GeekSugar

How-To: Send Large Digital Files

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:16:25 PDT

The convenience of USB drives and burning CDs only go so far. When you need to send large pictures, videos, or documents immediately, these relatively antiquated solutions just don't go the distance. Large file sharing requires the extra power of web services that send multi-MB data in a flash. Though there are dozens of file sharing sites available on the web, these are the ones we find to be the easiest and fastest solutions.

Adobe SendNow - Adobe's file sending software offers free uses up to 100MB, but paid plans start at just $10 and offer many premium options. With a paid plan, send multiple files at once, up to 2GB, and the service provides a confirmation that the file was received, so you're not fretting from your side of the Internet. An optional desktop app is available to easily drag and drop files to share.
Box - Sign up for an individual free account to store 5GB of data on the web and send files up to 25MB. Multiple-user business accounts start at $15 per month and offer higher data sending options.
DropSend - A free plan offers five transfers per month up to 2GB while premium options range from $5 a month for 15 shares and web storage to $99 a month for a business-friendly plan for unlimited shares and higher security.
YouSendIt - The site offers a free 14-day free trial to send high-quality videos, whole albums of music, and a ton of high-resolution photos at once, up to 50MB in size. Paid accounts start at $10 a month and allow or file transfers up to 2GB.
Dropbox - This service for Mac, Windows, and Linux, allows you to share files with authorized users who have also installed Dropbox on their machine. Dropbox is free to use for up to 2GB of storage, and subscription rates start at $10 a month for 50GB of storage up to $20 for 100GB, or more with a custom quote.

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

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:30:47 PDT

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 PDT

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 PST

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

How to Adjust Your Tax Withholding

Kiplinger — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:14:10 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Political theater over whether or not to extend the 2% payroll tax holiday has overshadowed the fact that most workers can do more to reduce the amount of tax withheld from their paychecks than anything cooked up in Washington.

The power-to-the-people ploy? Using a W-4 form to put an end to overwithholding from your paychecks. First, let's set the stage. Even as anti-Washington sentiment rises to a fever pitch, most middle-class Americans continue to allow the government to claim more than its share every single payday. The proof: In 2011, 109 million of the 145 million individual tax returns filed called for refunds. That's 75%. The average refund last year: $2,913. That's significantly more than even the highest-paid worker gets from a 2% payroll tax holiday.

Yes, we love our tax refunds. But we ask this simple question of those of you who get refunds year after year: Doesn't it make more sense to get your money when you earn it?

If you agree with us that the answer is a resounding "yes," we have good news. Unlike stubbornly high unemployment, it's easy to fix overwithholding. All you have to do is file a revised Form W-4 with your employer. The information on that little form determines how much federal income tax is withheld from your checks. The more "allowances" you claim on the W-4, the less income tax will be withheld.

Read on for more.

Handy Everyday Gmail Tips and Tricks

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:01:03 PST

If you've moved to Gmail recently (congratulations!), it's possible that you could get overwhelmed with all of the options, settings, and possibilities at your fingertips. We've got a ton of tips to share, but let's start with a few basic and handy tips that you could use every day. Check them out below!

Make voice calls - You can easily make voice calls in Gmail on the cheap. In the "Chat" section, just click the "Call Phone" button and enter the digits. You'll then be able to make free calls to landlines the US and Canada, and for super cheap you can call cell phones and landlines worldwide.
Search with options - If you haven't discovered the "Show Search Options" link to the right of the Gmail search bar, you're in for a treat. Clicking it reveals a host of helpful options, including the ability to search by sender, date, attachment, subject, and more. It's extremely helpful if you are less than diligent about labeling and filing emails in your inbox.
Use rich text signatures - Tired of those boring text-only signatures or canned responses coming from your Gmail account? Take note: Gmail supports rich text signatures! Add links, colors, images, or formatting to your Gmail account signature, or any other account you've set up to send from Gmail. It's super easy to set up - just head to your settings page, scroll down to the Signature section, and design away!
Use keyboard shortcuts - First, enable keyboard shortcuts in your Settings menu. Then, use these fast and easy keyboard shortcuts to navigate!

See the rest of the list after the break.

Can You Cash in on Facebook's $5 Billion IPO?

Emily Co — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:15:10 PST

Everyone's buzzing about the Facebook IPO, and after hearing about how many billionaires and millionaires the IPO will create, you might think that it's your chance to make money off this cash cow. But first, you need to educate yourself.

What's the deal about IPOs?

Facebook used to be a private company, which means its shares were not sold to the public. Once a firm goes public, it's on the stock market and it sells a part of itself to outside investors who can afford it. The term for going public is also known as an IPO or initial public offering.

Why would a company go public?

A company that sells shares to outside investors can stand to raise a lot of money. Current estimates of the Facebook IPO are at $5 billion. Companies can do a lot with the capital raised - they can use it to pay down long-term obligations, fund new opportunities, and even acquire competitors. Further, initial private investors who wish to exit can now sell their shares to public investors.

Read to find out about buying Facebook shares.

Uh Oh! Watch Out For These 12 IRS Audit Red Flags

Kiplinger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:06:09 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

The IRS audits only slightly more than 1% of all individual tax returns annually. The agency doesn't have enough personnel and resources to examine each and every tax return filed during a year. So the odds are pretty low that your return will be picked for review. And, of course, the only reason filers should worry about an audit is if they are fudging on their taxes.

However, the chances of being audited or otherwise hearing from the IRS increase depending upon various factors, including your income level, whether you omitted income, the types of deductions or losses you claimed, the business in which you're engaged and whether you own foreign assets. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they'll rarely lead to a full-blown exam. Although there's no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, you should be aware of red flags that could increase your chances of drawing unwanted attention from the IRS.

1. Making too much money

Although the overall individual audit rate is about 1.11%, the odds increase dramatically for higher-income filers. IRS statistics show that people with incomes of $200,000 or higher had an audit rate of 3.93%, or one out of slightly more than every 25 returns. Report $1 million or more of income? There's a one-in-eight chance your return will be audited. The audit rate drops significantly for filers making less than $200,000: Only 1.02% of such returns were audited during 2011, and the vast majority of these exams were conducted by mail. We're not saying you should try to make less money - everyone wants to be a millionaire. Just understand that the more income shown on your return, the more likely it is that you'll be hearing from the IRS.

Read on for more red flags.

5 Tech Must Haves From GeekBeat.tv's Cali Lewis

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:50:36 PST

As host of GeekBeat.tv and tech expert extraordinaire, Cali Lewis spends close to 75 percent of her time on the road. It's fitting that during a recent Macworld panel when asked to name five technology innovations she can't live without, she didn't give a coveted spot on the list to just any fad. Cali's list of life-changing tech is a combination of the practical for someone always on the go and the lifesavers that make mobile work life efficient. Check out her picks below!

Pandora and Spotify - Cali uses each music streaming service equally so she's never without tunes. Discovering new music is Pandora's niche, while she uses Spotify to have on demand music on any device.
Powerbag - Knowing the outlets at an airport or convention center are almost always already in use by someone else desperate for battery juice, Cali has "fallen in love" with the Powerbag solution and charges her gadgets wherever she goes.
The Cloud - The ability to access all your important music, documents, and media files from anywhere just by signing in to a cloud account is a pretty big deal. Never go without a file again!
Tablets - Without the need to carry a heavy laptop around, tablets have reimagined the way people work on the road - and lightened the load.

Check out the one tech advancement Cali can't live without after the jump.

Anonymous Hacks CBS, Universal, Heading For Facebook Next?

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:15:58 PST

Internet hacktivist group Anonymous blocked traffic from CBS.com and deleted all of its files last night during Operation Global Blackout, a hackathon that began shortly after file-sharing site MegaUpload was shut down, and has its sights set on Facebook as its next target. In a YouTube video released this morning, the group (or an affiliate group) asks users to help take down the world's biggest social network at 12 a.m. on January 28th.

Your Facebook profile most likely holds tons of your most precious photos and videos, and like your computer, you should back up all that data just in case. Here, I'll tell you how to download all of your Facebook content - from wall posts to photo galleries - for safe keeping.

Download Your Data From Facebook
You can download a copy of all of your Facebook data right on the social network. Just head to Account > Account Settings > Download a Copy of Your Facebook Data (this link will be in the bottom left-hand corner of the Account Settings window). Included in the download is your contact info, photos, videos, notes, and wall posts as well as chat conversations, friend lists, events, and comments made on your wall posts. If you do choose to back up your Facebook data (it's recommended!), then be sure to keep it in a safe place, like a password-protected file on an external hard drive.