Morning Cup O’ Joe

Sharp is developing a VGA touchscreen for mobile phones capable of reading your fingerprint as an added biometric security feature.  Being able to just touch the screen to unlock my phone sounds appealing.  What if you live in Alaska and you don’t want to take off your gloves, though?

If you find the SnoopStick (pictured above) plugged into any computer you use, beware.  Here is yet another device that increases my privacy paranoia.

Here are its major features (from website):

• 
  Monitor all web site access.
• 
  Works with all browsers and web enabled programs.
• 
  Monitor both sides of all “instant messenger”
  communications.
• 
  Works with all popular IM programs.
• 
  Monitor all email access (SMTP, POP3, IMAP) to see who and
  when emails were received from and sent to.
• 
  Monitor activities in real time, or retrieve activity logs
  from recent activity. SnoopStick records everything, whether
  you are monitoring in real time or not.
• 
  Store up to 12 months of activity logs directly on your
  SnoopStick.
• All
  program modules are updated completely  automatically
  so you always have the latest version.

• Send
  the user a pop up message alert. A good way to tell them
  they’re busted!
• Turn
  off/on Internet access with the SnoopStick locally or
  remotely.
• Set
  allowable times for Internet access.
• 
  Prevent users from using certain types of Internet programs.
  
• 
  Block access to specified ports.
• 
  Block access to web sites.
• One
  click “Block Social Networking” option instantly blocks
  access to sites like MySpace.com.
• 
  Completely secure. Only your SnoopStick can access your
  computer or change the settings you have chosen.
• 
  Works with Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and is Vista ready.