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DataViz is betting that you have a lot of random information--from passwords to credit card numbers--to keep both handy and secure, and its solution is Passwords Plus, a free-form database program with powerful encryption.

The $30 download includes versions for both Windows and the Palm operating system. A shrink-wrapped package listed at the same price that will probably retail for less is scheduled to hit stores in March.

Keeping Secrets

DataViz is pitching the product as a convenient utility that's also mobile.

It's unlikely that you'll need your insurance information only when you're at your computer. To make your entries portable, DataViz includes both Windows and Palm OS-based versions of Passwords Plus in the same package. The two programs can synchronize data between your PC and your Palm-based handheld or smartphone. It can also synchronize data between two Windows PCs.

The information must be secure as well as portable, so Passwords Plus won't even load without first getting your password. Both PC and Palm versions use extremely secure, 128-bit Blowfish encryption.

Hands-On Hiding

A quick examination of a demo version of Passwords Plus found the program very simple to use.

A left panel lists the records you have entered into the program. A single record might contain information on a particular bank account or a Web site. The right panel shows the information you have entered for the currently selected record, such as a user name and password.

Although each record contains standard fields such as name and address, you're not tied to a particular set of fields.

Passwords Plus comes with templates for 25 different information types, each with its own set of fields. When you create a new record, you can pick between a Web site, insurance policy, or even eyeglasses prescription. You can alter a template to make the fields match your own needs.

Other Options

Of course, you don't have to use Passwords Plus to secure random bits of information.

You can jot down names and numbers in any note-taking program (even Microsoft Word in outline mode) and use a separate file-encryption program to secure the file. Some very good free ones are available. But DataViz believes Passwords Plus is a simpler solution to the problem.

At one time, the company was primarily in the PC-to-Mac file-sharing business. In recent years, as sharing files between the two leading desktop platforms got easier, DataViz has focused more on PC-to-Palm programs like Documents to Go and Passwords Plus. DataViz doesn't support other handheld operating systems, such as Windows CE.

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