file sharing
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Dropbox update adds public links to any file or folder
Dropbox has just announced an update to its self-named service that provides new public sharing links. This update, which appears to be an end-run against the imminent launch of Google's competing Drive app, makes it possible to share read-only folders with anyone -- regardless of whether or not they have a Dropbox account. The files you're linking to no longer need to be in your Dropbox Public folder. To use the new public sharing links, you right-click a file or folder and select "Get Link." This makes the file or folder public, using a link that is generated by Dropbox and then copied to your clipboard. You can't make the link auto-expire; instead, you'll need to make the file or folder private again using the Dropbox website. This feature, which is already available in competitors like SugarSync and LogMeIn Cubby, makes Dropbox a competitor against file-sending services like YouSendIt. It's expected that the new feature will go live today. According to Dropbox CEO Drew Houston, a photo auto-upload feature will also be debuting soon on the iPhone app.
LogMeIn branches out from its remote desktop roots, intros Cubby cloud sharing service
Ready for yet another option in world of cloud storage services? LogMeIn today announced it's ready to get in on the remote storage action with its own offering, built atop its Gravity Data Service, dubbed Cubby. Currently in beta, Cubby allots you 5GB of storage in the cloud, while allowing you to turn your Mac, PC and any folders into "virtual cubbies." You'll be able to sync selected data between your choice of devices and even share access (read-only if needed) to specific cubbies for collaborative efforts -- and although the service is free, there's no limit on how much data you can move between your machines. Better yet, iDevices and Androids are also supported via LogMeIn's free Cubby apps. If you've been looking for another option aside from the likes of Pogoplug and Dropbox, you can request an invite to the service by hitting up the source link below. If you'd like more details in the meantime, check out the press release after the break.
Facebook launches 'groups for schools,' keeps enrollment tight
It's no secret that Facebook encourages users to spend as much time as possible on the site, doing things like sharing photos, playing games, chatting, and of course, sharing status updates. Now, the company is giving students a reason to visit that's actually related to academics. 'Groups for schools' creates a virtual venue for collegiate collaboration, letting students and faculty members share un-copyrighted files within the groups created for their sports teams, clubs and even individual classes. There is a file limit of 25MB in play, so consider those dreams of sharing videos and zipped up apps crushed -- you'll also need to provide a .edu address that matches the school before Facebook grants you admission. At first, online cliques will be limited to colleges in the US, though global institutions will eventually be permitted to join in on the fun as well. In the meantime, who knows -- perhaps Dropbox will also launch some kind of super-secret, exclusive club in the near future.
Carpathia wants to delete orphaned Megaupload data, pay the bills
The Federal shut down of Megaupload did more than jail its founders, scare its competitors and worry its users -- it also left Carpathia Hosting footing a $9,000 a day bill. The outfit previously agreed to preserve Megaupload's frozen data, but now that the service's unpaid bills are piling up, it's ready to change its tune. In a emergency motion filed with the U.S. Federal Court in Virginia, Carpathia asked the court to either take the data off its hands, pay it for retaining the data or else allow it to delete the data altogether after allowing users to reclaim their files. The hosting service won't take action on its own, it says, as that might "risk a claim by a party with an interest in the data," such as the Motion Picture Association of America. With any luck, the matter will be settled in a court hearing next month. If not? Well, we'll just take it as a lesson: back up locally, you never know when your files might get wrapped up in the legal system.
SugarSync for Android updated, adds enhanced sharing and on-the-go file management
Not long after handing its Android application a video-friendly refresh, SugarSync's back with more updated goodies. Now, the sweet Dropbox adversary is stuffing version 3.5.1 with some productivity and social-driven bits. The rejuvenated app, which won't ask anything of your wallet, is boosting its sharing features by allowing you to handout contacts, files and folders via Zuck's social network and that famed 140-character box. Facebook and Twitter's integration doesn't stop there, SugarSync's letting anyone grab 500MB of extra storage at no cost by referring other humans through the aforementioned sites. Another new feature is the on-the-fly file management, which essentially allows you to copy, move and delete any of your docs while you're on the go. Eager to give it a try? It's up for grabs at the source link below or you can get it directly from your Big G-approved device.
Daily Mac app: Droplr
Do you want to share files easily and quickly? Then take a look at Droplr, which has been around for some time and recently hit the Mac App Store in an improved version 2. Droplr is free and easy way to share images, documents and other files. You can run it from a web browser or the Mac app which lives in your menu bar. To share a file, simply drag it onto the menu bar item and it's uploaded to Droplr's servers. When the upload is complete, it copies a short URL to your Mac's clipboard, which you can give to anyone you like. There is a 25 MB upload limit for individual files, and storage is free up to 1 GB. There is a paid plan in the works, but no details are being offered yet. The app also supports plug-ins so you can quickly share from apps like iPhoto, Photoshop CS5, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, your address book and even PhotoBooth. Things I'd like to see include a favorites list of contacts for sending files so I don't have to go through pasting the URL into mail, and I think the 25 MB file size limit is too low. I have some Photoshop files that easily exceed that. There are some similarities to Dropbox, another excellent file sharing utility that gives you 2 GB for free and doesn't limit individual file size. On the other hand, Droplr is simpler to use and aimed primarily at sharing with other people. Dropbox can be used to share files, of course, but is more about storage and sharing across machines. Droplr offers support for Windows machines and has an iOS app in development. Of course any computer can use it via the web, with no app needed. I've had no problems with using Droplr, and when I asked a question at the support site it was instantly answered. If you like to share files, give Droplr a look. It will be interesting to see how the service progresses and improves.
Pirate Bay founders lose final appeal in Sweden, prison looms on the horizon
It looks like Pirate Bay's legal drama has finally come to a close in Sweden, where the Supreme Court today turned down the site's final appeal. At the center of the case are the file sharing site's founders -- Fredrik Neij, Peter Sunde and Carl Lundström -- who have been battling Swedish prosecutors for quite a few years now. After being convicted of facilitating copyright infringement, the trio was initially sentenced to prison. They appealed the ruling in 2010 and, though they failed to overturn it, managed to see their 12-month sentences reduced by between two and eight months. Today, though, their final attempts were shot down, with the Court's dismissal. The fines and prison terms remain the same: ten months for Neij, eight months for Sunde and four for Lundström. There's also a fourth co-founder involved, Gottfrid Svartholm, who has been absent from several hearings. Under today's ruling, his original 12-month sentence will stand, and the four men will have to pay a total of $6.8 million in damages. Because the case has dragged on for at least five years, however, there's a chance that the sentences could be reduced by 12 months (bringing them down to zero), as is common in the Swedish legal system. The decision on this matter, however, remains with the court. TorrentFreak reports that at least one defendant intends to appeal to the European Court of Justice, though the results wouldn't have any effect on Sweden's decision.
In the wake of Megaupload crackdown, fear forces similar sites to shutter sharing services?
The Feds put the smackdown on Megaupload and its whole executive team last week, charging them with criminal charges for copyright infringement and racketeering in addition to conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and money laundering. As a result, it appears that several other cloud locker companies have curbed their sharing ways to avoid similar DOJ entanglements. FileSonic and Fileserve have eliminated file sharing from their service menus, and Uploaded.to is no longer available to those of us in the US. Naturally, none of these companies have said that Megaupload's legal problems are the reason for the changes, but the timing suggests it's more than mere coincidence. Disagree? Feel free to speculate about the possibilities in the comments below, and let us know if any other online storage services have made similar moves while you're at it.
Federal prosecutors shut down Megaupload file-sharing site, founders charged
Details are still somewhat light at the moment, but reports are now coming out that the popular Megaupload file-sharing site has been shut down by Federal prosecutors in the US, and that the site's founders and other individuals have been charged with violating piracy laws. According to The New York Times, the indictment says that the company has cost copyright holders some $500 million in lost revenue, and that the site was at one time the 13th most popular on the internet. As the Times also notes, this news comes a day after Megaupload voluntarily blacked out its website to protest the SOPA and PIPA anti-piracy legislation now being considered by Congress. Update: As The Verge reports, the indictment itself doesn't mince any words, calling Megaupload an "international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy," and alleging that Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom et al generated more than $175 million in "criminal proceeds." Those charges also come with some potentially hefty prison sentences, including a maximum 20 years for conspiracy to commit racketeering, five years for copyright infringement, 20 years for money laundering, and five years for each of the substantive charges of criminal copyright infringement. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iTwin announces Multi functionality, wants to host USB filesharing collabs
If you jumped on the iTwin bandwagon, you're about to get even more functionality from your filesharing USB. The company has announced Multi, a free upgrade that will allow users to share files stored on a Windows machine or Mac with a few of their cohorts simultaneously. Once you snag the update, plugging multiple iTwins into the same computer will allow remote access for multiple users via an internet connection. This piece of kit allows you to skip the cloud when collaborating on projects as the files never leave the host machine. Existing iTwin users will be prompted for an update when plugging in the device as a whole. All the details on how the tech works are in the PR, just after the break.
BitTorrent harnesses technology for friendly filesharing service, Share
Want to send large files, without the whole world catching on? BitTorrent's going the DropBox route, with the launch of the simply -- and friendly -- named Share, a desktop app that allows you to transfer HD movies, photo collections, et al. by dragging and dropping files. The service, which is built on top of BitTorrent's much loved technology, doesn't impose any size limits and stores the content in the cloud, so you can share with offline users. Share also lets you set groups for transfers, so the rest of the world doesn't get a crack at your files. And, because you can't launch a service without some manner of social functionality these days, the aforementioned recipients can comment on the transferred files, Facebook-style. No word yet on any plans for boy band tie-ins.
Bell Canada will stop throttling your P2P traffic, might charge instead
Since the CRTC took a swipe at net neutrality a few years back, Bell Canada internet customers have maligned its P2P packet-shaping ways. From March 1st, however, users can file-share at the speeds nature (or your ISP) intended. In a letter to the aforementioned regulator, Bell points out that improvements to its network and the proliferation of video streaming mean that the more nefarious traffic just isn't denting its capacity like it used to. As such, the firm will withdraw all P2P shaping for both residential and wholesale customers. So, those ISPs buying their bandwidth from Bell could see the amount they need go up, and with talk of a capacity-based billing model, this could mean charges passed on to users. At least, for now, all that legitimate sharing you do will go unhampered.
Skype for Android adds support for sharing photos, video and other files
Just in time to really annoy your family and friends with holiday greetings, Skype for Android has updated to version 2.6, bringing with it support for sharing photos, videos and other files with your contacts. Being able to quickly transfer pics of your gifts and clips of children tearing into meticulously wrapped presents to people on your buddy list is just the most notable change to the VoIP client. Plenty of other tweaks have taken place, even if they're primarily under the hood. For one, video quality has improved specifically on devices running NVIDIA's Tegra 2. A bunch more phones have also been added to the app's whitelist, including Motorola's latest super-phones the Droid RAZR and Droid 4. You can head on over to the Android Market now to get the latest Skype update.
Dropbox for Teams offers businesses copious amounts of sharable storage
Dropbox is an indispensable part of many a computer users' arsenal, including several here at Engadget. But, the company hasn't had a viable option for businesses who would have an obvious use for a tool that allows you to easily sync files between PCs, share them amongst users and always have backups in the cloud. The boys and girls at the Y Combinator startup know that there's lots of money to be made in the enterprise space and that's why they've unveiled Dropbox for Teams. The general experience is the same, but rather than individually managed chunks of storage, teams share one large repository, starting at 1TB for five users. The base plan costs $795 a year and additional users, which also includes 200GB of storage, can be tacked on for $125 annually. The business offering also includes special tools for administrators to add or delete users and dedicated phone support. Check out the full PR after the break.
UK court orders ISP to block Newzbin 2 filesharing site within two weeks, Hollywood smiles
Pirates just can't catch a break these days. Way back in July, a British judge ordered telecom company BT to block its subscribers from visiting a site called Newzbin 2, on the grounds that the ISP had "actual knowledge" of customers using the platform access copyright infringing content. An appeal was soon filed, but yesterday, it was shot down by a high court. Under the order, BT will have 14 days to seal off access to Newzbin 2, and will have to do so on its own dime -- something the provider was aiming to avoid. The decision marks the first time that an ISP has been forced to block access to a filesharing site, something the Motion Picture Association heralded as "a win for the creative sector." BT, meanwhile, didn't have much to say about the ruling, stating only that "it is helpful to have the order now and the clarity that it brings." Less certain, however, is the impact this order will have on future copyright lawsuits and web censorship, in general. Find the ruling in its entirety at the coverage link, below.
Google to launch MP3 store in coming weeks?
Details are still scarce here, but the New York Times is reporting that Google is about to launch a new MP3 store, as part of its ongoing foray into the music business. According to sources within the industry, the platform, not surprisingly, would be directly linked to Google Music Beta and may launch within the next few weeks -- perhaps even before Apple unveils iTunes Match, at the end of this month. It remains to be seen, however, whether Big G will be able to finalize negotiations with record labels and publishers before launching the initiative in earnest -- a potentially major hurdle, considering Google's recent track record. As you may recall, previous negotiations over a proposed locker-type storage service ultimately broke down earlier this year, amid concerns over licensing and illegal file-sharing. As one label executive told the Times, the recording industry desperately wants to "make sure the locker doesn't become a bastion of piracy." An MP3 store, of course, isn't exactly a radical proposal, but its future will likely hinge upon Google's ability to mend relations with a sector it recently characterized as "unreasonable and unsustainable."
BlackBerry Tag: touch-to-share for... multimedia?
Research in Motion's Jim Balsillie's currently in Dubai, gassing about how amazing the latest update to BlackBerry 7 OS will be -- probably between trips to the beach. When it arrives, those crackberries equipped with NFC (Bold 9900 / 9930 and Curve 9350 / 9360 / 9370) will get BlackBerry Tag. You'll be able to tap two phones together to share contact details, multimedia content or add new friends to your BBM. RIM is planning to open up the relevant APIs so developers can use the facility in any number of interesting ways, like bringing touch-to-share to the system. Considering the speed constraints of NFC, it's difficult to believe that big files like images could be carried by the technology -- it's more likely that NFC will pair the devices and then send your files down a larger pipe, like Bluetooth. There's an enigmatic press release after the break, and hopefully the company will explain how this works in a little more detail before the update arrives.
Voltage Pictures dismisses 90 percent of defendants in Hurt Locker file-sharing lawsuit
That record-breaking Hurt Locker lawsuit may not be so impressive after all, now that Voltage Pictures has slashed a major chunk of defendants from its file-sharing complaint. Last week, the company voluntarily dismissed about 90 percent of the 24,583 defendants originally named in the suit, according to documents filed with the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The dismissals were made without prejudice, meaning they could theoretically be re-targeted in the future, though the number of those that reached settlements with Voltage remains unclear. The company also identified some of the alleged file-sharers by name, but acknowledged that 2,278 IP addresses remain anonymous. For more details, check out the coverage from TorrentFreak, where you'll find the full list of dismissed IP addresses, along with the recently-named defendants.
Daily Mac App: DropCopy
Mac OS X Lion introduced AirDrop, which offers zero-configuration, Wi-Fi file sharing between Lion users. DropCopy offered a similar service when we wrote about it in 2007. Today, DropCopy still deserves a place on your Mac, as it does a few things that AirDrop doesn't. For one, DropCopy can auto-accept file transfers. Meaning, your recipient needn't be in front of his/her machine to initiate or accept a transfer. That's handy if you want some files to be waiting at a remote work station upon your arrival. DropCopy also passes the contents of one machine's Clipboard to another, creating a handy -- albeit makeshift -- inter-machine link. The way it works is similar to AirDrop. Just drag-and-drop your file onto the Dropzone and it'll show all the possible destinations. Participating machines must be running DropCopy on the same network. Simple. If AirDrop just doesn't cut it for you because you're on a non-Lion Mac, you must send files to a non-Lion Mac, or you need to send files across a wired network, DropCopy is the answer. It's available in a free 3-machine limited version or a Pro version for US$4.99 from the Mac App Store.
Kazaa reborn as iPhone, iPad music service
Several years back, Kazaa shed its roots as a file-sharing service with questionable content and is now a legitimate music subscription service. To expand its offerings, the subscription service recently introduced both an iPhone and an iPad client. Similar to Rdio and Spotify, Kazaa lets you listen to music on the fly on your iOS device. The app lets you search for artists, create playlists and sync your music for offline listening. Kazaa for iOS is available for free, while the service has a $10 monthly fee.
