With all the Web 2.0 websites come more and more usernames and passwords to remember every time we register. I spoke of OpenID not too long ago and many have accepted them, not knowing what else is out there. OpenID is a creative solution to this growing problem but That is for sites that take OpenID logins, but most don’t.

There are desktop software solutions like Roboform (PC) or 1Passwd (Mac), but they will not help you when you’re away from your main computer, and they don’t stop hackers and other people from stealing your password when it’s transmitted to the site (Yet). What do you do?

Vidoop has come up with an appealing way to both the juggling password problem and the security problem with a solution that uses visual cues instead of passwords. They have taken their technology and now offer it in a free package they call MyVidoop.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcmY8Pk-qEk[/youtube]

MyVidoop is basically an OpenID provider, so if you already have OpenID, you are all set! Like I mentioned, most sites don’t support OpenID so MyVidoop offers a Firefox plugin (IE support promised) that lets you store your passwords either on MyVidoop’s servers or in an encrypted file on your computer. The plugin, when activated, will offer to auto-fill the site login fields when you visit the page again. It is pretty simple.

Logging in to MyVidoop uses a secure feature called “Vidoop Secure.” When you register, instead of picking a password you pick three visual categories that you keep secret and the registration process walks you through. The pictures change each time, so if “cars” is your category you probably won’t see the same car the next time.

I like the idea of Vidoop/MyVidoop and it shows some promise towards combining usernames and passwords we have to remember. It’s not perfect yet. Sometimes it can be difficult to make out whether or not the picture is in your category. I chose “Tech” and sometimes even that was difficult.

If you’re worried about someone snooping on you when you enter your passwords, or you like the idea of managing OpenID trusted sites, then MyVidoop is definitely worth considering. I think I’ll continue to use Roboform and 1Passwd though.

I have many websites that I am registered to, and after a while it really becomes a hassel trying to remember which username and password I registered with for that particular site. Maintaining identities across multiple websites is difficult. You register at each site, choosing a different username and password. It is tedious and many sites ask for information that you have already provided elsewhere. What if someone has already taken the username you want? It is said that most people end up choosing a username they don’t like, or simply leaving the site without registering.

Of course, there is something out there to make our lives a little easier–OpenID.

OpenID is your passport to all websites requiring a username and password. Once you create your OpenID, you’ll never need to go through the registration process again with sites that support OpenID. Unfortunately, the idea is still a little new, so there aren’t many sites that support OpenID.

Once you find a site that supports OpenID, the login process is fairly simple. I registered my OpenID within a few mintues and traveled to Technorati, which is a site that uses OpenID to claim your own blog. Once you do that, type your OpenID information. The website will redirect you to your OpenID Provider to login. Once authenticated, your OpenID provider will send you back to the website with the necessary credentials to log you in to that site. It may sound like a complicated procedure, but it really isn’t.

There are a few drawbacks of using OpenID however:

• Huge risk of phishing – Sites that claim to support OpenID can, during verification, send you to a page that looks like yours and then steal your password or any other information.

• The spam risk is very high – You can get automated and fake users/robots that logs in to your site and creates suspicious content.

• It’s still new – The OpenID technique is still very new and it doesn’t have enough users or traffic to make it work like a charm. Not to mention, the support for sites.

I would say that OpenID can be a great tool in the future, but it still needs a lot of work. I am able to remember (for now) my usernames and passwords so it won’t be a service I use often.