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Archive for the 'Software' Category

by mkeefe on Feb 2nd, 2010

1Password 3 - An amazing update

Agile Software has recently released version 3 of their popular password manager, 1Password. Its no surprise I am a huge fan of this application, but with all that packed into this new version I love it more.

The feature list for 1Password 3 is about 50+ but some of them really stand out. Especially the custom keychain, mobile syncing, software licensing management and even the new design.

64 Bit, check!
Starting at the core the new version runs natively on Snow Leopard in 64bit mode. This of course means more responsive and faster performance overall.

Mobile Syncing
With the 1Password iPhone app you can travel with your passwords and even use the app to login to MobileSafari web pages without ever having to enter a password.

Faster search
1Password 3 now features much better and robust searching. You can quickly drill down on your passwords and find the correct one with ease.

Accounts
This is a lesser known feature but extremely useful. It gives you the ability to store account passwords, such as those for Airport, FTP, IM and the iTunes store, for example.

Attach files
You can now attach files (licenses, order receipts, keys) to any item in 1Password. This is especially useful for digital purchases, which normally have a simple email key that you often times misplace over the years.

Closing thoughts
I would like to see Chrome supported in a dot release soon, but I suspect that feature is held on the limitation of plug-ins with Chrome on the Mac.

In the end, the peace of mind with having all of my passwords stored safely really is priceless but the low price of $39.95 or $24.95 for the upgrade is a drop in the bucket. Stop remembering all those passwords and use 1Password.

Pick up a copy today, over at the Agile Online Store.

by mkeefe on Jan 16th, 2008

What the Flock is up

… with the browsers on OS X? I am at a loss for words, but no matter which browser I use on the Mac I run into some sort of problem.

Uploading and caching bugs in Safari, excessive crashing in Firefox and untold memory usage in Flock.

I now have to run three browsers to check my mail, blog post and forum surf. Luckily my passwords are moving with each browser, but this is getting a little out of hand here.

Does anyone have a way to get at least one stable browser for the Mac? Don’t make me admit that IE7 in Parallels is gaining popularity with me.

by mkeefe on Jan 11th, 2008

1Password - Password Management for OS X

1Password LogoI have always been looking for ways to manage all my password, across multiple browsers and even systems. Originally I started writing them down (worst idea) and then started using only a few passwords, but that was just as bad. After that I began to use the Keychain that ships with every Mac, but this became a problem when I purchased a new MacBook Pro because I had to transfer all of the keychain data to that new machine.

Another problem with relying on the keychain is it only really works for some applications because not all browsers and programs support it.

Well, the issue is now in the past because I have been using 1Password which allows me to share my login information across browsers and manage it all within one powerful application.

1password_interface.png

Getting Started
You start off by setting a master password so you don’t have to be bothered with many passwords. This feature alone is enough for me, but it goes beyond that. 1Password allows me to choose, random, strong passwords any time I register for a site. Whenever a new form is encountered 1Password asks me to save that password for future use, or you can enable 1Password to automatically store new forms.

1password_login.png

Phishing Prevention
Another great feature of 1Password is phishing prevention. Let’s say you visit a site and attempt to retrieve the login information but its not there, you would now be concerned and confused, but at the same time you know the site isn’t the correct one. This means your identity isn’t stolen and your login information is stored safely from prying eyes.

1password_restore.png

Password Management Made Easy
Managing your passwords from the easy-to-use application is seamless and quick, and of course you can lock down this application, requiring your admin password in order to modify the settings.

Sync with .Mac
1Password has the ability to sync with your .mac account which means you can have all of your logins synced across your computers. This was especially important for me because I need to have access to my clients systems no matter which machine I am on and now I have this.

Leopard Support
As a bonus, it works on Leopard too!

Overall I found this application to do exactly what it was advertised and that is a great thing.

You can download a demo here and a full license will set you back about $29.95, which can be purchased at AgileOnline. (discount code added to bring price down a bit)

by mkeefe on Oct 3rd, 2007

Conflicting install notes

After about 30 minutes wasted trying to install avmplus I quickly discovered the fact that no one has ever come up with standard install instructions for OS X hacks and modifications.. why exactly, I have no idea.

All I know is avmplus isn’t getting installed anytime soon because I had to manually clean the horrible install attempt.

Next time I will read all the comments before attempting such an install.

by mkeefe on Apr 26th, 2007

Great SVN application for the Mac

svnx_2.jpgAfter trying some command line and GUI based SVN applications I think I finally found one that works well. It looks great, but even more importantly it works great. The tool would be svnX, currently available only on the Mac.

Two of my favorite features would have to be the Repository Inspector and the Working Copy Inspector both of which offer greater control over your files.

svnx_1.jpg

If you are looking for a powerful Subversion tool then I highly recommend svnX