Windows Archives - Page 3 of 5

Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse review

June 27, 2013 By Remo Knops Leave a Comment

The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse is one of my favorite and most used accessories for my Windows powered notebook. It is a very lightweight mouse, with an excellent battery life, that is perfectly suited for every modern nomad.

Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse – A design overview

I would like to provide an overview of the product design and highlight the features that I personally like. On the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse product page you can read the following description:

“Arc Touch Mouse’s innovative design allows for quick use and storage. Curve it comfortably to get started.”

The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse is really thin, when not curved. This makes it very easy to store the Microsoft Arc Touch mouse in a small front pocket of Tom Bihn Empire Builder or the back pocket of the Waterfield Sleevecase.

“Then smoothly glide your finger up or down the scroll pad. Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse responds precisely to the speed of your finger movement, using Haptic feedback (light vibration that signals scrolling speed) to scan through documents or web pages as quickly—or as cautiously—as needed, entirely by feel.”

When you curve the Microsoft Arc Touch mouse, it is immediately switched on (you can see the blue BlueTrack light). The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse offers enough support for my hand to comfortably rest on the curve of the mouse. Instead of a scroll wheel, there is a touch-sensitive strip between the two mouse buttons. If you would like to scroll up or down you simply swipe your finger up or down over the strip, while getting haptic feedback about the scrolling speed.

Both the mouse buttons have a pleasant size and travel. Below the touch-sensitive strip there is a led, which flashes red in the case of low batteries.

The Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center allows you to easily configure the mouse buttons and additional features in Windows 8. Download the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center for Windows 8 here.

“When you’re done, keep the tiny transceiver plugged into your computer’s USB port, or tuck it into the underside of the mouse. Then flatten Arc Touch Mouse to turn it off, and slip it into your pocket or bag as easily as a cell phone.”

The Microsoft Arc Touch mouse comes with a small but unique to the mouse USB transceiver. The backside of the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse has a magnetic area in the case that you would like to remove the transceiver and attach it to your mouse. The Nano Transceiver however is permanently plugged into a USB port of my Lenovo work laptop.

BlueTrack Technology

“With BlueTrack technology from Microsoft, your computer mouse will work on even more surfaces than ever before, including granite and carpet, wood tables or park benches.”

This is a great technology that makes everyday life a lot easier. No matter on which surface you would like to use your Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse, it always simply works. 🙂

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse is a very compact and lightweight mouse, with a more than excellent battery life.

I think I change the two AAA batteries once per half a year with intensive daily usage. Personally is this excellent battery life a major pro for buying the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse.

Like I mentioned in the introduction it is very easy to store in a bag. When I walk around the office (from one meeting room to another) I sometimes even put the Microsoft Arco Touch Mouse in the back pocket of my jeans. It is that flat … 🙂

You can argue about the price point of €69.99, but honestly it is the best mouse I’ve ever bought and you get a lot of design- and technology for your money.

The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse furthermore has won several design prizes:

Winner of a 2011 IDEA Gold Award for design excellence;
Winner of a red dot 2011 Product Design Award and Best of the Best Award;

The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse is the perfect notebook accessory for every road warrior.

Safewallet 3 review – Store passwords in a secure personal vault

May 27, 2013 By Remo Knops 1 Comment

Please note that SafeWallet is discontinued. I’ve switched to Lastpass Premium in combination with a Yubikey.

In this article I will review SafeWallet 3, an application that stores passwords in a secure vault (so you won’t need to memorize all those strong 16 character passwords) and synchronizes those across different laptops and smartphones.

It is simply one of those must-have applications that I’ll always install, and therefore is SafeWallet (formerly SBSH SafeWallet) listed on the what I use page. SafeWallet has been upgraded recently to version 3, which features a clever and more secure synchronization mechanism that keeps your stored passwords in sync on all devices.

Safewallet security – A closer look

On the SafeWallet website you can read more about the security of the application and service, for example the use of the AES 256, a military grade encryption algorithm.

“Unlike most online services, SafeWallet technology knows how to sync your data without your encryption key. This means your encryption key, i.e., your master password, is never sent to us, making it impossible to access your data for anyone but you.”

Because I wanted to learn more about this “sync data without sending an encryption key” I contacted Amit Regev, CEO of SafeWallet. Since we know each other for quite some time, he was open and willing to share more details about this unique part of SafeWallet:

“The user’s SafeWallet data is structured in blocks (the cards and folders). Each block is encrypted using the master password and is considered a closed-box, so no one but you can open the data in this box. The boxes are then ‘labeled’ with syncing related data, which has no connection or relevance to the data stored inside them. All of these blocks are then sent to the server side for syncing. After the initial synchronization, only blocks that are modified will be sent, so the actual syncing takes very little traffic (another important advantage compared to the older SafeWallet 2 version that used to submit the entire file to Dropbox each time).”

As for data storage,

“The SafeWallet account data is stored on both the devices and on the server, so you can still use it when offline – no need to be online to use your SafeWallet. You can also make changes to your data while offline and our new service will know how to properly merge those changes (something we couldn’t do when using Dropbox for our sync). Since the user master password is never sent to our server, the data stored on our server can’t be used in anyway, even in the event that someone manage to access our servers. Something that shouldn’t happen too – but even if, the data is not usable to any way, not even us.”

I’m not a security specialist, but it sounds like an excellent concept which -to me- shows conceptual similarities with incremental backups.

Safewallet for Windows 8, Apple iPhone & Android

SafeWallet has always been available on Microsoft Windows and multiple mobile platforms like Apple iOS and Google Android. SafeWallet 2, the previous version, also featured a Windows Phone 7 application. The support for Windows Phone is something that I personally miss (despite the fact that I understand the business reasoning of the SafeWallet CEO).

SafeWallet Password Generator

SafeWallet also features a password generator, which I simply use to generate new, strong passwords for online services that I use. You can set the password length, the use of upper case characters, lower case characters, numbers and special characters. Most of my passwords have a length of 16 characters or more, with use of all the previous mentioned character types. The result is a strong password, which for most important services I change every 60 or 70 days. 🙂

The password generator feature is also available on the mobile versions of SafeWallet 3, so you can create new and secure passwords on the go.

SafeWallet on Windows 8

I mainly use SafeWallet 3 on my Windows 8 powered laptops. You simply launch the SafeWallet application from the Windows 8 start screen and enter your account name (e-mail address) and password. You can create and edit cards in your SafeWallet and organize them in folders.

The SafeWallet window shows three columns. In the first column on the left you have the complete list folders in your vault. In addition there is a folder called favorite cards, however it is shown below the contents of the vault. Via tools, settings, you can change the favorite folders position to the top position.

In the second column you get an overview of the cards in a selected folder, and when you select a card in the second column the card contents will be shown in the third column (on the right). You can create new cards from templates or even create new templates.

In addition you can change the network and security settings for SafeWallet 3.

There is a great tutorial for importing a previous version of SafeWallet (even if it is just a mobile version). Please visit the SafeWallet FAQ in the support section of the website.

Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome extensions

During the installation process you can install SafeWallet extensions for most common web browsers, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. These extensions help you to quickly enter the credentials of your favorite websites or services. You can also quickly save the credentials to your vault directly from the web browser SafeWallet extensions. Personally I don’t have these browser extensions installed and just use the core of SafeWallet 3 on Windows 8.

SafeWallet on Apple iPhone 4S

I used my girlfriends’ Apple iPhone 4S to install SafeWallet 3 and get an idea of the user experience on this device. The user experience basiscally follows the same structure and functionality as the Windows 8 version of SafeWallet 3. You start with entering the username and password at the login screen.

In the bottom of the screenshots you can see a navigation-bar where you can browse through your cards and folders, or jump directly to your favorite cards. There is also an integrated browser included which has similar behavior as the browser extensions described earlier with the Windows version of SafeWallet 3.

In the final and fourth tab of the navigation bar you will see the settings screen. From there you can also use the password generator on the go. The last screenshot shows the about-screen of SafeWallet 3 for iOS.

SafeWallet on Android

SafeWallet 3 is also available in the Google Play store. Unfortunately I don’t have an Android powered device (like for example the HTC One) so I can’t do some real testing on this platform. Given the screenshots of SafeWallet on the Google Play store, I don’t think that the user experience on Google Android really differs from the SafeWallet-on-iOS use.

SafeWallet Control Panel (in the cloud)

You can manage the devices that access your SafeWallet 3 data directly from the SafeWallet Control Panel that runs in the cloud. You see the device name, device type, the last sync date and a button to remove the device from accessing your data.

In addition you can review the SafeWallet 3 revisions. Each revision is numbered with a unique identifier and the SafeWallet Control Panel shows the device type on which the revision has been completed and the last sync date. Finally you can revert a revision with a single click in your SafeWallet 3 Control Panel.

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

SafeWallet 3 is a free must have application to securely store your important passwords and account information. Personally I do think that SafeWallet has an interesting security model compared to SafeWallet 2, SPB Wallet or Iliumsoft eWallet.

SafeWallet 3 creates free space in my head, because I don’t need to memorize the passwords for every product or service. Summarizing SafeWallet 3 is one of my most-used applications per day together with for example Microsoft Office 2013. Furthermore SafeWallet 3 helps me to create very strong passwords for new services I subscribe to.

While SafeWallet 3 is one of my favorite apps, there is room for improvement as well:

Unfortunately there are no SafeWallet 3 applications available yet for Windows Phone 7.8, Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 RT;
From a product life cycle perspective I do miss a “check for updates” option or an auto-update mechanism so that I will always be using the latest version of SafeWallet 3;

I’m definitely looking forward to run SafeWallet 3 on a Nokia Lumia 920 and the Microsoft Surface. I honestly do hope that the SafeWallet team will start with the development of a Windows Phone version, since personally I want to access SafeWallet 3 information on the go.

Don’t wait until tomorrow, and start using a well-developed, secure and free Windows application today. Download SafeWallet 3 here !

Windows USB DVD Download Tool review

March 19, 2012 By Remo Knops Leave a Comment

I’ve installed the Windows 8 Consumer Preview from an ISO image (both on physical hardware and on a virtual machine) with the Windows USB DVD Download Tool.

Microsoft announced the Windows 8 Consumer Preview a few weeks ago at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona! The techie in me wants to install it right away to feel the new features and capabilities of Microsoft’s new operating system.

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Waterfield Sleevecase review – Custom build, excellent fit, durable and brilliant customer service !

May 24, 2011 By Remo Knops Leave a Comment

In this article I will have a closer look at the Waterfield Sleevecase for a Lenovo T61p with an extended 9 cell battery.It will not only be an in-depth look at the product and its features, but I will also highlight the pre-sales advice and its underlying process.

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Endnote X4 – Thomson Reuters’ excellent customer service using an open strategy ?

September 3, 2010 By Remo Knops 4 Comments

Last week I published a book review of Open Leadership – How Social Technology Can Transofrm the Way You Lead, the latest book of Charlene Li.

In this article I will share some personal practical experiences about the use of social technology and some form of open strategy that was in place at the company.

Introduction of EndNote X3 “problem”

Since a few years I use Thomson Reuters EndNote to manage my references and easily include these in academic texts and -assignments.

Therefore I bought Thomson EndNot X3 at Surfspot.nl, an online shop for higher education students. It worked perfectly with Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate, especially the integration with Microsoft Word 2007 has been excellent.

Back in May this year I was fortunate to attend the Microsoft Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 launch event in the Netherlands. Impressed with the new productivity features it didn’t take long for me to install Microsoft Office 2010 Professional on my Lenovo X60 Tablet powered by Windows 7 Ultimate. 🙂

Unfortunatly Thomson EndNote X3 didn’t integrate with Microsoft Office 2010 Professional. Some online research taught me that Thomson Reuters released EndNote X4 that did integrate really well with Microsoft Office 2010 (plus EndNote X4 included other new helpfull features as well).

After contacting the local distributor that provided me with different options, I shared my thoughts about a possible, rather expensive upgrade, on Twitter :

“Thomson Endnote X3 is not compatible with Microsoft Office 2010 ! Endnote X4 is but that requires an upgrade of +/- E100,- #expensive”

Thomson Reuters’ “solution”

A Thomson Reuters’ employee Nancy noticed my tweet and replied to me via the EndNoteNews Twitter account:

“@remoknops When did you purchase EndNote X3?”

“@remoknops Yes – a message was posted via your web site requesting proof of purchase.”

She also left a similar message via the contact form on this website, my personal blog which you can read below:

“I sent you the tweet about your EndNote purchase and possible upgrade for Word 2010 compatibilty. If you could email your proof of purchase, […]”

Of course I sent the proof of purchase of my EndNote X3 copy, an Adobe PDF scan from the original invoice, to Nancy for approval.

If it was the timeframe in which I bought Thomson EndNote X3 that made me eligible for an upgrade to Thomson EndNote X4, or I was simply lucky to experience a great example of customer satisfaction.

The result

A Thomson Reuters EndNote X4 upgrade that perfectly integrates with Microsoft Office 2010 Professional !

Concluding thoughts and wrap-up

A first I want to thank Nancy (and Thomson Reuters) for contacting me and providing excellent customer service, that has been initiated by the social network Twitter.

“We no longer search for the news, the news finds us. We will no longer search for products or services, they will find us via social media.”

Above you can read one of the final screens of the video introduction of the “Making the Social Connection” session with Tony Krijnen, Daniel van Soest and Charlie Kindel @ DevDays 2010 !“. The described situation certainly holds for the Thomson Endnote X4 customer service example that I have described in this article. So this is an interesting fundamental shift in communication that wasn’t there some years ago !

Let’s recall the four open driven objectives, (1) learn, (2) dialog, (3) support, and (4) innovate, that are integrated into almost every successful strategic plan. If you have a quick look at this example there are certainly a few of these objectives in place.

Furthermore the publication of social media guidelines on the Thomson Reuters website is evidence that an open strategy and use of social technology is integrated in the overall corporate strategy of Thomson Reuters. The leadership part is a little hard to oversee from this side, however you can clearly see that Thomson Reuters is practicing a long the open leadership line of thinking !