GeekSugar

Is File Sharing Illegal If Rights Owner Says It's Okay to Share?

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:30:47 -0700

I go back and forth on the file sharing debate, unable to find solid footing on just one side of the issue. But when I heard that Michael Moore was releasing his new documentary online as a free download, and was even encouraging watchers to "share it or show it in any way you see fit," I thought "Okay, that works." But unfortunately, after the film showed up on torrent sites, letters of cease-and-desist were delivered to many users, sparking a geographical sharing debate.

Since Michael only owns the North American rights to the film, anyone trying to download the film from across the pond will be subjected to copyright infringement. Michael's reasoning on the file sharing issue is this: "What are 'geographical rights'? I'll say it for the hundredth time: If I buy a book and read it, and then give you the book to read, I have broken no laws. Why is that not true for all media?"

I tend to take Michael's side on this one: he made the movie, why can't he distribute it as he sees fit? Maybe I just don't understand the inner workings of movie making, but hey - that's why I'm behind a computer and not a camera!

Source

Geek Tip: Share Big Files With File Dropper

GeekSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:45:53 -0700

If you need to send a large file and want an alternative to YouSendIt (which I find great, too!), check out File Dropper.

They claim it's the "simplest file-hosting website ever" and I must admit, it's pretty easy. All you have to do is upload your file (it can be up to 5GB) and send the url you generate to whoever you want to share the file with. You don't have to sign up for an account, or share your email address.

Most File Sharing Happens at Night

GeekSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:15:31 -0800

If you do most of your legally questionable (or totally legal and legit!) file sharing at night you're not alone. According to a recent article from the Times Online most file sharing - which commonly takes the form of downloading movies, music and TV shows via peer-to-peer programs like Limewire, BitTorrent and KaZaA - happens at night. In fact about eight million people are on file-sharing networks at any one time. Here's more:

There are more than 900 million illegal music files available for download on file-sharing networks. File-sharing was the most used service on the internet last year. The heaviest usage was observed during the night, when the percentage of file-sharing traffic rose to up to 95 percent of total internet traffic.

The numbers shocked me a bit. I'd assume more than eight million people are on networks at any given time and I certainly thought more people downloaded documents, programs, music and movies during the day while at work. I guess managers can stop worrying all their employees are downloading and watching movies instead of working. When do you do most of your file sharing?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Geek Tip: Simple and Free Sites For Storing and Sharing Files

GeekSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:00:22 -0700

In my line of work, there are a lot of photos and videos being passed around, which can take a painfully long time to email in Entourage (or any other email client for that matter). To make things easier on my co-workers, and my patience, I rely on file-sharing websites. Here are some of my favorite services for sharing files for free or a minimum fee.

File Dropper - This online file hosting site allows you upload your files, then send the recipient a link where it can be downloaded. It's free for up to 5 GB, and there are optional pay accounts (ranging from $1 to $10 a month for up to 250 GB) if you need to host bigger files. It's fast and easy to use.
YouSendIt - You can send high-quality videos, whole albums of music, and a ton of high-resolution photos at once, up to 2GB in size. When you send your files from the YouSendIt site, your recipient receives a link via email. By clicking the link, she gets directed to the hosting page and can download the file to her desktop.The site offers a free 14-day trial, free "lite" account, or paid accounts from $10 a month and up.

To see two more file-sharing sites, just read more.

Keep and Share - Need to share files with a client or co-worker? This free service lets you create shared folders and upload files up to 10 MB and then generates a link you can securely share with others. The site has a professional design and offers upgrade accounts, which allow you to share 50 MB to 1 GB of content (for $5 to $25 a month).
Gmail - Gmail allows you to send and receive messages up to 25 MB in size. Don't have Gmail? Check your service's limit.

Website of the Day: Font Capture

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:20:56 -0700

I love experimenting with different fonts on my computer, especially if I'm creating a special invitation. Unfortunately, there's only so many times I can pass off Comic Sans as handwriting. (Guilty!) While I think it's the closest preloaded font to my handwriting, it's already too recognizable to pass off as my own.

Luckily, I just found a new option. Font Capture. It's so easy to use: download a PDF of the font template, fill in each block with the appropriate letter, scan the sheet, and upload it as a .jpg or .png file. Then, submit the file and Font Capture will deliver your own custom font. The best part is, it's completely free! Plus, fonts work on both Mac and PC, and the site also contains installation instructions.

Have an interesting website you want to share? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click "New Post" under the website of the day tab at the top of the page.
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Type "Technology and Gadgets" in the Categories box
Add keyword(s) in the tag field with relevant tags (for example mine for this story was "Website of the Day").
Choose whether you want the post to be private or public.
Click "Create Post" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the GeekSugar homepage!

Google Makes Folders Shareable in Docs

GeekSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:44:08 -0700

After using Google Docs for a number of years, I'm still amazed at the fact I can easily share individual docs and make other users collaborators. Well now Google Docs is getting even more sophisticated thanks to its ability to share an entire folder.

So now if you're working on a project with a co-worker, or an assignment with a fellow classmate, you can easily share the entire folder with them so they can access the docs or spreadsheets within that folder. Another new feature to Google Docs is the ability to upload multiple files with one click.

Daily Tech: Viper's iPhone App Makes Device Your Car Key

GeekSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:10:45 -0700

Your iPhone can also be your car keys - Gizmodo
Apple's no-refund policy for iPhone App Store means you've got it for better or worse. - PC World
Would you share WiFi with neighbors to save money? - Unplggd
Mix-A-Lot's posse route tracked in Google Maps - Crave
Peer-to-peer file sharing is totally passé, according to a new study - Wired
Is Doubletwist a real iTunes alternative? - Lifehacker
Supercharge your DVR's hard drive - Switched
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

Daily Tech: Sony Introduces the L, X, and CW Series Vaios

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:00:28 -0700

The sleek and slim new Sony Vaios are here, priced from $800 to $1300 - CrunchGear
That pretty white BlackBerry Bold we always see Kate Hudson using will soon be hitting shelves - Gizmodo
Here's how you can share files between a Mac and PC - Unplggd
These affordable and fun games are guaranteed to keep you entertained on your iPhone - Green Pixels
There's a pretty good chance Rock Band will be coming to the iPhone - Joystiq
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar

Ask a Geek Girl: What's With Carbonite and Should I Sign Up?

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:05:32 -0700

Dear GeekSugar,
My mom called me the other day freaking out about a Carbonite commercial, saying I should back up my photos before disaster strikes. I've actually seen the commercials late at night (I have to admit, I find them pretty funny), but can't really wrap my mind around why the service is. I have thousands of photos stored on my laptop and do worry it will quit on me one day and I will be left without copies. Should I use this service? Thanks for your help.
- A Fellow Geeky Gal

Dear Fellow Geeky Gal,
I pleased to hear I'm not the only person who is endlessly entertained by late-night cable commercials! You ask a great question because I've been seeing the company name everywhere. Carbonite is a web service that claims to "automatically and securely back up the irreplaceable contents of your computer" for the yearly cost of about $55. It works for PC and Mac users, but has slightly different set up depending on your system. To find out if I think you - and other readers like you - need it, read more.

Before you sign up, I'd suggest perusing the Carbonite website and looking at the demos to see if it fits your lifestyle. Everyone's backup needs are unique. I like to be selective about which files I backup (I only save the most important stuff like pictures, a small number of documents, and music I can't live without), so I don't need the "automatic" program to do it for me. Given you seem most concerned with backing up your photos, I think you should investigate a photo-hosting service before you back up your entire computer and then come up with a plan for backing up your important files. I adore Flickr ($25 a year) for its networking, geotagging, and general photo fun, but also use Picasa for its free simplicity. If you want to back up more documents, check out my guide to backing up data for a peek at a few devices that may be more cost effective for you. You might also check out MobileMe, a service that allows you to sync all your photos, email, calendar, contacts from your Mac (iCal, iDisk, Address Book, and Mail) or PC (Microsoft Outlook) to your iPhone over the air (it costs about $100 a year).

Cheers to planning to back up your data, not matter which route you pick! Anyone who has ever lost their hard drive or even a few files can tell you it's a devastating experience.

Even the geekiest of us have technical breakdowns. There's no question too easy or too techie, so join our Ask a Geek Girl Group and share your concerns and quandaries. Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Make Your Own Animated Gifs With Gickr

GeekSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:45:58 -0700

I will be first one to admit that I find gifs unimaginably hilarious. Sure, there are some serious and professional uses for animated gifs, but all the ones I notice are the ridiculous and funny ones.

Obviously then, I want to make my own and now I can, with the website Gickr. Gickr is super easy to use; just upload your three similar picture files and click continue. Just make sure the images you use are not gigantic or it'll stop you in your tracks.

Know any good websites you'd like to spread the word about? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!