Pastor, a free tool to store all your passwords, website logins, program serial numbers and more, has now reached version 1.8, adding a Find As You Type feature, Speakable passwords in Password Generator, all this while the software now opens new document window at startup.

Password-protected and RC4-encrypted, with built-in password generator, Pastor 1.8 also sports automatically-sorted entries, which just adds to the multitude of features the free utility has to offer.

Agile Web Solutions, the guys behind one of the best password managers for Mac OS X, 1Password, have updated their utility to version 2.6.1. This is a major update to Agile Web's software, as it contains new features and around 60 improvements. However, while a single 1Password user license costs $34.95 to buy, Markus Mehlau's Pastor 1.8 is a free tool that helps you with some of the basic features found in utility programs such as 1Password. Steel is also a good example.

So, here's what's new in Pastor version 1.8: Find As You Type - Click on Entries Pane and type what you're searching for; Entries are sorted automatically; Speakable passwords in Password Generator; Pastor opens new document window at startup.

Pastor basically works as a database program designed to store pieces of information like passwords, software licenses, website logins, program serial numbers and other personal information. The information for the current record (entry name; URL; user ID, name, login; password, serial number, PIN, notes etc) is, of course, available on the right side. Users simply need to click on the Add Entry button in order to create a new record. Pastor stores its data in RC4-encrypted document files.

What isn't available at first glance (nor does Pastor's official description say anything about it) is the program's built-in password generator. Users simply set the criteria on which Pastor generates a secure, random password and the program delivers. Pretty much any character goes.

So go on, try it out. You've got nothing to lose.