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ShowStoppers Digital Holidays: Page 2 of 2

Diskeeper 2008 is an updated disk defragmenter from the eponymous corporation. New features are schedules operation, which uses idle cycles to optimize your disks. There are also several engines optimized for disk configurations so if your drive is nearly full or highly fragmented, the appropriate engine will be used to optimize the drive. Individual copies are less than $50 and corporate licenses available. It will be available in November.

BackpackShield is a bulletproof layer that can be inserted into a backpack and will stop rounds from handguns. At $249, the lightweight shield seems like an effective safety tool. From the demonstration at the show, it seems plausible, but what struck my wife, who is also a parent, is that often kids either don't carry their backpacks because they forget them or more commonly schools don't allow them in hallways. Also, the backpack hung jauntily off one shoulder won't provide much protection and if gunfire starts, it takes a cool head to remember to pull that shield up for protection. It's not a magic bullet, pun intended. If you do plan on buying one of these things, be sure to spend time practicing how to use it with your child.