Mobile Computing: Port Replicators

NOTEBOOKS & ACCESSORIES

Alert: New Security Guidelines for Gadgets

Since September 11, 2001, business travelers have had to pull notebooks out of their bags, place them in security bins, and send them through airport X-ray machines. Now, the Department of Homeland Security has decreed that all electronic equipment must be removed from bags and laid flat in checkpoint security bins for X-ray inspection. The list includes mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players, and digital cameras. Concern that terrorists may try to disguises explosives as everyday electronic devices prompted the new security procedure. For more information, and tips on how to deal with the tighter screening rules, see "Fill the Bins: New Rules for Flying With Gadgets."

Review: Subnotebooks Bulk Up

Some new ultraportable notebooks have gained a little weight--a trade-off for improved performance and features.

Consider the Fujitsu LifeBook P5000 ($1699), for instance. At 3 pounds, 14 ounces, it weighs half a pound more than its predecessor, the P2000. But the new LifeBook's battery life of 5 hours outlasted the P2000's battery by more than 2 hours. And its PC WorldBench 4 score was twice that of the earlier model. For more on the new LifeBook, as well as reviews of new subnotebook models from Sony (the VAIO PCG-TR1A) and Hewlett-Packard (the Compaq Business Notebook Nc4000), see "Loaded Little Laptops."

Review: External DVD Burner Among Top 10

In our recent Top 10 DVD Drive roundup, only one external model, the Alera Technologies DVD-R Quad Cruiser, made the cut. The drive, which connects to notebooks and desktops via a USB 2.0 port, writes to DVD-RW at 2X, DVD-R at 4X, CD-RW at 8X, and CD-R at 10X. You can find the test report at PCWorld.com. For the latest prices, check our Product Finder.