OS X Software: 1Passwd
Every now and then you download an application that makes an immediate contribution to your daily workflow. For me that was just the case when I decided to give 1Passwd a try about a month ago.
What is it you ask? It's a password manager that makes the process of filling out web forms painless, automatic, and much more secure. It sits in the toolbar of all major OS X web browsers and remembers usernames, passwords, and other data you enter into any web site you visit. And when you return to a site that 1Passwd has saved data for, you can quickly populate the login form and auto-submit to get in quickly.
For years I used a handful of easy-to-remember usernames and passwords at every site I visited. Not because I had to, but because it was such a laborious process coming up with unique data for every site out there; not to mention recording that data somewhere in case I forgot it, or needed to access the site from a different machine. I hobbled by with a variety of methods (with encrypted Keychain notes synced via .Mac being one of my better plans), but I could never find exactly what I was looking for.
That's when I found 1Passwd, and after a couple of weeks learning its quirks and behavior, I can't live without it. I've reset my passwords at nearly every web site I regularly visit with passwords that are much longer, stronger, and impossible for anyone to guess (including me). 1Passwd generates the passwords for me, and automatically remembers the data I enter for my return visit. If I need to know what a password is, I can launch the standalone 1Passwd app and view/edit the details of any saved site.
1Passwd can also sync its data across .Mac, so I'm able to keep both my Mac Pro and MacBook Pro in perfect unison.
The one major drawback in allowing 1Passwd to remember everything for you is that you're pretty much screwed if you need to login to a site from someone else's computer. Not a big deal if you're like me and always carry a laptop wherever you travel, but it's something to keep in mind before taking the plunge.
