ZAGG, makers of the acclaimed Invisible Shield protectors for the iPad, iPhone and other devices sent us a very interesting iPad keyboard case to take a look at.

The ZAGGmate, as it’s called, comes in two versions. The first is just the “ZAGGmate” ($69) which is an aluminum case that and stand for your iPad that goes over the front of the device. The other, which is the one that we’re testing, is the “ZAGGmate w/keyboard” ($99) which is the same aluminum screen cover, but it also has a rather handy Bluetooth keyboard built right into its impressively sleek form-factor!

Here’s a quick video from ZAGG to get give you an overview of the ZAGGmate with keyboard:

Design

The ZAGGmate w/keyboard is designed to mimic the iPad’s aesthetics and does so well. The brushed aluminum looks just like the back of the iPad and the color is matched quite closely.

The outside of the case has nothing more than a subtle “ZAGG” logo on the bottom of the back of the case, and a micro-USB port for charging the keyboard.

The ZAGGmate fits onto the iPad with a ultra-satisfying snugness, thanks to some precise machining and a neoprene-like material around the area that the ZAGGmate will contact your iPad. Not only does this ensure a tight fit, but it also will make sure that the iPad doesn’t get scratched as you put the case on and take it off.

My only worry about the lining that makes the iPad fight tightly is that it might wear out after some time. The duration of my test wasn’t long enough to verify whether or not this would happen, but between the padding losing it’s firmness (thus reducing the tightness of the fit) to the adhesive loosing it’s stick — there is a possibility of failure at some point down the road. At this time, the fit is so tight that I’d have to intentionally shake the iPad out of the case if I wanted it to fall out.

Any part of the ZAGGmate that comes into contact while it’s on the iPad are padded with a smooth rubberized material which let’s you be confident that the screen won’t get scratched when you put the case on.

The close fit also means that the ZAGGmate hardly adds bulk to your iPad (compared almost all other cases) and this is great for anyone who commonly slips their iPad into a bag to take it with them.

One thing I didn’t enjoy out of the box was that the included pamphlet actually recommended putting a protector on the ZAGGmate (naturally, they recommend their own Invisible Shield brand) because the aluminum can get scratched fairly easily. This seems a bit backward as the ZAGGmate is designed (in theory) to protect your iPad, so why would it need protection itself? Can you imagine buying a case for your iPhone and then having to put another case over top of it? That’d be a bit ridiculous, right?

One of the only parts of the ZAGGmate that feels lacking in quality and design is the stand that actually holds the iPad up. It’s made of plastic and snaps into position with small plastic nubs that feel like they might break off after a decent amount of use. The stand only locks into one position which means just one angle of tilt for your iPad. The iPad has good viewing angles, fortunately, but some still might be annoyed that they can’t adjust the angle if glare is an issue. I’m presuming that they selected the one angle to ensure that the iPad won’t tip the ZAGGmate over during use.

There isn’t much of a mechanism that actually holds the iPad into place. For the most part it just uses its own weight to sit in the trench, and there are little plastic pieces that slightly grab the aluminum lip between the iPad’s glass and bezel. It doesn’t actually “lock-in” to the keyboard in any sense, so don’t expect to be able to use it on your lap during a bumpy car ride; the ZAGGmate is definitely meant for table-top usage.

Getting the iPad out of the ZAGGmate works best if you hold it perpendicular to the surface that it’s sitting on, and use the dock connector as a grip to separate it from the case.

Keyboard

The ZAGGmate is heavy enough that it’ll keep the iPad upright in landscape or portrait mode, as long as you’re using it on a flat surface.

The keyboard on the ZAGGmate will really enhance your typing on the iPad. The benefits of using a bluetooth keyboard are two fold: First of all is the obvious fact that you’ll be able to type more quickly with the physical keyboard than the on-screen keyboard. Second, when using a bluetooth keyboard, the on-screen keyboard doesn’t pop-up so you have much more screen real-estate for what you’re actually looking at.

Connecting the keyboard is easy, just turn on bluetooth on the iPad, and flip the on-switch on the ZAGGmate and your iPad should pull it up in the bluetooth device list. Once you configure it by typing the PIN on the ZAGGmate and pressing Enter, the keyboard will connect to your iPad and be ready to type automatically from that point forward.

The on-off switch is nice for saving battery life, but it would have been neat if they included a button that would automatically be pressed by the iPad when it is put in the case, thus turning the keyboard off automatically so that you don’t have to think about it every time you put it away.

The keyboard itself is reminiscent of a 10” netbook keyboard. The keys have a classic laptop-style feel to them with great feedback and a good pitch (the distance that the keys press down). A proper shift-key on the left and right of the keyboard was greatly appreciated as many smaller keyboards that I’ve used in the past have either shrunk them down to single-key size or forgone one of them completely. The only keys I have an issue with on the keyboard are the tab and caps lock keys which didn’t seem to press down evenly. I couldn’t determine if this was a design issue or if there was something under the keys, but in the end it isn’t too much of a hindrance because they do work regardless of how they feel, and these keys aren’t used that frequently. While I’m on the tab note, I can confirm that the tab key will switch between text fields in both system dialogues and of webpages which helps with navigation of the cursor.

The keyboard has a full set of QWERTY keys, featuring everything you’d expect from a traditional keyboard, including a full row of half-sized function keys (F1-F12). Many of the function keys are have handy key bindings that perform actions on the iPad. For instance, the escape-key acts as the iPads home button. You can tap it to unlock the device (which even skips the “Slide to Unlock” slider), and you can even double-tap it to bring up the multi-tasking menu.

Furthermore, F1 will take you to the device’s spotlight search from anywhere that you might happen to be within the OS, F2 will start a slideshow, F3 toggles the on-screen keyboard (thought I’ve never needed to pull it up with the ZAGGmate attached), and F4 acts as the device’s lock button so that you can lock it without reaching around to the side of the device. There’s also play/pause and forward/back-track buttons mapped to F10 through F12 and volume up/down/mute buttons to boot! Very convenient.

I wouldn’t say that the keys are quite large enough to allow for full touch typing (properly using all 5 fingers on both hands). I generally ended up using just my index fingers (otherwise it’d be too cramped), but this was way faster than typing with the iPad’s on-screen keyboard. I used the same app to test typing speed that I used in my capacitive touchscreen glove showdown, it’s called TapTyping, and I used it to test the iPad’s on-screen keyboard in portrait and landscape modes, and test the ZAGGmate’s keyboard. Here are the results:

Conclusion

The ZAGGmate keyboard really gives you some serious typing ability and helps the iPad feel much more like a desktop computing experience. The fact that the keyboard doubles as a sort of case for the front of the device makes it really convenient to bring along. At $99, the price feels right for the ZAGGmate which is a well-built and very useful accessory (assuming that you do a lot of typing!).

ZAGGmate w/ Keyboard Review: Aluminum iPad Keyboard Case is a post by Ben from Notebooks.com.

Protecting personal data, especially intellectual property, is one of the major concerns of businesses and individuals today. Billions of sensitive data transactions take place across the globe daily. Keeping that protected is becoming an even more complex task, one of the the biggest concerns being espionage and misuse of information that can jeopardize the safety of individuals and competitiveness of businesses.

With the recent WikiLeaks episode dominating the media, we are witnessing a perfect example of how sensitive information released into the wrong hands can be more than just a nightmare, but also a risk to civilian lives. The vessel for most of what’s happening is the Internet. There is not much you can do about that, you can’t lock down the Internet since it was designed to be an open environment from the beginning.

In the case of the PC though, you have a bit more control. I am not just talking about passwords and access rights, these things are important of course, but there is more to think about today. Users need to look at more advanced tools to keep their sensitive data much safer, especially if you are in the field or on the road a lot. The risks get so much higher everyday for mobile users, laptops are stolen around the clock and recovery in most cases is next to impossible. This is where an important technology known as Encryption comes in.

Encryption in Windows 7 depends partly on the edition you are using, by default, you get standard  file and folder encryption in Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions. If you need advanced encryption such as BitLocker, BitLocker to Go, you will need to have either Windows 7 Enterprise or Ultimate. I will be looking at third party tools users can use if they are running Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic or Home Premium in a future article.

What is Encryption?

Encryption is the process of converting readable data into unreadable characters to prevent unauthorized access. Encrypted data can be treated just like any other data, whether it’s storing it or sharing it through email. To access the encrypted data in a readable form, the recipient must first decrypt it. In the encryption process, the unencrypted, readable data is called plaintext. The encrypted (scrambled) data, the originator of the data converts the plaintext into what is called ciphertext. To encrypt the data, the originator of the data converts the plaintext into ciphertext using a password or an encryption key.

An encryption key is a formula that the recipient of the data uses to decrypt ciphertext.

As I noted earlier, there are two types of encryption available in Windows 7 depending on the edition. In the case of Windows 7 Professional, you only have the Encrypting File System which only supports encrypting Files and Folders. If you are running the Enterprise or Ultimate editions of Windows 7, you will get access to more powerful tools built in.

Introducing BitLocker

A feature first introduced in Windows Vista called BitLocker Drive Encryption allows you to encrypt a fixed hard disk. BitLocker Drive Encryption can help to protect all files stored on the drive Windows is installed on (operating system drive) and on fixed data drives (such as internal hard drives).

Unlike Encrypting File System (EFS), which enables you to encrypt individual files, BitLocker encrypts the entire drive. You can log on and work with your files normally, but BitLocker can help block hackers from accessing the system files they rely on to discover your password, or from accessing your drive by removing it from your computer and installing it in a different computer.

When you add new files to a drive that is encrypted with BitLocker, BitLocker encrypts them automatically. Files remain encrypted only while they are stored in the encrypted drive. Files copied to another drive or computer are decrypted. If you share files with other users, such as through a network, these files are encrypted while stored on the encrypted drive, but they can be accessed normally by authorized users.

If you encrypt the operating system drive, BitLocker checks the computer during startup for any conditions that could represent a security risk (for example, a change to the BIOS or changes to any startup files). If a potential security risk is detected, BitLocker will lock the operating system drive and require a special BitLocker recovery key to unlock it. Make sure that you create this recovery key when you turn on BitLocker for the first time; otherwise, you could permanently lose access to your files. If your computer has the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, BitLocker uses it to seal the keys that are used to unlock the encrypted operating system drive. When you start your computer, BitLocker asks the TPM for the keys to the drive and unlocks it.

Setup

Note: I strongly recommend before using encryption software, at least have your hard disk backed up. Having your data secure is one thing, but not having access to it is another problem. You can reference articles about how to backup your personal files and hard disk here and here

By default, BitLocker requires that your computer have the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), 1.2 hardware chip technology. If your computer does not support this feature (mine does not), there is another option, you can use a USB thumbdrive which is what I will be using. First, you will need to configure the system to not require TPM. If you try to run BitLocker without the necessary requirements, you will receive the following message:

To work around this:

Click Start, type: gpedit.msc

Then hit Enter on your keyboard.

This will open the Local Group Policy Editor (please note I am working on Windows 7 Ultimate).

Next, expand Administrative Templates then Windows Components then Bitlocker Drive Encryption then click Operating System Drives

In the Right pane, right click Require additional authentication at startup then click Edit

Next apply the following changes to the following window:

• Select Enabled
• Under options, check the box that says ‘Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM
• Then click Apply and OK
• Close the Local Group Policy Editor

Next, click Start and type: gpupdate.exe /force then press Enter on your keyboard to enforce changes, restart your system just confirm things.

We are now ready to encrypt our internal hard disk.

Preparing the drive

Click Start, then click Computer

Right click your Local hard disk, then click Turn on BitLocker

This will start the BitLocker encryption wizard

Checking to see if your system meets the minimum requirements

BitLocker will prepare a reserved hidden partition of approximately 300 MBs for encryption data.

Making changes to the drive.

Restart your system to confirm changes.

After restarting, the wizard will then continue with the encryption process.

BitLocker Drive Encryption wizard

I strongly implore that you have a USB thumbdrive, in fact, you will need it to move forward. Having a thumbdrive to store the encryption key somewhere safely is important when you need to decrypt the drive to access the operating system and your personal files.

Select the location where the Encryption key will be stored.

Save the recovery key to the thumb drive

BitLocker will do a trial run just to make sure the thumbdrive can decrypt the hard disk drive. If it is not possible to use the thumbdrive, you can still do the encryption, but you will need to remember the 48 character encryption key. That’s why it is best that you have it stored somewhere safe or print it and store it safely so you can reference it when you need to. The reason why it might not be possible to use the thumbdrive as a Start up key, the thumbdrive is not formatted using a supported file system such as exFAT, FAT 16, FAT32 or NTFS or your BIOS needs to be updated. If all goes well, when you start the computer, the BitLocker Drive Encryption program will automatically start, if not, you will receive an error.

Recommendation, re-run the BitLocker Drive Encryption wizard again, but this time, uncheck Run BitLocker system check then click Continue. Again, please be sure you have access to the key or it’s printed or you have memorized all 48 characters in the encryption (which I personally think is next to impossible for most people). The reason why the key is so long is to make it harder to be cracked. The longer and more complex the encryption key is the less likely it will be  successfully cracked.

Encryption can take some time depending on the size of the drive, you can continue using your computer while it does it’s thing.

Click close when complete

When you open Computer (from the Start menu), you will now notice a Padlock emblem on your hard disk, this indicates the drive is now encrypted.

BitLocker now enabled on my hard disk.

What happens next?

Everytime you start your computer, the Startup key (thumbdrive) needs to be present, if not, you will see the following screens:

Press Enter to access the BitLocker Recovery screen

Enter the 48 character encryption key to decrypt the drive

If you believe your data is at no risk of unauthorized access, you can suspend BitLocker Encryption. This is especially convenient if you are sharing a computer with someone such as your family at home where the risk is much lower for theft.

To suspend BitLocker drive encryption, click Start, type: BitLocker

Hit Enter on your keyboard.

Under BitLocker Drive Encryption – Hard Disk Drives, click the Suspend Protection link

Click Yes to confirm

You will now notice a exclamation emblem on the hard disk icon indicating that BitLocker is now suspended, you can click the Resume Protection link when you are ready to use it again.

Again I, strongly recommend before using encryption software, at least have your hard disk backed up. Having your data secure is one thing, but not having access to it is another problem. You can reference articles about how to backup your personal files and hard disk here and here When combined with practices such as password protection at the BIOS level and at Windows log on, BitLocker Encryption provides the most ultimate level of safety for Windows users.

In a part 2 article, we will look at using a free disk encryption solution for users of Windows 7 Professional, Home Premium, Home Basic and Starter.

How to Encrypt Your Hard Drive With BitLocker is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

Have you been looking for a unique way to protect your notebook on short trips or in a larger bag? If so then these 10 interestingly unique laptop sleeves found by Mashable should be at the top of your list.

Ranging from unicorns and sweaters to recycled advertising and re-purposed wetsuit material these sleeves are sure to set you apart while on the go and most of them aren’t much more expensive than the average sleeve found at Best Buy or Staples; though a few are over the $100 mark.

Our favorites are the LooptWorks Upcycled Wetsuit sleeve shown above and the Altego Clear Case shown below which can show off your Gelskins Notebook Skin.

10 Unique and Unusual Notebook Sleeves is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The Speck Fitted iPad case is one of the latest cases from Speck designed to protect your iPad. The Fitted was announced back when we looked at the Speck CandyShell and PixelSleeve Plus cases, but has just recently made its way onto the iPads of consumers. The Fitted case stands out from the other Speck cases we have reviewed by offering a more fashionable, and soft, backing.

Unlike the CandyShell, the Fitted’s back is made of a soft to the touch fabric back comes in 5 different colors and designs. Of all the iPad cases we have looked at, the Fitted is the most fashion forward case. Speck suggests that you, “match the fabric-wrapped back to your outfit, scarf, or tie.” If you do want to tailor your case to your clothing, you’re in luck as the Fitted is one of the easiest case to put on and take off. Still, at $49.95 you better budget a bundle if you want to match everything in your closet.

Design and Installation:

The Speck Fitted case comes in two pieces, a semi-flexible plastic back that is covered in a soft fabric and a snap on front that holds the case to your iPad while also providing a small ridge to keep your screen off of surfaces if you lay the device facedown.

Putting the case on the iPad is straightforward and easy, which plays into the accessorizing with your outfit angle, but we did find that on occasion it took several tries to get the case snapped fully into place. If you’ve ever tried to close a Ziploc bag without looking you’ve probably experienced a very similar issue. Basically, there are a few snaps that need to be aligned when you put the case on and if you don’t take a few seconds to set them up you’ll have to re-align and try again.

Access to Ports and Buttons:

The Fitted case allows for easy access to most ports and commonly used buttons b providing a wide open area along the side  of the device. These openings wrap around the back a little bit so that even if you have larger fingers you can access the buttons. The orientation lock is a little more difficult to reach with this case on than with a naked iPad, but still accessible and easy to find after a day or two of use.

The bottom of the device offers access to the dock connector and the speaker.

Protection and Bulk:

The Fitted case will protect the back of your iPad from scratches and the beveled front edge offers protection from hard surfaces if laid screen down. This case feels like it would offer less protection than the CandyShell case if dropped, but should still give you a bit of a buffer against scratches and small dings. Since there is no screen protection you will want to be careful how you place this case in a bag or backpack and may want to look for a an additional layer for long trips. Fortunately, the case weighs just 9.6 ounces and adds little bulk to your iPad.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for an iPad case that looks good, but also offers a bit of protection then you should consider the Speck Fitted. The case offers easy access to ports and common buttons while still providing a beveled edge and a cushion around the iPad. While the fabric back is not slippery, it doesn’t offer the same “stick” that the CandyShell case does on a surface or if you lean the iPad against an object to get a viewing angle or to type at an angle.

Pros:

• Easy on and off
• Fashionable back
• Adds little bulk

Cons:

• No screen protection
• Fabric not very grippy on hard surfaces

The Speck Fitted case is available now for $49.95 in Houndstooth Gray, Fadeaway Gray/Black/Green, Fadeaway Gray/Black/Pink, ClassicPlaid Pink & Gray, Black & White Plaid.

Speck Fitted iPad Case Review: A Fashion Focused iPad Case is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

It’s great that notebooks are no longer confined to a single color top, but a drawback to the new swirly shiny covers is that the glossy surface is a fingerprint and scratch magnet. Case in point the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge that I am currently reviewing. This 13 inch notebook is light and pretty slim which made it great for covering CES in January, but unfortunately the gloss black cover is constantly covered with fingerprints and it has several minor scuffs and scratches which have proven hard to buff out. Thankfully Gelaskins provided us with a review skin that fits the Edge perfectly and protects the lid from fingerprints and scratches with a colorful canvas.

What is a Gelaskin: A Gelaskin is an adhesive protective cover available for many electronics ranging from netbooks and notebooks to iPhones, smartphones and game devices like the Nintendo DSI. The iPhone and smartphone Gelaskins also come with matching wallpaper so your phone is completely skinned. Gelaskins come in many styles and colors and thanks to partnerships with National Geographic, Marvel and top indie designers as well as giving you the option to upload your own images and designs. The skin is held in place with a 3M adhesive and protects against scratches and has an anti-UV coating.

Notebook before the Gelaskin

Installation: Based on past experiences installing screen covers I prepared myself for an arduous process of positioning and repositioning — and smoothing out air bubbles and cursing. Thankfully, there was only a bit of repositioning which went really well. In two words; the Gelaskins installation process was smooth and forgivable.

The 3M backing held its tack while I found the perfect place to put the “Take me to your leaders” Gelaskin, and even though I had to reposition it several times once I had it in the correct spot there were no air bubbles and it held fast. This was by far the easiest protector installation I’ve ever gone through. In all it took me about 4 minutes including cleaning off the top of my Lenovo Edge.

After a day or so the Gelaskin sunk in a little bit around the ThinkPad logo that is on the Edge, but unless you look close it isn’t very apparent and it doesn’t detract from the overall look of the skin.

Protection: As far as protection goes Gelaskins stand up to punishment. Since I have only had mine on for a few days I decided to put it to a stress test against my keys. As you can see in the video below the Gelaskin stands up to a key very well with only a few marks showing when the light hits at the right angle. If you left a pen or your keys in your backpack or briefcase with a Gelaskin covered notebook you should come out OK at the end of the day.

Overall: If you’re looking for an easy way to prevent scratches and fingerprints from marking up your new notebook or netbook Gelaskins are an attractive way to protect your gadgets.By combining great designs, an easy application process and a price of $29.95 and under Gelaskins are a great way to protect your notebook while expressing yourself.

Gelaskin Review – Protection With Expression is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Losing your laptop can be a huge pain. Not only are you out the cost of your laptop but you may have lost confidential documents or a term paper that hasn’t yet been backed up. There are several programs and services that let you track down your laptop and even work with law enforcement to help recover a stolen laptop.

Phoenix Technologies, notably known for making Bios software, has a new service call FailSafe that helps you track the last place your laptop connected to the internet, retrieve or delete files and even disable the computer completely.

Locating

When it comes to locating your laptop FailSafe provides several ways to track it down, including;

• IP address general location with IP
• GPS
• Webcam
• Wireless SSID Name

The Dell Studio 14z we tested was not equipped with GPS and Dell has not enabled the Webcam feature so we will focus on the other locating and data protection options.

Every time your laptop protected with FailSafe connects to the Internet a great deal of information is logged to help you track it down in the event that it has been lost or stolen.

When you tell FailSafe to locate your laptop you’ll be able to see when it last accessed the internet, its IP address, ISP, general location and if connected via Wifi the name of the wireless network.

If you are simply trying to track down your laptop this may give you a clue as to where you left it.

While you won’t be able to see the exact location of your laptop without GPS, the ability to see the name of the Wireless network it is connected to and the IP address will help you in any recovery attempts you make. Thanks to the IP address college students may be able to ask their network administrator to track down what room a missing laptop is connecting from.

If you prefer not to play detective then FailSafe will coordinate with local law enforcement to track down your lost or stolen laptop for $39.95.

Protecting

On top of locating your laptop FailSafe offers several easy to use protection options to help you keep your private data safe.

Once you’ve logged into the FailSafe dashboard from another computer you can retrieve important files that you don’t have backed up. The “Retrieve Files” option will let you recover files the next time the computer connects to the internet without the thief knowing that you are doing anything.

The retrieval process does have limitations and shouldn’t be used to replace a full-scale backup solution since it can only recover files up to 5 MB and 25MB worth of files at a time. You also need to know the location, file type or name of a file which presents a challenge. You can use wildcards like, *.* to recover all files from a directory or *.doc to recover all documents but you cannot browse contents of the drive.

You can also delete files in a similar manner if you just need to keep a document away from prying eyes. After you select files to delete FailSafe will remove them the next time your computer connects to the Internet.

After deleting and recovering all the files that you need you can also disable the computer so that it is useless to whoever took it. You can customize the message that is shown on screen to tell the individual how to return your stolen laptop. When you are reunited with your laptop you can enter a code and gain full access to your laptop again.

Details

Since the FailSafe service enjoys a close relationship with your notebooks BIOS, its part of it, FailSafe continues to work even if a new hard drive is installed. It will also continue to work if Windows is reinstalled by installing behind the scenes.

The FailSafe service is currently available on Select Dell Notebooks as part of the CompleteCare service package and on the Samsung Go Netbook. After your initial purchase you can extend your subscription to the FailSafe service by paying $39.95 for an additional year or $79.95 for 3 years. You can also purchase support plans in the event you need help with the FailSafe service.

Pros:

• Built into Bios.
• Remotely retrieve or delete files.
• Great deal of information about laptop location.
• Cooperation with Law Enforcement for stolen laptops.

Cons:

• Must know where files are located or what they are named.
• Limited to 25 MB for each file recovery.
• Must purchase with your new computer.
• Bundled with Dell CompleteCare.

Bottom Line

The FailSafe service provides several useful features to safeguard your laptop and the information you keep on it. Even with the limitations on file recovery; FailSafe provides users with useful features and assistance in tracking down a lost or missing laptop.

FailSafe is limited by the fact that you can only purchase it with a new computer and when purchased from Dell, you must purchase it as part of Dell CompleteCare package. But, if you’re already looking for accidental coverage then FailSafe is a strong laptop location and protection service.

Hopefully, in the future, you’ll be able to purchase the FailSafe service direct from Phoenix at any point in your laptop’s life.

Review of Phoenix FailSafe: Track Down Lost Laptops and Data is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.