In case you hadn’t already heard the news, eWallet iPhone sync is out! It went out yesterday evening. Thanks to everyone here who worked so hard to make this happen, and thank you to all of you out there who stuck with us and gave us your support along the way. It’s great to hit the “finish line!”
So, on to the other sync topics!
First let me extend my congratulations to Adrian, who noticed and posted about the release a few minutes before we even got the notification from Apple! He can officially shout “FIRST!”
Second, I’m thrilled to say that sync is working great. With a few exceptions folks are not having any trouble at all. If you’re having problems absolutely contact us. I’ll let you know that we’re getting a LOT of calls/emails right now as people rush to get the new version and upgrade their desktop versions, but we’ll do our absolute best to get back to you quickly.
Third, here is how to fix the most common problem we’ve seen. Make sure you have eWallet 6.1.2 on your desktop. Just download and install the latest version from this page or using this direct link. You don’t need unlock codes if you’re already using a full/unlocked version of eWallet 6.0+ on your desktop. It will auto-register. This has solved the majority of issues we’ve seen.
Fourth, I’ve made a note of all the other questions folks have had and I’ll reply later today. Needless to say things are a little hectic this morning, but I’ll definitely get to all of your concerns. I just need a couple hours to sort through the couple hundred emails and blog comments. :)
Fifth, we’re emailing everyone who has registered! We’re in the process of sending those out so everyone should get a notification along with the appropriate link for the latest desktop version update.
Thanks again everyone! I hope you like it and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!
IT’S ALIVE SYNCHING! I’ve been responding to the various comments on the other posts, but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that we are in fact synching with our iPhones and iPod Touch devices here at Ilium Software! We don’t see anything that will stand in the way of our release so watch this blog and your email. As soon as it is out we’ll let everyone know!
And just to offer a little more info - we’re synching LAN, ad-hoc, multiple locations and devices, bootcamp - it’s all working! Woo hoo!
It’s Soap Box Time! Matt Miller over at ZDNet recently wrote an article about Copy and Paste. His question was whether or not people really need Copy and Paste. To me, this is really one of those “you don’t miss what you don’t have” sort of scenarios. Fifteen years ago, the number of people who would have “missed” the internet if it went away was pretty small. Today if the internet went away, entire corporations would go under, governments would fall, and scores of stores would go belly up in a few hours.
OK, so Copy and Paste isn’t quite like that, but my point is that no one will miss Copy and Paste on a device like the iPhone until they have the power it gives them. Want a good example? Think back to the release of the Windows Mobile Smartphone. People were having fits when they moved from a Windows Mobile Pocket PC. Many simple day to day tasks suddenly became a nightmare of keypad re-entry. Sure, the iPhone has a better keyboard than those early Smartphones but we have a clear test case where no one realized they needed something so badly until they had it, then had it taken away. In the end, guess which device got Copy and Paste?
Now I realize that Matt’s use scenario doesn’t really seem to support this. Clearly he doesn’t do a lot of copying and pasting, but a lot of users do. I for one am a heavy copy/paster. Many of our customers are as well. Furthermore, even hand entering one or two 50 character redirect URLs can make you hate your device. And is that really the sort of experience Apple wants their users to have?
Not having Copy and Paste also stifles the creativity of developers. It’s one more tool that a clever developer can use to make your iPhone experience even better. For instance, right now we can’t copy password and usernames into Safari on the iPhone. The best solution available? Write our own web browser and include it with eWallet! Talk about software bloat!
In some ways cutting back on choices can make life easier and better, but at other times it prevents you from getting the most out of an experience. In the case of Copy and Paste I absolutely believe it’s the latter.
People might gasp to hear me say it but there really are scenarios where Apple would do well to take some lessons from Microsoft’s experience!
Apparently everyone knows that eWallet is the best way to keep your information safe! Even software pirates*!
I’ve always said that one of the key indicators of success is how many people are trying to steal your software. This has always been something we’ve seen with eWallet and apparently eWallet for iPhone is no exception. With hundreds of applications to choose from in the AppStore, the software pirates have chosen eWallet as one of 30 or so applications they’ve stripped Apple’s DRM out of. What is more, in articles about it (which I’m afraid I won’t be linking to here) they actually chose an eWallet screenshot to advertise this.
What can I say! We’re honored!
I’ll tell you, I really wish we could use this as part of a major marketing campaign. I mean, if a hacker thinks eWallet is the safest place to store their passwords and other critical information, it really says something about the level of security eWallet gives you. It’s like a skydiver telling you which parachute to buy or a police officer suggesting a particular brand of bullet proof jacket.
Yep, even software pirates know that if you want to keep your information safe, eWallet is the only choice!
DISCLAIMER: In case it isn’t obvious, I’m not advocating using pirated software. Please don’t do that. Besides the fact that it is illegal, pirating really does cut into our bottom line and makes it harder to keep releasing new versions! Clearly that isn’t in anyone’s best interest. Not only that, but lord only knows what might have been done with a version of the software that didn’t come from us. At the same time pirated software is a reality of the software industry and you have to be honored when pirates choose to steal your application over the many competing products available!
\* We’re pretty sure regular pirates prefer eWallet as well but unfortunately Apple hasn’t given us a way to track whether a sale was to a regular customer, a pirate, or a ninja.
Aside from the thundering cries for a Mac version of eWallet (we’re working on it!) the most popular questions are all iPhone sync related. Well, the wait for answers is over. If you’re one of those folks who is dying to find out more about sync, hopefully we’ll answer all your questions in this post!
DISCLAIMER: We firmly believe that everything in this blog post is how it will be when we release it, but experience has taught me that something unexpected always pops up so this is my “we MIGHT do something a little bit different” disclaimer (but I don’t expect we will.)
Do we have to sync to the cloud/internet?
No. Honestly, this is the direction we were going with it. Frankly, with a 256-bit AES encrypted wallet file, this is an exceptionally safe option despite the misgivings some folks have. As it stands though we received MANY emails asking us to please release a local sync option first. Well, we listened, and the sync solution coming out in August will be a local sync.
Will it sync through the USB/cradle?
No. The reason is that Apple won’t let us. At this time, there is no way for a third-party developer to use the cradle or USB connection to transfer data back and forth between a (non-jailbroken) phone and a desktop. We REALLY wish there was. It would make life far easier for everyone involved. Unfortunately, this isn’t something Apple decided to do. The only options are Wi-fi or Cloud. All I can say is that if you want to see USB sync send Apple an email! The minute Apple gives us a way to do a USB sync, we will be all over it.
So you’re using wi-fi to synchronize?
Yes. If you have access to a wi-fi network (ideally a home network) you will be able to synchronize your wallet to your mobile device. Again, let me repeat what I said earlier. This isn’t by choice. Apple won’t let us sync via a wired connection. We WANT to. We just can’t.
Will I need to create a special/ad-hoc network with my desktop?
Nope. If you have a standard home or office wi-fi network you can sync your data.
Wait a second! Sync my wallet over the air? Is this safe?
The entire sync process involves synching a fully encrypted wallet over a closed network and you’re never broadcasting a password. Basically, even if somehow someone managed to get your wallet it’d be worthless because they couldn’t get into it. Furthermore (see below) we require a confirmation of the sync partnership before we allow synching (and that confirmation is remembered.) This means no one is going to nab your wallet during sync.
How can I be sure that my wallet is going to the correct device?
When you add your device as a new sync location in the desktop version of eWallet we require that you confirm that partnership using a code provided by the iPhone/Touch. This ensures that the wallet only goes between those two devices. Period.
Is cloud/internet sync an option?
It will be but not in this release. In time we plan to add almost all of the features you’ve come to love in the desktop and mobile versions of eWallet.
Will I need a different desktop version?
No. The same desktop version you’re using will also let you sync with the iPhone. You won’t need a special “iPhone desktop” version. You will want to get the upgrade to eWallet 6.1.1 (it isn’t out yet) but the upgrade will be a free one if you own eWallet 6.0/6.1. This update doesn’t add any new technology, just some helpful user interface options that make it easy to setup iPhone synching.
Can I sync multiple iPhones/Touchs with the same desktop program?
Yes. Each device is added as a sync location and you can sync to as many phones as you like.
Can I sync more than one wallet to the same device?
Absolutely. All the sync flexibility you’ve come to expect from eWallet will be true with this as well.
Can I sync multiple wallets to different devices with different settings?
Sure thing! Sync the way that YOU want to. We’re not going to restrict you.
Will I need anything else to make sync work?
Yes. You’ll need to have Bonjour installed. This is a background application that Apple makes which lets the iPhone/Touch talk to the desktop via a wireless network. If you’re using iTunes there is a good chance you already have this installed. Even if you don’t (or if you need to update Bonjour) we’ll give you a link and make it easy. This is an Apple product and you never have to DO anything with it (it’s a background application). The only thing it does is facilitate communication between desktop and device. Only people synching with an Apple device will need Bonjour.
When will sync be out?
We’re still on track for an August release. Updates seem to be getting pushed out within a week of submission so I don’t think we’re going to have problems like we did with the initial release.
Well, I think this is going to be one of the last “answers” blog posts for a little while since we’re hitting the point where most questions have been addressed. If you still have a question though, definitely contact us! You can email our support folks at support@iliumsoft.com or call them M-F, 9AM to 4:30PM toll free at 1-888-632-5388. We’re always happy to personally answer any questions you have.
So, that said, here we go…
If I enter data now, will it be retained when the new version comes out?
Yes. Anything you enter now will be retained when the sync update is released. Changes will be synched with your desktop.
Isn’t there ANY way to stick a wallet on the device?
We haven’t found any shortcuts. Although some folks have said that you can do it if you jailbreak your phone, we don’t reccommend or suggest this! You can certainly try but as far as I know you are voiding your warranty and could have other problems. That’s why we won’t officially publish the details on how to do this. Sorry.
The problem is that Apple is VERY strict about how applications can interact, who can place files on the device, and where those files can go. They’ve got the phone locked down about as tight as you can lock it without making it unusable. The reason, of course, is security. If applications can’t stick files anywhere they like (or pull files from anywhere they like) you never have a malicious app that gets stuck where it shouldn’t be.
Unfortunately, this means that unless we come up with something clever before August, you’ll have to wait for sync to move your wallets over.
Can I be a beta tester on the iPhone?
Not yet, sorry. We can authorize a limited number of phones as test devices in-house but other than this there is no way to beta test an unreleased application. This is part of Apple’s system of controlling distribution. We’re still exploring possibilities and if we come up with a clerver way to support beta testing, we’ll definitely do it!
Where do I get a receipt for my eWallet iPhone purchase?
Apple will email it to you. In my experience it can take a few days.
Do you have a Search feature?
Not right now. Search will be available in a future update.
Do you allow customizable templates?
You can customize your cards (a LOT) but we don’t have template customizing yet. It’s coming, though.
Why is eWallet crashing?
We’ve never been able to get eWallet to crash here at Ilium Software, BUT we’ve crashed a LOT of our other iPhone applications. There is a bit of suspicion that there might be some sort of instability in the 2.0 OS that is causing this. We’re still exploring things on our end though to see if we can pin down anything we can do different. I’m sure Apple is doing the same on their end.
When will ListPro be out?
It will probably be at least a couple of months before ListPro is available on iPhone. We’re working on it though!
Why do you allow all those nasty reviews on the iTunes site?
We don’t have any control over that. We can complain as a standard user with the “Report a Concern” button but beyond that Apple is in charge of reviews.
Is there a help document?
Not yet. We like to think that eWallet for iPhone is pretty intuitive, but we’ve had a few requests for this so we’re working on one. In the meantime, we’re going to start adding many of the most common questions to our support database. (http://www.iliumsoft.com/site/support/kb/ )
In case you hadn’t already heard the news, eWallet iPhone sync is out! It went out yesterday evening. Thanks to everyone here who worked so hard to make this happen, and thank you to all of you out there who stuck with us and gave us your support along the way. It’s great to hit the “finish line!”
