Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Simplify Your Life With Dropbox

UPDATE 6/23/15:  Dropbox has made numerous improvements to its service.  Read an updated review HERE.

Have you ever been in a meeting and wished you could access an important file?  From your PC?  From a phone?  From a tablet like an iPad?

While there are a number of solutions for  remote access to a running PC, the hands down winner for accessing synced files online is Dropbox.com.

Dropbox works just like any other folder on your computer.  Any files or folders inside Dropbox will get synchronized to Dropbox's servers and any other computer or many smartphones or tablets linked to your account.   You can view, edit, save, and even share your files with others.  Updated files saved on Dropbox will be automatically synced on your other devices.

Dropbox supports Windows and Macintosh computers, iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devices.

And the best thing is that Dropbox is free.  Well, you do get 2GBof free storage with the Basic service.  $99.00 a year buys 50GB of data storage and $199 a year buys 100GB of data storage.

Don't be left without those important files again.

Check it out at www.dropbox.com


READ MORE

One Cool Tip.com
Daily Tips for a Cooler Life!
at No comments:
Cool Tip Topics: ,

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Do You QR?

What the heck is this a picture of?  And why do I care?

As we move into the age of mobile computing, images like this will be more common than ever.  You'll find them on websites, in magazines, brochures and even on buildings and doors of businesses around the world.

So do you know?  Award yourself an extra hour of intenet surfing time if you know that this is a QR image.

A what?  A Quick Response code.  It's a barcode for coding information.

From Wikipedia:
A QR code (short for Quick Response) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.
Armed with a smartphone, you can use an app to "read" the QR image you find in the real world that will save you from typing in the text into your mobile browser.   Perhaps it's a URL to an upcoming event.  Or a link to a restaurants online menu or online ordering system.

While there are a number of reader apps, I find that the Google Mobile apps for iPhone and Android do the job well.  Here's the link to Google's QR page where you find Google's app and others to download.

And if you want to create a QR code, an easy way is to use Google's URL shortener service at http://goo.gl/ 
Enter your URL and the site will create a shortened URL that you can use in Twitter and other services.  and if you are logged into Google, just look at the history for the shortened link and click details.  The QR code will be displayed.  You can then save that image to your PC for future use.

And now you know.


One Cool Tip.com
http://www.onecooltip.com
Daily Tips for a Cooler Life!
at No comments:
Cool Tip Topics:

Monday, May 9, 2011

Just Say It

Typing can be such a bother.  But up to now, speech to text has been a hit or miss.

With the latest version of Google's Chrome Browser, users can now translate spoken speech into a foreign language.

All it takes is Chrome 11 and a microphone and a visit to the Google Translate.

Note the small mic icon in the right-hand corner?  Click it and say your phrase in English.  Your spoken phrase will then be returned in the selected foreign language.  And some languages, like Spanish and German, you'll even have the option to hear the foreign translation.

So give your fingers a rest and try out the new capabilities of Google Chrome.

One Cool Tip.com
http://www.onecooltip.com
Daily Tips for a Cooler Life!
at No comments:
Cool Tip Topics:

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Flip Out on Flipboard for the iPad

Flipboard for the Apple iPad is the best app for the iPad.  Period.


Flipboard is how we should get all of our information on a tablet computer.  
It's what futurists have predicted for years:  personalized, interactive digital content that updates instantly in a magazine format.
The app the iPad allows users to include content from Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr as well as content from a growing list of news sites.
After a few minutes of viewing your daily content as a digital magazine, you'll be hooked.
Maybe it's a stretch to say this is the only reason to buy an iPad.  But it's sure a great reason.

One Cool Tip.com
http://www.onecooltip.comDaily Tips for a Cooler Life!
at No comments:
Cool Tip Topics: ,

Saturday, May 7, 2011

AOL's New Video Chat Site - AIM AV

AOL has launched a new Video Chat site at http://www.aim.com/av

While officially in BETA and supposedly for only AOL Internal use, the new site was reported in TechCrunch earlier this week.

Using the new site is rather simple.  There's no login or connecting to users.  The site uses Flash and a link to a new 10.3 beta is provided.  Apparently, the new beta provides better echo reduction.

Once you start using the site, you can copy a unique link for your chat and then send it to others to start chatting right away.

Up to 4 users can chat at the same time.

The video chat wars are heating up and this new site shows that AOL is ready to take on Skype and others in the video segment.

One Cool Tip.com
http://www.onecooltip.comDaily Tips for a Cooler Life!
at No comments:
Cool Tip Topics: ,

Friday, May 23, 2008

How to Take a Screen Shot on an iPhone

Have you ever needed to save a screenshot of your iPhone?

If so, you're in luck.

Apple snuck this feature into version 2.0 of the iOS operating system some time ago.

But many iPhone users don't know about this or how to do it.

To take a screenshot with your iPhone or iPod Touch, just press the Home and Sleep buttons at the same time.  (The home button is the button on the front at the bottom and the Sleep button is the button on the top right-hand edge of the phone.)

The screen will flash white and you’ll hear the camera shutter sound,

Your screen will be captured and saved in the Camera Roll.

From there you can email it or send by SMS like other photos.

Alas, there's no function like this on Android phones.



One Cool Tip.com
Daily Tips for a Cooler Life!
at No comments:
Cool Tip Topics:

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Backing Up Avoids Crack Ups

Protect your treasured data! This Cool Tip provides essential tips on how to back up important files using methods like external drives, cloud storage, and auto-upload photo apps to prevent devastating data loss.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
April 20, 2008


backup data early and often
UPDATES: 


2) This post has been one of the most popular here on OneCoolTip.  A few additional ways to backup your important data include copying files to cloud storage systems like DropBox, Microsoft One Drive and Google Drive.  

In addition, with so many photos stored on a phone, it's best to ensure there is an auto-upload photo program like Google's new Google Photo app to ensure that if the device is lost or stolen, you still have your precious photos.

----
One of the worse things that can happen to a computer user is to lose one's data.

It's there one day. And then it's gone. Never to come back again.

Treasured family photos. Financial records. A doctoral dissertation.

Gone. Forever.

But it doesn't have to happen. Like most things in life, a little prevention is the best medicine.

Data can be backed up easily in a variety of ways, USB Flash Drives, CD and DVD Writers, External Hard Drives, or online storage. Each can be useful.

If you are paranoid, use them all. The point is it's never to early to back up your data and store it in a safe place.

One caveat is to always keep financial information secure.  And that probably means keeping it to a physical medium like a disk drive or CD that is stored at a different location.
READ MORE

Please LIKE and SHARE OneCoolTip.com!
Visit the OneCoolTip YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@onecooltip

Do you have a Cool Tip or question? Email us at
onecooltip.com@gmail.com


Rodger Mansfield, a seasoned tech expert, is the mastermind behind OneCoolTip.com, where he serves as both writer and editor. With a keen eye for simplifying complex tech, Rodger delivers practical advice that empowers readers to navigate the digital world with confidence. Dive into OneCoolTip.com for a treasure trove of savvy tips and tricks that keep you one step ahead in tech.



OneCoolTip.com
Cool Tech Tips for a Cooler Life!

#Google @Google #DropBox #Backup #DisasterRecovery #Software #TechTips #OneCoolTip @OneCoolTip 

at No comments:
Cool Tip Topics: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)