thinkpad laptops

A Computer That Recognizes You


I went by Lenovos booth to check out their new laptops, and it turned out that their laptops checked me out instead. Thats because the laptops use your face, in addition to your password, as a security measure. As soon as you approach, the webcam takes your picture. Then face-recognition software called VeriFace compares your pic to photos of authorized users. If they match, you can log into the computer. If they dont match, its a double whammy: Not only can you not log in, but the PC saves your pic, so the real owner can see whos been snooping around her laptop. The tech showed up on a couple of Lenovos business-y ThinkPad laptops last year, but is about to make a much bigger showing now that Lenovos releasing its first consumer laptops for the U.S.—Lauren Aaronson

Want more? Check out our entire CES 2008 coverage here.

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speedy The Fastest Swimsuit on Earth
"At the Beijing Olympic pool, perhaps the only star bigger than Michael Phelps was his swimsuit. The Speedo LZR (pronounced "laser"), like Phelps, didn't disappoint: 16 of the 32 gold-medal winners wore the full-body suit, and another 13 wore LZR pants."
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speedy A Finish that Repairs Itself
"It won't save you from a key-gouging vandal, but the finish on the 2008 Infiniti EX and FX-model SUVs can erase scrapes caused by, say, car washes or stray branches."
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speedy Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser
"Truck-mounted IED-destroying lasers have already been tested in Iraq, but firing lasers from an airplane is a more difficult proposition."
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speedy A Spit Test for Heart Attacks
"This year, San Antonio EMT crews began using a spit test that detects cardiac arrest faster, more accurately and more cheaply than other diagnostic tests."

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