The problem with password managers
SafeWallet is a new password-management app for iPhone and iPod Touch. It stores important information like credit cards, Social Security numbers, online passwords, the PIN for your ATM, software registration codes, and so on. Price: $5.99.
Like other apps of its kind (and there are many), SafeWallet offers templates to simplify the creation of new records and encryption to protect your data from prying eyes. It's a simple, effective tool that's undeniably handy to have around.
But not handy enough. See, like other apps of its kind (and there are many), SafeWallet doesn't sync with your PC. Specifically, it has no desktop counterpart, which for me is a deal-breaker.
That's because I spend as much time at my desk as I do on the road, so I need my passwords in both places. Sure, my iPhone is usually nearby, but a desktop app affords quicker access, and it lets me copy and paste info into Web forms--which I do surprisingly often.
A desktop app also simplifies data entry: it's a lot easier to create records on my PC and sync them to my iPhone than it is to tap-type on the latter's keyboard.
Unfortunately, out of at least a dozen password managers in the App Store, I know of only two that have desktop companion software: eWallet and SplashID. At $9.99 they're a few bucks pricier than the iPhone-only apps, but I think it's money well spent.
Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments section. I'd love to hear your feedback!
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
-
by francesco2009
November 13, 2009 11:23 AM PST
- Hello, forget templates and expensive backup apps that do not work on PCs. I've found a new, revolutionary password manager on the iPhone AppStore: iAccounts.
-
Like this
Reply to this comment
-
(18 Comments)iAccounts comes with flexible record structure. You can have 100 accounts and each can have different fields! There is no limit on the number and type of fields, you can even create your own.
And there is a FREE backup/restore application called iBackup that syncs with iAccounts over wi-fi. It's free and it's simply amazing! Have a look at the videos on YouTube (search for iAccounts-sync) or visit the company website at www.venticentostudio.com