they carrier-lock their phones!), you'll have to fill out an exclusion request form (available on the site linked below) and mail it postmarked no later than December 7th, 2006. But fair warning -- if you go that route, you'll be shut out of any money or lavish benefits that may be awarded as a result of the class action lawsuit.[Thanks, Corey Flood]
