Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, July 18, 2008

Five Best File Syncing Tools [Hive Five]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/338189146/five-best-file-syncing-tools

If you work and play on multiple computers in the course of a week, keeping your important files in sync can be difficult. The day may come when you've got access to all of your files and data straight from the cloud, but until that day, a solid file syncing application is just what the doctor ordered. On Tuesday you shared your favorite file syncing tools, and now we're back with the five most popular answers. Read on for a closer look at the five best file syncing tools, then cast your vote for the app you like best.

Dropbox (Windows/Mac)

Dropbox is a free, cross-platform syncing app that boasts quick, instantaneous syncs and file versioning through your desktop and their web-based interface. Currently Dropbox is in a private beta (we handed out invites a few weeks ago), during which the application is free and offers 2GB of storage space. Once Dropbox leaves beta, premium accounts will be available if you need more space than the free 2GB default. Currently Dropbox's biggest drawback is that you can't define sync folders, so you have to move everything you want to sync to the main Dropbox folder. Read more about Dropbox>>

Syncplicity (Windows)

Syncplicity is a free and premium, Windows-only tool for seamless, instantaneous file syncs. Like Dropbox, Syncplicity offers 2GB of free space and helpful icons to help keep track of the sync status of your files. Unlike Dropbox, Syncplicity can add any folder to your Syncplicity syncs, it has more advanced sharing features, and it already has pricing in place for premium accounts if you need more than 2GB (40GB for $10 per month or $100 per year). It's also available now, so if you've been waiting on a Dropbox invite, you might want to skip it and head over to Syncplicity. The biggest drawback to Syncplicity right now is its lack of a Mac client, but one is in the works and slated for September.

Windows Live FolderShare (Windows/Mac)

Windows Live FolderShare offers 2GB of free file sync between the FolderShare web site and Mac and Windows computers. Unfortunately the Mac version is ancient and reportedly has bugs with case-sensitive volumes, but either way it's a strong utility for both Windows and Mac syncing. In fact, it's what I used to sync Firefox extensions across Mac and Windows computers. Read more about setting up and using FolderShare>>

SyncToy 2.0 (Windows)

SyncToy 2.0 is the go-to application for many a Windows user looking to keep files in sync locally&md! ash;eith er over your home network or with a USB thumb drive. The new SyncToy boasts several impressive features, most notably a smart drive letter detection that recognizes your thumb drive even if it's assigned a different letter each time. What's more, SyncToy is the tool I use to sync my iTunes library between PCs. SyncToy is freeware, Windows only. Read more about setting up and using SyncToy>>

SyncBack (Windows)

The only cross-over from our Hive Five Windows Backup Tools, both the freeware and shareware versions of SyncBack offer options for synchronizing files between computers on a local network. Like many of the others, this backup favorite is Windows only, but it's more than up for the task if you need to copy and synchronize files between computers. Read more about setting up SyncBack for automated backups>>

Now that you've seen the best, it's votin' time.

Which Is the Best File Syncing Tool?
( surveys)

Big ups to this week's honorable mentions: Microsoft's hyped Live Mesh and the venerable command line classic, rsync. Did your favorite make the list? Let's hear more about it in the comments.

Urbanspoon Picks a Restaurant for You [Featured IPhone Download]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/338440333/urbanspoon-picks-a-restaurant-for-you

iPhone/iPod touch only: Free application Urbanspoon finds you a place to eat nearby at the shake of your iPhone or iPod touch. Aptly described as part Magic 8 Ball and part slot machine, Urbanspoon uses your location-aware iPhone to find where you are, then circumvents your indecisive tendencies by picking a restaurant for you each time you shake the device. The video demo above gives you a good idea of how it works, but it's got even more polish (and cooler sound effects)—including the ability to lock any of the three categories in case you want to stick to a neighborhood, type of food, or price range. Urbanspoon is freeware, works with iPhones and iPod touches running 2.0 software. If you don't have an iPhone but are equally indecisive, check out previously mentioned Wheel of Food. Thanks wqwert!

Urbanspoon [iTunes Store via Urbanspoon Blog]

Nikon D90 Coming in Early September? Or is it the D3X? Or BOTH?? []

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/338311423/nikon-d90-coming-in-early-september-or-is-it-the-d3x-or-both

Nikon has been sending out press invites for an event on September 3rd. What could they possibly want to talk about just a few weeks before Germany's Photokina expo? It could be Nikon's sequel to their D80, the D90. Or, it could be the 24.4-megapixel D3x that was spotted in Nikon firmware. Or, in a slight breach of etiquette, Nikon could skip the D90 and just release the D100, making the entire photography world crap itself. Because that would be a photo op. [Nikon Rumors via electronista]

Intel CEO: Atom Platform Something "Most of Us Wouldn't Use" [D'OH]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/338342168/intel-ceo-atom-platform-something-most-of-us-wouldnt-use

In a quarterly conference call today, Intel CEO Paul Otellini dropped the aforementioned diss of the low-cost, low-power 45nm Atom chipset that can be found in a few current and many future netbooks, redirecting attention to the just-updated Centrino 2 and somehow-still-alive Celeron platforms as more viable for most consumers, and more profitable evidently for Intel. Otellini has also described Atom as "something for the next 2 billion computer users" in developing markets, so I guess this is a us/them, poor/rich tech classes pair of statements. This does nothing to explain the strange excitement most of us have when thinking about $200 laptops like the Asus eee, though. [Daily Tech

Microsoft Backed Zumobi Browser Now Available on Blackberry Devices [Zumobi]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/338429813/microsoft-backed-zumobi-browser-now-available-on-blackberry-devices

I have been keeping up with the Zumobi browser platform since it was launched last year, but up until now the tile-based UI was only available on Windows Mobile devices. However, the Microsoft-backed company announced today that it will deliver the application for 81xx, 83xx, or 88xx Blackberry devices with OS 4.2 or later. The browser is free, so it is worth trying out at the very least. Hit the Zumobi website to pick up the download. [Zumobi]

Zumobi Now Offers Innovative Mobile Widgets Application to BlackBerry Users

Award Winning Mobile Widgets Now Give Brands Direct Connect to a Broader Mobile Audience

SEATTLE, WASH. – July 17, 2008 – Zumobi (www.zumobi.com), the innovative mobile widget company, today announced the launch of its application for BlackBerry devices. As the profile of Smartphone users expands to include more than just business users, Zumobi has developed its BlackBerry product to enhance the user experience by providing easy access to small "bites" of customized Web content via mobile device. The Zumobi platform, which is ad supported and gives a fully-branded experience to users, is an ideal medium for advertisers and content providers to directly reach consumers in an engaging and highly-targeted manner.

With an already robust library of widgets (Zumobi calls them "Tiles") to entice users of Windows Mobile and BlackBerry with news, sports, weather, entertainment, games and more, Zumobi now offers even more new Tiles for users including NPR, AP Olympics report, Major League Baseball as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. Users can also create their own Zumobi mobile widgets from just about any Web content with the new Tile Creation Wizard now available on Zumobi's website.

Popular industry weblog BlackBerry Cool will l! aunch a branded Zumobi Tile to extend its brand to the mobile space. "BlackBerry Cool is the first choice for timely news, opinion and reviews of the BlackBerry space, delivered to an audience that expects updates when they are available," said Douglas Soltys, editor-in-chief of Blackberry Cool. "Until now, there have been few options to do this successfully over mobile. With Zumobi available now on BlackBerry devices, we will be able to reach our audience directly with news that is important to them while they are on-the-go."

The unique design of the Zumobi application provides the user direct access to what they want, when they want it, with cached content for quicker retrieval of fresh information. This puts content at their fingertips, and allows for a more engaging and immersive experience for brands. In the new age of mobile marketing, this direct contact with consumers is ideal for brands looking to deliver products and services that are tailored to a specific audience.

"By adding BlackBerry as our second major mobile platform, Zumobi significantly expands our reach for brand and content partners. We're thrilled to introduce Zumobi to Blackberry's data-savvy users, and look forward to providing them with a highly-engaging mobile experience," said Ken Willner, vice president of Market Development.

This announcement follows closely on the heels of the release of an updated application for Windows Mobile announced in June. For a tour of the Zumobi mobile widget platform or to download the mobile widget platform for Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, please visit http://www.zumobi.com or get.zumobi.com on the mobile Web.