File sync, storage and sharing site Dropbox launches to the public today ending the need for pesky beta codes or invites to this very cool service.
Mike gave us a glimpse of Dropbox back in March, and in my testing of services of this type I found Dropbox to be among the easiest to use and manage. Because there is no new interface to learn, it just works for me, and is easy to introduce to clients. A nice demo screencast does a great job of explaining how it all works.
Also announced today is the availability of a Linux client to add to their existing Windows and Mac options as well as information on new storage plan options. The 2GB free accounts are still around but if you need more space you will have the option to upgrade to a 50GB box for $9.99 / month or $99.99 / year.
Will you try Dropbox? With the myriad of sync and share options available, what do you use to keep files in sync?
The web brings with it great opportunities to connect with others centered around just about any common interest, and there are a multitude of tools and services available to help facilitate this. A new player in this area is BlastGroups, which is entering public beta today.
BlastGroups makes it really easy to create your own community site where you can share just about anything with your group. Features include message boards, email blasts, events, pictures, videos, audio and more. The interface is simple and logical without a lot of flash or flair. Toolbar bookmarks make “Sending a Blast” to your groups or contacts remarkably simple. Integrated RSVP functionality make the calendar really useful for event planning.
Read the rest of this entry »
I may be a little late to the Skitch party, but I just had to try it out after coming across it last month. For anyone not yet in the know, Skitch is a Mac OS X-only image sharing application that does require that you download an application. Once you get it, Skitch makes the fact that you had to download yet another thing to your computer totally worthwhile. And I’m saying this after using the application for less than ten minutes. I’m already hooked and sold. (Skitch is free, by the way).
Skitch - and it’s Web-based, cross-platform counterpart Skitch.com - is positioned as a “fast and fun image sharing” tool. With its compact Mac app, Skitch makes it easy to take a snapshot of a Web page and share it with others in all the ways you might share an image.
What hit me the moment I watched the short video demo of the application was how incredibly useful Skitch.com could be for the Web development process.
Read the rest of this entry »
