September 26, 2008 Wide angle viewing attributes are a plus for flat screen TV's, but sometimes the opposite can be said for laptop computers, especially for road warriors working on planes and trains who might prefer that the information they are viewing isn't visible to the person sitting next to them. Dell has announced a software based solution to this problem as an option on its semi-rugged Latitude E6400 model.

The "one-of-a-kind electronic privacy screen" uses software to create a pixel-based pattern on the screen that reduces the side viewing angles. According to Dell it has minimal impact on display brightness and can be switched on and off using a single touch key combination or through Dell’s ControlPoint software.

The Dell electronic privacy screen option costs USD$139.