Filed under: iPod Family, Software, iPhone, App Store
TUAW Review: eWallet for iPhone
I recently wrote a post about Ilium Software, developer of longtime mobile apps eWallet and ListPro, and Apple's delays in getting their applications into the App Store.I don't take any credit (it was pure coincidence), but about 8 hours after my post eWallet showed up in the App Store. I purchased it immediately, since I used the Windows Mobile and Palm OS versions for years and have been hoping for an iPhone version.
In short, eWallet is both attractive and functional. It stores your passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information securely with 256-bit AES encryption, and it does it with iPhone style. At $9.99, eWallet for iPhone is priced at half of the price of its $19.95 siblings for Palm OS and Windows Mobile.
Read after the break for the rest of my review of Ilium Software's eWallet for iPhone (link opens iTunes Store), and check the gallery below for screenshots of eWallet in action.
Gallery: eWallet Review
Wallets, Categories, and Cards
After buying eWallet in the App Store and installing it on your iPhone or iPod touch, launching the app takes you to an initial virtual wallet with a number of pre-defined cards that are already in it. These cards are actually a built-in tutorial leading you through everything you need to know about eWallet.
The structure of eWallet comes down to three things: Wallets, Categories, and Cards. Wallets are the top level of the application, being the location where you store cards that are of different types (categories). You might want to have two wallets, one for personal items and the other for business. I simply set myself up with one wallet, knowing that I could create a hierarchy of categories and card types to store my information.
eWallet comes with a lot of pre-made templates, all of which have a number of extra fields that you can define. In this way, the app is more like a flat-file database system than just a secure personal information manager. Most of the templates are not only highly useful, but have been designed with the iPhone and iPod touch in mind. The templates often use a reflective style much like what you'd see in Cover Flow in your iPhone Photos app.
If there's one downside to this hierarchical structure, it is that it can be slightly confusing at times. On occasion I found myself trying to remember if I had just added a category or a card, since the edit screens for each are similar in appearance.
Security is a big thing for Ilium, so they've secured your information in eWallet with government-level (FIPS) 256-bit AES Encryption. Several of the other information managers in the App Store either use 128-bit encryption or (even worse) cleartext passwords.
Professional Edition: Coming Soon
If there's one current downside to eWallet, it is the lack of a Professional Edition like those that exist for the Palm OS and Windows Mobile versions. The Professional Edition of eWallet ($29.95) adds a desktop application so you can use your computer's keyboard and big screen to enter your personal information, not the virtual keyboard and small screen of the iPhone.
An Ilium spokesperson mentioned that the Professional Edition of eWallet for iPhone will be available for Windows in August, and that they hope to have a Mac version completed by the end of 2008.
Who should buy it?
If you're a previous owner of eWallet for Palm OS or Windows Mobile and you've been waiting for this app to appear on your iPhone screen, you're a perfect candidate for buying eWallet for iPhone. Anyone who is interested in a secure personal information management application with a proven track record should also seriously consider eWallet.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jerry said 3:46PM on 7-21-2008
hey,
whys my credit card # up there? O.o
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arild said 3:53PM on 7-21-2008
"Anyone who is interested in a secure personal information management application with a proven track record should also seriously consider eWallet."
Or you can just wait for 1password to appear on App Store for free :)
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Jim Danner said 3:56PM on 7-21-2008
In what ways is it useful? I usually take credit cards and bank cards with me, since they're not much use if you can't show them or put them in an ATM...
Is this basically just a secured list of passwords so you don't need to remember them? Or is there actual integration with the system -- in the sense that it can open the eBay site with the user already logged in or something?
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Steven Sande said 4:18PM on 7-21-2008
It's really helpful if you ever LOSE one of those credit cards. Y'know how they have the number to call in case you lose the card actually imprinted on the card? That's not going to do you a lot of good if the card is lost. All you need to do is pop out the old iPhone, open eWallet, find the "virtual card" that you've entered, and call the number that you wisely entered into eWallet. Then you can have them cancel the card before someone uses it.
TUAWSteve
Jim Danner said 4:55PM on 7-21-2008
So it remembers the phone number... I think I'll just put that in my contacts list. They will cancel the card without me knowing the full number (they'll ask for my birth date or something).
ChillyWilly said 6:36PM on 7-21-2008
Jim, eWallet stores more than just credit numbers. Web site addresses and passwords, frequent flier information, passwords, lock combinations... the possibilities are pretty endless. The number of website registrations that I have are so numerous, but having to write down or remember all of that information in multiple places is impossible. eWallet puts it all into one spot.
ArizonaDAK said 4:05PM on 7-21-2008
So...what's the difference between eWallet and 1Password which, it seems to me, does the same thing and more?
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Aelver said 4:59PM on 7-21-2008
I'd love to know this too
CB said 4:08PM on 7-21-2008
Jim-
The credit card info would definitely come in handy if your wallet was lost or stolen, as the screenshots show a place to list the number to call for just such an event. Imagine being able to shut down your accounts the moment you realized your wallet was missing. Also, I often find myself having to leave my computer and go get my wallet on the other side of the house if I need to enter credit card info for a new site. Looks good to me!
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Eric said 4:47PM on 7-21-2008
In regards to having the card issuer's number on hand, wouldn't a simple phonebook entry do the trick?
Personally, I'd much rather just buy a combined iPhone+credit card wallet case thing. If you added a billfold in there, you could just pick up your multi-case and walk out the door!
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ChillyWilly said 6:38PM on 7-21-2008
A phone book entry would work, but it's not password protected. I use a password to protect the group that contains my credit cards and other sensitive information.
Jim Danner said 7:28PM on 7-21-2008
Why would I want to password-protect the phone number of a credit card company? It's public, anyone can find it on the Internet.
As far as web registrations go, that's only going to be useful with a certain degree of integration with Safari. If you have to go out of Safari, into ewallet, type in a master password, look up the login/password of a website, exit ewallet, go back to Safari, reload the page, enter the data by hand, well... bit tedious.
jevvim said 4:53PM on 7-21-2008
As much as this is an iPhone app review, it's a shame that Ilium is late not only with their iPhone version, but they still don't have a Mac desktop version. TUAW, give us another review if they ever ship the Mac desktop client. Until then, I'll stick to the company that supports my desktop OS of choice.
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BulkHedd said 5:10PM on 7-21-2008
I think my favorite part of these reviews is all the comments from people proclaiming that the app isn't even necessary and/or useful.
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Scottyboy said 5:16PM on 7-21-2008
How are you supposed to make a phone call at the same time the app is running? We all know that this is not possible. So now I lose my wallet then I have to scribble down the card number and make the call?
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Scottyboy said 5:17PM on 7-21-2008
How are you supposed to make a phone call at the same time the app is running? We all know that this is not possible. So now I lose my wallet then I have to scribble down the card number and make the call?
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Aelver said 5:54PM on 7-21-2008
Make the phone call, then return to the app.
I guess it would be hand to have their number as a contact ... otherwise you'd have to scribble that.
Zimmie said 6:03PM on 7-21-2008
I don't get why people use 256-bit AES for this sort of thing. It only slows down access. It doesn't provide significantly more security.
Keep in mind that from a purely mathematical standpoint, it would take more energy than exists in the solar system fed through an ideal conventional computer to brute-force a single 128-bit AES key. Quantum computing has the possibility of changing that, but it would affect both 128-bit and 256-bit equally.
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thekevinmonster said 6:35PM on 7-21-2008
why do compact digital cameras have 12MP sensors? Why do people buy cars with freakin' HEMI engines when a 1.5L 109HP engine will merge me onto the freeway just fine?
People know that higher numbers mean more. More bits mean more security.
ChillyWilly said 6:47PM on 7-21-2008
I just switched 6 months ago to SplashID, because they had a Mac app and it can sync with my Treo 755p. Ilium makes some great software and I've been with them for years. eWallet will still remain behind until I've converted all of my entries into SplashID (all manual since Splash doesn't have a conversion tool).
If ListPro gets a Mac app, I'm there. I will continue to use ListPro on my phone.
Someday, when I can get an iPhone (carrier reasons), it will be nice to have all of these apps available.
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