Monday, March 22, 2010

Backup and Restore: Our best feature since auto-typing

There's a little problem with third party apps: If you delete a third party app from your iPhone, all of the app's data gets deleted too. This is really bad for apps like PasswordWallet that store lots of critical user data.

To further complicate matters, lots of iPhone users don't run PasswordWallet for Mac OS X or Windows. They're just using PasswordWallet for iPhone as a stand-alone utility. So after deleting their data, simply syncing with their computer isn't possible.

As a matter of fact, our #1 support question was from users wanting to restore their data to their iPhones. And if the user was on the road away from their iTunes, or iTunes didn't back up for some reason, their data was simply gone.

We needed to solve this problem.

The first thing we had to do was figure out how to recover the user's data. iTunes will usually make backups of the user's data when they sync by USB. So we wrote a utility that runs on Mac and Windows to extract their data from iTunes scattered backups.

The next step was to figure out how to get the recovered data back onto the iPhone. But how? Many users aren't running our Mac and Windows clients. And we certainly don't want to create some web site where users give us control of their usernames, passwords and other sensitive information. Furthermore, users certainly don't want to do a whole device restore and and lose recent changes to other third party apps too.

So we went a little crazy for PasswordWallet 4.5. Together with the awesome folks at Gandreas Software, we wrote a web server and built it right into our iPhone app. Yes, an entire web server on the iPhone. Turn on the server and with any browser users can easily Backup, Restore or Synchronize their data.

Here's how it works:

To start, tap "Backup & Restore" on your iPhone. Then enter the URL of your iPhone in to your computer's browser. iPhone PasswordWallet conveniently displays the URL for you. If you're using Safari, just check inside your Bonjour Menu:



A unique pairing number will display on your iPhone. This pairing number ensures that only you can access your device and not someone else on your network.



And poof! A web page will appear with all of your files. From this page you can upload new files, download old files, and even synchronize two files.



But let's say your iPhone was stolen... you wouldn't want just anybody getting hold of your data, even if it is encrypted. Well, PasswordWallet for iPhone forbids downloads of files without users first entering their master password on the device.

That's all there is to it! We're really pleased with the way Backup & Restore turned out; and PasswordWallet is the only password manager for iPhone that has it.

PS - There's a secret feature: any file can be uploaded to PasswordWallet through Backup & Restore, not just PasswordWallet files. So you can use PasswordWallet as a quick and easy way to transfer files between home and work!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

PasswordWallet 4.5 for Android and Palm webOS

Easily create encrypted exports of your PasswordWallet files from Mac OS X or Windows, and copy them right to your mounted device. Our new FREE readers for Android and webOS will see these files and open them. No network synchronization required. Just drag them over.

http://www.selznick.com/products/passwordwallet/webos

PasswordWallet 4.5 for Windows Mobile

PasswordWallet 4.5 for Windows Mobile now works great on Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, takes advantage of full screen notes, and even auto-types in to browsers!

This update is free for all registered users of PasswordWallet 4.x for Windows Mobile!

http://www.selznick.com/products/passwordwallet/winmobile

PasswordWallet 4.5 for iPhone

PasswordWallet 4.5 for iPhone adds great new features: a completely new Backup and Restore mechanism that works with any computer with no special software required. No more losing your data when you get new devices or when iTunes goes batty. Also included is a brand new synchronization mechanism that can sync your data with MobileMe, WebDAV, a Computer or even another iPhone.

A new security layer will never let your data get offloaded from your device without your master password. And a pairing protocol ensures that you'll always know who's connecting.

PasswordWallet 4.5 for iPhone also has a brand new file manager to create, open, rename, export, or delete PasswordWallet files. PasswordWallet 4.5 for iPhone shares the exact same file format as PasswordWallet for Mac OS X or Windows... so just copy your files over and open them natively! After manipulating them on a Mac or PC, just copy them back with synchronize or restore.

If all else fails, we've made available free utilities for Mac OS X and Windows that will sniff through iTunes' own backup files for your data. Reinstall PasswordWallet on to your device and restore the very same data file that was recovered.

This update is free for all owners of PasswordWallet 4.x for iPhone! And it's still available for $4.99 from the iTunes AppStore.

http://www.selznick.com/products/passwordwallet/iphone

PasswordWallet 4.5 for Windows Beta 1

We are ecstatic to bring PasswordWallet 4.5 to Windows! It has a completely native user interface that is strikingly similar to the simple and tight user interface of the Mac version. And it even shares the exact same file format. Transfer your files back and forth as much as you want! Auto-typing, file synchronization, search, categories, export for Android and Palm webOS Devices... it's all there. It's not completley finished yet, but you can buy it now at a discount and get the feature complete version for free when it's released.

http://www.selznick.com/products/passwordwallet/win

PasswordWallet 4.5 for Mac OS X

PasswordWallet 4.5 for Mac OS X adds four completely new synchronization methods: MobileMe, WebDAV, Computer-to-Computer, Computer-to-iPhone. Also added are special encrypted exports that can be easily copied to Android or Palm webOS devices for use with all new PasswordWallet Readers. This release also includes organizational changes to group the synchronization and export mechanisms together so they're easier to find.

http://www.selznick.com/products/passwordwallet/mac

This update is free for all registered users of PasswordWallet 4.x for Mac OS X!

And for those of you who like lists:
  1. Another free upgrade for 4.x users!
  2. Completely new MobileMe, WebDAV, iPhone-Computer and Computer-Computer synchronization. (Requires iPhone PasswordWallet 4.5.)
  3. Sync confirmation windows will come to the format of other application windows now, instead of hiding behind other apps.
  4. Added specialized exports for Android and Palm webOS devices.
  5. All exports have a preference to export when the file is closed after a change.
  6. If the user command-tabs to PasswordWallet, the default file will open if no other documents are open.
  7. Pasting multiple entries in to a wallet will now properly select the pasted entries.
  8. Fixed issue with File-to-File sync if partnered file was empty.
  9. Finally made dialogs more Cocoa like!
  10. Synchronize Automator Action is now Snow Leopard compatible.
  11. Rearranged sync menu to make Automator Action easier to find.
  12. New 4.5 Windows Mobile app added to built-in installer.