On: Please turn on two-factor authentication

[_delirium]

You shouldn't have to carry an electronic device, though: a list of codes on paper can work fine. That's how the NemID system works, for example (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NemID): I have a big list of challenge/response codes that I carry in my wallet, and each is used once. I use that one successfully to log into my bank with two-factor authentication, but since I have no cell phone, iPod, iPad, or Android device, I can't use Google's version.

What's weird is that Google even sort of supports the numbers-on-paper approach, but for some reason they limit it to 10 numbers.

edit: Hmm actually thought of a possible solution. Looking into how hard it'd be to port the Google Authenticator to a non-mobile platform so I can run it on my laptop.

edit2: Although it looks like you can't enable the Google Authenticator method without first enabling the SMS method...

[davidwparker → _delirium]

You can print out more than 10, but only 10 are valid at any given time. There's a link at the bottom of the page with the codes to generate 10 more. I suspect they do this so people don't print out 1000 only to be using 10 (or less) at any given time.

[maxerickson → _delirium]

There is a windows version, and various java versions, and still others:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Authenticator#Implementa...

[_delirium → maxerickson]

Oh cool, thanks; I was only looking at http://code.google.com/p/google-authenticator/ and didn't think to check Wikipedia.

[girlvinyl → _delirium]

You're not limited to 10 total, you're just limited to 10 at a time. Once you use those up, you just go get more.

[shawabawa3 → _delirium]

>edit: Hmm actually thought of a possible solution. Looking into how hard it'd be to port the Google Authenticator to a non-mobile platform so I can run it on my laptop.

Just install an android emulator, e.g. YouWave, and use that virtual android device to run GA.

[tedchs → shawabawa3]

Google Authenticator uses the standard OATH protocol (note, this is not OAuth): http://www.openauthentication.org/specifications

[nl → _delirium]

Although it looks like you can't enable the Google Authenticator method without first enabling the SMS method...

I'm not sure about this (it was a while ago when I installed it), but I know you can install it on a new device after previously having it installed on another device (which disables it on the first device) without an SMS.