MetaPass has a solution for those who have to remember hundreds of online passwords.
The curse that goes with the benefits the online world brings is remembering all those usernames > and passwords. The MetaPass Digital Key provides an automated way to store and retrieve passwords for both Web sites and applications.
The device looks like any USB memory key.
Its 32MB capacity is semi-consumed by a Java application and runtime that automatically launches when the key is inserted. After creating a master password for encrypting data, systems and apps are added through an easy-to-follow wizard. All you need to enter is the location of the site or program and your user details. You can then plug the key into any Windows 2000 or XP PC and use it to log in to your favourite sites automatically.
The first time a site that’s been set up with the Digital Key is accessed, a box with username and password buttons appears. Drag the buttons to the appropriate login fields on the site or app and they’ll be automatically completed. You’re also prompted to tell the key if you’d like it to complete the details automatically when you next return to that location.
If you lose your Digital Key, the master password keeps your data safe using 448-bit Blowfish encryption. When the contents of the device were scanned, not even the database credentials could be found.
However, we found that a keystroke logger could detect the key’s master password and collect any user account details when they were submitted to a site. In contrast, if the credentials were simply copied and pasted from a text file, the user details weren’t logged.
While the Digital Key hits the mark functionally, usability leaves a little to be desired. For instance, the X button in the top left-hand corner of the window doesn’t close the application. Rather, it locks the app so that you need to use your password to access it again. It ships with only basic documentation, but more complete user information is available at the MetaPass Web site.
Being a USB memory device, the key is potentially useful for portable storage, but its 32MB capacity is limiting. Despite its Java underpinnings, the Digital Key only works with Windows 2000, XP Home and Professional. Mac, Linux and other Windows OSes are not supported.
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