You have heard me talk about password security on this site and on the Observed Tech PODCAST many times. The one tool I have consistently mentioned in all those places is LastPass a password manager that integrates into all of your browsers and offers apps on all the major platforms.

Today LastPass announced the release of the 3.0 version of their service, apps and browser plugins and this new version comes with some great new features that make the tool less intrusive to your overall experiences with it. Personally I did not find it as intrusive as some may have but I do like this new interface and functionality.

Here are the features that you will find in 3.0:

  • New: LastPass icon in input fields can now be clicked, replaces notification bar to fill.
  • New: Chrome UI gets a complete redesign.
  • New: Android app has a modern ‘holo’ UI, multitab support, clickable icons, better search.
  • New: iOS app also now has a multitab browser, clickable icons, better search.
  • New: LastPass Family Feature – premium users get 1 shared folder that they can share with up to 5 family members.
  • New: Immediate syncing for all users.
  • New: Search directly from toolbar dropdown menu.
  • New: Website and Enterprise Console redesign.
  • New: Transakt multifactor option.
  • New: Better cleanup of generated passwords.
  • New Enterprise Feature: Shared Folders can be shared with LastPass users outside your enterprise (up to 3 per folder).
  • New Enterprise Feature: Policy to require multifactor login for enterprise console.
  • Improved: Windows Metro app UI updated, fixes for Windows 8.1.
  • Improved: LastPass for Applications now has type-to-search, window matching, environment variable expansion, and a “copy application” command to make it easier to work with many entries of the same application.
  • Resolved: Chrome basic auth filling fixed.
  • Resolved: IE local vault fixed on Windows 8.1.

I pay just $12 per year for the premium version so I can sync my info across all my devices including every browser brand as well as my mobile apps on Windows Phone and the desktop in Windows 8.1.

In my opinion the best $12 ever spent for the added security I now have with randomized passwords for all the sites I visit.

Now the bad news for Windows Phone and Windows 8 users of LastPass.

According to a tweet from @LastPass Support there will likely not be a Windows Phone update anytime soon and when I asked about a new Windows 8.1 version I did not get a reply. Apparently updated iOS and Android mobile apps are ready to go.