lock

Web storage and collaboration tool Dropio has just put out a useful new way to control who can access files by using Facebook Connect. Called "friend lock," the system uses your list of Facebook friends as a simple directory that you can pick and choose from to create a white list of approved contacts.

Once you've logged in with your Facebook credentials and pick the people who you want to be able to have access, you can fire off invites that show up in their Facebook in-boxes. You can also set it up to publish a note … Read more

I've never believed in the so-called "high-quality" HDMI cables that cost hundreds of dollars. It's just electrical engineering, and as long as the cables are made of standardized conductor material, which most, if not all, of them are, they should work the same in regard to picture quality when plugged in securely.

There's no proof that the $100 Monster Cable HDMI cable would make your hi-def movie look better than a generic $20 one. If you actually see the difference, maybe you should check with your optometrist, or find a shrink. It's all mental.… Read more

MicroLock offers users an opportunity to keep their computer safe from nosy roommates, curious siblings, and especially thieves. Only users with the password can access your desktop when MicroLock goes into action.

This program is a very small but effective addition to your security arsenal. Displayed as a simple icon in the lower-right-hand tray, it can be activated with a simple double click. Unauthorized users will find they can't access your desktop without a password. In addition, MicroLock has a number of features to enhance its functions. Customize the program by having it turn on automatically while the computer … Read more

As you might expect from its name, this encryption program hides and encrypts important files. It performed well once we applied our administrator settings, but it came with one of the stingiest trial periods we've ever seen.

Lock and Hide Folder has a very basic user interface that proved simple to navigate. Large menu buttons at the top of the window make it easy to add, remove, hide, and show important files. The program uses 256-bit Blowfish encryption to keep your folders safely protected. It's not password-protected when you first access it, so you'll have to go … Read more

This week's Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco surprised me: I thought the content was, on balance, the best it's ever offered.

In part this stems from a new pragmatism that has settled on the commercial open-source world, where we're increasingly striving to solve customers' business problems, not vendors' business-model problems. It shows up in some of the event's discussions--a few of which are captured in Matt Aslett's excellent OSBC synopsis and in Dries Buytaert's OSBC wrap-up.

North Bridge Venture Partners' Michael Skok came up with one of my favorite lines from the … Read more

There's nothing particularly eye-catching about this free system utility, but it successfully performed its single function--to immediately lock and password-protect your computer.

Lock System can be activated by clicking on the desktop icon. During setup, you have to enter and confirm a password that will be used to lock your computer. To access the program's menu options and to actually lock your computer, you have to right-click on its taskbar icon. A hot-key combination would have been more convenient. Settings options are few, and include changing your password and running the program when you start Windows. Still, we … Read more

Anyone in need of amping up desktop security will find this application both useful and easy to use.

WinLock Professional has a clean and functional interface that is easy to understand. The program works well to limit access to certain areas of the computer, but a few of the security measures could be bypassed by savvy users. On the first use, users can easily set up a password to keep others from changing settings, decide when the program will run, and how it will log activity. Other features include the capability to lock users out of vital areas, such as … Read more

Even though we encountered a glitch and came across several misspellings on the user interface, this encryption tool ultimately secured executable files. We just weren't persuaded that it was the best possible option.

Immediately after clicking EXE Password Lock's executable file to get started, we received an error message. Luckily, we were able to bypass it and move on to the main user interface. The designers should have used some kind of spellchecker, because we found several misspellings that would have (and should have) been caught. Still, the program was very easy to navigate, and involved simply browsing … Read more

On the surface, Advanced File Lock seems to fulfill its purpose well enough, but we found enough quirks--and one feature that just didn't work--to make us want to bypass the application altogether.

The interface appears clean and simple, but we would have preferred direct Windows Explorer integration. Especially with the proprietary file-selection mechanism, which breaks standard Windows file selection conventions and makes the interface feel clunky. Most of the functionality worked without issue, and the capability to easily hide and show files was nice. Unfortunately, you can't lock AND hide files, so which was a usability annoyance. The … Read more