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Chapura Cloak 2.0
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By Larry Garfield, Wednesday 30 October 2002  
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Simple but effective utilities have for a long time been the bread-and-butter of the Palm software market. Chapura Cloak is one such program, and Larry Garfield likes the way it works, too.
The core purpose of a PDA is to store, carry, and organize information. Sometimes, however, that information may be sensitive and not for prying eyes, which is where encryption programs come in. Chapura, of Pocket Mirror fame, has their own "sensitive data manager" program, Chapura Cloak 2.0.
Cloak is a two-part program, with a handheld application and a mirror Windows application. Both offer virtually identical functionality, tailored to their respective platforms.
The Handheld
 | If Cloak looks like the Address book... it should.
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Cloak uses the ubiquitous List View / Details View setup, which should be familiar to virtually all users. Whenever the user starts the program, he or she is asked for a password, which they can set the first time the use the program. The password can be any alphanumeric string up to 28 characters, and can be entered via Graffiti, an on-screen numeric keypad, or via the application buttons. The four application buttons and two directional buttons are mapped to digits 1-6, allowing for rapid entry of long passwords quickly, albeit with a reduced number of possible characters. For best security, use full alphanumeric strings. The program can also mask the password with asterisks, and the password can be changed from within the program.
Once in the 112 KB program, the interface is almost identical to the Address Book. The list view is a categorizeable list of records, and tapping on any given record opens it in Details View. Tapping the screen again edits the record, or tapping the New button on the List View. There is also a very Address Book-like search field on the List View.
Records can be of several types, each with a pre-defined set of equivalent fields. Types include Bank, Contact, Credit Card, Insurance, Inventory, Logon, Membership, Misc, Personal Info, Software registration code, and Web site login. Each type has a plaintext description field, sometimes named "Card" or "Program", four encrypted text fields with some appropriate name, and an encrypted Note field. In a slight departure from the classic interface, the Note field is shown directly on the main edit screen for easier access.
Cloak uses 128-bit Blowfish encryption for all encrypted records. Blowfish is a public domain, non-patented two-way encryption mechanism. If the device is lost or stolen, therefore, while a skilled villan may be able to download the raw databases off the device and examine them in a hex editor, he would only see an incomprehensible string of gibberish rather than, say, the user's bank account number.
Individual records can be beamed to other Cloak users, and the program can beam a 25-use trial version of itself as well. If the handheld shuts off while in the program, Cloak will automatically exit as soon as the device is powered on again, preventing unauthorized n'er-do-wells from accessing data within the program.
 | Cloak includes several well-designed record types
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Since Cloak uses only standard form elements, it runs properly with all Palm OS screen APIs, including the Sony CLIE HighRes and HandEra QVGA as well as PalmSource HighDensity, although it does not directly make use of any of them. It does not make use of the scroll wheels on the Sony CLIEs or the HandEra Jog Wheel, but it does have a custom icon for Palm OS 5 and the new Tungsten T, and takes advantage of the Tungsten T's NavPad for one-handed operation.
The Desktop
The Windows-only desktop version of Cloak has all of the same features as the handheld version, with an interface that is based off of the Palm Desktop style. Many of the dialogs are the same, and it has the same password protection as the handheld application. The password on the client and handheld are set separately, but will only synchronize if the two are identical. It can also shut off and throw a password dialog if the program itself has been idle for a period of time.
As on the handheld, Cloak Desktop uses Blowfish encryption on all records except the Category and Description fields. That prevents unauthorized users from poking around the system and extracting the datafiles. The user can also export records to text, comma-separated lists (CSV) or an encrypted "vCloak" format, and import from CSV or vCloak.
Conclusion
Chapura Cloak builds on all the elements that have made Palm OS applications generally so usable. The almost complete emulation of the Address Book interface makes for a near-zero learning curve, and data is available quickly and easily. Despite the encryption, we had no speed difficulties with the program at all. The pre-defined record templates are well chosen, making creating new entries a snap. Still, we'd prefer to see scroll wheel and jog wheel support on the handheld, and more desktop options than just Windows. Otherwise, a solid program.
- What's positive: Fast, clean interface, good encryption
- What's negative: Desktop is Windows only
Overall: 
Availability
Chapura Cloak is available now for $19.95 USD. A trial version is also available.
Conclusion
Chapura Cloak builds on all the elements that have made Palm OS applications generally so usable. The almost complete emulation of the Address Book interface makes for a near-zero learning curve, and data is available quickly and easily. Despite the encryption, we had no speed difficulties with the program at all. The pre-defined record templates are well chosen, making creating new entries a snap. Still, we'd prefer to see scroll wheel and jog wheel support on the handheld, and more desktop options than just Windows. Otherwise, a solid program.
What's positive:
Fast, clean interface, good encryption
What's negative:
Desktop is Windows only
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