<h4>Predator (tested v1.1.1) </h4> Free computer access lockout system ($29.99 USD for commercial/business use) for Windows by Richard Goutorbe <a class="grey-chevron throw" href="http://www.montpellier-informatique.com/predator/en/">Link </a> There's something pleasantly reassuring about the physical heft of a key. You can't forget a key in the same way you forget a password, and you don't usually worry about whether your key has enough numbers and punctuation marks in it. But perhaps most useful is that other people can figure out or copy your password a lot easier than they can steal or copy a key. Keys have their own weaknesses as well, but they can be just as useful as passwords for many situations. Predator is a utility that can modify a USB flash drive so that it becomes a key to your computer as well as a storage device. It will periodically check for the existence of this modified USB drive, and if it doesn't find it, Predator will lock your computer to all input and black out your screen. The only way to get back into your computer is if you put the USB key back into your computer, or if you know the Predator password. Because you have a hardware key, you can make the unlock password a lot stronger than you might if you had to memorize it to gain access to your system, making it a neat alternative to anyone who has trouble remembering arcane strings of letters and numbers. It's also a convenient way to lock a computer if you have to leave it unattended; just take out the USB key and walk away. Physical keys can't replace passwords entirely (nor should they), but Predator is ample evidence that they have their place even in the digital realm. = Sounds Good. Wonder how long it takes to "log in" with the key ?
