ASUS is spending millions to bring US startups to Asia

ASUS mounted the IFA 2017 stage a couple weeks ago and revealed its next lineup of laptops and 2-in-1s, along with a surprise: Its new mixed-reality headset. But the company’s next step moving beyond its computer-centric product line isn’t a new device. The Taiwan-based ASUS is starting a $50 million venture capital fund to draw startup talent and ideas from Silicon Valley over to Asia.

But ASUS is being very specific about which ideas it’s letting in the door. The general partner and CEO of Fenox Venture Capital, which is partnering with ASUS to manage its fund, told TechCrunch that the company is eyeing concepts like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data, augmented and virtual reality. Like other manufacturers, ASUS has hardware down, but they’re looking for startups to partner with for their radical ideas.

The fund will start by bringing startups from Silicon Valley over to Asia, but will look elsewhere, including Japan, Taiwan and China where Fenox has already invested. ASUS is mostly interested in startups that have already raised Series A funds and are shipping products in the US and Europe but want to make inroads into Asia, Fenox’s CEO told TechCrunch.

Source: TechCrunch

Exclusive: Get Advanced Audio Waveform Editor ‘SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3’ Bundle for $249

Multimedia software maker Magix is offering MacRumors readers an exclusive discount, knocking the price of its advanced audio waveform editor SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3 bundle down to $249, a savings of over $300 compared to the regular price of $557 for the entire bundle.

SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3 is an advanced audio editing suite with multi-channel recording and editing, mastering for music and dialogue clips, and support for high-resolution audio recording at 24 bits with sampling rates as high as 192kHz. Users can edit down to the sample level and have access to customizable window layouts and configurable viewing panels to enable a streamlined workflow.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Magix

Magix notes that SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3 was optimized and designed for macOS, and can work with both native and third-party plug-ins. Here are a few other features found in the software:

Precise Editing – Configurable viewing panels enable you to toggle between multiple open files and configure open projects for easy access to the editing features you need. Easily switch between time-based or event-based editing modes.

Loudness metering – Precisely calibrated AES/EBU loudness meters help you make use of the entire dynamic range for broadcast audio while you ensure compliance with standards such as the CALM Act (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act).

Interoperability with SpectraLayers Pro 4 – SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3 offers a complete round-trip workflow with SpectraLayers Pro 4. Experience the best of both waveform editing and spectral editing.

Disc-at-Once CD Burning – Burn all open files directly to a Redbook compliant, replication-ready master CD. Or add track markers to a single-file recording of a live set and burn a gapless, disc-at-once, Redbook standard audio CD.

File Conversion Automation – The standalone batch processing application included with SOUND FORGE Pro Mac automates multiple file processing in a single operation. Convert to a new file format, add processing and effects, add metadata including art work, to multiple files in a single batch process.

Audio Effects – Improve the quality of your audio or create unique sounds using the included processes and effects. To add more sound-shaping possibilities, SOUND FORGE Pro also supports 64-bit Audio Units (AU) and 64-bit VST 2.x plug-ins.

In addition to the base SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3 software, the bundle offer also includes iZotope’s RX Elements and Ozone Elements tools, normally priced at $129 each. RX Elements offers spectral editing capabilities and four additional audio-enhancing plug-ins, while Ozone Elements includes professionally designed presets and precise macro controls to help guide users into making “a full, rich, and loud final master.”

SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3 supports Mac computers running OS X Mavericks 10.9 and newer, with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon-Processor, as well as 2GB RAM and 200MB of hard drive space. Check out Magix’s specifications page for more information.

Visit Magix’s website to find additional details and purchase SOUND FORGE Pro Mac 3; no coupon or discount code is required to take advantage of the discount. The offer ends on Friday, October 13.

The MacRumors Deals Roundup has all of the latest Apple-related discounts, so check it out if you’re looking for even more information on current sales.

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Apple’s New Face ID Biometric System Works in the Dark and When Your Face is Obscured by Hats and Beards

In the new iPhone X, Face ID, a facial recognition system, replaces the Touch ID fingerprint sensor we’ve grown accustomed to since it was introduced in the iPhone 5s.

Because Face ID is a new biometric system, there are a lot of questions about its accuracy and how it will work in various conditions, all of which Apple has answered both in the keynote and on its website.

How Face ID Scans Your Face

Face ID is enabled through a TrueDepth front-facing camera on the iPhone X, which has multiple components. A Dot Projector projects more than 30,000 invisible dots onto your face to map its structure.

The dot map is then read by an infrared camera and the structure of your face is relayed to the A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone X and transformed into a mathematical model. The A11 chip then compares your facial structure to the facial scan stored in the iPhone X during the setup process.

As with Touch ID, if there is a match between the two face scans, the iPhone X will unlock. From there, you can swipe upwards to get to the Home screen.

Face ID in the Dark

Face ID uses infrared to scan your face, so it works in low lighting conditions and in the dark. The TrueDepth camera also has what Apple calls a “Flood Illuminator,” aka an infrared light that illuminates your face in the dark so the dot map and the infrared camera can do their jobs.

Fooling Face ID

First of all, Face ID can’t be fooled by a photo because it takes a 3D facial scan to unlock a device. Face ID is also “attention aware,” a feature Apple implemented for extra security.

Face ID will only unlock your device when you look in the direction of the iPhone X with your eyes open, meaning Face ID only works when there’s a live person in front of it. Attention aware is optional, though, and can be turned off if you choose. Most people will want to leave attention awareness on, but for users unable to focus their attention on the iPhone, turning it off will allow the iPhone X to unlock with just a facial scan.

Face ID is also sensitive enough to tell the difference between you and someone who is wearing a mask of your face. Apple trained Face ID with hyperrealistic masks created by Hollywood studios, ensuring a mask of a person wouldn’t be able to fool the Face ID system.

According to Apple, Face ID is more secure than Touch ID because there are slimmer chances of a mismatch. There’s a 1 in 50,000 chance someone will be able to unlock your iPhone with their fingerprint, but a 1 in 1,000,000 chance someone else’s face will fool Face ID. That doesn’t count for twins, though — if you have an identical twin, that error rate increases.

Touch ID locks a device after five failed attempts, but with Face ID, Apple is only allowing two failed attempts. After two incorrect scans, the iPhone X will lock and require your passcode to unlock again.

Face ID With Hats, Beards, Makeup, and Glasses

Face ID works with hats, beards, glasses, scarves, and other accessories that partially obscure the face. According to Apple, this is because the A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone X uses machine learning and a neural engine to recognize changes in your appearance.

It’s also likely that Face ID, like other facial recognition systems, has a match threshold that’s below 100 percent, so even with part of the face not visible, it recognizes the part that is visible.

Face ID also adapts to changes in your appearance over time, so it will continue to recognize you as you grow a beard or grow your hair longer.

One caveat — Apple doesn’t mention sunglasses. There’s a chance that Face ID doesn’t work when wearing sunglasses because it obscures your eyes, and eye contact is required for unlocking the device. Attention aware can be disabled, though, so Face ID may work with sunglasses in that situation.

Face ID When Unconscious or Sleeping

If someone knocks you unconscious or attempts to unlock your iPhone X with your face while you’re sleeping, it’s not going to work.

As mentioned above, you need to look at your iPhone for Face ID to grant access to your device.

Face ID Privacy

On iPhones with Touch ID, your fingerprint data is stored in a Secure Enclave on the device, and the same is true of Face ID. Your facial map is encrypted and kept in the Secure Enclave, with authentication happening entirely on your device. No Face ID data is uploaded to iCloud or sent to Apple.

Multiple Faces in Face ID

When using Touch ID, multiple fingerprints can be added to a device so more than one person can unlock it. That is not possible with Face ID. Face ID makes a map of a single face and that’s the only face that can unlock the iPhone X. To add a new face, the existing face must be removed.

Face ID at an Angle

You don’t need to hold the iPhone X right in front of your face for it to make a Face ID scan. On stage at the keynote event, it was shown held at a comfortable viewing angle and held flat downwards while making an Apple Pay payment at payment terminal.

Face ID and Apple Pay

Face ID replaces Touch ID when authenticating Apple Pay purchases. When checking out with Apple Pay, a glance at the iPhone X will authenticate a payment, and a double click on the side button of the device will confirm it.

Face ID will also work in lieu of Touch ID for confirming iTunes payments, accessing secure apps, and more. All third-party apps that use Touch ID will also be able to use Face ID.

Face ID Special Features

With the “attention aware” feature, the iPhone X knows when you’re looking at it. Face ID will display notifications and messages on the Lock screen when you look at the iPhone X, it will keep the screen lit, and it will automatically lower the volume of an alarm or ringer when it knows your attention is on the iPhone X’s display.

Face ID Neural Engine

Face ID is powered by a two-core neural engine built into the A11 Bionic chip. It works in real time and can process more than 600 billion operations per second.

To train the neural engine, Apple used more than a billion facial images and created several neural networks.

Face ID Growing Pains

Touch ID was slow and imperfect when it first launched, and Face ID may not be perfect right away either. iPhone X hands-on reports were generally impressed with the Face ID feature, but there were some reports of problems with the feature not working until the display was turned on and off.

Apple will likely refine Face ID in software updates to further work out bugs, and future iPhones will undoubtedly come with more advanced Face ID systems that further improve the feature’s functionality.

Apple says Face ID is the future of how we will unlock our smartphones, suggesting Face ID will be the de facto Touch ID replacement in devices going forward.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
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A11 Bionic Chip in iPhone 8 and iPhone X on Par With 13-Inch MacBook Pro, Outperforms iPad Pro

The iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X are equipped with a six-core A11 chip, which Apple says brings some major improvements over the A10 chip in the iPhone 7. The chip features two performance cores and four efficiency cores.

Early Geekbench scores for iPhone X and iPhone 8 devices suggest that not only does the new A11 significantly outperform the A10, it beats the A10X Fusion in the iPad Pro and it is on par with the chips in Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Pro models.

In 12 Geekbench scans, the A11 chip saw an average single-core score of 4169, and an average multi-core score of 9836. Some individual scores were much higher, though, with single-core scores topping out at 4274 and multi-core scores at 10438.

A single A11 Geekbench score
Comparatively, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro with A10 Fusion chip has an average Geekbench single-core score of 3887 and a multi-core score of 9210. Apple’s highest-end dual-core 3.5GHz 13-inch 2017 MacBook Pro has a single-core score of 4592 and a multi-core score of 9602, suggesting the A11 outperforms it on multi-core tasks and comes close on single-core tasks.

Geekbench average for 10.5-inch iPad Pro with A10X Fusion
Performance is even better stacked up against the lower-end 2017 MacBook Pro models. The 2.3GHz machine has scores of 4321/9183 and the 3.1GHz machine has scores of 4227/8955.

Average Geekbench score for high-end 3.5GHz 13-inch MacBook Pro
On paper, the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus will offer significantly better performance than the iPhone 7. The iPhone 7 has an average single-core Geekbench score of 3327 and a multi-core score of 5542.

Average Geekbench score for iPhone 7 with A10 Fusion chip
According to Apple, the performance cores in the A11 chip are 25 percent faster than the A10 chip, while the efficiency cores are 70 percent faster than the A10 chip. The A11 chip is better at multi-threaded tasks because a second-generation performance controller is able to harness all six of the cores simultaneously.

MacRumors spoke to Geekbench’s John Poole, who said he believes the A11 benchmarks are real. Poole believes the two high performance cores in the A11 are running at 2.5GHz, up from 2.34GHz in the A10. The 24MHz reading is an anomaly.

Though the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 offer impressive Geekbench scores, how that translates to real world performance remains to be seen. According to analyst Dan Matte, IPC (instructions per cycle) improvements are “relatively modest” and Geekbench scores should be ignored.

If you subtract out the efficiency gains from removing 32-bit support, you’re left with maybe very roughly a 15% improvement in CPU IPC for the big cores, assuming equivalent clocks to the A10. Apple could have pushed performance and efficiency further, if not for 10FF being really bad. The era of the hyper Moore’s Law curve in mobile is officially over, in my opinion, though maybe the A10 already signaled that. It’s all rough sledding from here on out, based on the state of foundry challenges.

The iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X all adopt the A11 chip, so with the iPhone 8 models set to launch next week, the improvements introduced in the A11 will become more clear.

Related Roundups: iPhone 8, iPhone X
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Tronsmart Encore S5 – an inexpensive, well-performing set of wireless earbuds with serious design flaws

What’s in the Box?

• Encore S5 Earphones
• Carrying Case (with a self-closing latch – sadly, my favorite part of this product)
• Dual-MicroUSB Cable
• Three sizes of buds
• Earhooks (which inexplicably plug into the units themselves – more on that later)

Build

As a pair of Bluetooth earphones built for athletes, you’d expect the Encore S5 to have a few specific features: sweat-proofing, a firm but comfortable fit, stylish design, and convenient portability. While Tronsmart’s foray into wireless sport earbuds has the former two in spades, it falls rather disastrously short in the latter pair.

First, the good. Sweat-proofing; with an IPX4 rating, the buds are not rated against dust, but are resistant to splashing water – sweat included. This means they’re probably safe to use in the rain as well, but definitely not while swimming. Fit; while the actual units are boxy and a little heavy, the fit of the earbuds combined with the attached earhooks makes for a secure, comfortable fit that doesn’t put much strain on the ear canal.

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Second, the not-so good. Design; this is kind of a mess, start to finish. Let me start with the earhooks, because they bother me so much I might explode if I don’t get it out right this second. The earhooks…are attached to the MicroUSB ports.

Yep.

This is an utterly a puzzling, dubious decision. The connection seems solid enough, but it seems like a weak spot, structurally. Furthermore, since MicroUSB ports are asymmetrical, there’s a Left and Right earhook to go with the Left and Right earbud. But they aren’t labeled. So it’s actually rather ridiculously easy to put the Left earhook on the Right earbud, resulting in an upside down earbud. A small inconvenience, perhaps, but it drives my OCD crazy to know I’ve been walking around with an upside-down Tronsmart logo in my ear.

fml.

Additionally, while the inclusion of a self-closing carrying case is nice, the overall construction and design of the Encore S5 make it really inconvenient to charge. Detachable earhooks mean that you end up with a total of five pieces to worry about losing in the process (two hooks, two buds, and a cable), and assembly and disassembly means it’s no small matter to put it on to charge or take it with you when it’s done.

After using the stupidly easy charging cradle of Rowkin’s wireless earbuds, the process of putting the Encore S5 on to charge is cumbersome, clumsy and largely inconvenient. Charging on the go is definitely a problem – there are too many pieces that can easily be lost.

Battery

50mAh internal. 60 hours standby time, 4 hour talk time. Enough to get you through perhaps a week of use, but it’s small enough that you may have to make use of the awful charging system regularly. Ugh.

Features

Enough complaining – now, the good stuff. The Encore S5 has a 65′ theoretical pairing range – not quite that far in a real-world setting, perhaps, but I had no trouble connecting them to my phone. As mentioned above, it’s IPX4 water resistant – not tremendous, but good enough. This is a lesser used feature for me, but it also has the curious ability to pair with two devices at once, and take calls from either one. Interesting, but not a game-changer.

Sound Quality

For such a small unit, these guys have surprisingly heavy bass and depth of sound. The first thing I noticed when I started playing some music was the quality, which easily outshined phone speakers and most earbuds I’ve tried – even some fancy dual-driver wired buds. That being said, though, the built-in mic picks up every ambient sound; your voice on the receiving end sounds “Echoey” or distant, but clear.

Value

This is a hard section for me to write, in this situation. $39.99 is a great price for truly wireless earbuds, but the severe design flaws and inconvenience of using and charging the Encore S5 really holds it back. If you’re looking for a cheap set of wireless ear buds, take the plunge – but consider yourself warned.

Gym and Studio Sync lets Strava users upload their indoor workouts too

Why it matters to you

Strava now tracks not only outdoor activities like running and cycling, but gym workouts too, providing a more complete picture of a user’s fitness routine.

Strava (iOS/Android) has been one of the top fitness apps for outdoor athletes for several years now, allowing runners, cyclists, rowers, skiers, and even rock climbers to track and share their workout data online. But the company knows that not all workouts take place outdoors and that many of its users spend plenty of time in the gym too. To better meet the needs of those users Strava is updating its platform by adding a new option called Gym and Studio Sync. This feature not only expands the number of activities tracked by the system, but gives users credit for a variety of indoor workouts they do too.

Gym and Studio Sync allows Strava users to link their account with select gyms, fitness studios, and even other apps to automatically upload workout data directly to their online profiles. This gives Strava, which already sees 11 million activities uploaded each week, the potential to become the one-stop shop for storing all workout data, making it easier to track performance improvements from all activities over time. Of course, the data will also be available for sharing with friends too, sparking friendly rivalries and spurring a bit of competition among users.

So far, Gym and Studio Sync integration has been announced for Flywheel Sports and Expresso cycling studios, the Fitbod (iOS) and LiveRowing (iOS) apps, Life Time gyms, and the Peloton cycling trainer. This gives users the ability to upload data from their morning spin class or workout routine at the gym for instance, or share the data from a cycling or rowing session that they completed indoors while at home. Previously, those types of fitness routines went untracked within the Strava platform, but now any workout conducted with these partners will automatically be shared to the system.

If your favorite gym or studio is not currently on the list, do not lose heart. Strava promises that it will be expanding the list of supported gyms, studios, apps, and devices over the next few months, bringing more partners into the program. The company says that with the addition of the Gym and Studio Sync program, it will now track more than 31 different types of activities, giving users a more well-rounded fitness experience.

To find out more visit strava.com.

Apple’s iPad Pro tablets are now $50 more expensive after quiet price hike

Why it matters to you

If you’re after a 256GB or 512GB iPad Pro, you’re going to have to fork out an extra $50 for it following an unannounced price rise.

As the spotlight begins to fade on Apple’s major product announcements, a few eagle-eyed observers have spotted unannounced prices rises for most of its iPads Pro tablets.

The tech giant has slapped $50 onto the cost of its 256GB and 512GB Pro devices, pushin

g the price of the 10.5-inch, 256GB model to $799, while the 512GB version will now set you back $999. The price tag on the 64GB model remains unchanged at $649.

For the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the increase leaves the 256GB model with a $949 price tag, while the 512GB one now costs $1,149. Again, the 64GB version stays the same at $799.

The cost of the 256GB and 512GB cellular iPad Pros have also gone up by $50, and now retail for $130 more than the prices listed above.

The increases will come as a bit of a blow if you’ve been saving up to buy one of the affected iPads, though you might also want to consider checking out Apple’s current listings for refurbished iPads, which can offer great value for money.

Why the hike?

Although Apple has made no comment on the new prices, it’s thought to be down to the ongoing supply squeeze on NAND and DRAM memory chips used for tablets, smartphones, and other computing devices.

As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple’s chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, touched on the issue during an earnings call in the spring, saying the company had “started to experience some level of cost pressure on the memory side, particularly on NAND and DRAM.”

Maestri added, “The impact on NAND and DRAM will continue to be there and we expect it to be there.”

The squeeze has been exacerbated by tech manufacturers recently buying up memory chips in huge quantities. They’ve done this partly in anticipation of increased demand linked to Apple’s latest handsets that were unveiled on Tuesday, September 12, namely the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, which will use the sought-after memory chips.

Apple and other large tech companies are unlikely to be hit by the shortage, Reuters said in June, adding that some larger firms have shifted to six-month supply agreements with chip makers to ensure they have enough for their own products.

Latest update turns Premiere Pro into a serious VR editor

Why it matters to you

Video will be over 80-percent of internet traffic by 2021, and Adobe is making sure content creators are prepared with more efficient tools.

One of Adobe’s primary focuses with Premiere Pro, its professional video-editing software, has always been on supporting multiple file formats and outputting to multiple device types. With the latest update, announced today at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) and arriving later this year to Creative Cloud users, the company is pushing this idea even further, with new tools for editing virtual reality content.

When working in VR, traditional video effects intended for fixed-frame content often won’t work correctly. As Adobe explained, a gaussian blur, for example, when applied to VR video will reveal the stitching marks between camera fields. To remedy this, Adobe has created all new, VR-specific effects (including a blur effect) that will render properly across the entire spherical field, potentially saving editors time who would otherwise have to make frame-by-frame edits.

Beyond VR, Adobe also put a strong effort into efficiency improvements across its video apps, form Premiere Pro to After Effects and Character Animator. A few simple changes may go a long way to saving valuable time for those using these programs on daily basis.

Premiere Pro can now open multiple projects at once and users can easily reference media between projects. A new “close gap” option will let users remove all spaces between clips in a timeline automatically. Also, Team Projects is now official, which will allow remote editors to work together on the same project.

As for After Effects, the update will bring more GPU-accelerated tasks and a brand new system for automating data visualization that could save significant time where incorporating graphs and numbers into projects is common, such as documentaries and news. Character Animator will also benefit from increased automation thanks to a physics simulator that can handle gravity and collision animations.

When added together, there is no shortage of new features coming to Adobe’s motion apps. This move is in direct response to the growing demand for video content online. Adobe expects that 82-percent of internet traffic will be from video by the year 2021, and that half of that will be “produced” content. Making it easier for video creators to get their work done will help make sure that the video supply can keep up with the demand.

These are the best password managers for protecting your data online

One of the best ways to secure yourself online is to use a unique password for each site and service. That makes it hard to remember them all, but you needn’t worry about that with a decent password manager. But which one should you choose? Although there are a lot of good ones out there, we scoured the web and have put together a list of the best password managers available today.

All of them do a good job of storing your passwords, but the best password managers do much more than just that. To come up with our list, we looked for more advanced feature support, like syncing your web-based passwords across devices and changing them with a mere click. Other handy features include allowing automatic sign ins to your favorite sites and granting you improved security in all facets of your data.

What does a password manager do?

Basic password managers have just one function; they save your login information for different sites so you don’t have to. Although you can save your login information in your browser, that could make you more vulnerable to data theft. It’s far better to use a standalone password manager.

They encrypt all your login information and other types of data that you might often hand over to a website, such as your address or credit card information. This allows you to not only keep your personal data secure, but organize the dizzying array of passwords that many of us have to manage.

Many password managers also help you generate unique, complicated passwords that are extremely difficult to crack. Through these two functions, password managers ensure that you have the strongest possible password, and do the hard task of “remembering” them for you. Any password manager you use should, ideally, perform both of these security functions.

Many quality password managers also include password ranking, which tells you which of your passwords are weak and which are strong, and gives you the ability to easily change the puny ones out for something more robust.

The best password managers

LastPass (Free basic version, up to $48 per user, annually)

LastPass is one of the best password managers available, and it’s free so long as you don’t mind getting by without the full suite of premium features. Once you’ve set up your master password, LastPass allows you to import all of your saved login credentials — usernames and passwords — from Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari. It then allows you to delete all of the information from your computer to keep it secure, prompting you to do little more than remember your super-secure master password.

Other free LastPass features include two-factor authentication, free credit monitoring, multiple identities, and even an auto-fill feature designed to streamline your shopping. LastPass also stores your encrypted information on its cloud servers, meaning you can use LastPass on computers other than your personal PC and easily share passwords with family members. It even comes outfitted with a password generator for creating unique passwords.

Opting for the premium suite also opens up a host of additional authentication options, stellar tech support, and the ability to sync information between your desktop and mobile devices.

While LastPass is very popular and does many things well, we should also remind you that it has experienced security vulnerabilities in the past, and that newer vulnerabilities have also been discovered. LastPass is working hard to stay on top of these vulnerabilities, so we’re keeping it on the list, but its reputation has seen some tarnish lately.

Download now for:

Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile

Dashlane (free, or $40 annually)

Dashlane’s feature set may not differentiate itself from other software on our roundup, but the program’s streamlined interface certainly does. It’s incredibly intuitive and simple, flanked with two-factor authentication and the ability to change a host of passwords spanning multiple sites with merely a few clicks.

The fact Dashlane’s memory footprint gets smaller with every update is only a plus, as is its ability to securely store pivotal notes and share encrypted passwords with emergency contacts in case you have trouble with your account. The software also allows you to store your passwords locally within an encrypted vault, or automatically sync them across your devices, Its digital wallet grants you a convenient means for tracking and making purchases at various online retailers (even if you don’t have a previous account set up with them).

You can use the software to easily scour your receipts if need be, or, if you’re unfortunate enough to have an account on a site that’s hacked, you can set the software to automatically reset your password to something else without ever having to navigate away from the interface.

Download now for:

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

KeePass (free)

If you’re looking for a good middle-of-the-road solution you might try the freemium KeePass, which is open-source and stores your encrypted data locally without ever syncing or uploading your information online. The software uses the highly secure AES and Twofish encryption algorithms, and moreover, is portable enough to throw on a thumb drive and transfer to multiple machines with little hassle. You can also quickly configure it with multiple keys and share access among a host of authorized users, or if you want, capitalize upon its competent password generator to ensure your passwords are as unique and strong as they can be.

Although the official version of KeyPass only supports Windows, cross-platform users can use KeePassX for Linux and Mac OS. There’s also a bevy of mobile incarnations available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. However, its true hallmark lies in its non-existent price tag and its auto-type functionality which works with browsers, system dialogs, applications, and a wealth of other windows you would otherwise have to copy and paste into.

Download now for:

Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile

1Password ($3/month for personal, $5/month family plan)

Another extremely popular and reliable password manager is 1Password. Although the software touts many of the same hallmarks as the aforementioned LastPass — a strong password generator, username and password storage, secure sharing, etc. — it excels when it comes to its intuitive user interface and the built-in “watchtower” service, the latter of which is designed to notify you of ongoing website breaches.

The software’s digital wallet also allows you to securely save everything from your logins and credit card information to sticky notes and network passwords. The developers are so confident in its security, they offered $100,000 as a prize for anyone who could break it.

The one-time purchase allows you to sync everything locally, but you can also use the software to sync your info between computers via Dropbox, iCloud, or another convenient method. Its biggest drawback is the lack of a free version, and the limited syncing options available through the one-time-purchase.

Download now for:

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

Roboform (free to $20 per year)

Roboform is a very traditional password manager with features that will probably look familiar to you. It generates passwords, saves them, encrypts with AES256 bit encryption, and syncs across multiple devices. So, what makes it worthy of the list? It does all these things very well, with an updated interface that’s great for newcomers and those who may not use the internet as often — older generations in particular may find it more intuitive.

Roboform doesn’t include many extra features beyond the basics, but it does have one fun and noteworthy addition: Bookmark-like logins that automatically fill out forms for you when shopping or logging into new sites. It’s like the autofill functions in Google Chrome, but with more reliability and control.

There is a business option that offers data backup and login share options for $20 per year, which could work well for small, data-driven companies, but otherwise, the upgrade isn’t really necessary.

Download now for:

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

Sticky Password (free to $30 per year)

Sticky Password has a particularly strong layout, no matter what device you may be using. Unlike some older interfaces, the design is clean, easy to read, and focused on the specific sites that you often use. It adds some valuable clarity to managing your passwords, especially if you have quite a few of them.

Many of the features here are familiar, including auto form fill, credit card storage, password generation, and syncing across multiple devices. You can backup data into the cloud, and delete your cloud data at any time if you are worried about security, which is a nice measure of control if you’re nervous about these companies handling your most sensitive data.

The updated version of Sticky includes a couple of new features. Notably, it now supports biometric sign-in for the master password sections, which is a welcome feature for any password manager. It also includes Wi-Fi syncing that doesn’t use the cloud, which is a lot safer for your data.

Download now for:

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

True Key (free to $20 per year)

True Key is specifically designed for biometric logins, rather than using a master password to protect your password data. That means that it works particularly well on phones, tablets, and laptops that have either fingerprint scanners or facial recognition. It favors fast logins using these features, and if you too favor biometrics, then this is probably the manager to go with (you can also sign in with a password, email, etc. if you need to).

The free version of True Key is somewhat limited: You only get 15 passwords, which essentially restricts you to 15 sites/apps. However, the encryption and tools used to protect data are all top notch, so if you think you can manage a 15 login limit, give it a try.

Download now for:

Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

LogMeOnce (Free to $3 per month)

Although LogMeOnce’s homepage doesn’t have the most professional vibe, with its heavy use of stock imagery and an extremely hard sell on why its password manager is better than others, it does have offer unlimited password support and photo logins.

This is the  feature LogMeOnce’s marketing uses to claim you never need to use passwords again. In actuality, it means not typing in a master password, but having your webcam take a picture of you when you login, and then sending it to your phone for authentication.

That’s a nice feature for those concerned about someone else trying to access their account. It’s backed up by LogMeOnce’s Mugshot feature, which takes a picture from a webcam or smartphone camera when a login is failed for whatever reason. The software also collects GPS and IP address information and emails it to the account holder, making it easier to track down someone if they attempt to login to your manager without your knowledge.

Some have reported that these features are a little buggy, and adverts in the free version make it hard to recommend LogMeOnce over some of the others on this list, but it has a unique feature set.

Download now for:

Windows, Android, iOS

Updated 09/08/2017 to confirm pricing, downloads and add LogMeOnce.

The Moona is a smart sleep system that keeps your pillow cool

Why it matters to you

Always looking for the cool side of the pillow? Look no longer with Moona.

It’s 2017, and you deserve better than having to constantly flip your pillow to find the cool side. Luckily, the team behind Moona agrees, and has launched a new “smart sleep system” that promises to both induce and deepen sleep by adjusting your head and neck temperature during your repose.

Comprised primarily of a memory foam pad that you place in your pillow case (alongside your pillow) and a water-filled hub that you place on your nightstand, the Moona works by cooling and heating the liquid, sending it between the hub and your pillow. When you first get into bed, Moona promises to being “gently cooling down your pillow,” decreasing your body temperature to help you fall asleep faster. And as your body adjusts and gradually begins to reheat your pillow, the water system will maintain homeostasis, adjusting the temperature throughout the night to help your body stay cool. After all, there is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night in a pool of your own sweat.

That said, Moona can take advantage of a warmer environment to wake you up gently when the time comes. Using the companion app, you can select a wake-up time and Moona can slowly warm up your pillow to get you out of bed. Apparently, this warmth “sends signals to your body and allows you to feel perfectly rested and refreshed as soon as you open your eyes.” We can’t promise that you will feel quite that chipper, but it’s certainly an interesting concept.

Like other smart sleep solutions, the Moona can also monitor your rest throughout the night, giving you a comprehensive sleep analysis to obsess over in the daylight. The pad promises to track your movements during the night, extrapolating information about your sleep quality. And because this information is presented to you in conjunction with your pillow’s temperature, you can make adjustments to the sleep pad to keep temperatures cooler (or warmer) if you find that certain environments seem to be most conducive to good sleep.

Moona also features room temperature, humidity and ambient light sensors, which allows the system to analyze the entirety of your sleep environment and present correlations between your sleep quality and your bedroom environment.

So if you’re looking for a cooler pillow (and a better night’s sleep), the Moona may be the Kickstarter project for you. You can pre-order one by backing the project for $39, with an estimated delivery date of December.