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Posts with tag filesharing

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Productivity

Send files out fast with uSend.io

There are a lot of sites for quickly sharing files, but some of them are painfully slow or require registration. If you want to send a file with a minimum of fuss, and the file happens to be 100mb or smaller, give uSend.io a look. It's powered by drop.io, and the upload speeds when I tested it were excellent compared to similar sites. This is now my go-to site for sending any medium-sized file to a friend.

Besides being fast, uSend.io also has some nice extra touches. The test file I used was an AAC from my iTunes library, and usend.io converted it to mp3 to generate an in-browser preview. Of course, when I went to download the file, it was still in the original AAC form. Beautiful. The download pages for uSend.io files are hosted on drop.io, so you can also link, embed, or share you file with additional contacts via email. It's an all-around smooth experience.

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Web services, Beta

Dropbox Opens Its Online Sync And Backup to the Public

Dropbox has gone public, opening it's file sharing and backup services to the public. The cross-platform tool makes it easy for users of multiple computers and operating systems to keep their files safely backed up and in sync.

Brad first posted about Dropbox in March, and the development team has been hard at work ever since.

Once you've uploaded a file, the software is smart enough to upload only the changes. For anyone who has an ISP with a ridiculous upload cap (30k/s for me) it's a welcome feature, since it means I won't be uploading a 75 megabyte PSD over and over. It also makes sharing work with my Mac-using partner a snap.

The web interface - "Now with lots of Ajax!" according to Dropbox - has seen a number of improvements. It handles multiple uploads nicely, and makes accessing and storing files a breeze even when you're not using the desktop client.

You can view a screencast of the service, or take the old-fashioned tour if you'd prefer.

Dropbox is feature packed, gives you 2 gigabytes of free, online storage, and is definitely one of the better services available.

Filed under: Internet, Web services, P2P, web 2.0

Upload, Share, and Mirror in One Step With Rapidspread


There are plenty of great places to upload and share files, so why not use a bunch of them all at once?

Rapidspread is a a simple file upload site that automatically forwards your files to as many as 10 filesharing sites. From the upload page, simply browse for your file(s), agree to the terms of service, and click share. Once the upload is complete, RapidSpread displays a URL to send to your friends as well as direct links to your file on the supported hosts it's been transferred to.

My test rar file successfully uploaded to eight of the ten possible hosts - not too shabby. When I chose to upload several images, RapidSpread was even smart enough to limit mirroring to the media-sharing services (ImageShack, Badongo, ZShare, and ZippyShare).

Anyone that uploads files on a regular basis will appreciate the simplicity and power of RapidSpread. If the developers would just intergrate a short URL service like bit.ly, this would be a truly killer service. Give it a shot, and see how it stacks up against your favorite service.

Thanks for the tip, Eran!

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Freeware, P2P

Cabos is Limewire for Minimalists


We've tried plenty of Gnutella clients that just aren't any good, and usually end up back with Frostwire or Limewire by default. Thankfully, Cabos has an excellent alternative for Windows and Mac users.

Cabos doesn't support torrents, and it doesn't have a built in media player, but who needs that anyway? Most of us have favorite apps for handling those files anyways, and Limewire probably isn't either of them. It simply searches the Gnutella network, displays your results, lets you filter and sort them six ways from Sunday, and downloads them quickly. It even offers basic iTunes integration.

There's no lime green splashed around the UI, just a tranquil, muted gray, and 21 languages are supported. It's totally ad-free and there are no nags - Cabos just does what you want it to and doesn't get in the way.

Filed under: Audio, Fun, Social Software, Beta, web 2.0

Fed up with trying to send music? SoundCloud it instead.

SoundCloud
A lot of web apps seem to be targeted at problems that nobody actually has. SoundCloud is smarter than that, focusing on a problem we have at least once a week: what's the best way to send a song to a friend? E-mail is a pain, you might not have ready access to an FTP server, and those weird Rapidshare-style upload sites can be more trouble than they're worth.

SoundCloud basically does two things: it sends music, and it receives music. It's the ideal setup for sending around demo copies of that new album you just finished mastering, or sharing the latest hit single (that you would never pirate because you're a law-abiding Internet citizen). There's great control over email notifications for new tracks sent to you and new comments on your songs, and you can play a song right from your SoundCloud account before you download it.

In terms of comments, the SoundCloud system is awesome. You can drop in a note at a specific point in a track -- Viddler users might be familiar with this feature for videos -- and follow your stats to see how many people are listening to your stuff. This just scratches the surface of SoundCloud's features, so be sure to check it out and apply for an invitation if it sounds interesting to you.

Filed under: Utilities, Web services, web 2.0

File Dropper: Hosts your files up to 5 GB for free

If it turns out that the Internet collapses under the weight of all our uploaded files, we will blame it all on the incredible, and seemingly unstoppable, growth of file upload services like File Dropper.

File Dropper is yet another file upload service that will host your files up to 5 GB. As far as file sharing services go, it couldn't be easier to use:

On the main File Dropper page, you click the upload button, browse to the file you wish to upload, and the file is automatically uploaded to the File Dropper servers. After the upload is complete, you will be taken to a page with a link to send to your friends or co-workers. All they have to do is follow the link and hit the download button, and the file is theirs.

As a free service, File Dropper meets the basic needs of file sharing: upload, share, and download. If you want more enhanced features, such as the ability to protect your files with a password, or the inclusion of a handy file manager, you'll have to pony up the dough, with plans starting at $0.99 a month.

When File Dropper first saw the light of day a few weeks ago, its Achilles heel was quickly discovered: the uploads and downloads were terminally slow. Some time has passed since its initial release, so we figured that we'd test it out again:

Read more →

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Open Source, P2P

Frostwire: Limewire's open source cousin

ScreenshotLimewire is one of the most popular Peer to Peer file sharing applications around, and it's easy to see why. With its simple but powerful interface, it's the next best thing to old school Napster. One thing that cheapskates and teenagers don't like about it, however, is its tendency to nag the user to upgrade to Limewire Pro for a fee.

Enter Frostwire. virtually indiscernible from Limewire, this program works just fine. It allows the user to download just about any kind of file from a massive community of Limewire and Gnutella users. Hypothetically it's possible to get copyrighted music as well, but you'd never even think about such a thing, we're sure.

Frostwire is available for Windows, OS X, and Linux. Ubuntu and Debian users can grab it from Synaptic, and everyone else can check out the download site.

Filed under: Audio, Business, Internet, News, P2P

Jury awards RIAA $220,000 victory

RIAA defendant number THX1139 Jammie Thomas has been handed a verdict in a federal jury trial which could see her coughing up $220,000 in cash for sharing a grand total of 24 songs.

The verdict rests on the RIAA claim that "making available", the simple-to-prove act of creating search-able filenames on a filesharing network, is in itself proof of piracy. So, does this mean that the RIAA's longstanding battle to solidify its "making available" claims is valid, and other cases with similar arguments are a done deal? Not necessarily says attorney Ray Beckerman, "There is no basis in the law for the theory; sooner or later -- when appeals finally start filtering through the system -- the courts will put the kabash on it."

Ms. Thomas' case isn't a unique one. In recent years the RIAA has sued over 20,000 people in the United States, one of the few places in the world which allows recording industry lawyers to pierce the veil of privacy without the substantial burden of evidence proving wrongdoing.

The court awarded the RIAA over $9000 per song shared in compensation for losses, a stiff penalty by any measure, but far below the statutory maximum of $150,000 per song. "A verdict of $222,000.00, for infringement of 24 song files worth a total of $23.76?" says Beckerman, adding, "All the business people who make a living from the vibrancy, democracy, and freedom of expression which is the internet, need to get behind the RIAA's victims; if they do not, the world in which they hope to thrive and prosper will disappear rapidly."

Filed under: Audio, Internet, P2P

Lime Wire to launch digital music store

Lime WireBefore BitTorrent was all the rage in peer to peer file sharing, you may remember that the easiest way to illegally obtain music, movies, and other files was through file sharing programs like Lime Wire, BearShare, Morpheus. You know, the children of Napster.

Of course, now Napster's gone legit and sells music. It looks like Lime Wire is looking to follow suit. The company has announced plans to open a music download store.

The store will be web-based, although you'll be able to access the site from links in Lime Wire's file-sharing software. So far the company has signed up IRIS Distribution and Nettwerk Productions. Content will be available as MP3s, and customers will be able to buy individual songs and albums or pay a monthly fee for subscription plans.

[via coolfer]

Filed under: Internet, Blogging, Social Software, web 2.0

Download Squad's invite-a-palooza: the finale

Over the past two weeks, we've dished out a bucketload of invites to all the hottest Web 2.0 services and more, as part of our Invite-a-Palooza. Like all good things, however, it does have to come to an end. That said, we felt we had to go out with some sort of a bang.

Day 10: Pownce

We've looked pretty comprehensively at Pownce since its initial launch, with an in-depth look at the service's pros and cons, and the news that an API is slated for September. It's been one of the most in-demand invite-only services to date, and today, the Download Squad team have pooled their invites to send out to you, our dear readers.

Altogether we have 65 invites for Pownce, and to nab one all you need to do is comment below and confirm your comment!

UPDATE: All the Pownce invitations have been spoken for and the Invite-a-palooza has drawn to a close. Thanks to all the readers who participated and a special shout-out to all the sites we featured over the last several days:

Gleamd, 8apps, Mindquarry GO , Grand Central, Spock, Rimzu, Skitch, Freebase, Streamy, and Pownce

Filed under: Internet, News, P2P

Big victory coming for European file sharing?


If you're a file pirate living in the EU, you may have reason to celebrate. Juliane Kokott, Advocate General to the European Court of Justice declared today that European ISPs cannot be forced to reveal the identity behind accounts identified for sharing copyright protected material.

The statement was directed to a panel of judges mulling over the legality of a Spanish file-sharing case, and could be a harbinger of things to come in the EU. Kokott's declaration essentially asserts that although ISPs can be required to turn over identities in criminal matters, file-sharing is a civil issue and therefor doesn't enjoy the same legal privileges.

Filed under: Internet, News, P2P

RIAA's big fat bill for Capitol v. Foster: $68,685.23



Debbie Foster who recently went head to head with RIAA and then subsequently won a dismissal with prejudice in Capitol Records v. Foster is also getting the last laugh since her attorney's fees of $68,685.23 must be paid by RIAA.

The saga began in November 2004 when Foster was sued by RIAA for copyright infringement. Rather than bowing down and taking it, Foster denied the allegations and began a legal fight with the music industry which just ended with her award for the attorney's fees.

The $68,685.23 award represents Foster's attorney's fees, and does not include the nice, big, fat attorney fees of RIAA's own counsel. You can make a fair assumption those fees are at least that of Ms. Foster's, if not more.

Let's see. Two years, hundreds of thousands of dollars, bad press, huge loss in court - not pretty. There's an old saying "He who laughs last, laughs best." As RIAA licks its wounds and hopefully figures out a new paradigm, we're laughing with Ms. Foster today.


[via ars technica]

Filed under: Audio, Design, Fun, Internet, Text, Video, Blogging, E-mail, Web services

OneDump, another free file storage site

onedump file storageWith lots of competition in the market for online storage of images, text, audio, video, OneDump enters and tries to sneak in with a simplistic approach.

OneDump offers free unlimited storage for all types of files, from audio, images, and text, but what makes them different is their straightforward approach that makes it easier to upload and share files. OneDump not only lets users host files but it also lets you link to them to use on social networks, websites and blogs. The OneDump Quicksend method open to registered users allows them to directly upload images, audio and text files by sending them as email attachments, this also includes files sent from mobile devices.

Service drawbacks, you can only upload 10 files at once, with a 5MB cap on each. With a lot of competition out there, look at other image storing sites look to DivShare, PirateBay, AllYouCanUpload, Flickr, or this link that contains a list of 50 other services that host files from 10mb to 20mb, with no registration, no file size limit, and no download limit or file life.

Gallery: OneDump

OneDump audio uploadOneDump upload via emailOneDump image uploadOneDump simple upload field

Filed under: Internet, Photo, E-mail, Web services, P2P

Compress and share with friends using Swapper

swapper file sharing

How often have you come across a situation where you have had to compress images or digital files or burn cds to send content to friends?

Swapper is a tool that lets users share photos, videos and files with family and friends that might normally be too large in file size to send via email or IM. Swapper allows users to privately share files by dragging and dropping them onto a Start button in the application. From there you select who the recipients are, and they will be instantly notified with an email and instructions how to get the files.

Through its easy to use and well designed interface swapper claims to be 100 times faster on photo and video transfers. It is available for XP and Vista users as Freeware.

Filed under: Internet, Photo, Social Software

Tubes - new accounts will be 1GB instead of 2GB soon


We covered Tubes before - it's a free PC+web application designed to let you instantly share photos, music, video and documents with everyone you know and have them share their stuff with you through the same tube. It has online backup and automatic syncing capabilities, and is getting some great reviews.

If you are interested in trying Tubes out, you may want to get a leg on, as they will be cutting back data storage from the current 2 GB size to 1GB sometime soon.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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