fingerprint

One of our (many) pet peeves here at Crave is the penchant among some companies to develop products of dubious value, especially when it comes to variations on the mouse. But Iogear has bucked the trend with two useful features in one device even beyond its primary use.

The "Personal Security Mouse," as we reported earlier this year, is equipped to read fingerprints to prevent unauthorized mousage. What we just learned in a press release announcing its shipment, however, is that it another feature that every germaphobe can appreciate: "The surface," it says, "is covered … Read more

Those of us who grew up in the Paleolithic period remember that scene at the opening of every Mission Impossible episode--the original TV show, not the movies--when the reel-to-reel tape self-destructs after conveying that week's orders. Ever since then, we've always been fascinated with gadgets that protect themselves independently.

There's a new phone out of China that doesn't self-destruct, but it does have a special feature that will prevent it from functioning if it falls into the wrong hands. Qiao Xing Mobile Communication's T100 has fingerprint recognition technology designed to ensure that thieves don't … Read more

We never did think much of personal safes that respond to voice commands or come in froufrou colors. When it comes to protecting our personal belongings, we're traditionalists--as in, we don't need anything too fancy, just something that won't get us ripped off.

So even though the "Fingerprint Safe" isn't the old-fashioned dial variety from the Bonnie and Clyde era, we appreciate its combination of old and new with formidable hardware and biometric access. The new part, of course, is the technology that can recognize up to 10 fingerprints (as well as a key … Read more

What's a sure sign that a gadget has finally arrived? When you start to see versions of it in chrome.

The Wii has graduated from standard colors to the hard stuff: the chrome "I-Case." XCM Live is taking pre-orders for the shiny console case mod for $38, according to Technabob.

Considering how much color PlayStation 3s have gone for on eBay, that's a relative bargain.

Some of us at Crave are known for our obsessions (we like to call them "quirks"), among them gadget security and, specifically phone safety. So we're compelled to mention a new mobile phone from Willcom, even though it will be available only in Japan for the time being. This model, brilliantly named the "WX321J," has a fingerprint scanner that doesn't require direct contact: Its authentication system uses radio waves instead, to avoid moisture and other possible interference. Other than that, Slashphone says the features are pretty standard. But we can't get past the … Read more

As USB storage keys have gotten smaller in form and larger and capacity, it's become increasingly tempting to store all manner of data on them--even more than on the hard drive, especially if the latter is prone to crashes. Which is exactly why companies are increasingly concerned about the security of USB ports and removable devices.

Kanguru Solutions has addressed that challenge with its "Bio Slider," a flash drive with a built-in biometric sensor, according to Gadgetell. The device, which starts at $100 in sizes from 512MB to 2GB, can be unlocked only with one of 10 … Read more

As fellow Craver Erica Ogg once noted delicately, leaving one's laptop unsupervised even for a necessary minute or two can be an exercise in anxiety. Yet we all must do it--at least a few times a day, depending on the number of lattes--and in the occasional rush we sometimes leave the most sensitive material on our screens.

Iogear has figured this out and come up with a way to secure a computer easily with its "Personal Security Mouse." It comes equipped with a fingerprint authenticator that obviates the need for passwords, according to Gizmodiva.

There are plenty … Read more

If necessity is truly the mother of invention, we must take an unusual step and thank the government for prompting the creation of this technology. As federal laws mandate the digitization of health records, technology companies such as BioMETRX have been figuring out ways to make that happen confidentially.

Its prototype "SmarSTIK-MD," for example, allows medical professionals to transfer data securely with a biometric USB storage key that uses fingerprint identification to its information, according to Ubergizmo. Other biometric devices such as palm readers can control access to material stored on computers but, given the track record of … Read more