Filed under: Internet, Productivity, Web services, Beta, Search
Score an invite to the private beta of iubo
If you spend a lot of time in front of the computer, you probably collect dozens of little snippets of information each day: Web sites to visit later, documents you want to review some other time, contact info of people you want to catch up with next week, reminders about what to pack for your next trip. There are all kinds ways to track your stuff online (Del.ici.ous, Remember the Milk), but they leave your data segregated across several Web sites. There are also a few options for corralling and indexing all your stuff right on the computer (Google Desktop, Mac OS X Spotlight), but they don't help much when you're away from your desk.
The folks at iubo feel your pain and have designed a Web site where you can store online all the dribs, drabs, and what-nots you accumulate and then access them later, no matter where you are. Once you create an account, you can add and track information on pretty much anything you can think of: pictures, bookmarked Web sites, contact information, notes, documents, and so on. You can even add tags and color-code data for easier searching later.
Gallery: iubo
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.



Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
Avner said 12:06PM on 1-18-2008
I've been waiting for something like this to spring up.
Invites ahoy!
I want one :)
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Matt said 12:12PM on 1-18-2008
sounds somewhat promising. i'll bite!
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Josh Preston said 12:16PM on 1-18-2008
This is great!! Being the owner of an indie record label, this will be a great way to collect press bits and blog posts about our artists! Please send me an invite!
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Joe B said 12:19PM on 1-18-2008
I'll give it a shot. Maybe this will finally be what I need to fight through my digital clutter.
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Eduardo Pegurier said 12:22PM on 1-18-2008
I would love to try it.
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Marcelo said 12:23PM on 1-18-2008
Looks like the stuff i need to get my life on track! It's tiresome to keep tabs on every site used to collect info. from the Web... Gimme an invitation, please...
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Saurabh Agarwal said 12:23PM on 1-18-2008
an excellent thing.... this might be just what i need... i always end up collecting stuff to see/do when I get home after work..
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Rick Roberts said 12:24PM on 1-18-2008
Excellent! Would love an invite.
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Rob said 12:27PM on 1-18-2008
I would be willing to check it out
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penpower said 12:30PM on 1-18-2008
Thanks for the invite. I guess this one can help organizing my daily tasks better =)
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David Moldawer said 12:31PM on 1-18-2008
I'd love an invite!
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Noel said 12:32PM on 1-18-2008
I would love an invite - viva la download squad!
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Andrew said 12:32PM on 1-18-2008
Awesome, would love to try it.
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jordon said 12:35PM on 1-18-2008
sure, ill give it a shot
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Bruno said 12:35PM on 1-18-2008
Looks useful! Invite please...
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April said 12:35PM on 1-18-2008
I so need something like this.
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Dan said 12:37PM on 1-18-2008
I've been using netnewswires clippings for this, but this is much better.
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plchan said 12:38PM on 1-18-2008
I would like to get an invitation too. Thanks
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Tom B said 12:42PM on 1-18-2008
Invite please
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Jerry said 12:46PM on 1-18-2008
I want an invitation please. thanks.
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