For more than just a few years, I had no security concerns, although I had a fast Internet connection, and I was using Windows, most of the time, but lately...things have changed. Now, protecting your computer and your data is no longer an easy task, especially when talking about notebooks. After all, the data on a portable computer is more valuable than the computer itself, in most cases, and that's why using a hardware protection method is always better than software-only passwords or various authentication programs. The being said, let's find out a few things about the latest version of SecuriKey, a security device/software that just got updated to work with Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard...

<-125x125 Button - left->As I was saying, SecuriKey has just been updated, so version 3.0 is now able to provide full support for Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5, widely known as Tiger and Leopard. The description on the official page of SecuriKey for Mac OS X is just as expected, the device being described as "the fastest, easiest and most reliable way to protect your computer and your data. SecuriKey Professional uses an encryption-based USB Key and super user friendly software to effectively control access to your laptop, desktop or tablet. SecuriKey Professional is an ideal laptop security solution that does not require lots of technical knowledge to install or use." Well, I have no proof to claim that's not true, of course, so let's see what else there is to know about it, shall we?

The idea behind the SecuriKey is very simple - the USB device acts like an "ignition key" for your Mac, so there's more than just a password protecting your data now. First, you have to insert the token into a free USB slot, type in the right password, and access the computer. If you remove the token, the Continuous Protection feature automatically locks the computer. Easy and effective, I must say.

Backed up by 30 days of free technical support and a No Hassle 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, the SecuriKey 3.0 is available in two editions - SecuriKey Professional 2.1 (US$125), aimed at fast, single-user deployments, and SecuriKey Pro Multi-User 2.1 ($250), providing protection to larger groups, while being also able to provide administrative control.

What could be better than free software for the iPhone? Well, that is surely free software on a free iPhone, but let's concentrate on software now, shall we? After previous rumors that most fully-featured applications on App Store will not be free, now a WWDC survey of iPhone software developers suggests that up to 70% of planned iPhone apps may be free, while the average cost of a third-party for Apple's smartphone will fall well below $3.00, which also seems pretty impressive to me...

<-120x240 Vertical Banner - left->First of all, I should say that, according to research group Piper Jaffray, the App Store could become a huge software market, with a transaction volume that can go as high as $1 billion by the end of 2009, so think about it! Although Apple will only get 30 percent of those money, that's a lot of cash, so excluding free apps from the App Store is not a good idea, after all.

Gene Munster, analyst with the same Piper Jaffray group, after chatting with about two dozens of Apple developers, found out that half of them were at the WWDC because they plan to focus exclusively on iPhone and iPod Touch applications, while the remaining half are also writing Mac OS X software, in addition to iPhone and iPod Touch software.

A surprising fact is that also half of the developers Munster talked with are into "Enterprise apps," with 15% to tap into the location-based services of the Apple smartphone, 10% into entertainment, 10% specifically video games, and another 15% to aim at the Enterprise market.

Gene Munster said "We see this as a positive indicator of the potential for Enterprise adoption of the iPhone. We found the average cost of iPhone apps on the App Store to be $2.29, with 71% being free," and I must agree with him, since it all makes sense. In the end, it's going to be a huge volume of software sold on App Store, and that's good for everyone - developers, Apple, but especially for us, the end users.

Did you make it to WWDC 2008 yet? If you did, I envy you! If not...there's still one day left, so if you can go to Moscone West, don't hesitate! Why? Obviously, because this is the largest Apple summer event so far, and I am sure next year's will be even larger. Just think about the fact that, for the first time, this year's conference was sold out! Since the winners of the annual Apple Design Awards (ADA) have just been announced, I'll tell you about them just in time so you won't miss any of their products, if you're going to be there by the end of this year's WWDC.

Most announcements at the keynote were already expected, like the App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch, the stable version of the iPhone SDK, or Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard", but I don't know if all those that won the Apple Design Awards were expecting this to happen. Here you have highlights of the winners list:

Best OS X Student Project
- Squirrel (finance management) by Axel Peju
Best OS X Graphics and Media Application
- ScreenFlow (Screencasting) by Vara Software Limited
Best OS X Application
- ScreenFlow (Screencasting) by Vara Software Limited
Best OS X User Experience
- Macnification (organize microscopic images) by Orbicule
Best OS X Game
- Guitar Hero III by Aspyr Media, Inc

Best iPhone Web App
- Remember the Milk (task management) by Remember the Milk
Best iPhone Game
- Enigmo by Pangea
Best iPhone Entertainment App
- AOL Radio by AOL LLC
Best iPhone Social Networking App
- Twitteriffic (twitter client) by The Icon Factory
Best iPhone Productivity App
- OmniFocus (task management) by The Omni Group
Best iPhone Healthcare & Fitness Application Winner
- MIM (medical imaging) by MIMVista, Corp.

Quite a bunch of applications and producers to keep our eyes on, don't you think?

Looking for a leather iPhone case? Well, you can look somewhere else, because I don't have such a thing for you today. Anyway, animal lovers will probably stay away from leather cases, and not only them. When it comes to protecting your iPhone (soon to become a 3G iPhone, I guess), leather cases are outdated, in my opinion. Rubber and polycarbonate should do the trick, and the iSkin Fuze case is one of the best looking iPhone cases I've seen in a very long time...

So...why choosing "Fuze" as this iPhone case's name? Simple - it's all about the materials used in manufacturing it! The exterior is mainly built out of rigid polycarbonate, combined with a cool looking and handy rubber finish for better grip. At last, there's a soft cushioning inside, designed to help protecting your iPhone from any rough impacts even more.

Optionally, you can get the iSkin RevoClip, but let's stay with the Fuze now. What is there left to say? Oh, colors and price, of course! The Fuze iPhone case is currently available only in black with silver trim, and the version for the 2.5G iPhone costs $40, while the details of the version for the new iPhone haven't been announced yet.

Do you have an iPhone already? Good for you! I am sure you would like to grab the new iPhone 3G, but you're surely asking yourself about the costs involved. Nothing wrong with that - after all, this is a material world, but what if I'd tell you that is possible to get a 3G iPhone upgrade for free? Unfortunately, this offer is not available to any iPhone user, but if you're one of UK's O2 clients having an iPhone already...you're lucky!

<-234x60 Half Banner - left->Here's what the O2 official site says:"To thank you for being an iPhone fan, we're offering you an early upgrade to the brand new version when it launches on 11th July 2008. You won't have to wait until the end of your existing contract, all you'll need to do is agree to a new 18-month minimum term contract."

Even more, as you can see in the image above, if you get a L75 plan for 18 months, you can receive the 16GB iPhone 3G for free, and the 8GB model is offered for free to those that subscribe to the L45 or L75 Pay Monthly tariff.

While minutes and text messages are limited, all plans include unlimited browsing on the iPhone, unlimited Wi-Fi access, visual voicemail and reduced roaming rates with O2's International Traveller Service. Is that cool or what?

Oh! Just one more thing - this special early upgrade offer is only going to be available online, at O2's website, between the 11th of July and October 11th.