Download Squad

This is a great idea, and we're all for a site that streamlines access to our information and makes it easy for us to get to. That said, iubo's not quite ready for prime time.

Since there's no way to import information yet, data input is a very hands-on (read: time consuming) experience. If you're planning to index 2GB of stuff from your computer, you're in for a long day of cutting and pasting. The site's developer says that an importing tool is on the way, though, so that will certainly make using this site a lot easier.

The biggest concern we have, however, is data safety. While no one's more tempted than us to upload a bazillion megabytes of data so we can search it from our laptops at the corner coffee shop, that kind of thing seems awfully risky -- sort of like handing over your backpack and spare keys to the bookstore clerk and hoping nothing bad happens. It doesn't appear there's any particular methods in place to ensure your data's safety beyond an ordinary login page.

While we just can't recommend that our readers data dump with abandon, there are a few practical ways to put iubo to use. For example, it's a great place to store information on a project you're working on. Lots of us use Google Notebook to manage URLs and Web sites for things we're researching, but iubo would be a terrific place to accumulate additional stuff for a project: team contact info, slideshows, media clips, and so on. iubo would also be handy for tracking non-sensitive information like books lists or reminders of who you've loaned your DVDs.

If you're intrigued by iubo and want to see how you can make it work for you, we've got 250 invites to give away for the private beta. To score one, just leave a comment for us (make sure to activate it), and we'll send one your way.