Gateway recently announced that they’re installing security and tracking devices in some models of their laptop computers. From the ZDNet news article:

Gateway is plugging two security devices into its machines, including a LoJack-style technology to help customers track down lost or stolen laptops. The Mobile Theft Protection product is now available in Gateway’s M250, M460 and M680 notebooks, the PC maker said on Tuesday. The hardware, which uses technology from Absolute Software’s Computrace, promises to locate computers that have gone astray. It includes a so-called Data Delete feature that removes sensitive personal or corporate data by remote control.

After a laptop is stolen or misplaced, the tracking device is activated remotely and Absolute Software guarantees the laptop will be returned to it’s rightful owner within 60 days, or they pay up to $1000 in replacement costs.

Gateway is also testing a system whereby a chip in the laptop is encoded with a unique serial number that can be read remotely, but there are already privacy concerns being expressed.

Read the rest of the ZDNet article here.