Dropbox – My Stuff Where I Need It [Review]

This post/review is courtesy of guest contributor, Jerry of mochaSync.com

I will be the first to admit it—I drink the Apple flavored Kool-Aid. Still, there are things I just can’t seem to justify; like the cost MobileMe. There seems to be plenty of free or low-cost alternatives to cloud computing and file management. Today, I will be talking about my favorite: Dropbox.
First, here’s a little about what kind of user I am. I have two laptops: one Mac Book Air and an HP that shall remain nameless (because it sucks). I also have a Blackberry and an iPhone. I work in an IT department which has no less than 32 projects going on simultaneously, I run my own wanna-be software development company and I manage my own band. So I have a lot going on in an average day. I need to be able to reference documents, songs, or ideas from anywhere, on any platform. Dropbox accomplishes this without missing a beat (no pun intended).

At work, I uploaded the most needed document – a monthly report – that I constantly need to modify. If I get a few minutes between tasks, I try to update the report as best as I can (hope my boss doesn’t read that). Having my report ‘in the box’ helps me avoid version conflicts between both laptops. It also comes in handy when I need to deploy a package to a user—no matter if I am at my desk or at home.

With my band, the very first thing I did was upload the newest idea we’ve recorded. Not only can I reference this at home when practicing, but I could use the Public Folder to share it with the rest of the band. Bam! A new collaboration method! No need for long email chains, emailing attachments and cluttering my inbox. This feature also works really well with photos and families! I take pictures of my daughter all the time—like every other parent does. By uploading those precious pictures that I took on my iPhone, I am able to share the whole lot of them with others like that relative I never remember the name of but somehow I have an email for. Of course the email doesn’t contain any hints to her name… oh and she barely can operate the computer, so why she has an email, I will never know…

Anyhow, the sharing is one of my favorite features. This feature alone sold me as a ‘home’ user. I needed a free alternative that doesn’t cloud up the user experience with “buy this as a print for $0.99 – limited time offer” BS. This is perfect for the minimalist in me, and that nameless relative of mine – damn it what is her name?!

Which brings me to my last big selling point – the user experience. Dropbox has made it so easy to share, from any place in the world that has an Internet connection, that it should be a crime to not check out this service. There is absolutely no clutter to the website, the Public Galleries, or the iPhone app. They’ve managed to turn a fairly intimidating service for most people into one that actually makes you feel welcomed – no matter your experience level. Yet, at its core, Dropbox is extremely powerful. Initial setup was a breeze and synchronizing the file changes is instantaneous and transparent on each platform.

Document management and photo sharing is only the tip of the iceberg. With the paid subscription options, which yield larger capacity accounts (50gig / 100gig), power users could use scripts to backup critical files and projects. Team sharing for work environments becomes easier and less tedious—users of SharePoint should identify with this point.

Whether you just need to share a few files here and there, or whether you are on the go at all times, Dropbox is a solid choice. With cross platform support, mobile access and a superb user interface, Dropbox is at the top of the list.

Dropbox can be downloaded here: http://www.getdropbox.com/

mochaSync Reviews LoveBot: Robot Pickup Lines

LoveBot is getting some love of its own over at mochaSync. Let me give you a little excerpt from the review:

“The artwork for the icon is cute, very light hearted and just what you might need if you’re a productivity junky like me.

… I think it will provide laughter to those of us who unfortunately are surrounded by pc’s and mac’s all day long.   I say give it a whirl and share in the fun with your co-workers.”

mochaSync does knock LoveBot for not having more variations of the robot, which is a very possible addition to it in future updates. And “command lines,” why the hell didn’t we think of that!? Please check out the review at mochaSync here. Thanks to mochaSync for the review.

Make sure you get your copy of LoveBot: Robot Pickup Lines through the link below, at a reduced price of $.99 now!

Image courtesy of Kitty Genius

PrudeBox is an Internet Success!

Friday, we notified some well-established tech blogs about CrudeBox PrudeBox, our first application. We were met with an overwhelming response when some of these blogs posted articles about PrudeBox and its trials and tribulations in the Apple app approval process. Below are links to some of the blogs that picked up the PrudeBox story.

Boing Boing Gadgets

The Download Squad

Crunch Gear

Mobile Crunch

Daily Finance (AOL money and finance)

About Apps

Apple iPhone Apps

While there’s always going to be criticism toward any crude app (despite its name; hear that Apple?), we seem to have amassed an overwhelming amount of positive reviews in the App store from people that we don’t even know (yes, we were pretty surprised too)! Check out WorldOfSuck’s review:

“This is, so far, the best sound effects app for the iPhone. It allows for quick access to 16 different sounds, and those sounds are very high quality and have a pretty wide range of antisocial applications.  Where most sound effects apps tend to overspecialize (did I REALLY need 20 different fart sounds?), Prudebox is much more diverse, and designed with quick access in mind, essential for comic timing. I hope that in the future there will be more customizability (being able to use your own sounds would be ideal) but in the mean time this is still the best SFX app in the app store, bar none.”

So, maybe our release of a bodily function sound effects app was a little late to the party.  However, we’re pretty stoked that people are actually acknowledging how much time we put into the app to make sure it stood out from the rest. We feel like the superior sound quality, mixed with a variety of crude sounds really sets PrudeBox apart from the others.

What started out as a little project seems to have flourished into a great start for a new development company like Alkali Media. This really is just the start. We have quite a few more tricks up our sleeve with our upcoming applications. For anyone that has downloaded PrudeBox, we thank you for supporting us! Please keep an eye out for new applications from Alkali Media in the upcoming weeks.

Cheers,
Pat, Mike, and Chris