1password

For years now, I’ve been experimenting with different types of password management/virtual wallet software, but never found one that I’m 100% happy with…well, not until now !

When I bought my iPod Touch a couple of years ago, I found the most painful part of browsing, was entering my username and password into websites (as you can imagine the email address of ub3rg33k.co.uk isn’t very iPhone / iPod touch friendly). I tried many free and cheap iPhone apps which sort of did the job, but at best I could copy and paste the details to the site, 1password however just works !

1password comes from Agile Software Solutions, and to be honest is an absolute god send, not only is it a very good virtual wallet, it’s also a bookmark/username and password manager for the iPhone.

I tend not to carry my wallet around with me (unless I’m going shopping), and like the idea of still having all my details safely locked away in an iPhone app protected by AES encryption, for if I need them when out and about.

There are 2 levels of protection, either a simple 4 digit pin, or 4 digit pin and master password (for your more sensitive information)

Currently I have all my card details, my driving licence, passport, and logins to the majority of the sites I use, with username and password saved. I currently have my iPhone set to “10 attempts that the pin code, then delete”, this option is also present on the application too, so if somebody did get into my phone, they would then have the crack the next 4 digit pin, then my master password with 4 attempts.

The iPhone app is good, and I was quite lucky to have picked it up when it was free (now £3.99 for the standard version and £7.99 for the pro version), however I would be more that happy to pay the £3.99 now, if nothing else, I alway have my personal info with me, and never have to punch in my username and password into a site again.

Where 1password really excels is the desktop application (Currently only Mac, there is a beta version out for Windows). I recently wiped my data from my iPhone, I couldn’t really be bothered entering all my details back in to my previous virtual wallet software (Lockbox), which led me to look at other solutions. I googled 1password, and found there was a desktop app, that could sync with the iPhone ! Result !. Not only would this allow me to quickly populate all my information again, it also has browser integration too.

Once installed, it took me an hour or so to enter all my personal details and sync up, Success !

Now the browser integration, whenever I go to a website I get an option to save the login details, or if I’ve already got this saved, I have the option of logging in. If you don’t already have the details saved, you are given the option of adding the details to a folder, and to add tags, for easier searching at a later date.

Another massive benefit to me of using the browser integration is the fact that with it storing all your card details, it makes online shopping a breeze, just a simple click on the icon, select your credit card, and this will enter all the relevant details for you !

As I’ve got both an iMac and a MacBookPro, I wanted to find a way of syncing between the 2 machines, as I use them both an equal amount of time. I didn’t really want to keep backing up, copy to other, etc, as every time I go onto a new website, I would be adding to my database. This was were I discovered Dropbox, a pieces of software that allows you to sync between multiple machines, and with the cloud, however more about that in my Dropbox post.

1password may not be the cheapest option out there, but if works fantastically, and only wish I’d discovered it sooner. The single user licence is $39.95 and the Family version (5 users) is $69.95, however the iSlayer code will save you 20% !, I think the 5 user licence version cost me only £34, there is a fully functioning 30 day trail available from the website, and can’t recommend this product highly enough.

Tags: absolute god, agile software, app, beta version, browser, card, card details, desktop application, digit, digit pin, driving licence, encryption, going shopping, Information, integration, iphone, iphone apps, ipod, ipod touch, licence, logins, mac, master password, option, passport, password, personal info, pin, pin code, site, software, software solutions, sync, touch, username, version, virtual wallet, wallet, wallet software, website

Ozaki iPill Microphone

As some of you may know, in just over 2 weeks I’ll be heading to the Holiday Inn in Birmingham for Dimension Jump XV, this year Red Dwarf Convention, and as we do a Red Dwarf podcast (ScutterCast), I thought it might me a good idea to record some footage while I was there.

I’ve been looking at a number of solutions and came up with the idea of using Audioboo from my iPod touch, then picking up the Audioboo feed using WP-o-Matic, which will then post the audio on the Red Dwarf Forum homepage, which will then tweet this out.

One major downside to using the method, was that the iPod Touch doesn’t have a built in microphone, although I do have the “earbud with built in microphone”, which would be find for recording my own voice, but probably a little intrusive if I wanted to record anyone else.

After a couple of days of looking at different mic solutions, I read a review over at iLounge and they did a mic comparison, the audio from the iPill sounded awesome, so decided to go with that. After an evening of trying to buy one, it seemed that these are only available in the states, and they seemed to be out of stock, having heard the quality difference, I was adamant that this was the mic I wanted, in a bid of desperation, I decided eBay it was. Luckily, I found a company in the Republic of Ireland that had these in stock, and instantly bought.

This morning the mic turned up, and I’ve got to say, I’m really impressed. The first thing I noticed was the packaging, and the look of this thing. The plastic container is in the shape of a petri dish, with a small clip holding the pill shaped microphone in place.

The iPill itself pulls in half, to review the 3.5mm jack plug, that plugs into the bottom of the iPods headphone jack, and the other half has a small loop where you could potentially add some string so you don’t lose this thing.

So, the audio quality…what’s it like ?…pretty awesome ! I plugged it into the bottom of my iPod Touch, and it was instantly recognised, and I gave it a quick test in Apples “Voice Memos” software, and attached my recording below

So, the audio quality…what’s it like ?…pretty awesome ! I plugged it into the bottom of my iPod Touch, and it was instantly recognised, and I gave it a quick test in Apples “Voice Memos” software, and attached my recording below.

iPill Test

Final thoughts ?, granted this isn’t the same quality as my M-Audio mixer, and my condenser mic at home, but think it will do an awesome job, of getting some footage at Dimension Jump.

I can highly recommend this microphone to anybody who want to turn their iPod Touch into a decent dictating machine, and for £13 delivered, it’s worth every penny !

Tags: 5mm, Apple, audio, audio quality, Audioboo, Birmingham, bottom, couple of days, desperation, dimension, dimension jump, downside, dwarf, earbud, ebay, footage, forum homepage, half, holiday inn, idea, ilounge, ipill, ipod, ipod touch, ipods, jack, jump, microphone, o matic, ozaki, petri dish, plastic container, quality, quality difference, red, Red Dwarf, Republic of Ireland, stock, test, thing, touch, voice

Doh, Ipod Touch broken

As mention in my post (Gear4 AirZone FM ‘Follow Me’ ), It seems my Ipod Touch can’t power external accessories.

Spent an evening googling, reading forums, restoring the Ipod to defaults, Restored via ITunes, updated to version 2.2.1, but still no joy. Decided I’d have to goto the Mecca in Leicester (Apple store in HighCross), and seek guidance. The guy ran through what I’d already done, and booked me in with a techy, unfortunately I had the option of 5.30 on the day as it was early afternoon, this was no good, so booked in for this afternoon at 1pm.

While we were there, C decided to pick up a Ipod Touch 2G 8Gb (Guess she was sick of me never putting mine down, and thought she’d get in on it).

Went back to the Apple store today, and well you get what you pay for with Apple, appointment was at 1pm, within 5 mins, the tech guy had plugged the ipod in, ran a diagnostic, and replaced it there and then ! I was shocked, I expected to be without it for a couple of weeks, while it was being repaired !

Stunning service, and only hope the service at all other Apple stores is the same

Got home, synced everything back up when I got home, and we’re all good again. The only slight snag, is that I’ve been playing the Mafia Live App for the last week or so, but all my money, and property are gone, I can only assume it works on my serial number. Oh well, could have been worse, I could have been playing for months

Tags: afternoon, AirZone, Apple, apple store, apple stores, appointment, early afternoon, evening, external accessories, Gear, good, guidance, guy, highcross, home, ipod, ipod touch, itunes, joy, leicester, Mafia, mecca, mention, money, post, reading, Restored, serial number, service, snag, Spent, store, t power, techy, touch, version