Web Worker Daily

Internet-based communication is changing so quickly these days that there seems to be an endless stream of beta releases. Yesterday, Simon wrote about some of the latest browser betas; let’s look at a few products and services for interacting with social networks, Twitter and instant messaging.

I don’t generally like living on the bleeding edge, but some betas are very usable, and I’ve already incorporated them into my daily workflow. Others look promising, but are not stable or are lacking too many features right now. But all of the following are worth trying, and watching as they develop. We’ll review them more thoroughly as they mature. Read the rest of this entry »

File sync and backup service SugarSync (which we’ve blogged about before) just announced new small-business friendly features, including a central admin feature to manage from three to 100 users collaborating and sharing files using the app. The new package also includes flexible group pricing plans starting at $29.99 per month, with no setup fees and free phone support.

While speaking with the CEO of SugarSync, I quickly realized that my post about running a virtual team was missing a critical component: backup. As I listened to the company’s presentation of its product, my mind began working overtime. SugarSync isn’t just about backing up files securely in the cloud. It can also be used for secure file sharing, collaboration and file syncing with cross-platform and mobile device access and compatibility. Read the rest of this entry »

I spend a lot of time each day communicating with colleagues and clients, by phone, email, on social networks, and via the occasional fax. But when I need to have a short conversation and get an answer right away, instant messaging is hard to beat. Unfortunately, there are several IM protocols, and most of them don’t talk to each other. That’s why I use the multi-protocol IM software Adium on the Mac and Pidgin on the PC. I can also use a web-based alternative like Meebo or the new Imo.im.

VoxOx wants to take multi-system communication several steps further. In addition to the various IM protocols, it supports social networks (Facebook, MySpace and Twitter); SMS texting; faxing; private email; file sharing; video conversations; and voice connections. VoxOx also supports Skype messaging, although you have to have the Skype software running, which sort of defeats its purpose. Read the rest of this entry »

The other day, some friends and I were discussing the various productivity tools and services that we rely on to manage our lives and our businesses. The usual question came up, “What application or service do you really rely on the most?”

To answer this question, I wanted to move beyond the standard CRM and invoicing tools which are critical to the day-to-day functioning of my business, and share something that might not be so obvious. The first thing that popped into my mind was file sharing and syncing app Dropbox, and even after more discussion and heated conversation, nothing could change my answer. The benefit of synchronized files and access from any PC is obvious, but as I’ve been using the service it has really become a critical part of my daily process.

Read the rest of this entry »

These days, there seems to be a new product aimed at managing projects every week. Just in the last month or so, WWD has reviewed MissingLink Project Center, Zen, Zoho Projects and EasyProjects.net. Joining this parade is WizeHive, which has just released a new beta with several upgraded features.

I find a project management system indispensable. Like a lot of web workers, I’m always juggling multiple projects and clients, and such systems are the only way for me to easily track deadlines, time spent, and progress. So I’m always interested in new options, although my three-person company has been generally happy with ActiveCollab.

Thus, when I look at a product like WizeHive, I confess that I have some preconceived ideas as to how a project management system should operate. I’m not entirely sure that WizeHive would work for me, but it does include some good ideas, and the latest update offers some nice features: Read the rest of this entry »

Often a project team needs to be up and running without much lead time, and you don’t have the time or the inclination to come up with a customized, tailored solution for collaboration and file sharing.

There might be a lot of collaboration portal web applications out there, but few work as well or offer as simple a setup as Onehub. I’m not sure how long it took me to get everything ready, but I’m fairly sure that the same song was playing on iTunes when I finished as when I started. And no, my 40GB music library had not completely cycled.

Read the rest of this entry »

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a client wants you to transfer a project, including your intact file structure, remotely over the internet. FTP is an easy solution, right? If you have the space, and if your client is web-savvy enough to know what an FTP client is and how to use it.

If, on the other hand, your client hasn’t used FTP before and isn’t the most tech-oriented person in the world, transferring project folders with complicated file structures can quickly become an ordeal for all parties involved.

Zapr attempts to bypass the messy stuff and make it easy for you and your client or business partner to connect and share. The application allows you to share files quickly and easily, and installation is required on the original sharer’s PC only. It allows you to generate web links that direct others to files or folders stored locally on your computer.

Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve covered a great many Zoho services over the years; they continue to have one of the most diverse software-as-a-service offerings. Their latest addition is Zoho Share, which brings both file storage and file sharing into play. If you’ve already got Zoho credentials from another application, you can use them to log in to Zoho Share. When you get there, you’ll find a public file-sharing site, showing you content that other people have uploaded. But you’ll also find a private “My Area” tab, which lets you upload and manage your own documents. You can choose to keep these documents private, or make them public by default.

Zoho share includes embedded viewers for the various file types it supports: Zoho’s own files (which you can easily click through to edit in their home applications), PDFs, older Microsoft documents, ODT, CSV, and a few others. Files are limited to 3MB, and you can select from a variety of Creative Commons licenses for each file you upload (including restrictive licenses that preserve your rights on private documents). Like the other commodity Zoho services, Zoho Share is free.