keys

Log in with your face

KeyLemon logs you in to your computer by using your face. More than just a glorified Webcam tool, it regularly checks to make sure that it really is you using the computer. The latest version of the app also comes with a neat Firefox plug-in called LemonFox, for added protection when logging into Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Once installed, the program's Wizard will walk you through creating a profile of your face, and link it to your computer's log-in. From there, KeyLemon defaults to checking the Webcam every 10 seconds, although you can always bypass it with your … Read more

Command, Options, Shift, or other modifier keys not working

Sometimes modifier keys on the keyboard may not work properly. If this is the case, you may find that either specific keys will not work, or certain combinations of keys will not work.… Read more

Ford, MIT partner to reduce driving stress

Ford this week announced it is partnering with MIT's AgeLab on a project to identify specific stress-inducing driving situations, monitor a driver's reaction to the situations using biometrics, and evaluate methods to incorporate new stress-reducing features into the next generation of Ford products. The six-month effort will begin in January and will focus on human interaction with a specially equipped 2010 Lincoln MKS.

Ford's goal for the program is to take this a step further by creating the most comfortable driving environment possible so that the driver is always relaxed and calm.

By using the Lincoln MKS, … Read more

Amazon.com has the LaCie IamaKey 8GB USB flash drive for $31.98, after $16.01 savings.

Save $16.01 on the LaCie IamaKey 8GB USB flash drive from Amazon.com >> Regular price is $47.99 >> Sale price is $31.98 >> Savings $16.01 (33.36%) >> Click here for deal

Key ringer

How much time have you spent searching through program folders and file repositories for the product key to a piece of software that you need to update or reinstall? Something that seems like it ought to be as easy as finding the tag of your shirt or your car's VIN instead becomes more like unraveling the Da Vinci Code. Help is available in the form of Miscsoftware's Product Key Viewer Professional, a utility that automatically locates the product keys in more than 1,000 Windows and other software products. It quickly returns any user data, activation keys, and … Read more

Google adds World Bank data to search results

The next time you search Google for life expectancies or number of Internet users in the U.S., you'll find the specific figures plus an interactive chart letting you compare the U.S. with other countries.

Since Wednesday, Google has been tapping into data from the World Bank to provide key details and interactive charts on specific topics along with its own search results. The goal is to better help you search for and compare certain types of public data.

The World Bank is providing Google with facts and figures on 17 key indicators, including population growth, fertility rate, gross national product, and energy use.

Enter one of the 17 indicators into a Google search. You can phrase it as the specific indicator, for example, "population world," or type it as a natural question: "What is the population of the world?"

At the top of the search results, you'll find a thumbnail chart along with the latest statistics. (According to the World Bank, 72.4 percent of the U.S. population is on the Internet as of 2008.) Click on the chart or accompanying link, and up pops a larger interactive graph where you can visually compare the U.S. with other countries by clicking on their check boxes.

You can embed the chart's HTML in your own blog or Web page and opt for the data to be updated automatically anytime the World Bank's information changes. Finally, a link for more info brings you directly to the World Bank's Web site where you can dig further into the results of your search.

This latest partnership with World Bank is part of Google's effort to offer data beyond that which it can grab from your average Web page. Back in April, the search giant started integrating stats and charts from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But the World Bank is the first source to provide global data for Google. The World Bank's figures come from its World Development Indicators (WDI), a collection of data derived from its own research and that of 30 other sources. The global data includes statistics on social, financial, and environmental areas encompassing more than 100 different countries.… Read more

Hands-on with the Cowon E2

Proving that good things come in small packages, the 4GB Cowon E2 MP3 player ($64.99) delivers outstanding, iPod-crushing sound in a space no larger than a key ring. In fact, the big metal ring built into the top of the E2 can literally attach to your key ring. It can't clip, though, so fitness types will need to find a way to get the E2 on a necklace, wrist strap, or carabiner (none are included).

Aside from the lack of a built-in clip, the Cowon E2 further distinguishes itself from the iPod Shuffle by including actual buttons for … Read more

In Apple parody, Florida says 'there's no app for this'

Everyone and their band seems to be leaping on some kind of wagon with an Apple logo and attempting to rob it of its jewelry and gold coins.

The latest to try to capitalize from poking a little fun at Apple's treasure chest are the Florida Keys and Key West.

In an ad that would feel like it was for the iPhone if it was executed with slightly more style, the Keys hope to persuade you that "There's no app for this."

"This" refers to the fun of wondering if a disgruntled local houseboat … Read more

A keylogger to avoid

With the increasingly high cost of keylogger programs that monitor people's computer usage, the feature-rich KeyProwler 4.0.4 (7-day full trial; $59.49) may seem like a good deal. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the application to work.

On launch, the program opens with a clever, password-based scheme for accessing the program, which is naturally meant to run undetected. The interface is simple to navigate, with clear labels and useful tooltips. (The Web-based Help file, however, is little more than an FAQ.) KeyProwler offers a number of settings, including when to start logging and how often to take … Read more