Archive for LaunchKey

Password Required? I’ll Pass.

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We live in an age of technological insecurity. With the seemingly endless digital accounts that people have these days between banking, email, Facebook and other social media, there is a heightened risk that one of those accounts will be hacked. Passwords are becoming increasingly weak and obsolete as  hackers improve their methods at breaking in and stealing personal information. The news is always proclaiming the latest security breach at the hands of computer hackers and yet not much has been done to improve the security of these accounts. Until now.

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LaunchKey is a truly innovative application that allows you to quickly and securely log into an online account without having to use a password. Just swipe your smartphone and you are in. It works by pairing any personal account like banking or a blog account with your LaunchKey account and whenever you need to log in, it will send your phone a notification for you to swipe and therefore log in. No more trying to remember dozens of unique passwords that you fear may be cracked. LaunchKey has simplified and bolstered the the process of securing and logging into accounts.

launchkey-pano_25641Geoff Sanders (far right) was 28 when he launched LaunchKey (pun intended). He raised over $750,000 in start up funds to design and promote his product. His goal is to streamline the sign-in process by making passwords a tool of the past. By doing so he has solved two big problems when it comes to using passwords.

1) The awkwardness of remembering countless combinations of letters, words and characters.

2) The danger of someone hacking into your personal and private accounts.

Sanders’ vision is to see big corporations make the switch and avoid the risk of security breaches. LaunchKey will also alert you if another person is trying to access your account. The possibilities are endless. Anything that can connect to the internet is an option. In the future you may be able to unlock your front door or start your car with LaunchKey.

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Do you ever get tired of remembering all the different passwords you have? Ever feel frustrated with having to come up with a new password for each social media site you join? Well, Geoff Sanders, Devin Egan, and Yo Sub Kwon, the founders of Launch Key, definitely understand your pain. That’s what they created LaunchKey, a smartphone app that replaces all your passwords and  lets users sign into a site with a username alone. The software sends a signal to the user’s smartphone and he or she completes the sign-in by swiping the smartphone screen. download (6)

LaunchKey not only eliminates how many passwords people have to remember, but also helps with security breaches, particularly hacking. And while  there are some smartphone-based solutions that send a code to the phone that you must type in, LaunchKey has improved this because the LaunchKey app realizes you have your phone and sends you a message that is acknowledged with a swipe. And if someone else is trying to sign into your account, you can know that too! Also, it’s not for websites alone,it can actually work with anything that connects to the Internet. As Sanders said, “In theory, you could someday start a car with LaunchKey.”

Sanders, Egan, Yo Sub Kwon, won first place and best design with the LaunchKey concept at the Startup Weekend Las Vegas competition in July 2012. That same week, hackers had posted nearly half a million Yahoo passwords online. The team also got $750,000 in start-up funds from Vegas Tech Fund, founded by Tony Heisch and other Zappos.com execs. The LaunchKey App is now available for free in the Apple App Store and an Android version is coming soon! launchkey-pano_25641