With nearly every service-based web site and webapp requiring a user ID and password, life can quickly get complex. Or worse yet, life may become highly insecure. On the one hand, we all should be using complex passwords to thwart off hackers but remembering them becomes a huge burden. Most of the time, we fall into the habit of using a single, easy-to-remember password across a number of sites. Unfortunately, this is the online equivalent of handing your car keys off to a thief. Over the past year I have come to know and love the Mac software application, 1Password. 1Password provides a highly secure repository for all of your online passwords and other sensitive information. Through browser-level integration, you can quickly save passwords into the 1Password application and retrieve previously saved passwords all with the click of a button. 1Password can also generate complex passwords for you which will frustrate even the most ardent hacker. But alas, how does this review fit into a web site which focuses on web-based applications? My friends at 1Password have recently unveiled what I will go on the record as saying, the single most useful webapp to date. With my.1Password.com, users are now able to safely synchronize their passwords from their local 1Password Mac application to the web enabling access on virtually any browser. You can now safely randomize and strengthen your online logins while only needing to remember a single password.

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Amid a myriad of options, Songza purports to offer a “humane interface” for searching and playing music online. Unlike many competitors, Songza has no glaring advertising, registration requirements, or charge for its service. Simply put, Songza offers you a way to essentially “Google” a tune and play it instantly with no special software required. The songs located by Songza are found freely on the Internet and can range greatly in audio quality. That said, Songza delivers exactly what it promises and nothing more. If you’re in the mood to listen to a few tunes and you have a recollection of the title or artist, this application is certainly for you.

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Shopping can be the ultimate let down. If you’re lucky, you might guess correctly and buy a product that performs well, holds up over time and is backed by great customer service. Then again, you might not. Wize.com provides a wealth of product information, user reviews, and comparison pricing all in a single location. Like many similar sites, Wize aggregates customer ratings and reviews from a variety of sites such as Amazon.com and presents the information in a uniform 0-100 color-coded rating system making it easy to spot potential winners. Wize also applies several calculations to make the ratings more valid such as weighting “expert reviews” a bit higher than feedback from average folks. Screenshots and full review

If you’re anything like me, your to-do list is ever expanding and never ending. After trying a number of online solutions for managing tasks I’ve settled in with Gubb, a lightweight and intuitive web app that focuses on capturing and organizing all of your lists. While Gubb offers a beautifully simple interface, it also offers a host of advanced features providing a wealth of options for accessing your information.
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Regardless of your profession, we all at times find ourselves in a situation where it would be helpful to have an “in” with a particular individual or company. LinkedIn fills this need quite nicely with a huge network of more than 17 million people willing (at some level) to open doors using their own personal and business connections, share their expertise, and expand their social network. Screenshots and full review