David Jack Wange Olrik

This weeks pick is an tool that is usualy the first thing I install on a new computer¹. It’s an app that keeps my personal information safe. It’s an app called 1Password that totally replaces MacOSX’ build in Keychain.

So why would I want to replace the build in Keychain? While the build in Keychain is pretty sweet, 1Password just that much sweeter! You only need to remember one password, and this one password will let you access all your stored passwords.

You can choose to use the build in Keychain as storage backend, but I recommend that you use 1Passwords own Agile Keychain format.

These are the features² you’ll gain when using 1Password instead of the build in Keychain:

• Store and provide easy access to more than one account for any website.
• Correctly handle financial websites which often disable storing passwords in Safari’s AutoFill.
• Integrate with multiple browsers, including Safari, Fluid, Firefox, DEVONagent, OmniWeb, NetNewsWire, Flock, Netscape Navigator, and Camino.
• Eliminate the need to synchronize your data between browsers.
• Support multiple identities, such as personal and business identities. You can even create fake identities for websites you do not trust.
• Fill credit card information with one click.
• Import information from a multitude of sources.
• Integrate a strong password generator directly into the browser for quick and painless generation of super strong passwords.
• Sync your information to the iPhone/iPod touch, as well as Palm³ devices.

The killer feature of 1Password is the ability to bring all of your passwords and credentials with you in a safe and secure way on your iPhone⁴. And with the recent 2.0 upgrade of 1Password touch the syncing part just got a major overhaul, and it is now incredibly easy and hassel free that you’ll want to sync it all the time.

Later this year Agile will release 1Password 3.0, which is a completely rewritten version of 1Password based on the new Agile Keychain – I can’t wait for it to be released!

1. And by computer I mean Mac [↩]
2. I totally ripped the feature list from this page in the 1Password online documentation [↩]
3. But why would you want to do that? [↩]
4. or other mobile device, but why would you want a mobile device that is not an iPhone? [↩]

Everyone’s favorite credential manager will be out in version 3.0 later this year with a completely redesigned UI. Agile offered us a sneak-peak of the new Locked Screen, and I must say it looks spiffy.

While we wait for 3.0 I suggest you upgrade your keychain to the Agile Keychain format which features stronger encryption, allows for file based syncing¹ and much more.

Another thing you can do is get² or upgrade³ 1Password touch which have just been upgraded to version 2.0. This is a huge upgrade which finally brings full support for Wallet Items to the iPhone in addition to faster and more reliable syncs.

1Password is one of my most used applications and I can hardly wait for version 3.0.

1. Which means that you can do backups with rsync or Dropbox [↩]
2. 1Password touch is free until June 5. 2009 [↩]
3. Be sure to upgrade the desktop version first and sync your iPhone before upgrading your iPhone [↩]

When I started writing this blog post, it was called My top 5 favorite iPhone apps. But as I sorted through my installed¹ apps, I had a really hard time limiting my self to just 5 apps – so I changed the scope to “top 8″.

If I could only install 8 3rd party apps these are the ones I would choose. These 8 apps are the ones I use most frequently, and I couldn’t imagine living without them.

More

1. I have 107 apps on my iPhone and a total of 144 apps in my iTunes library. [↩]

Yesterday Agile Web Solutions released version 1.0 of 1Password for the iPhone. This is truly a must have for both the Mac and the iPhone and best of all the iPhone version is free!

I have played around with it and so far I really like what I see! There are some still some rough edges and missing features, but version 1.2 which straitens the edges and adds search functionality and other goodies, has already been submitted to the App Store for review, and should appear Real Soon Now™.

Version 1.0 was actually released about 2 weeks ago, but as all other iPhone apps it had to go through Apple’s lengthy review process. Lets just hope version 1.2 gets cleared faster than 1.0.