Fast Technology

It's not only businesses that need to worry about laptop security.

Even NASA laptops are vulnerable to theft and poor security practices: 48 NASA laptops or mobile devices were stolen from America’s space agency between April 2009 and April 2011, including one--unencrypted--laptop containing control codes for the International Space Station (ISS).

Although ISS does not appear to be in jeopardy, according to a NASA public affairs officer who spoke to the Security News Daily, the NASA security breaches underscore how serious and difficult a problem laptop and mobile device theft is--whether you’re a government agency or a small business or an individual.

In his testimony last month before the Science, Space and Technology House subcommittee, NASA Inspector General Paul Martin admitted that only 1 percent of NASA’s portable devices are encrypted. That leaves 99 percent of the agency’s laptops and mobile devices left unprotected, storing possibly not just employees’ personal data such as Social Security numbers, but also third-party intellectual property and perhaps space or government secrets (yes, I watched many episodes of Chuck).

Biggest Nightmare for a Business?

Lost laptops and lost mobile phones have long topped the list as the biggest nightmare for security chiefs and PR teams (see this Laptop Losers Hall of Shame for some older cringe-worthy stories). Why does encryption continue to pose such a big business challenge?

NASA offers a good example. It doesn’t have an agency-wide data encryption system or solution. Individuals can encrypt a laptop at the file, folder, or drive level, but that could leave too much room for error or leave too much up to user discretion. A centralized, managed encryption solution for your whole fleet of mobile devices is a better idea, but obviously may involve more costly enterprise resources. Implementing such a system across a chain of command, with lots of people and systems involved, no doubt requires a lot of planning and commitment.

Considering that the average value of an individual lost laptop has been computed as more than $49,000, however, making sure each laptop is encrypted before it leaves the room with sensitive data on it is probably well worth the investment.

You face a decision when an appliance goes on the blink: Do you repair it, or is it time to replace it? The smartest answer requires some math.

A number of factors determine whether you should repair or replace, including the cost of the repair, the age of the appliance, the amount of use and the maintenance it's had and how well it's performed.

Most major appliances generally last 10 to 15 years if they're cared for properly, according to industry experts and highly rated appliance-repair companies on Angie's List.

"If the cost to repair it is over half the cost of replacement, customers tend to replace," said Mark Everhart of Convenient Appliance Service in Winston-Salem. "Or if it's (older), they'll tend to replace. … You wouldn't want to spend that money on a product that's (near the end) of its life expectancy."

Replacing an appliance with a new, more efficient one also can reduce energy costs, but there are environmental benefits to repairing an appliance: You can keep it out of a landfill.

A service call is usually the best way to ensure that you don't waste money. A new appliance could cost thousands of dollars, but the average price of a service call is $50 to $100. That doesn't include the cost of parts and labor if additional work is required.

You can keep your appliances working longer and more efficiently by following the factory-recommended usage and preventative-maintenance guidelines.

If an appliance needs attention, research local repair companies to ensure they have a good reputation and the knowledge to work on your model and brand.

Sony has unveiled a raft of new digital cameras for 2012 including models with boosted optical zoom lenses, better low light performance and faster auto focus features.

At the beefy end of the compact range, Sony's 18-megapixel Cybershot DSC-HX30V offers a 20 times optical zoom lens and built-in Wi-Fi for syncing photos directly to a PC or via Sony's PlayMemories cloud storage service. There's also a version without Wi-Fi dubbed the DSC-HX20V.

Larger still is the Cybershot DSC-HX200V30X with an astoundingly zoomy 30X optical lens (that's 810mm lens equivalent). Armed with a bunch of fully manual controls for the hands on photographer, the HX200V has a tiltable 3-inch screen and can shoot 1080p video at a smooth 60 frames a second.

At the other end of the spectrum, the dinky TX range has two new entries. The rugged, freeze proof and waterproof to 5 meters Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 is armed with a 16-megapixel sensor, the TX-20 manages 4X optical zoom and displays the results on a built-in 3-inch screen which is touch sensitive.

The 0.53-inch-deep Cyber-shot DSC-TX66 has a built-in lens cover that slides down to power on the camera, and it packs the new 18-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with faster autofocus speeds. A 3.3-inch-diagonal OLED touchscreen allows you to access most of the camera's settings.

The 18-megapixel DSC-TX66 is fitted with a 5X optical zoom in a half-inch thick package, sporting a 3.3-inch OLED touch screen and faster autofocus, as featured on the rest of the cameras in Sony's updated range.

Set to appear some time in May, the Cybershot DSC-WX150 continues Sony's megazoom theme, with a 10X optical zoom for the 18-megapixel CMOS sensor crammed into a camera around the size of Canon's competing Ixus range. Like many of the other cameras, the WX150 uses Sony's new backlit Exmor R CMOS sensor with considerably better low light performance.

The WX150 has a 3-inch screen while an even smaller brother, the WX100, has a slightly smaller 2.7-inch screen. Sony claim the 108gr WX100 is the smallest and lightest camera with a 10x optical zoom lens.

The Sony range of cameras are due to roll out from April through to May. More details are available on Sony's updated 2012 camera range web pages.