passing

NEW ORLEANS--Think there are too many digital wallets out there? MasterCard would disagree.

The No. 2 payments processor today unveiled PayPass Wallet Services, its own take on the digital wallet. Initially, it will pop up in the form of a payment icon at merchant Web sites. The wallet will allow users to store all of their cards, and MasterCard plans to distribute developer tools to allow other wallets to work with its network. The move is an attempt to broaden PayPass beyond contactless payments and into something more ubiquitous.

MasterCard is just the latest to be lured in by the … Read more

DirectPass (download) is a new password manager from Trend Micro that promises a battery of features that could shoot it to the top of its class. The catch? It's not cheap.

Debuting yesterday, DirectPass has a lot key options that make a good password manager great. It's got password generation, a 256-bit AES encrypted form-filler, encrypted secure notes, browser integration via add-on, and one-click master password login. The master password include a hint option to help you remember it, but you best not forget it unless you want your passwords locked away permanently.

Like competitors, DirectPass syncs across … Read more

An update to the password managing utility LastPass (download for Windows and Mac) at the end of last week added a useful new feature, and tightened security protocols just a bit more than before.

The new feature lets you manage your Wi-Fi passwords from within LastPass. Unfortunately for existing users, you're going to have to re-install the LastPass dekstop client to get it to work. LastPass explained that this is because the new feature required a new utility with administrative rights before it could access the Wi-Fi password list. It also requires running the binary version of the LastPass … Read more

You've probably already read about the latest and greatest in smartphones, tablets, and OLED displays, so let's take a look at the coolest high-end audio goodies. We've assembled some of the most promising candidates for your approval.

The Arcam rPAC is a portable USB powered digital-to-analog converter and headphone amplifier, but it can also be played over a hi-fi system. "USB powered" means there are no batteries or "wall warts," it's powered by your computer's USB port. The entire component is enclosed in a small precision-cast aluminum case.

I've loved … Read more

Memorable passwords aren't secure, but secure passwords aren't memorable. The right tools can resolve this standoff, such as KeePass Password Safe. This free, open source password manager securely records and stores all your passwords and user names. You only need to remember the master password to access your database, or you can protect it with a key file. It rates passwords for strength and can also generate secure passwords and random numbers. Its autotype feature can even type in your user name and password, or any keystroke combination, into a browser window, log-on screen, or other fields. It … Read more

The iPhone has surpassed the BlackBerry in capturing the hearts and minds of business users, at least according to one survey.

Polling more than than 2,300 enterprise workers for its latest quarterly Mobile Workforce Report, iPass found the iPhone tops among the mobile business crowd with a 45-percent share. That proved to be a healthy jump from 2010 when the iPhone's share was only 31 percent.

Dropping to second place was the BlackBerry with a 32-percent share, slightly lower than the 35 percent seen last year. That left Android in the No. 3 spot with a 21 percent … Read more

LastPass is a free password manager and automated form filler in the guise of a browser add-on. It lets you create one strong (and memorable) master password that you use to securely store and access passwords and log-on data for other sites and services such as Facebook or Google accounts. It's been around a while in several forms, including freeware and premium versions, some of which we've reviewed previously. We recently tried LastPass Portable for Chrome. It's an add-on optimized for the portable version of Google Chrome, though it works just as well in the browser's … Read more

More than two weeks behind schedule, Avast released today its password manager. Called EasyPass (download) and built on a core licensed from Roboform (download), Avast's password manager comes with Blowfish and AES-256 password encryption, and is basically the premium version of Roboform rebranded with Avast colors. EasyPass integrates with the major browsers.

No explanation for the delay was available at the time of writing.

In the statement announcing the program, Avast noted an interesting statistic: that out of 67,000 of its users surveyed, only 11.5 percent of them said that they used a password manager. That's … Read more

commentary Talk about a serious letdown.

Anticipation was high that Dish Network would unveil a streaming video service through Blockbuster that would compete--and even possibly undercut--Netflix, which isn't exactly feeling the love right now. Instead, Dish announces a bundle of streaming videos; DVDs and games by mail; and access to premium movie channels--but only to Dish customers.

So those of you looking to leave Netflix in righteous anger over the way the company has treated you in the recent months might want to pause for a moment, because Blockbuster Movie Pass is no viable alternative. In hindsight, we probably … Read more