Abstract: An apparatus for deterring theft of an electronic device, includes a lock having a housing and a retention member movably mounted in the housing for being moved between a locked position and an unlocked position. An elongated retaining member has a first end connected to the lock, and a second end connected to an anchoring member. A plurality of contacts are attached to the lock. A first one of the contacts is electrically isolated from a second one of the contacts. A continuity detection element is attached to the retaining member for detecting a discontinuity between the first and the second ends of the retaining member. The continuity detection element is electrically connected to the first and the second contacts.

Abstract: Communication interface PCCards are commonly attached, both physically and electrically, to a notebook computer whether the communication interface PCCards are connected to a communication channel or disconnected from the communication channel. It has further been discovered that communication interface PCCards consume power when attached to the notebook computer and that power consumption is advantageously reduced and battery life extended by detecting when the communication channel is disconnected from the communication interface PCCard and terminating power supplied to the communication interface PCCard when the communication channel is disconnected. A power management method in a computer system having a PCCard connected to a communication channel includes detecting a disconnection of the communication channel from the PCCard and terminating power supplied to the PCCard in response to the detection of the disconnection of the communication channel.