Chip 2001 Mobile/Chip_Mobile_2001.iso/palm/tools/memosafe/memosafe.EXE/readme.txt

Text File | 2000-11-16 | 22KB | 546 lines

WELCOME TO MEMO SAFE
====================
Version 2.57, Nov. 8, 2000
By Dan Pronovost
Copyright 1999-2000, DeepNet Technologies
web site: www.deepnettech.com
e-mail: [e-mail]

Memo Safe is a 100% compatible replacement for
the built in Memo Pad application. With easy-to-use
memo encryption/security and tons of advanced features,
Memo Safe is the perfect add-on to your Palm Pilot (tm)!

Memo Safe is available in English and French versions.
See below for further comments.

HOW TO INSTALL MEMO SAFE
========================

You may install new versions of Memo Safe
over top of older versions. All of your
memos (encrypted or otherwise) wil be preserved.
Encrypted memos can be opened with the same
password. If you install over top of an older
version, you will have to re-enter your Memo
Safe Preferences again.

Simply unzip the 'memosafe.prc' file and hot sync it to your
Palm Computing(TM) device (Pro, PalmIII, PalmIIIx, PalmV, PalmVII).

HOW TO INSTALL WINSAFE
======================

WinSafe is a Windows program for viewing Memo Safe encrypted
memos inside Microsoft Outlook or the 3Com Memo Pad Desktop utility.
You can set a 'hot key' combination (ALT-F11 by default) that
decrypts encrypted memos on your PC in one key stroke!

Copy the 'winsafe.exe' and 'winsafe.dll' files into a directory.
Simply run 'winsafe.exe' to use it. Detailed Help is available
online in the program.

This program does NOT allow you to edit memos, and
does not have any of the other functionality of Memo Safe.
It is strictly a simple viewing program.

WinSafe is FREE and does not contain any shareware 'nags'.

HOW TO REGISTER MEMO SAFE
=========================

The unregistered version of of Memo Safe is fully functional,
but will occasionally remind you that you should register.
Registration eliminates these nags completely.

Registration costs only $7 (US) and can be done on-line
with a secure credit card transaction. The registration
code is sent to you immediately by e-mail. You can
register at either of these fine sites (search for "Memo Safe"):

Handango:
    - www.handango.com

PalmPilotGear HQ:
      - www.pilotgear.com
      - 1-800-741-9070 (US/Canada)
      - 1-817-640-6558 (direct line)
      - $2 transaction fee for phone orders

Or visit www.deepnettech.com/memosafe.html for a direct link to these sites.

When the software is registered, all software nags are disabled,
and you will receive free updates, and support. Please register
and make a struggling shareware author happier!
Make sure you specify your hotsync id when you
purchase your registration: a temporary static
registration code is sent to you immediately, and
DeepNet Technologies will send you a permanent
registration code based on your hotsync id
within a couple days.

DOCUMENTATION
=============

The complete documentation is included in this readme
file. See the 'Help...' menu in Memo Safe for further
documentation as well.

MEMO SAFE IN OTHER LANGUAGES
============================

Memo Safe is also available in French. All versions are available
at Handango (www.handango.com), PalmPilotGear HQ
(www.pilotgear.com), and from DeepNet directly (www.golden.net/~deepnet).
Search for "Memo Safe"; new language versions are being created
all the time!

All language versions of Memo Safe are completely separate.
Each version can be installed on the same Palm Pilot
at the same time, although we recommend you only use one
version. If you install more than one version, they will edit the
same Memo Pad database, but have separate backup databases.

The registration codes for each language version of Memo Safe
are different. Make sure you purchase the registration code
for the right version! Purchasing one language version of
Memo Safe does not entitle you to free copies of a different
language version.

If you would like to see Memo Safe translated into another
language and would be willing to assist in this, please contact
us by e-mail: [e-mail].


COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, ETC.
===========================

I'd love to hear what you think of Memo Safe. If you have
a favorite feature that you would like to see in it,
send me an e-mail and I just might do it! If you're a
registered user, I'll probably do it faster!

Please send all correspondence in English. I may not be able
to respond to feedback that is sent in other languages.

CHANGE HISTORY
==============

Nov. 8, 2000:
    - Implemented a new memo 'encoding' feature to work around a bug
    introduced in Chinese Windows OS. Some characters in the encrypted
    content (accented characters) would get corrupted on a hotsync operation
    With Chinese Windows. A new preference setting has been added
    that causes memos to be saved in a very simple 'uuencoded' format
    that is safe from possible corruption. The drawback of this
    setting is that it limits the size of encrpyted memos even further
    to 2048 bytes. By default, the 'Large memo encoding' option
    is NOT enabled. If you are experiencing problems with garbled memos
    on the desktop, switch this setting. This problem is only known
    to occur with Chinese Windows.

Nov. 2, 2000:
    - fixed a small bug in search where search for words in titles
    of encrypted memos could fail occasionally.

Sept. 12, 2000
    - Fixed a bug where opening a memo in Memo Safe from the search
    dialog caused the menus to stop working.
    - Fixed a problem in WinSafe where lone lines were not line wrapped.
    - Added a warning dialog when saving a changed memo that was Forced
    Open. Since this is could potentially wipe out a valid memo, it is
    now prompted with a 'Cancel' option.
    - Investigated an incompatibility with PalmLock (when the Pilot is
    closed with an encrypted memo open). This is due to the PalmLock application
    and cannot be corrected or worked around at this time.


July 8, 2000
    - Added an option to control the way Memo Safe deals with encrypted
    memos being left open when the device is shutdown. A conflict
    existed with this feature and some other Hacks (like PopupTime) that
    present dialogs on device startup. The default now is that the
    encrypted memo is closed AFTER the the device turns back on.
    The previous method (close the memo BEFORE shutdown) is still
    available as a Preference option: close memos on shutdown.


June 10, 2000
    - Forced Open memos with the 'prevent unencrypted deletes'
    option cannot be deleted (initially).
    - small change to avoid memory overwrite warning in the Palm
    Emulator (only) when in debug mode, only during startup.
    - Fixed a bug where searching for text while outside of
    Memo Safe would not report hits in non-encrypted records in
    Memo Safe.
    - added a few options to the WinSafe memo viewer:
        - Hidden password entry (default).
        - Always prompt for password on memo open (default).

May 10, 2000
    - Various fixes for Palm OS 3.5 (Palm IIIc).

April 19, 2000
    - Made the backup database copy ONLY encrypted records, instead of
    all records. Now that the primary culprit of memo corruption has
    been identified and fixed (MS Outlook), there is no need to waste
    space backing up non-encrypted memos. The backup database will be
    recreated when this version is installed and run for the first time.
    - WinSafe now shows up in the system tray icons of the task bar
    when minimized. If you put WinSafe in your Startup Group and select
    the 'start minimized' option in WinSafe, then it will now effectively
    start automatically as a background service when you start Windows!

April 5, 2000
    - Added 'hot key' functionality to WinSafe so that it can be invoked
    from any editor (including MS Outlook and the 3Com Memo Pad utility).
    No need to copy/paste encrypted memos anymore! Decrypt memos from
    within Outlook or the desktop Memo Pad utility.

March 29, 2000
    - Fixed a bug where the 'i' help in the Preferences dialog was
    not coming up with the correct content.

March 25, 2000
    - Added WinSafe, a Microsoft Windows program for viewing Memo Safe
    encrypted memos on your PC. Simply run winsafe.exe and follow the
    instructions on screen.

March 23, 2000
    - Fixed bug where upgrading to version 2.5 with memos only containing
    a title caused a crash.
    - Prevent creation of encrypted memos > 4096 bytes (not allowed on
    Pilots).

March 20, 2000
    - Fixed another bug where Outlook could corrupt Memo Safe memos.
    Memo Safe was using characters for encryption that Outlook would
    alter when opened in Outlook. Unfortunately, if you have a memo
    that was corrupted by Outlook it cannot be repaired. Try using the
    'Revert to backup' or 'Force open' feature (documented below).
    This bug fix prevents further corruption from occuring.

March 17, 2000
    - Fixed a bug where Microsoft Outlook could corrupt Memo Safe
    memos if they were opened on the PC desktop. Even if the memos are
    not edited, they could become uneditable (for example, if the category
    is changed). This problem is caused by Outlook injecting newlines
    into the encrypted text.

Jan. 7, 2000
    - Fixed a bug where closing Memo Safe while an encrypted
    memo is being edited would cause the memo to come up
    again on the next power up. This tended to happen on long
    memos.
    - Empty passwords are now allowed when opening memos
    (so that you can get to the details dialog to delete
    or restore from backup).
    - Fixed a bug with the backup database: when a memo is forced
    open, the backup record is no longer over-written when
    the memo is closed (this allows you to recover the backup
    record after you've tried doing a force open first).

Jan. 1, 2000:
    - added a notification dialog when a memo with only a title
    is encrypted; memos without content are not encrypted.

Dec. 5, 1999:
    - Added a Memo Safe backup feature: every time you edit a memo,
    it is backed up in a separate database (encrypted memos are
    backed up encrypted). If a memo gets corrupted outside of
    Memo Safe (during a hotsync or in Memo Pad), you can use
    this feature to restore the memo. This is particularly
    important with encrypted memos, where even one byte changed
    makes the memo unreadable.
    - The backup database feature can be turned off in the
    Preferences for Memo Safe. The backup database
    doubles the memory useage for memos.
    - Added a 'Prevent unencrypted deletes' option to the memo
    details dialog. Checking this option for an encrypted memo
    prevents it from being deleted if an invalid password is
    entered. The memo can still be deleted outside of Memo Safe,
    though.
    - Added additional help text to more dialogs.

Nov. 21, 1999:
    - put in a workaround to avoid a crash problem
    that could occur with the ScreenWrite Hack. With this
    hack installed, memo safe would occasionally crash
    when opening the password dialog. The workaround safely
    fixes the problem.

Oct. 21, 1999:
    - added a 'Force open' button to the password entry dialogs. If
    selected, the memo is opened regardless of whether the password
    validates correctly. This can be useful if the contents of an
    encrypted memo were altered outside of Memo Safe. Note that the
    decrypted memo will not be readable after the point where the
    encrypted contents were altered.

Oct. 8, 1999:
    - added Help 'i' icon to Preferences dialog. Used to be there, and
    was recently removed by accident.

Oct. 3, 1999:
    - added 'Encrypt/Decrypt Category' menu items that let you
    encrypt and decrypt all messages (in a category) at once.

Oct. 2, 1999:
    - added pinpad support; password can be entered in a large numeric
    pinpad (buttons big enough for fingers).

Oct. 1, 1999:
    - fixed a crash that could occur when entering invalid passwords
    for the first time.

Sept 25, 1999:
    - fixed an annoyance where it was very easy to accidentally save
    encrypted memos with a bad password. Incorrect passwords could
    be used to encrypt memos.

Sept 22, 1999:
    - fixed a small bug where hotsync ids with accented characters
    code cause a crash.

Sept. 17, 1999:
    - If you press cancel on the password dialog when opening a memo,
    it will return you to the list view.
    - If the current saved password is incorrect for the memo being
    opened, prompt once for the password rather than open the memo
    with the bad password text.
    - changed default for 'Save encryption password' to off, since it
    is a security violation and better to let people check it on later.
    - On power-up, if we were last editing an encrypted memo, if is
    immediately closed. There is no way to close the memo on power down.
    - small bug in Palm OS 2.0 where it would remember the encryption
    password if you switched away and back immediately.

Sept. 16, 1999:
    - changed code to handle record resizing better; should be less of
    a problem on Palm OS 2.0.
    - if the incorrect password is entered, don't allow the original
    encrypted memo to be modified. It can be deleted, though.
    Although you can change the text of the memo, it will not be
    saved.
    - a wait dialog is presented if the memo will take a long time
    to decrypt. Decryption is significantly faster now, too.
    - The password is erased after a power down (automatic or manual).
    But if you edit a memo and then power down, that same memo will
    be opened when you turn your Pilot back on again. Make sure you close
    a secure memo before powering down.

Sept. 15, 1999:
    - Version 1.0 created.


Features of Memo Safe
=====================

Memo Safe is a 100% compatible replacement for the built in
Memo Pad utility. It contains the same features as the Memo
Pad utility, but also has many extensions such as simple
security and encryption. Here are the key features of Memo
Safe:

- Reads and writes the standard Memo Pad database. Records
you create in Memo Pad or Memo Safe are visible within each
product.

- 100% compatibility with Memo Pad. Every feature available
in Memo Pad is supported in Memo Safe.

- Easy-to-use memo security. All encrypted memo headings
are displayed and you only have to enter your password once
for each Memo Safe session.

- Reliable and secure memo encryption using the SAFER-SK
public domain block-cipher. Memos are encrypted in plain
text format for easy backup and handling.

- Single program works under Palm OS 2.0 and higher. On 3.0
or higher, beaming memos is supported.

- Correct Find support that searches the decrypted text if you
have entered the password. If you are not in Memo Safe,
encrypted memos are ignored.

- Many user preferences, including hidden password entry,
separate passwords for each memo, and pinpad password entry.

- Automatic memo backup feature; if a memo gets corrupted outside
of Memo Safe, you can restore to the last edited version!

- Works with LeftHack (unlike MemoPlus).

- Cheap registration fee: for $7, Memo Safe becomes 'nag' free
and you get the good feeling of helping a shareware author
out! Do it now!

**Using Memo Safe

Memo Safe is a 100% compatible replacement for the built in
Memo Pad utility. It contains the same features as the Memo
Pad utility, but also has many extensions such as simple
security and encryption. See the 'readme.txt' file in the original
installation zip file for addition help on the features of Memo
Safe.

**Encrypting Memos

To protect a memo, simply tap on the 'encrypt' checkbox.
When you close the memo, it will be stored in an encrypted
format. If you switch to the original Memo Pad and view the
record, you will notice the encrypted text. Memo Safe memos
are backed up like any other memos you create.

As long as you have already entered a password, you will not
have to enter a new one when you create new memos. If the
'Enter password for each memo' checkbox is on, you will be
Prompted for a new password for each memo you create.

To encrypt all of your memos, select 'Encrypt Category' from
the Record menu. All memos that are not currently encrypted
will be encrypted with the current password.

**Decrypting Memos

To open an encrypted memo, simply open it and enter the
password. Once you have entered the password, it is
remembered for the duration of Memo Safe session. You will
have to re-enter the password when you leave the Memo Safe
application and return.

If the 'Enter password for each memo' option is turned on in
the Preferences dialog, then you always have to enter a
password when you open and save a memo.

To decrypt all of your memos, select 'Decrypt Category' from
the Record menu. All memos that are currently encrypted will
be decrypted with the current password. If the current
password is incorrect for a memo, it is left encrypted.

**Using Find with Encrypted Memos

If you search from within the Memo Safe application,
encrypted memos will be searched if the correct password is
currently specified. Otherwise, encrypted memos are not
searched.

**Forgot your Password?

There is no way to recover a memo that you've forgotten the
password for. You can still open a memo that you've forgotten
the password for; the memo text will contain a message noting
that the wrong password was entered.  You can delete the
memo as you normally would from the details dialog.

**A Memo fails to Decrypt! Help!

An encrypted memo can only be decrypted if the encrypted
content is identical to the original saved data. If even one byte
of the encrypted data is altered, this will prevent the memo
from opening correctly. In this case, you are told that the
entered password is incorrect. Since Memo Safe uses the
original Memo Pad database to store its memos (ensuring
compatibility between the two products), it is possible to alter
the encrypted content outside of Memo Safe. Also, it is
possible during a hotsync operation that the encrypted content
could be slightly altered due to errors in transmission.

Memo Safe copies to a backup database every time you create
or modify a record. Whether the memo is encrypted or not,
simply go to the details dialog and tap 'Revert to backup'. This
will restore the memo's content to the last time it was edited in
Memo Safe. If you are having problems of this nature with a
memo, simply enter any password for the memo, go to the
details dialog, and tap 'Revert to backup'.

Alternatively, try using the 'Force open' option on the
password entry dialog. This will force the memo open with the
password, even though the encrypted content is not exactly
correct. The memo will be correct up to the point where the
encrypted content was altered. After that point, the memo will
not be legible.

**Making Backups and Palm OS 3.3 Upgrade

Since a memo can no longer be opened if the encrypted
contents are altered, it is advisable to make a backup of the
non-encrypted memos from time to time. Decrypt all of your
memos (use 'Decrypt Category' to do this faster), and do a
hotsync operation to backup the non-encrypted memos. Then
store the backup in a safe place.

It is recommended that you decrypt all your memos before
applying Palm OS 3.3 Upgrade. This upgrade does a complete
backup and restore of your Palm pilot. If any encrypted
memos are slightly corrupted during this process, then those
memos will not decrypt properly. If you decrypt all of your
memos before applying this upgrade, you can encrypt them
again afterwards.

**Beaming Memos

You can beam encrypted memos. If you have the correct
password entered, the decrypted memo will be beamed.
Otherwise, the encrypted memo is sent. The same is true for
beaming a whole category.

**Encryption Preferences

You can change other settings for Memo Safe in the
Preferences dialog.

Memo Safe uses one password to encrypt and decrypt memos
(it does not use a public key cipher). Once you enter a
password, it remembers it for the duration of the Memo Safe
session. When you switch to another application and return,
you will have to re-enter the password if you open an
encrypted memo.

The password can be saved (in an encrypted form) so that you
do not have to enter it when you create new memos. Turn off
the 'Save password for encryption' option if you would prefer
tighter security, at the cost of having to specify the password
(once) when you encrypt memos as well. People who are very
concerned about complete security should turn this option off.
When this option is off, the password is never stored, except in
physical memory for the duration of the Memo Safe session.

Turn on the option 'Hide password when entering it' if you do
not want the characters echoed as you enter them. Stars are
displayed when you enter the password. When you use this
option, you will have to enter the password twice to confirm
that it is correct (only when changing the password or saving
memos).

**Making Memo Safe your Default Memo Application

You can make it so that Memo Safe is the default application
when you press the Memo Pad button. Go the 'Prefs'
application and select 'Buttons'. Change the application to
'Memo Safe'.

** Credits

The French version of Memo Safe was translated by Stephane
Mader. Many thanks to Stephane for his superb translation and
diligent effort! The French version is available at the DeepNet
Technologies web site: www.deepnettech.com.

The German version of Memo Safe was translated by Sabine
Helf. Many thanks to Sabine for his superb translation and
diligent effort! The German version is available at the
DeepNet Technologies web site: www.deepnettech.com.

DeepNet Technologies would like to thank 3Com Corporation
for making the format of the Memo Pad database records
public information. This, and other, Palm Pilot applications
would not be possible without the source code examples
available in the SDK.

Memo Safe uses the Safer-SK encryption algorithm originally
published by James L. Massey. Many thanks to Peter
Gutmann who developed and distributed the open source
cryptlib encryption library.