Checkpoint-friendly bags approved

If you're going on vacation this summer, you better keep an eye on your laptop while going through the security checkpoint. A survey by Ponemon Institute found that close to 637,000 laptops are lost each year, and most of them are never reclaimed. It seems travelers lose hope of ever finding their laptop once they've misplaced it, so they tend to give up their search.

What's alarming is that 65 percent said they didn't take steps to protect any of the information stored on their laptops, confidential or not. A PC World article says the U.S. Federal Trade Commission recommends installing some sort of tracking device on your laptop, but a better option is around the corner now that the TSA has approved x-ray friendly laptop cases.

The New York Times says TSA has finally given the thumbs up to luggage manufacturers producing "checkpoint friendly" laptop cases. Expect these bags to be thinner, and free of zippers, buckles, or pockets when they come out. TSA says they will not certify any particular brand, but instead asks manufacturers to adopt a "checkpoint-friendly" universal logo. The cases are expected to be in stores by late September or early October, just in time for the holiday season.

Bag Helps Laptop Pass Air Security (New York Times)
Airport X-ray friendly laptop bags in the works