I did three IT internships at the turn of the century; one for a family member's business in the Midwest, and two in Silicon Valley - the first for a big red-logo'd company, and the second for a Big Blue one. Admittedly, the most valuable parts of the experiences were the knowledge learned, and the networking connections I was able to make (the third internship was a direct result of a contact made at the previous one, and was originally offered as a full-time position). That being said, I must echo the general surprise and commentary that your pay rate seems remarkably low considering your certification status and that you will be at a "major" laptop manufacturer. Is the staffing company taking a portion of your pay for their "service"?

In my experience, the advice I'm about to give is applicable not only to IT, but to most professions:

Firstly, know what you are worth and expect as much. That's not to say that you should be arrogant and make salary demands, but do you honestly feel that the work you'll be doing is worth $8 /hr? If not, perhaps you should look into the college credit option mentioned by Stuckey above, or look elsewhere for an opportunity that will pay you not only in experience, but in dollars (or your local currency). Your college/university should have a Career Office or somesuch that will have leads and contacts to help you find an internship without having to go through a staffing company.

Secondly, never stop learning. Read books. Build relationships with those who know more than you, and ask questions. Don't be afraid to spend some (but not all) of your free time furthering your knowledge about something you love.

But most of all, just make it count. Ensure that whatever you get paid, and whatever projects/tasks you work on will help you take the next steps on your career path. The whole point of an internship is that it should benefit YOU the most - not so that ABC Company can get cheap labor.

I've heard a rumor before about documenting your idea thoroughly, and then sending it to yourself via certified mail and leaving it unopened. That way, there's a legal timestamp proving that the idea was yours. I'm not sure how well it may hold up in court, though.

See works by B.F. Skinner, specifically Walden Two.