For the geeky, sharing files with the world or other devices is all done via the FTP that you've got for your website or blog. It involves a stack of complicated codes, faffing around with FTP software and generally an interest in computers and the way the Internet works to get it to go.?For the rest of us, there is dropbox.

Available for the Mac and PC (the iPhone has an app, and access though a mobile page is also offered) the concept is that it is a centralised folder that you have on all your computers or devices that allows you to automatically see what is in that folder be it on your work or home computer.

Sign up for an account, install the software and you can then instantly share documents, photos -pretty much all files - as long as they are in the that Dropbox folder.?Within the folder itself can be further folders and better still you can give public or selected access to those folders if you want.

What it means for example is that if you save all your documents to that folder whenever you make a change and then save it, it is automatically updated on all your computers rather than just the one you are working on. In turn this means the hassle of transferring it to a USB drive or CD to then take home or in to the office doesn't exist.

Clever huh?

On the Mac the whole system is as if it isn't there. In fact the only way you'll know you've got it installed is the appearance of a Dropbox icon on the menu bar at the top of the screen and a folder that you can drop stuff into on your desktop.

Clicking on the icon in the menu bar gives you direct access to your Dropbox folder, tells you how much storage you've got left (in percentage form) and what the recently changed files are. Unfortunately it doesn't change colour to show you that a file has been changed - something that would have been nice if you were working with others on a number of files - but it's no deal breaker.

While the system is likely to help you if work from home or need to share photos with the family across different computers, where we can really see the success is in the ability to share folders with others.

A quick invite to a folder and companies could easy share work projects without having to email large files around. In our tests we were able to share large (100MB +) documents within the team easily and quickly (based on internet connection).

If you aren't fussed about private access to certain people you've invited there is a "Public" folder that allows you to dump files in and then dish out a URL to anyone. (As an aside, PR reading this review, this is a perfect way to share pictures and press releases with journalists.)

As we mentioned there is an iPhone app as well that allows you to access all the files on the system. We had no trouble viewing word documents or images and you can upload from the iPhone as well, handy if you need to share a picture without docking or emailing the photo.

Of course you might not be at your iPhone or your computer with the software installed. Don't panic, Dropbox appears to have thought of that too.?Connected to the whole system is a simple website that once logged in allows you to view files you've got stored, view recent activity, and organise your sharing options.

It's basic, but it does mean that if you are at a random computer, be it in an internet caf? or someone's office you can still access the files.

It's free, so how can the company survive??

Well it comes down to the amount of storage you want. The basic or standard package, which is free, gives you 2GB of storage.?That storage is upgradable either via paying cash or signing up friends (although that will only give you a maximum further 1GB).

The quickest way to get more storage space is to pay. Part with $8.99 a month and you can upgrade that storage quota to 50GB, opt for $19.99 a month and it jumps to the Pro 100 account that gives you, you guessed it 100GB of online storage to store your stuff, more than enough for most people.

Verdict:

Dropbox is a very clever, but incredibly simple, sharing solution that we can see saving a lot of time for those that use multiple computers or just have the need to access certain files from anywhere without having to carry a USB thumb drive around.

Yes you've worked out how to set up a network storage drive on your home Wi-Fi network a system like this isn't that useful (around the home) but your Time Capsule or NAS drive isn't going to let your work computer play or your iPhone for that matter.

The free 2GB threshold is likely to be more than enough for basic file transfer and we would have no issue recommending this to you and everyone you know.

Storage and sharing files might be boring, but this makes it incredibly easy.

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Tags: Software Online Storage Dropbox Mac software PC software iPhone apps Mobile phone apps

Dropbox originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:37:27 +0000

If you're a disorganised photographer then chances are you store your digital photos on your computer, back them up and then forget about them until someone says:

"Do you have a picture of a women on a bus in London eating a sandwich?"

Of course you do, but how the devil do you find it. In steps Adobe's Lightroom package that allows you to catalogue your photo collection and edit your photos without getting too "Photoshopy" and then print them or publish them to the Web.

Lightroom has been around for sometime, but with a new version, Lightroom 3, entering public beta, what can we look forward to in the new model, and should you start using it from today.

The first thing you should note is that this is very much a beta and Adobe is keen to express that. What that means is that there is no official support for the software and there are a number of features Adobe says are yet to come. It also means that you can't import your current Lightroom 2 catalogue into the software package just yet and that's probably not that much of a bad thing - you don't want all your metadata corrupting do you?

So for the purpose of our review we imported a number of images into the catalogue and ran the software side by side measuring the performance and keeping a close eye on the differences.

So what's new? Well one of the main things that isn't is the interface. While there were fairly large changes from Lightroom to Lightroom 2 in the look and feel of the package, here, the transition to Lightroom 3 is going to be minimal. For us that's a good thing. While not everything is perfect, we are happy with the structure of Lightroom and find it fairly easy to navigate around the package. The same can be said for Lightroom 3. The panels are all in the same place and apart from the odd new button or panel, everything is how you know it.

The main focus therefore has been on how the program works with your images and how you get them in.

The import window sees the biggest overhaul with a completely redesigned interface that is not only more in keeping with the design style of Lightroom, but also in functionality.

Split into three panels, you can select the source from the left, the target on the right and see the images you're importing in the middle, whether it's from a disk, drive or memory card. You now also get "Loupe" ie single image view and can choose to add, copy or move them into the catalogue. There is also the option to add metadata or keywords as before and save all those options so it's just a press of a single button the next time. If you aren't interested in any of that you can compact the import view to a single bar, which gets to work straight away. Overall it's a massive improvement and makes getting your images into the system quick and simple, especially in comparison to Lightroom 2.

Those familiar with Lightroom know that the package is split up into different zones; Library, Develop, Slideshow, Print, and Web.?

Library

New features to the Library include adding photo uploading services support so you can now upload images directly to flickr and the like. Within the beta you can only upload to flickr, although Adobe says that other galleries, presumably like their own Photoshop online service will be added.

The system works as a gateway to the service rather than just an uploader and that means you have control over what is online, what isn't and the ability to sync it with comments for example.

Interestingly you can also create a synced folder that doesn't have to be online but on a network drive or even your iPhone. With the system you can then sync photos to and from that device. It's easy and if you are transferring images on an external hard drive it's a good way to "check-in" and "check out" images from your catalogue.

Elsewhere multiple info views have been added to the Loupe view, there is the ability to auto sync in library mode (something that was only available in develop previously) and greater import control into specific folders. A small detail, but nonetheless one we've found helpful is the ability to see within sub-folders. And lock filters from folder to folder.

Develop

Develop has seen the most "under the hood" development, after all Adobe has got to justify the upgrade from 2 to 3 somewhere. Here you get improvements to the processing options for RAW and jpeg.

The imaging improvements are there but for the most part subtle. Zoom in 1:1 and you'll see the changes, work from afar and you'll be wondering whether it's done anything, but they are there.

New tools and sliders to master include sharpening, colour noise reduction, a re-structuring of the vignette tool for a more natural effect as well as the ability to control the colour and highlighting vignette to boot.

You can also add a grain effect for those looking for more of a "film" look, although we personally haven't found a reason to use this yet.

There is also a camera calibration mode now that allows you to try and correct chromatic aberration, however this isn't an automated process like some software packages, which would be a really nice addition.

Finally Brushes has had a good overhaul and its now a lot easier to use on your photos.

When the package is finally ready you'll also be able to choose whether or not to reimport your Lightroom 2 images in with the new settings or leave them as they were - either way doing so will change the look of the image.

The good news is that in the beta the processing and general performance of the software was good, nippier in most cases than Lightroom 2, although we aren't ruling out the possibility that it's because our Lightroom 2 catalogue has over 16,000 (yes 16,000) photos in it.

Slideshow, Print, and Web

Slideshow gets a brief look in via the ability to add music from your music folder to your images. A nice touch is that the software will automatically change the length the photos are shown so it fits the music to save you having to try and work it out. You can then dump the slideshow into H.264 to do as you will.

Likewise Print gets more "interactive" templates that make it easier to create printouts for your clients all at the drag of a mouse, rather than having to actually really understand anything.

As for web support? Easier watermarking and that's about it for the moment.

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Verdict:

Lightroom 3 looks to be taking the software in the right direction, although for beta users you will be mainly seeing under the hood changes rather than anything that will visually knock your socks off from the get go.

Adobe is clearly following Microsoft and the Windows 7 route here by allowing its user base to get to grips with the software in order to hear how they use it so the package can be improved. It's a new way of developing software but one that is worth the input.

I think the biggest disappointment is the inability to upgrade my current catalogue - doing so would allow people to give it a good run for its money rather than treating it like a sandbox. If this was the case it would allow you to really get to grips with what does and doesn't work by the time the software eventually comes out.

Promising, but without the ability to import your own catalogue you'll find this is a weekend intrigue rather than your new favourite software package until the final version is released.

Tags: Software Mac software PC software Photo editing software Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Cameras

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

We've seen a few new arrivals in the security software market for 2010 so far but are yet to experience any dramatic improvements, certainly in terms of new features and innovations. Rarely one to rest on its laurels, Symantec has been busy putting an end to all that and the new version of Norton Antivirus has a series of new features that complement more predictable enhancements to performance and usability.

Typically fast to install, the software was up and running in around a minute and what's immediately obvious is that Symantec has revamped the interface with a snazzy new look. This is for both aesthetic and practical reasons and despite many of the new features being oriented more towards advanced users, things are still kept simple here with straightforward scan control, simple "on/off" switches for related components and direct access to scan history and quarantine. There's also details of network protection here, which offers similar control, and access to more detailed settings in these areas is still accessible to allow for fine tuning.

NAV2010 successfully scanned our test system in around a minute, which by means of comparison is only around 10% faster than the previous version of Norton 360, but significantly quicker than most other rivals. As Norton gets used to your system however, these times are reduced, and in fact we very impressed to see this drop to just 10 seconds during subsequent scans.

Part of the reason for this and one of the biggest improvements to this new version comes in the form of Quorum and the Norton Insight tools. The former represents a major breakthrough in reputation-based security and helps the software adopt a more cautious approach to managing "unknown" files, as well as offering the sort of scan-time improvements illustrated above.

Quorum uses reputation information to help guard against new and unknown threats and by building a database of Norton Community users it can help predict how safe a file is and therefore anticipate the arrival of potentially harmful data. It's also possible to view the trust level, resource usage and discovery date of everything running on your system, and by selecting a file you're provided with more details on its origins and activity.

System Insight is another useful tool and provides an overview of recent activity including downloads, scans, installed programs and threat detections to help more advanced users view and interpret recent activity and the correlation between this information, impact on performance and the emergence of threats. It's also possible to view CPU and memory performance graphs and identify which programs are responsible for highest usage, allowing users to detect and diagnose resource-hogs and potential reasons for reduced performance.

Admittedly these tools may not appeal to all users but Norton does a great job of making this wealth of information as accessible and easy to interpret as possible, and those who do appreciate having the tools available to do a bit of detective work will find them invaluable.

Norton AntiVirus 2010 is an excellent progression for the series, offering performance improvements, peace of mind and being very easy to use. The only thing that has prevented it from getting a higher score here is the price. At ?39.99 it costs around the same as more comprehensive security suites on offer from rivals, and most would consider this a lot to pay for an "antivirus-only" product.

In comparison to Norton Internet Security 2010, which is only ?10 more, NAV omits a firewall, identity protection, anti-spam and security for home and wireless networking, so in this light we'd be inclined to recommend spending a bit extra on the more comprehensive suite, which also offers the benefits of all of these new features.

Verdict:
Norton AntiVirus 2010 represents a significant step forward for home security, offering users an unprecedented amount of information and diagnostic tools to make it easier than ever to detect and manage threats and impact on system performance. Fast scan times, low system overheads and an intuitive and approachable new interface offer extra appeal and as such it's difficult to think of a more capable "antivirus" product on the market.

Tags: Software PC software Viruses And Malware Symantec Norton Norton AntiVirus 2010 Security software Norton AntiVirus 2010

Norton AntiVirus 2010 - PC originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:09:36 +0100