Eikon Digital Privacy Manager (USB fingerprint reader) - works with Firefox, Windows Vista, and now Mac

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

A truly amazing product...

This product is really cool. I used to always get my passwords confused because even though I tried to use just a few passwords (one for my bank and credit card accounts, one for stuff like webmail, and one for sites that don't matter), different sites have different requirements. Some require a number or symbol, some don't. So I used variations of a password, but I could never remember which sites I used the variations for. And then I'd either have to request to receive an email that reset my password, or sometimes I'd even get locked out and then have to call customer service. Arghhh!

It takes a little practice to learn how to swipe your finger, but once you get it the Eikon always recognized me and got me into my password protected websites in a flash. I tested to see if my friends could get in... it wasn't scientific, but it was comforting to know they couldn't. There is a one-time "registration" of all your accounts, but once that's set up there's no looking back. I counted over 50 websites with passwords that I don't have to worry about anymore!

(3 out of 5)

Eikon not an Icon.

I bought this product thinking I would be entering some cool new era of personal computer security. I was wrong. Instead of security, I ended up with a product not really designed for anything other than logging into windows. Oh it has other software features, though non of them are worth mention. The password manager is the silliest and most misleading part of this package. Suffice it to say that it is easier to type in your email address and password than it is to try to log in via the Eikon. See, you cannot visit a website to login and use your Eikon. Instead youre supposed to scan your finger, then choose the website from a list of stored sites. Now if the Eikon actually read your scan each time and reacted as advertised, then this might not be so annoying. However, the item does not work as advertised and often you will find yourself running your finger over the scanner 3-4 times before it even responds. A momumental waste of my hard earned money.

(4 out of 5)

Macintosh users -

I received the fingerprint reader from UPEK as a gift at Christmas. I am running a Mac Powerbook 17" with 10.4.10. Please note that the software for the Mac is BETA. OK, so I gave it a go and it read my fingerprints just fine. No problem 'registering'. From there onward it did not work. So I emailed the manufacturer.

To my joy and satisfaction they replied with a detailed series of fixes. Many of them involved getting it on a PC, so that was not an option. After a while of testing (we have been Apple Developers for many years), it just did not work.

Tech support at UPEK was emailing me daily, wanting to know if it worked, what the issue(s) were, etc. They were truly on top of the situation. When we realized that it might have been a hardware issue they said they would send me one in the mail.

A few days later I asked them if they had sent it. Within an hour I received a courteous and amazing letter from tech support saying that they apologized (how many manufacturers every say that?) and they would send me TWO units next day delivery.

The two units came and work just fine. Again, the Mac software is not what the PC software is, but hopefully that will be up to snuff soon.

Kudos to UPEK and their team, especially Brian! It means more to me to have someone listening and actively working with me, especially on something which is relatively inexpensive, than anything else.

April, 2008 - The Mac software was just released. This should improve functionality greatly!

(3 out of 5)

Mac User (Tiger)

I purchased this for use on the MAC (since it indicates MAC compatibility). You must download the software from the manufacturer site. Unlike the PC version, it does not store passwords, etc into a databank for use of the biometrics when you enter the site. It appears only to allow system log-on and allows you to unlock your login keychain at startup.

It would really be nice if, when you went to a secure site (that requires a name and password) that it would make you scan your finger(s). It's kind of an all or nothing device. This function is already available via Safari preferences (under edit users and passwords). Scans easily though for log-on.

If anyone figures this out, let us know. The lack of page specific scan requests gives it a 3 out of 5 since that is what it is supposed to accomplish. I can easily use my keychain built in to do the same thing.

(5 out of 5)

Just do not cut your finger off

As long as you do not trim the tip off of your scanned finger while slicing onions or cut if off in the wood-shop, this is a great security device! Having a very complicated data storage system (6Tb) of irreplaceable images on RAID 1 and my main office machine in a very public space by choice, there has been easy access to my computer by anybody who thought they needed it. No more; I absolutely love this simple biometric scanner. It was totally easy to install (do read the directions). It works like a key lock but no key to loose. And, because it scans my fingerprint only, there will be no opportunistic quick access to my system. If someone wants to steal any of it they are going to have to work (hard) at it.