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Basecamp Arrived to iGoogle via Periscope Gadget

Hold on to your hats, Basecamp lovers! Now you can manage your project collaboration utopia via a simple and effective iGoogle gadget.

Periscope, added to iGoogle’s gadget directory earlier this month, allows users to control multiple Basecamp accounts from their iGoogle homepage.

Cool!

With access to Basecamp, users can add and manage time entries, download files, check messages that have been posted, and see general or by project activity.

The team at Ten Seven Interactive aims to make the application as easy to use as possible with features like color-coded accounts and hover-over details. The colors correspond to a convenient dropdown menu of all accounts and entire messages are displayed when icons are moused over. No clicking necessary!

The surprisingly-detailed-for-its-size application works with the iPhone as well. Over at the Periscope gadget blog, they make a point to say that although it’s not an iPhone Web app or native iPhone app, it’s perfect for quick and easy access to get your Basecamp fix.

Additionally, screencasts for both iGoogle and mobile functionality can be seen here.

Not So Cool?

There’s been some uneasiness circling the Web regarding the storage of Basecamp usernames and passwords, and the Periscope blog has addressed this as well.

Fact: as of right now, there’s no way to get around storing these details. However, if it’s any comfort, Periscope does not actually store any of the data requested from Basecamp servers. The closest Periscope comes to remembering any personal information is keeping a small log of your recent activity, but without saving any content.

As for passwords, your Periscope password is entirely different from your Basecamp password and, should you forget it, is reset rather than sent in a reminder e-mail. Your Basecamp username and password data is stored in an information database that’s completely separate from the encryption key’s locale.

If you’re still skeptical about offering up the info, the Periscope blog gives another solution: add a new, disposable user to your Basecamp account specifically for the gadget. Give it less than administrator privileges, if you want to be extra careful, and you’re set!

Good Customer Care = Good Solution

As you can probably tell, the folks over at the Periscope blog have updated everything new that has happened with the gadget and have addressed several issues as well. We at CMSWire love that kind of dedication, and we’re sure many of you appreciate it too. That combined with the popularity of Basecamp, and the continuous advancement of iGoogle and mobile technology, it’s easy to see this little gadget really taking off.

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