KeyLemon

CNET Editors' review

by: Seth Rosenblatt on February 08, 2010

KeyLemon logs you in to your computer by using your face. More than just a glorified Webcam tool, it regularly checks to make sure that it really is you using the computer. The latest version of the app also comes with a neat Firefox plug-in called LemonFox, for added protection when logging into Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Once installed, the program's Wizard will walk you through creating a profile of your face, and link it to your computer's log-in. From there, KeyLemon defaults to checking the Webcam every 10 seconds, although you can always bypass it with your text-based log-in. If the face in front of the Webcam isn't yours, KeyLemon locks the computer--but not before taking a photo of the hijacker. KeyLemon will also lock the computer if it detects that nobody in front of the computer. You can change how often it checks the Webcam, create multiple profiles, toggle the log-in feature on and off, set it to run at start-up, and create your own skins. Just like the main program, the LemonFox plug-in opens to a tutorial to get your started and it uses the Webcam to prevent unauthorized access--at least on the computer that has KeyLemon installed. Hopefully, LemonFox will be able to support more Web sites in the future.

KeyLemon was largely, but not completely, problem-free. The most common software issue occurred when waking the computer. It would occasionally not recognize the face in the front of the Webcam. Also, it crashed the computer when jumping from the laptop dock to undocked mode. The biggest problem though was lighting. If the lights on your face are too strong, the program can't discern your features and it won't function. Overall, though, it seems like a solid software tool for adding an extra layer of security to your computer. Just don't expect it to fully replace your text-based or fingerprint log-in.