BIOS: Technology Means Business

US-based Chapura, best known for its PocketMirror software that allows Palm OS handheld users to synchronise data with their desktop computer, is set to release a utility that lets Palm OS users store and organise their passwords safely on both their PC and handheld. Unlike other products of this type, such as DataViz's Passwords Plus, TurboPasswords lets you select multiple accounts simultaneously for re-categorising, exporting or deleting, and a search tool lets you locate records quickly. The small footprint software can also be set to time-out, too, so your personal information is not left in plain view on your desktop for anyone to see should you walk away from your desk or get distracted with another project.

Pros: Search tool; log-on alerts; automatic password generation
Cons: Doesn't support landscape mode

Release: In this age of digital technology, much of life’s daily activities are performed online. Because of this, people have secret passwords too numerous to remember, but too important to forget. The solution is TurboPasswords software. More than just a password manager, TurboPasswords is the safe, simple, organised and convenient private information manager.

Reduce the chaos in your head and the clutter on your desk. Keeping personal identification information safe and at your fingertips is easy with TurboPasswords. Remember one password for TurboPasswords and forget the rest. Store passwords, PINs, account numbers and more in TurboPasswords and quickly access them when you need them. They will be there - safe and secure. Ready to help you log in faster to your favourite Web sites, provide credit card information for online purchases, give frequent traveller account numbers when making reservations, and much more.

Highlights include a simple, clean, intuitive interface makes it easy to enter data and find the information you need, when you need it - there’s practically no learning curve; save time by selecting multiple accounts simultaneously for quick re-categorising, exporting or deleting; using the look-up feature, you can locate records quickly without scrolling through the entire list; and the preview pane shows you the details of the highlighted record without your having to open the account.

You can also perform key online tasks, like opening Web sites and logging in, with just one or two clicks and no typing; upon installation, choose any alphanumeric code you want as your password. Then, whenever you want to access your private information, simply click on the keypad or type in your password; TurboPasswords alerts you if someone has tried to log on to your software with an incorrect password - after three logon attempts with the incorrect password, TurboPasswords delays the next attempt by 10 seconds.

Information stored in TurboPasswords is encrypted using the 128-bit Blowfish algorithm. This means that TurboPasswords offers reliable security against would-be thieves; you may also set TurboPasswords to time-out of sessions, should you walk away from your desk or get distracted with another project. This way, your personal information is not left in plain view on your desktop for anyone to see; keep an alphabetised list of personal and business accounts in a single place. No more notes cluttering up your desk or wallet.

Sort by category for fast, easy look-up; choose from the 11 pre-defined templates that help you organise details related to your accounts, or create your own templates, so you can record the information that is important to you; print out records to keep a hard copy of vital information in other secure locations, like a safe deposit box; private information about your personal or business life is always in the same place. Don’t waste time trying to find it every time you need it.

The software can also automatically generate passwords so you get random, hard-to-guess codes; preview pane shows each field for the selected account and includes URL hyperlinks to Web sites for immediate access; TurboPasswords icons in Internet Explorer toolbar offer quick access to Web sites and the ability to automatically fill in login user names and passwords; synchronise with any Palm Powered handheld for easy access anywhere (supports 5-way navigators and Graffiti 2); print directly from TurboPasswords or export records to spreadsheets or text files and then print; easily back up or share confidential information by exporting or e-mailing vPass files.

As the creator of the vPass file, you assign a password that is used to encrypt the record(s) you selected and that must be entered by anyone wanting to decrypt the file. Contents of the vPass file are automatically added to the TurboPasswords database of the person opening the file; avoid keeping multiple lists and re-typing the information into TurboPasswords. Instead, import data as CSV files.