With laptop computers selling at between $2,000 to $5,000, they're a good steal for the criminally minded. Laptops are vulnerable because of their size and portability. According to Safeware, an Ohio-based computer insurance firm, 265,000 laptops were reported stolen in the US last year.

And what if someone breaks into your home and walks away with your desktop computer? Since more and more people keep their investment, financial and personal information in their computer, sometimes the data -- and the online connection to the account -- can yield a more lucrative payoff for the thief.

CyberAngel software is an attempt at protecting your investment. It also helps alert you when someone is using your computer and the data without your permission. The software, by Franklin, Tennessee company Computer Sentry Software Inc. costs $25 plus a $60 annual monitoring fee.

It works like this: When the computer is turned on, the user must enter a password. For laptops, the company advises you to turn off the prompt so as not to alert the thief. The company also advises users not to turn on the disable computer when the thief doesn't put in the password. That way he doesn't toss the laptop in the garbage.

When the unsuspecting thief logs on to the Internet, or some other dial-in-service -- such as access to an investment account -- the software automatically dials into CyberAngel's `800' number and alerts the company. The company is then able to determine from which telephone line the stolen computer is being used, and alerts the owner.

The same procedure also applies when someone uses your laptop or home computer without permission.

When contacted by The Royal Gazette , president and chief executive officer Dyrk Halstead said the software works in Bermuda when the Internet is accessed. However for other modem related services, it currently doesn't work as he had not realised Bermuda residents sometimes have to dial 880 to access 800 toll free numbers. The updated version of the software would now work for Bermuda, he said, as he will make sure the `800' number works as a toll free one in Bermuda.

The software would be especially useful for corporate users who want to protect their data from unauthorised access by collegues. The software not only freezes the computer, but also sends out an alert to Sentry Software which would then tell the user when the unauthorised access occured.

"However bad companies think unauthorised access is, it's much worse than they think,'' Mr. Halstead said. The company gets about 300 alerts a day, some of them false alarms from when users forget to type in their passwords. But the majority of alarms come from collegues who want to check out what their peers or managers are working on, either through the network, or directly from their terminals.

As an aside, local insurance companies cover home computers and laptops under home contents coverage. For laptops, the insurers advise owners to extend their home contents coverage with an all risk policy for the computer.

Logic Communications (the name of the merged Business Systems Ltd. and Internet Bermuda Ltd.) is offering IntelliRoam, a service which allows travellers to connect to the server without having to make a long distance call to Bermuda.

A Logic customer who is overseas will now only have to log into the nearest server which will first check if they're an IntelliRoam user. Through the local server the customer will be able to log into the Logic server and use their home account.

Logic is charging a $25 annual sign up fee, plus $5 to $7 an hour depending on where in the world you're logging on from. Customers will be billed by Logic.

The surveyors over at Jones Waddington Ltd. have a nifty new piece of equipment to play around with. While it won't allow them to play games, or surf the Net while they're out tromping around, it will help them do their topographic mapping.

The $35,000 AP-L1A is a robotic surveying system which only needs one operator. The person runs around holding a prism pole while the AP-L1A automatically takes measurements to determine the height of the land. From this information the surveyors can map out the terrain. Previously surveying required two people, one to hold the pole, another to look through the sight and record the measurements.

"The good thing about the robot is the fact that it does not get tired,'' vice president Ian Waddington said. "It does not dehydrate in summer. It makes no human error and best of all, we don't have to pay employment tax on the little guy. It will make us much faster in the field and provide a very competitive situation for our clients with only one person on charge-out-rate.'' Sounds like a good thing in comparison with humans. Perhaps the next invention will be to have another robot running around holding the prism. But while Mr.

Waddington said the robot won't make anyone redundant at the firm, shouldn't he think about supplying his surveyors with a little more water? Web retailers are gearing up for business. Jupiter Communications consultancy is predicting online shoppers will shell out $1.1 billion in the two months before Christmas compared to $300 million last year. A quarter of that figure will be spent on gifts. Some 25.7 million people in the US use the Internet, a 49 percent increase from last year.

Tech Tattle is a weekly column which focuses on technological developments and computer industry issues. If you have any ideas for topics please call Ahmed at 295-5881 ext. 248, or at home 238-3854.