This article is a pure spin! This technology (or similar) is already in the processors today. But:
1) it has to be activated
2) it has to be paid for (subscription)
3) the laptop can be enabled again if you recover it from the thief
4) it is only in the Q or QM chipsets
Seriously, I'm all for being paranoid when it makes sense. But you already have to trust Intel if you buy a processor from them. And I believe the technology can implemented securely (unique RSA key pair for each processor?)
There should also be lots of ways to permanently brick a computer with software.
In the good old CGA/MDA days all you had to do was to program the wrong scan rate in your CRT controller and watch as your monitor exploded, fireworks included.
1) it has to be activated
2) it has to be paid for (subscription)
3) the laptop can be enabled again if you recover it from the thief
4) it is only in the Q or QM chipsets
Seriously, I'm all for being paranoid when it makes sense. But you already have to trust Intel if you buy a processor from them. And I believe the technology can implemented securely (unique RSA key pair for each processor?)
see http://www.techzone360.com//topics/techzone/articles/127365-...
Edit: also it's apparently old news: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Intel-vPro-E...