Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Mooltipass Mini is a new physical password manager you can carry with you

By
Mooltipass Presentation Video
We’re still nowhere close to solving the password conundrum. Software solutions, such as password managers, have attempted to solve it by managing and encrypting all of your passwords with a master key. That’s convenient but, like all software, it isn’t a perfect solution but maybe hardware can help.

Mooltipass is a hardware gadget that physically stores your passwords. The Swiss startup has raised over $75,000 on its Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to build its new iteration, the Mooltipass Mini, a palm-sized device that should make carrying your passwords even easier.

Recommended Videos

The Mooltipass Mini connects to your computer or smartphone and stores your passwords using a PIN-protected smart card. When you get started, the Mooltipass browser extension or smartphone app asks you to enter your password for each account, which it then saves. It also acts as a USB keyboard for adding in passwords manually. After that you’ll only need to log in by connecting the device and hitting its login button. In theory, it cuts out the need to remember and enter passwords each time you login into a site.

mooltipass-login-phone
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The smart card that stores your authentication data is encrypted with AES-256 encryption, meaning multiple cards can be used with the device.

So far Mooltipass only has a Chrome extension, which will generate lengthy and tough passwords for you before saving them to your device. So while the device itself can be used with any OS, you still need to be a Chrome user. If you’re not a Chrome user, the startup says its currently developing and testing a Firefox version.

The successful crowdfunding campaign shows the prototype of the new Mini device and a number of test users have copies. The new funds will be used to advance the development of the device and make it commercially available. It will cost around $70, and has a planned January release.

For now, the appeal of the device is somewhat constrained by its Chrome limitation. It’s kind of reminiscent of Vaulteq, another physical password manager that’s trying to eradicate the password problem with a mini server that connects to your home router. Mooltipass on the other hand is designed for portability, which is a big plus.

Both devices have had successful crowdfunding campaigns. Whether physical password solutions will gain traction beyond the most security-conscious consumers, who have put down their money, remains to be seen.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jonathan Keane
Jonathan Keane
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jonathan is a freelance technology journalist living in Dublin, Ireland. He's previously written for publications and sites…
Power up your tech game this summer with Dell’s top deals: Upgrade for a bargain
Dell Techfest and best tech on sale featured.

One of the best times to upgrade your tech stack, be it your desktop, a new laptop, or some high-resolution monitors, is when great deals are to be had. Well, I'm here to share that thanks to Dell's top deals, you can power up your tech game and have most of the summer to make it happen. Maybe you're happy with your current system or setup. That's excellent, but you're likely considering upgrading somewhere, and that's precisely what these deals are all about. Dell has a smorgasbord of deals on laptops, desktops, gaming desktops, monitors, accessories, and so much more. We'll call out a few of our favorite deals below, but for now, know that you should be shopping this sale if you're interested in anything tech-related.

 
What summer tech should you buy in Dell's top deals?

Read more
I love the MacBook Pro, but this Windows laptop came surprisingly close
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

There are some great machines in the 15-inch laptop category, which has recently been stretched to include the more common 16-inch laptop. The best among them is the Apple MacBook Pro 16, which offers fast performance for tasks like video editing and the longest battery life.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 is aimed not only at other 16-inch Windows laptops but also at the MacBook Pro 16. It offers many of the same benefits but at a lower price. Can it take a place at the top?
Specs and configurations

Read more
How to set an ‘Out of Office’ message in Microsoft Teams
Person using Windows 11 laptop on their lap by the window.

Many people use Microsoft Teams regularly to communicate with colleagues both inside of the office and remotely. It is considered one of the most efficient ways to ensure you can stay in contact with the people on your team, but what if you need to let people know you’re not readily available? Microsoft Teams has a method for you to set up an "Out of Office" status for your profile to let staff members know when you’ll be gone for the afternoon, for several days on vacation, or for an extended period.
Where do I go to set up my ‘Out of Office’ status for Teams?
It is important to note that your Microsoft Teams and Outlook calendars are synced. This includes your out-of-office status and automatic replies. So, whatever you set up in Microsoft Teams will reflect in Outlook. Similarly, you can set up your out-of-office status in Outlook, and it will be reflected in Teams; however, the former has a more straightforward instruction.

First, you can click on your profile icon in Teams and go directly to Schedule an out of office, as a shortcut. This will take you to the settings area where you can proceed. You can also click the three-dot icon next to your profile icon, then go to Settings > General, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, you'll find out-of-office settings and click Schedule.

Read more