Dropbox Stays Ahead Of Amazon With Big File-Syncing Upgrade

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/dropbox-file-transfer-speed-boost-2014-7

Dropbox’s seamless file-sync technology is perhaps what keeps the fledgling startup alive in the increasingly competitive cloud storage market.

In fact, some people think Dropbox's file-syncing technology is exactly what will prevent Amazon from destroying the company with its own streaming service.

Today Dropbox just made their file-sync speed even faster. 

Dropbox rolled out a new service called Streaming Sync, which, according to the company, will speed up the sync time by as much as 2X. With Streaming Sync, users no longer have to wait for the entire file to be uploaded before accessing it, because it now “streams” data simultaneously from its servers to user devices. The service only works on files over 16MB, so large-file transfers will benefit the most from it.

Following Thursday’s launch of Zocalo, Amazon’s own file-sharing and collaboration service, Dropbox is in position to find a way to further distinguish itself from other competitors. Streaming Sync could be one of the features that make users want to stick to Dropbox’s service.

You can download the latest Dropbox desktop client here.

Here’s the how the sync times break down:

SEE ALSO: Amazon just launched a Box and Dropbox killer

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Mix beats and loop vocals with Propellerhead's Take for iOS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/11/propellerhead-take/

If you saw Reggie Watts' musical set at Engadget Expand (don't worry, there's video after the break), then you probably noticed the table full of gear he needs to construct his loops. Propellerhead -- the Swedish software company behind Reason, not the electronica duo -- is hoping to lighten this load with Take, a creative vocal loop recorder that's being given away free to iPhone users. The interface is reasonably simple, offering you a wide variety of pre-made backing loops as well as three tracks that you can rap, sing or otherwise make noise on. It's tremendously easy to use, but it won't compensate for your lack of musical talent, which is why we won't be sharing our ham-fisted efforts with you.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Software, Apple

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Source: Take (App Store)

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âAcer upgrades its C720 Chromebook with more power... and a higher price

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/10/acer-upgrades-c720/

Looking for a more powerful Acer Chromebook? It'll cost you -- the company announced today that its C720 Chromebook is getting a processor bump and a new price tag. $350 buys a notebook with a 4th generation Intel Core i3-4005U CPU clocked at 1.7GHz with a 32GB SSD, a modest bump from the 1.4GHz Celeron CPU, 16GB SSD and $200 starting price of the current model. Acer says the new CPU will give the machine a noticeable performance boost without affecting the 8.5 hour runtime consumers have come to expect from the laptop. Little else about the Chromeboook seems to have changed; its still available with 2GB or 4GB (in a $380 model) of RAM. Still, if you want to save some money with Acer's cheaper, slower laptop, buy now: the new models hit store shelves later this month.

Filed under: Laptops, Acer

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Source: PRWeb

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These high-tech headphones will livestream your next gig

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/10/soundsight-headphones-omg/

Let's face it, most headphones pack a pretty short features list, and the majority of us are just fine with that. There's wired and wireless, on-ear and over-ear, with all of them coming at a range of prices and catering to varying sonic sensibilities. We've seen social-minded cans pop up as of late, and now, a new offering looks to pack even more into a set of headphones. SoundSight packed in a 1080p camera, six microphones, voice control and an accelerometer into its wireless set. Not only does the audio add-on capture video from the wearer's point of view, but it also offers livestreaming capabilities from the stage or studio.

Thanks to the companion app for Android and iOS, you can wrangle edits before broadcasting on social networks of your choosing. The smartphone-based toolbox enables adding music to clips when you need to swap out the audio, futzing with filters and sorting recording controls. If you're concerned about having to hold your head just so to get a good angle, don't be: the camera portion is mounted to the outside of the earcups, rotating 270 degrees so allow for proper adjustments. In addition to the requisite 3.5mm cable, a USB option is also included to those who favor that connection.

Remember we mentioned these are wireless? Won't all of that extra stuff drastically cut into the battery life? Well, the company claims that with all of those features activated, you can expect around four hours of action from the 800mAh cell, getting bumped up to 18 hours when only the active noise cancellation is switched on. That may not be enough to broadcast your entire day, but it should certainly last for an entire set. The 1080p camera can capture 720p video at 30 fps, with Bluetooth streaming clocking in with 640p at 24 fps. If having all of that tech in one place sounds too good to pass up, SoundSight goes up for limited pre-order tomorrow at $349, with an official launch coming in next spring at the full $499 retail price.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

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Source: SoundSight Headphones

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drag2share: Amazon Just Launched A Box And Dropbox Killer â And It Really Needs One

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/uGESIVHuVuw/amazon-zocalo-2014-7

Amazon launched on Wednesday a challenger to Box and Dropbox: an enterprise cloud file storage service called Zocalo.

Zocalo allows you to access and share files on any type of device, Amazon says.

The service costs just $5 per user per month and comes with 200GB of storage and no other software requirements.

Companies that use Amazon WorkSpaces get free storage up to 50GB, or can elect to pay $2 a month per user for the entire 200GB. Amazon WorkSpaces gives employees access to Windows 7 in the cloud, which can be accessed on any device.

While Amazon is already popular with enterprises for its cloud-computing storage offerings, those are used mostly by IT professionals. Amazon hasn't exactly been a major player when it comes to enterprise apps used by  ordinary workers. But Zocalo is a move in that direction.

As Janakiram MSV, principal analyst at Janakiram & Associates, says, "Zocalo is an indication of Amazon's ambitious plan to become the one-stop shop for enterprise IT."

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