sitting ducks

Thanks to Sarah and Jeff for passing this news along, about a few recent thefts of computers from cafe-goers in the East Bay. From the Oakland Tribune: "Alameda: Teen pepper sprays woman inside Peet's coffee shop".

Scary and maddening stuff, and I have a pretty visceral response to news like this, having had my Samsung netbook housed not too long ago from a computer lab on the Berkeley campus......what can we do to protect ourselves? Just stay at home? Chain ourselves to our machines?