Combining a mouse with a biometric device seems like a no-brainer. Yet when APC first launched its Biometric Password Manager as a single device it didn’t hit us that it should be someday incorporated into a mouse shell. Now the company is releasing exactly that: a Biometric Mouse Password Manager (aka BioM34) that enables mouse usage, password management and file encryption in a single gadget.

The mouse per se would be a non-descript optical mouse if not for the sensor on its back that allows for fingerprint reading. Dull gray and with loud clicking buttons, the device is a somewhat big mouse that performs its regular functions well – including gaming (it was put through test on an online dispute of Battlefield 2).

The password management is on par with the previously released single unit Biometric Password Manager: it’s done by APC’s proprietary software, Omnipass. If you are a first time user, it will be a breeze to install and run it; however, if you own a previous version, be prepared for a bumpy ride.

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Figure 1: The BioM34.