Info Laptop

I’m a huge fan of Moshi’s Apple-centric line of products and accessories. In fact, my entire collection of Apple products has now been complimented by Moshi. For example, I use the iLynx USB/Firewire hub and Celesta keyboard with my iMac; my iPhone is protected by the iGlaze 3G; and recently, my Macbook Pro experienced a thorough makeover.

Over the years I have owned a variety of Apple laptops, and each one inevitably ends up with scratches on the screen, discoloration on the wrist area, disgusting keys, and other forms of wear and tear. I decided to not endure this experience with my new aluminum MacBook Pro. My goal is to maintain a pristine look for as long as possible, and I intend to achieve this goal by combining Moshi’s products into the ultimate protection solution.

Clearguard MB: $25

The Clearguard MB is a thin cover for your MacBook or MacBook Pro keyboard. Installation is simple: lay it across the keyboard. After a few minutes of typing, it’s barely noticeable. It’s virtually transparent so your backlit keys are still visible in dark rooms. I have been using it for a couple of months, and you can clearly see how my keyboard still looks like I just slid the computer out of the box. Cleaning the Clearguard is a simple process involving dish soap and water.

The best part about the Clearguard MB is I no longer see key indentations on the screen (a problem MacBooks and PowerBooks have experienced for a long time). Below is a picture of the Clearguard after a couple months. See the keys on the right side? I’m impressed.

Palmguard: $20-$28

The Palmguard is used to protect the area where your wrists sit on the computer. For me, that’s the part that receives the most damage over time. I’m always amazed at how powerful skin oil is. Again, installation is simple: Line up the Palmguard carefully in the corners and then firmly slide your hand across. If you aren’t satisfied, it’s easy to take the Palmguard off and try again without leaving any residue.

In the past, I used a competitor’s product to protect the wrist area. One thing missing was something to place onto the trackpad area. The Palmguard comes with a separate piece just for that. The accuracy and clickability (I just made up that word) of the trackpad are not affected.

Moshi sells a variety of Palmguard products to match the color and size of your Apple laptop. Below is a picture of the Palmguard after a couple months. Again, I’m impressed.

iVisor AG: $35-38

iVisor AG is the flagship laptop protection product by Moshi. Not only does it protect the screen from scratches, dust and fingerprints, but it also eliminates glare. Remember when we had a choice between matte and glossy screens for our MacBook Pros? Well, this is as close as you can get to owning an aluminum MBP with a matte finish without swapping the screen.

Installation is shockingly easy. You just line up the corners, press down, and firmly slide your hand across the screen. The air bubbles you see while applying a protective layer on your iPhone are not a problem. I was nervous about this, but fortunately Moshi delivered on its promise. There’s a hole at the top for your iSight, and a transparent part in the black border so the “Macbook Pro” text on the bottom is still visible.

Below is the iVisor after a few weeks. No reflection, no scratches.

Conclusion

A MacBook Pro is an investment. It deserves to remain in perfect condition. What I love about Moshi’s products is that they can be installed in minutes and they perform to my standards: no air bubbles, no scratches, and no damage.

I purposefully did not include outer cases because I dislike adding bulk to the laptop. Also, a simple and artistic way to protect the top from scratches is to add a Gelaskin.

Moshi products are available for purchase at Dr. Bott and nuCourse.

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Like some of you, I’m quite the “Apple purist.” I’m not a fan of fancy cases that junk up my Macs. I don’t like skins for my iPods and those plastic snap cases for my laptop. We all know that Apple designs beautiful products, so we might as well show them off! Balancing protection and beauty, the stylish and functional cases from Waterfield Designs are some of the highest-quality cases I have ever used.

Originally starting with one case design in the late 90s, Waterfield now boasts a collection of more than 50 uniquely designed cases for portables, iPhones, iPods and even some unique items, such as the iPod Hi-Fi. Though Waterfield Designs does not sell its products in retail stores, it has still managed to garner quite a following from Apple users around the world.

The personal attention and customer service from the company is second to none. In the past five years, I have owned around eight Waterfield bags (for various equipment). Out of all of them, I only had an issue with one particular sleevecase. Being that it was a few years old, the velcro was no longer as “clingy” as it once was. One simple email to the company resulted in a wonderful email that said, “Hey, no worries! Just send it on in with a note that says ‘Please fix my case in a hurry! I’m going to miss it!’” I mailed my case in, Waterfield replaced what needed to be replaced and priority mailed it back to me. Now how’s that for customer service? Not only that, but every time I buy a product from them, inside is a handwritten “Thank you” note from Gary, the founder.

The big secret to Waterfield Designs is that its success is completely customer-driven. With not selling products in retail stores, I am constantly amazed when I see more and more people with these unique cases and every owner is literally beaming about their purchase.

Much like Apple, Waterfield sweats the small things. For example, the inside of most of Waterfield’s bags are gold, simply because that makes it easier to see the contents! Latches to access the cases, including the signature aluminum aircraft buckle, are designed for one-hand access.

Many of you have probably already realized that buying a case for a laptop can be a pricey endeavor. With the customization options available on most cases from Waterfield, you’re not buying things you’re not going to use (like excess shoulder straps). Beyond accessories, even certain elements of some cases are customizable. For example, I keep my MacBook Pro in a standard sleevecase when I travel most places. Unlike traditional sleevecases like you would find with Incase, Waterfield gives customers the option to have their case open vertically instead of horizontally. Simple as it may seem, this means I can charge my MacBook Pro while it stays inside.

Waterfield Designs also shines in its product selection, with cases for more unique items as well, such as the Apple Keyboard, Mac mini, SLR cameras, the Amazon Kindle and more. The best part is, all of these cases are custom designed to fit these products, so it’s not like you’re buying a stylish bag and just hoping your PSP may fit inside it.

Before you march off to the Apple Store for another case, give Waterfield Designs a look. It is definitely worth the time. If any of you are current Waterfield customers, please leave comments and let me know which bag or bags you’ve purchased and your thoughts on them. The advertising Waterfield Designs gets comes directly from its customers so don’t just take my word for it; let’s hear what everyone else has to say.

If you’ve ever suffered from fraud on the Internet, you’ll know how important it is to use decent passwords, keep them safe, and watch out for phishing activities. Unfortunately, a simple password isn’t always the best way to protect yourself online. Many banks are now starting to use two-factor authentication, a system requiring a dongle that generates a coded number before you’re able to access accounts online.

This concept has today been extended to mobile devices by VeriSign, with the launch of VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) for the iPhone. This free application will act as a security dongle, generating a coded number that can be entered for additional security on various web sites.

This “two-factor authentication” process is a first for a device such as the iPhone. The first factor is something you know — a username and password. The second factor is something you have, namely the code provided via your iPhone. It greatly enhances security and means that, for a thief, simply knowing your password is not enough.

Setting up VIP

To get started setting up the VIP software up on your iPhone, begin by downloading it from the App Store. The app is free, and relatively straight forward to install and configure.

When launching for the first time, you’re asked for your mobile phone number. This is used to send a text message to you, linking a particular phone number with your iPhone. After the setup process is complete, you’re able to flick through the introductory documentation, watch a tutorial video of how the service works, or dive straight into setting up the VIP service on participating web sites.

The documentation is particularly good, clearly setting out the process you need to follow to register your iPhone as a VIP Credential on various member sites. Also available is a handy FAQ, which covered the majority of questions I had about the service.

There are no settings or configuration options in the app, other than the ability to hide or display your device ID. Everything is kept as simple to use as possible.

Web Sites Supported

At present, the VIP service is supported by just over 40 web sites. The most notable partners are PayPal, eBay, AOL, and various banking organizations. A short list can be found at VeriSign’s Where to Use page.

Each web site you’d like to use the authentication for requires an individual set-up process, generally involving logging into your account and entering a few additional details.

PayPal Walkthrough

The first service I set the software up for was PayPal. After logging in, the page to activate VIP can be found via My Profile > Security Key. After selecting to activate a VeriSign device, you are asked to enter the unique iPhone ID, and two security codes generated by the app (the code changes every 30 seconds).

Immediately after doing this, the service is activated.

During your next login you’ll be asked for a username and password as normal, followed by the random code from your iPhone. If you decide in the future that you’d like to deactivate the feature, it’s simple to do so from the same PayPal page.

Conclusion

Hopefully, services such as this will go a long way towards increasing consumer confidence with shopping and banking online. VeriSign certainly feels this is the case:

A recent survey found that 86 percent of consumers prefer sites that enable proactive security measures such as two-factor authentication. Meanwhile, 68 percent said they would like better systems in place to protect their identities.

As more web sites and online services move to support this security standard, I imagine its popularity will grow. The idea of using your iPhone as an additional layer of authentication for web site access is convenient and appealing. At present, no UK banking institutions use VeriSign as a partner so — for now — I’m stuck with a few different authentication devices.

I can’t fault the implementation of this service; setting everything up is very simple and straightforward. The only complaint I have is the lack of publicity it seems to have received. Until reading about the iPhone application, I hadn’t been aware that a two-factor authentication system was available for PayPal, eBay, or any of the other supported sites. This is a great way to improve security, and letting more people know about the facility would seem like a logical move. With all the publicity surrounding the dangers of phishing, I’m surprised that this service hasn’t been offered greater acclaim as a solution.

If you’re interested in finding out more, I recommend watching the introductory video on eBay, which provides a decent overview of how the service works. To get started straight away, head over to the App Store and download the VIP software.

I’m interested to know your thoughts. How security conscious are you? Is this solution one that you’ll try out immediately, or are you happy with the tried and tested username and password combination?