Notebooks & Accessories

Tip: Protect Your Privacy in Close Quarters

Start typing on a notebook and, nine times out of ten, a stranger seated near you will try to see what's on your screen. 3M's Notebook/LCD Privacy Computer Filter helps those misguided souls mind their own business. The filter slides over a notebook screen, allowing only those seated directly in front of the computer to view what's on its display.

The filter is available at Staples.com and comes in the following notebook screen sizes: 12.1 inches ($84), 13.3 inches ($89), and 15 inches ($95).

News: HP's Wide-Screen Pavilion

Hewlett-Packard's recent product-announcement blitz included the HP Pavilion Zd7000 (beginning at $1499). With its wide-screen 17-inch display, Harman/Kardon speakers, and five-format memory card reader, the notebook is designed for digital entertainment and photography enthusiasts.

News: Making Movies on the Go

Also among HP's gadget bonanza: the DVD Movie Writer Dc3000, a $400 external device that converts analog video into digital content that notebook users can burn onto DVD. The Movie Writer is the first such gadget to combine analog video inputs with a DVD+R/RW burner in an external, USB 2.0 device.