Use a Password Manager

The best password is no password, but I'll settle for 1

What would it take for you to find your spouse’s social security number right now?

Do you know which manilla folder in that drawer in the basement has it? Are you going to have to ask them this weekend while the kids are running around trying to draw on the walls?

Thanks to 1Password, my wife’s social security number is easily accessible and secure on my phone, laptop, iPad, and even my gaming PC.

The Password Problem

Passwords are a pain. They are hard to remember. Good passwords are even harder to remember. We know we should use different passwords for every website, but who can remember them all?

Biometric solutions on our phones (like fingerprints and Face ID) help, but we’re still left trying to remember passwords like “GoodDog57!” Wait, does the “!” go at the end or in the middle? You get the idea!

The 1Password Solution

1Password is the solution my family uses. It’s a simple but incredibly effective tool for storing and retrieving everything from passwords to credit card numbers and Known Traveler Numbers.

The concept is straightforward: you create one very difficult password that grants access to your 1Password vault. (Hence the name 1Password.)

My 3 Rules of Password Management

1. Never Reuse a Password

Have one incredibly difficult password that secures all the others. You shouldn’t even know your passwords for American Airlines or Gap. Generate them in 1Password and have them autofilled using a browser extension.

2. Save Everything in 1Password

To paraphrase Ron Swanson, you may have read this rule as “you should save a lot of things in 1Password.” What I said was EVERYTHING should be saved in 1Password, including things like credit card and driver’s license numbers - not just passwords.

You shouldn’t have to stand up and find your wallet just to purchase new Natives for your toddler or pay your water bill.

3. Always Have At Least One Fallback

Always have exactly one backup way to unlock your 1Password vault. For most people, this will be the recovery code generated when you set up your account. The risk here isn’t that someone else will gain access to your account. Don’t worry about that. We solved that with rules 1 & 2. On the contrary, the risk is that no one will be able to access your account.

If you have a family account, the primary user can unlock other users’ accounts. I’ve used this to reset my family members’ accounts a few times. This means the primary user must remember their password and be extra careful with their recovery key.

Conclusion

1Password offers a secure, convenient solution for managing your passwords and other sensitive information. With one master password, you can keep everything safely stored and easily accessible. Try 1Password today and experience the peace of mind that comes with knowing all your important information is securely stored and easily accessible.

Products & Deals

Disney+ Price Hike Inbound

Starting October 17th, the prices for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will increase. The only plan unaffected is the Disney+ & Hulu bundle. Verizon still offers all three services for $10 per month as an add-on to its Fios Home and Wireless plans, so take advantage of that if you can. You can also purchase an annual Disney+ plan now to avoid the increase for another year, although it doesn’t include Hulu or ESPN+.

Keurig Launches New Cold Brew Coffee Maker

This machine does on-demand cold coffee, which is pretty neat. It also does hot coffee. I do question how useful this is when I could just get ice out of my freezer. But if you’re really into iced coffee, this is probably the quickest way to truly “brew” it.

The Nest Thermostat 4th Generation is Here

Google launched its first major upgrade to the Nest Thermostat since 2015. The new model measures air quality, has some new animations and - most importantly - works with Apple HomeKit.

Flighty Will Now Predict Flight Delays

If you fly a lot, I definitely recommend downloading Flighty. It’s a well designed app that gives you up-to-date information on upcoming flights and makes sharing flight details super easy.

This week, Flighty began using its data to predict delays long before airlines announce them. It costs a few dollars, but it’s worth it.