Eyes off! HP, 3M join forces to build native privacy screens into laptops

Future laptops to have privacy screen you turn on with the push of a button.

Tired of the passenger next to you eyeballing your PowePoint presentation while you work? By 2016, you’ll be able to push a button on the keyboard and treat the nosy person to a black screen.

HP and 3M said they will integrate built-in privacy screens into some laptops that can be turned on and off with the push of a button. Details of the 3M film were sparse, but HP said it should have it in some laptops by next year.

priv laptop black 3 step HP

HP will integrate a new 3M privacy shield into laptops that can be turned on and off with the push of a button.

Currently, ensuring privacy in cramped quarters is usually handled by installing a clumsy plastic sheet that narrows the field of view to only the person directly in front of the computer. If you're on the side, you see black. But when you have to peel off that screen when it's time to show off your PowerPoint, and they often get dinged up and lost.

It’s a messy, clumsy solution. HP and 3M’s integrated privacy screen feature could make shunning prying eyes a lot more convenient and secure as you work on your Great American Science Fiction Novel in the local cafe. You don’t want your nemesis to steal your idea, after all.

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Gordon Mah Ung

Gordon Mah Ung

PC World (US online)
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