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Surely you've seen one of those big-budget spy movies where pens shoot laser beams and toothbrushes double as telephones. Whenever these flicks delve into the computer realm, I usually have to groan. Hollywood never seems to get computers right. So what about a mouse that can identify you by your fingerprints? Sounds like spy fiction -- only this time it's for real. Japanese hardware manufacturer SecuGen Corp. has released a new mouse that might actually make it into the next spy movie.
SecuGen's EyeD Mouse II, which retails for $119, uses fingerprint identification to protect files on your PC from intruders. Unless the mouse identifies your unique fingerprint, access will be denied. It's a great concept -- so great that it's already being put to use in a number of other ways.
The device looks like a standard PC mouse, with an ergonomic shape, but it has a small, clear fingerprint window on the left side, about where your thumb rests if you're using a right-handed mouse. When installed with its companion software, the mouse creates a fingerprint impression that can be captured and sent to the software for comparison. A light on the mouse turns red when it's reading your fingerprint. Verification takes a split-second.
GATEKEEPER.
The software, called the SecuGen Desktop, is the interface that's used to register a fingerprint and set verification parameters for programs and operating systems. You can register the fingerprints of several people on the software -- a nice touch.
But while the software makes it pretty simple to capture your fingerprints, it isn't a foolproof process. If a fingerprint image comes in too dark or light, the software may need an adjustment. My fingerprint was captured correctly the first time, but I had to manually adjust my friend's fingerprint using a built-in configuration tool.
The most obvious use for the mouse is as a gatekeeper for the Windows operating system. This feature replaces your Windows logon with a fingerprint logon, so even if someone has your password, they won't be able to get access to your PC. The software also makes it possible to secure a screensaver, so if you leave your desk during the day, your files are protected after a specified length of time.
Finally, as an added level of support, a File En/Decryption feature locks up specific files on your PC. Encrypting and decrypting files using the mouse is simple. First, I had to choose the files that I wanted to encrypt or decrypt by clicking the mouse's left button. After right-clicking the mouse, a window popped up, and I was able to select what I wanted to do. The software prompted me to place my finger over the sensor window, and the process was complete.
LEFTIES LEFT OUT.
The program is compatible with Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0, so most business users will be able to use the EyeD Mouse with little difficulty. Even the system requirements are relatively tame -- an IBM-compatible PC with a 486 processor or higher and a modest 16 MB of system memory. Just about anybody should be able to handle that.
My major complaint about the EyeD Mouse is the same complaint I've had about other handheld products: It isn't made for a lefty (although the company says it is introducing a left-handed version in the next month or two). It was awkward for me, as a left-handed mouse user, to twist my hand to make my thumb fit onto the window. You can set the software to verify any finger, but it wasn't easy.
I also had a problem with the mouse's connectivity method. It uses a parallel port but also requires a connection to the PS/2 port. This means that two ports are in use at all times. Since most users have serial-port devices connected to their PCs, this version may not be convenient, especially if you have an older machine with fewer serial ports. However, a USB version of the mouse is due out this month. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, so the issue should be moot soon. The USB-compatible mouse will retail at $129.
SNOOP POTENTIAL.
This is spy movie stuff, all right. Somehow I knew the minute I started using it that it would only be a matter of time before this technology would be used to snoop. Sure enough, SecuGen's EyeD Mouse is also compatible with Data Management's TimeClock Plus, a program that checks employees in and out of the office. And using the EyeD Mouse, employers can make sure the person who punches in is actually the person who they claim to be. I didn't test the program, but I was amazed and a little chilled at the same time. What a great use of technology -- but at what price to privacy?
The EyeD Mouse is a pretty cool device, but I have to admit, most home offices don't need it. Working in a corporate office is another matter. I might want this installed there. Yes, the info-tech staff could still start my PC with administrator access, but co-workers and spying supervisors could be locked out. That's a trade-off lots of employees may make.
Bannan is a freelance writer living in Massapequa, N.Y. Follow her Product Reviews, twice a month for BW Online EDITED BY DOUGLAS HARBRECHT
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