Securely see stored passwords on your iPhone.
(Credit: Siber Systems)We have long regarded the RoboForm browser toolbar for Windows as an uberconvenient freemium tool for storing and securing scores of passwords. In contrast, the new iPhone app, RoboForm for iPhone, is decidedly less acommodating.
The problem isn't so much that you have to have a free online account to use RoboForm for iPhone, or even that to have the online account you must first fill up the desktop version--either the free or premium software--with credentials. Part of the trouble is more that restrictions in Apple's SDK inhibit RoboForm's usefulness. Other flaws stem from the application itself.
It's helpful to understand how RoboForm works on your PC. RoboForm installs as a system tray icon and as a browser toolbar. It works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome. When you enter your log-in credentials, RoboForm offers to save them, storing a file protected by 256 AES encryption on your computer. Selecting that credential later on from RoboForm's list fills in the log-in. In addition, you can keep credit card information and other sensitive data secured away in RoboForm, filling in online forms with a click when you go to buy an item online, for example. RoboForm secures passwords, includes a password generator, and uses one master password to manage the rest of your passwords.
The iPhone version of RoboForm is a cross between a data store and a unidirectional syncing app. It can give you access to the passwords you store via RoboForm for the desktop, which makes the iPhone version inconvenient for new users. First-timers would have to first set up an account, install RoboForm, input their passwords, automatically install the company's GoodSync syncing plug-in, and sync the secret data to an online account for which they would also have to register. In contrast, existing users only have to sign up for an online account, if they don't have one already, and sync data.
Once on RoboForm for iPhone, you sync to the online RoboForm account to transfer over your passwords and other credentials. Sounds reasonable so far, but here's the catch. Since Apple doesn't allow multiple third-party applications to run simultaneously, you can only fill in passwords from within RoboForm for iPhone--by clicking the Login button--and only then once you've entered your master password.
RoboForm on the desktop automatically installs a syncing plug-in.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)A rival app, 1Password for iPhone, encountered similar hurdles when it debuted in July 2008 (review). Both 1Password and RoboForm for iPhone solve the tangle to some extent by including an in-app browser. The key to successfully using either app is to retrain yourself to open the password app to browse, instead of the Safari browser.
Assuming you believe that the benefits of RoboForm for iPhone outweigh the drawbacks of surfing the Web through a password app, there are two other solutions that might make RoboForm on iPhone less handy in some users' eyes. The iPhone's Safari browser features autofill in the iPhone 3.0 operating system update. If you opt out of that, you can take advantage of certain Web sites, like Google's Web apps, that offer to remember log-in credentials for you. RoboForm VP of Marketing, Bill Carey, counters that the software, in production for a decade, is more accurate in determining when to fill in credentials, and in some cases is more secure than browsers' password managers.
In addition to the awkward workaround for using RoboForm's smarts are other downsides. First, there are the known limitations. You cannot currently update or edit log-in information from within RoboForm on iPhone, making data currently one-directional--it flows into the iPhone, not out of it. RoboForm for iPhone won't work if your master password is four characters long. Your free account at RoboForm.com can't contain special characters, like the + or - symbol. RoboForm's publisher says that the company is working on fixes.
RoboForm downloads passwords to the iPhone from your online account.
(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)We also encountered weak spots in testing RoboForm for iPhone. RoboForm for iPhone's practice of placing the Login button on the same screen as the exposed password pricks our nerves. Sure, you've already logged in with a Master password at this point, so theft is not an issue, but potentially flashing that information in public is. In addition, we received a "page invalid" error message when attempting to log in to Gmail. The same action worked flawlessly on RoboForm for Windows.
RoboForm's Carey informed us this is a known issue in which long URLs like Gmail and Wachovia Bank break on mobile phone browsers. The fix is fast, but since you can't edit on the iPhone yet, you'll need to be in front of a computer. In RoboForm on the PC, click Tools, then Edit Passcards. Change Gmail's log-in URL to http://www.gmail.com, then sync online and sync the iPhone app.
Kludgey workarounds like this make the app workable while development continues, but the weak spots are many, and the alternative options to using RoboForm on the iPhone are at this stage more robust. Existing users will get the most from RoboForm for iPhone. New users may want to weigh other options for the time being.
1Password lets you add and manage all sorts of Web log-ins in one place.
(Credit: CNET Networks)iPhone and iPod Touch users have a fantastic new solution for keeping track of log-in credentials from site to site. It's called 1Password, and like the name suggests, you only need to remember one password to access and use your log-ins across hundreds and thousands of sites.
Like RoboForm (download) and other desktop password solutions, 1Password lets you save these log-ins under the protection of a single master password. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of Apple's SDK, you can't run 1Password while you're randomly browsing in Safari, meaning you won't be able to enjoy the ease of autofill. 1Password's workaround is to have you plug in your log-in information and the URL of where that log-in screen is located. From the application, you can simply click on the site you want to go to and it will plug all of that information into the correct fields when it opens in an in-app browser.
The application is already off to a great start, but there are some quirks that need fixing (and will be getting soon). The most glaring omission is the lack of an on-screen keyboard, meaning if there's something like a captcha or another form to fill in later on, you're out of luck. You're also unable to delete saved log-ins, so any log-in you no longer need must be repurposed instead.
Otherwise, there's a lot of power for advanced users. Once you're browsing any site, if you have to log in again for something, you can simply hit the "lock" key, which will plug in your username and password yet again. The same can be done for forms if you're willing to make a preset for that--something just fantastic when you need to enter billing information without killing your thumbs.
Mac users who want to carry over passwords from their browser can also take advantage of cross-platform sync, which will port over log-ins from their desktop to their phone and vice versa with the $35 desktop version.
[via Macrumors]
PassPack is a password-saving service I first checked out back in January of last year. This past week it released a really cool and smart password-saving tool that exists separately from your browser and lets you manage your passwords while offline. It also syncs up with PassPack's cloud storage to let you access your shared passwords, then sync them to multiple, authorized computers.
The application's claim to fame is that you can access your passwords while offline and without the use of your browser. If you don't feel like installing a new, standalone app, you can get similar functionality by trying out the offline version of PassPack that takes advantage of Google Gears to let you do this while away from an Internet connection.
Since Adobe's AIR is cross-platform (download for Mac or Windows), PassPack's developers have chosen to spend more time developing it than the browser-based Gears iteration. Plus, if you're a user of multiple browsers, including some that fall outside the Gears love (like Opera (download for Windows or Mac)), the desktop application will work without issues.
One current weak point with the AIR app (that's due to be remedied soon) is that any locally created passwords will not sync back up with your central PassPack account, so if you're intending to add any new ones you should do that in the Web version instead. The tool also requires the use of an incredibly strong packing password that will roll up all your other passwords. Like I said when I first checked out the service, you're best to write it down somewhere as without it there's no way to recover notes and passwords stored in your account.
PassPack Desktop performs in much the same way the Web version does, although you can access it while away from your browser.
(Credit: CNET Networks)
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
As an Internet worker, I surf hundreds of different Web sites daily. A good portion of those--including online e-mail services, Web-based work tools, and members-only message boards--require a log-in information before I can gain access. In addition to sites and services that require only a login and password, I also occasionally need to fill out forms when I register for software, sign-up for a new service, or buy something online.
You might think it's not a huge amount of trouble to fill in log-in information, but if you're like most people, you use the same password (or a variation) for every site you visit. Though this makes your password easy to remember, it also means that if someone cracks your one password, they can get into any site for which you use that log-in information. Fortunately there are Password Managers to eliminate that problem by making you remember only one master password locally on your machine, and then generate secure passwords for all your favorite sites.
One thing I should mention about these types of programs is that they have an initial set-up process before you can let them manage all of your passwords. You'll usually need to create a master password and then set up accounts for your many log-ins. Though there's a little work involved in the beginning, once you're up and running, you'll be logging into all your favorite Web sites and filling out forms faster than ever before. You also can rest assured that your passwords are close to impossible to crack.
Quickly grab all the info for each account using a familiar Windows Explorer interface
(Credit: CNET Networks)Password Agent Lite lets you create groups of related sites--online pay sites , for example)--and then lets you add log-in, credit card, and other secret information for each site. Password Agent Lite generates secure passwords for you, so you'll need to remember only a master password to gain access to all your info. The initial set-up for Password Agent Lite isn't immediately obvious, so I recommend checking out the tutorial in the help menu to get started. This application is the only one of the group that is for passwords only--the other two also help you to fill in forms.
WebM8 provides space for a huge database of password and log-in information
(Credit: CNET Networks)WebM8 also fills in your log-ins and forms for you, and adds the convenience of a drop-down menu for forms requiring more than the standard log-in and password. WebM8 works with almost any browser, and it encrypts your log-ins, passwords, and other private info by using the Blowfish algorithm with a 256-bit key so you don't have to worry if you share your computer with other users. Just like Password Agent Lite, you'll want to check out the help file to get started. As I said, most of these programs are tricky in the beginning, but well worth the effort once you go through the setup process.
Roboform lets you choose the type of password characters you use for restrictive sites.
(Credit: CNET Networks)RoboForm is my long-time favorite for filling out forms. I use this one to quickly fill out software registration information, billing addresses, and online forms, all by using the small window that pops up every time I need something filled in. I've pointed out that these programs work great once you've trained them. Roboform almost trains itself. Roboform pays attention when you fill out forms, so once you save your address, from then on Roboform will fill in the information for you. The password manager for Roboform also requires only one master password, and then it remembers all the rest. Roboform uses AES encryption to ensure your private information stays safe.
If you find yourself filling out way too many forms, or you need an easy way to keep track of log-ins and passwords, grab one of these programs. Once you get used to them and go through the set-up process, you'll love how easy it is to log into any site.
RoboForm is a popular browsing companion that saves time and finger flexing by filling your passwords and data into online forms and log-ins. Your personal data is securely stored, of course.
Watch RoboForm in action in the First Look video below. The RoboForm trial lets you use the full-featured version of the software, with a limit of ten passwords, two identities, and one profile. If you want unlimited data storage, you'll need to purchase the full version for $29.95.
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