SplashID 3.05h

If you’re like me, you have user IDs and passwords on more systems than you can count. Therefore, you need a good and secure password program. SplashID stands as one of the most capable and easy to use of the current crop on the market. It uses 256-bit Blowfish encryption to safeguard your data.

When opened, the handheld app pops up a keyboard for password input. This simplifies dealing with the various Graffiti incarnations, etc. This is the one password you won’t want to forget, as it leads to all your others. SplashID can generate unique passwords for entries in the program, adding a level of security by making it virtually impossible for others to guess your important passwords.

SplashID shares its overall design with SplashShopper. Entries have two filtering taxonomies: category and type. Categories should be familiar to all Palm users. Types exist as subsets inside categories. For example in the illustration, all types are listed in the Personal category. The same types may exist in multiple categories, but the individual entries will usually differ. In other words, individual type entries do not carry across categories. This scheme makes the most sense in SplashID because, say under Personal, you may wish to track website logins, combinations to locks, voice mail codes, etc. SplashID provides preset templates to accommodate this variety, and it all works great. If you have many entries in your database, the wise use of categories and types can help find just the information you need at the moment.

SplashID supports custom as well as preset icons. Icons are imported from icon libraries compatible with Chris Antos’ outstanding (and now free) IconEdit application. These same libraries support other apps like Datebk5. Icons provide a quick, visual way to find particular entries quickly.

An individual record may easily be customi zed, not just with an icon, but also with custom field labels. The user chooses which fields to mask as well. SplashID provides great customi zability, as there’s virtually no part of the data entries that cannot be tailored to suit your purpose or taste.

SplashID will import databases from CryptInfo, YAPs, and Mobile Safe through the Palm MemoPad. I imported CryptInfo data to SplashID with no problem using this system. Be warned that you should do this one category at a time, as SplashID only imports the memos into the Unfiled category. If you import several categories at a time, you’ll have to sort them out by hand in SplashID.

By default, SplashID masks certain fields on entry. Tapping on the double-dot icon unmasks the entries. SplashID only supports six fields per entry, but also supports notes. Users may tailor which columns to display, change fonts (including tiny ones on hi res), and change colors. Tapping on the field name sorts by that column. Autolocking can be set to various times after auto shutoff or exiting the app. Although SplashID comes with a number of preset example entries, they are only examples for learning purposes and will need to be deleted.

The desktop component provides full featured, passworded access to pretty much all the same features as the handheld app through a dedicated HotSync conduit. Everything works about the same, making it easy to access your data in the same ways on both. Note that SplashID requires you so set the passwords for the handheld and desktop apps separately, and they must match to HotSync your data back and forth. If you put website or email addresses in entries, these will be live hyperlinks in the desktop app. Clicking on the little clipboard icon to the right of individual fields copies the contents of that field to the clipboard. Although you can customi ze the fields to display, you cannot do so by right-clicking on a column heading and choosing another field. You can only change the category or type displayed by that method.

I liked SplashID the best of all the apps in this suite. I’ve used several password apps over time and settled on one several years ago. However, after testing SplashID, I’ve switched over to it. You can pick it up for $29.95 USD as a single application, which seems a bit steep compared to its competition.

Pros:

Highly flexible display

Highly configurable individual entries

Custom icons, common with IconEdit

Excellent desktop companion

Imports data from several competitors

Cons:

Only imports to the Unfiled category

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